September 27, 2023

We interrupt this usually pun-filled intro, with a good news story: a certain local ice cream mogul had a kitty go missing a couple of weeks ago. The whole family’s spirits were low, and they feared the worst. Last Saturday, at the evening market (have we mentioned how fantastic it was?!), Sarah J, a young, eagle-eyed Kagawongian noticed that the kitchen light in the Park Centre kept turning on and off. Curious as a cat, she decided to investigate. Peeking in the glass door to the upstairs, low and behold, they spotted a little cat peering back at them from INSIDE THE PARK CENTRE! We aren’t kitten around; it really happened! A quick call to the owner, and to the indomitable Tiana from the township office, and the feline was free. It’s unclear how long she had been hiding in the building, but it was long enough for township employees to begin to suspect there was a weasel getting in. Team Fergmeijer loves a happy ending! It just goes to show that with the right catitude, anything is pawsible. 

Break out the sunglasses… the shiny new mailboxes are officially installed at the post office! Those with boxes will have to stop in to see Mike in order to pick up your new key and to find out your new box number. If you are waiting for the community boxes, they seem to be running a bit behind schedule. As of this writing, they are not installed at any of the three locations around town. In the meantime, stop into the post office during opening hours and Mike will get your mail to you. 

Thank you to the amazing organizers of the 4elements Living Arts Elemental Festival this past weekend in Kagawong. There was something for everyone, and it brought the village alive with singing, dancing, workshops, and of course, good eats! 

Kagawong’s own (that’s right, we’re claiming him) Mike McCormick of the Arrogant Worms is hosting a house concert near Mindemoya on Friday, September 29th. The concert will feature some classical work, mixed with pop, hymns, originals, and some other surprises. Visit https://ticketsplease.ca/ and search for “Mike McCormick” for more information. 

Looking for that special gift to get the person who has everything? How about an embarrassing mention in our column?! Email us (fergmeijer@gmail.com) and let us know when your brother’s birthday is, or your parents’ anniversary, or your neighbour’s graduation. We’ll do our best to make them regret their relationship with you. 

Remembering Mary Buie and her unbeatable spirit, Heather T will once again be representing Kagawong in the upcoming Run for the Cure on October 1. Funds raised go toward breast cancer research, prevention, and patient care. Donations can be made at http://support.cancer.ca/goto/htheijsmeijer

Interested in getting involved in the community? Join a committee! There are currently vacancies on the Climate Action Committee, the Lake Kagawong Resource Committee, the Parks, Recreation, and Wellness Committee and the library board. Contact tmills@billingstwp.ca for more info. 

Yeehaw! This fall, head on over to the Kagawong Park Centre for line dancing Wednesday evenings. Contact joebeth.arnold@gmail.com for more information. 

Body Stories Dance Instruction is offering dance classes at the Park Centre in Kagawong this fall, for ages five through adult. Check out their fall schedule for more information, or to register: https://www.bodystoriesdance.com/schedule#schedule

Save the date and start working your way onto the “nice” list - the annual Christmas in Kagawong market is just around the corner on November 17th and 18th! Following shortly after is the library’s annual silent auction November 23rd to 26th. More details on both coming soon.

We leave you with the purrfect words of wisdom to finish up your week: When life gets busy, don’t forget to press paws and live in the meow. Have a great week!

September 20, 2023

After the amazing success of our as-yet unpublished cookbook, Team Fergmeijer is already working on a spin-off work that takes a deep dive into the history and science of food (one of our favourite topics). It’s amazing the things we have learned in the process of researching for this new book. For instance, Cilantro, a lively citrusy (to some, slightly soapy) flavour, stops being Cilantro once it matures and goes to seed (or ‘bolts’). At that point it is used for the seeds, otherwise known as Cumin, and has a toastier flavour. Our big takeaway from this section of our research is that Cilantro is the veal of the herbs and spices world. Stay tuned for more information on our gourmandise journey. 

Thanks to everyone who made last weekend’s inaugural evening market a success. It was wonderful to see everyone out for one last market of the season! Don’t let the fact that it is the last market get you down, though - the annual Christmas in Kagawong market is just around the corner (November 17th and 18th)!

Yeehaw! This fall, head on over to the Kagawong Park Centre for line dancing Wednesday evenings beginning tonight (September 20th). The cost for 10 weeks of hoedown is $90. Contact joebeth.arnold@gmail.com for more information. 

This weekend: The 4elements Living Arts annual Elemental Festival is September 23rd and 24th in Kagawong. Come out and celebrate the beauty, bounty and history of Mnidoo Mnising through workshops and performances on singing and dancing, an artisan and food vendor market, artistic workshops, a children’s pop-up play area, and a special dinner & performance event. Visit the festival Facebook page (https://fb.me/e/UqD3Bj6e) for more information. 

Manitoulin Streams is hosting another Youth Rangers event at the Kagawong Park Centre, on Thursday, September 28 from 5:30pm-7pm. All youth in grades 1-8 are welcome to come and explore signs of fall and why leaves change. Cost is $5 per child. Contact getinvolved.manitoulinstreams@gmail.com to register by Friday, September 22.

A very happy birthday goes out to Barb E this week. It’s the one day a year when you absolutely must splurge and treat yourself to something you wouldn’t normally. So, put away the box wine and see what’s available in a screw top!

Friends, family, and neighbours of Ice Lake are invited to join the Ice Lake Fall Harvest Gathering this Saturday (the 23rd) at the Ice Lake picnic grounds (274 Pleasant Valley Road). The fun starts at 3pm! Enjoy fall Harvest games, delicious food - pig roast is provided, just bring a side dish or dessert as part of the potluck - (please bring your own plate, water bottle and utensils). There’s also a pick up ball game! And this year... do you think you have what it takes to win the Ice Lake Butter Tart Contest??? Bring your best 6 Plain Butter Tarts for a chance to win. A $5 donation is suggested. See you there!

Body Stories Dance Instruction is offering dance classes at the Park Centre in Kagawong this fall, for ages five through adult. Check out their fall schedule for more information, or to register: https://www.bodystoriesdance.com/schedule#schedule

Kagawong’s own (that’s right, we’re claiming him) Mike McCormick of the Arrogant Worms is hosting a house concert near Mindemoya on Friday, September 29th. The concert will feature some classical work, mixed with pop, hymns, originals, and some other surprises. Visit https://ticketsplease.ca/ and search for “Mike McCormick” for more information. 

You know what they say about finicky herbs… here today, tarragon tomorrow. Have a great week!

September 13, 2023

Hello! Team Fergmeijer here, your local pun laureates. We don’t know how you feel, but in our experience, bridge puns really hold up. Of course, there is one convoluted metaphor for bridges that aren’t built well that we refuse to include here. It’s just too hard to get across well. As you may know, the bridge along the river trail was broken some time ago. It was so shocking, we still can’t get over it. It wasn’t clear if it was damaged on purpose: there’s no concrete evidence of it being deliberate.  

Lookout! Repairs are being made on the Old Mill Road bridge. The bridge is scheduled to be closed Tuesday, September 12 and Friday, September 15. Please use Graham Hill and Newburn Road as a detour. 

Tonight! Join Lou Carcasole for a free mindfulness session, and find out how you can permanently reduce your stress and improve your life. Brought to you by the Parks, Recreation and Wellness Committee, Lou has been helping people reduce their stress for over 28 years. Wednesday, September 13 from 7-8:30pm at the Kagawong Park Centre. 

Have you been missing the weekly summer markets here in Kagawong? Then we’ve got good news for you! A special evening market is being held in Kagawong on Saturday, September 16 from 4-9pm at the Park Centre. Stop in and check out the vendors, food, cabanas, and even a fire pit to ward off that autumnal evening chill. We hear nearby shops will be open as well. Don’t miss out!

Body Stories Dance Instruction is offering dance classes at the Park Centre in Kagawong this fall, for ages five through adult. Check out their fall schedule for more information, or to register: https://www.bodystoriesdance.com/schedule#schedule

Fresh community gossip! Did you hear there was a stickup on the Old Mill Road bridge? Turns out some kid threw it up there.

The Billings Library is officially back to its winter hours. They are open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4pm-7pm, and Saturdays from 10am-1pm. The landfill continues on its summer hours until the end of October: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2pm-6pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-4pm. 

Happy birthday wishes go out to Jamie W and Kim B. We aren’t sure what you got up to for your big days, but if it involved a party at the ice creamery, we bet it was gelato fun! 

Just around the corner, the 4elements Living Arts annual Elemental Festival will be September 23rd and 24th in Kagawong. Come out and celebrate the beauty, bounty and history of Mnidoo Mnising through workshops and performances on singing and dancing, an artisan and food vendor market, artistic workshops, a children’s pop-up play area, and a special dinner & performance event. Visit the festival Facebook page (https://fb.me/e/UqD3Bj6e) for more information. 

If bridges could speak, would it be in Span-ish? Have a great week!

September 6, 2023

The kids are back to school today, so we thought we’d start off this week’s column with a pop quiz! If you had 19 oranges, 11 strawberries, 5 apples and 9 bananas, what would you have? That’s right - a delicious fruit salad. (No groaning at that one; you know that was a first class joke). Despite our current success, Team Fergmejier struggled sometimes in school. Especially in math class - we can’t count how many times we had to repeat that course. There were lots of more positive experiences though. We had the chance to learn how to surf, though we had to transfer to a boarding school. And there was the time the class clown tied all our shoelaces together. That was a really memorable class trip. 

The last Wednesday market of the season is today, so if you haven’t yet been, hop to it! Thank you to all of the vendors who set up this year to make the Kagawong market the largest and most vibrant on the island. And a special thank you to Ethel N for organizing everyone and making sure each week ran smoothly. See you all next year!

Congratulations to a pair of Kagawong aces on winning the Manitoulin Tennis Club’s end-of-summer tournament on August 27th! Mike M and Keith M came away with their pick of prizes as well as bragging rights. The tennis club continues to meet Sundays at 10am and Wednesdays at 6pm at the Manitoulin Secondary School courts. Players of all abilities are welcome to come out and play.

The Billings Library is officially back to its winter hours. They are open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4pm-7pm, and Saturdays from 10am-1pm. The landfill continues on its summer hours until the end of October: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2pm-6pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-4pm. 

We would like to wish a very happy birthday to Keith M who is alive and caking as he turned 29 last week! Rumour has it Keith doesn’t like to taco bout his birthday, but we at Team Fergmeijer feel that you should celebrate like it’s national dairy-free ice cream day - party like it’s sherbert day!

Aw shucks! A veritable CORNucopia of produce arrived this past week at Chez Park. They had so much they decided they maize well share the wealth, and were kind enough to pass it along to some friends. 

Good riddance to Ezra as he pursues post-secondary education down south. Don’t forget to start each day with a hearty bowl of Crunchy Loggs! 

Thanks to all the volunteers who came out last week to plant trees along the Kagawong River. The river trail is one of the gems of the community, thanks to the Manitoulin Streams restoration projects. 

Body Stories Dance Instruction is offering dance classes at the Park Centre in Kagawong this fall, for ages five through adult. Check out their fall schedule for more information, or to register: https://www.bodystoriesdance.com/schedule#schedule

4elements Living Arts has announced the return of the annual Elemental Festival, September 23rd and 24th this year. The festival celebrates the beauty, bounty and history of Mnidoo Mnising. There will be singing, dancing, artistic workshops, and a new dinner & performance event with chefs and performers collaborating to highlight the delicious bounty grown here on Manitoulin. Visit the festival Facebook page for more information. 

One thing schools didn’t teach us was the answer to that universal question: if belches were a colour, would they be burple? Have a great week!