We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas filled with family, friends, food and presents. We find that it’s the after-Christmas lull that is toughest for us. Especially now that we are trying to overcome our addiction to Boxing Day leftover sandwiches. This year we are going cold turkey. We thought about making some treats to get us over the hump, but the cookies we made kept quietly laughing at our drawings. That will be the last time we make snickerdoodles!
Last Thursday was Manitoulin Secondary School’s annual awards night. Local businesses and organizations came together and an astonishing $50,000+ was given out to support recent graduates who have gone on to post secondary education and apprenticeship programs. Congratulations graduates!
In political news … Billings Councillor Jim Cahill has resigned, leaving a seat on council vacant. Council will appoint a new councillor in February. Interested residents can apply for the seat. Details for applying will be made public in January. We thank former Councillor Cahill for his hard work while serving the community.
The next township council meeting is January 16th, 2024 and will be virtual. Agenda package and virtual meeting connection details can be found at billingstwp.ca/council-meetings/2024-council-agendas-and-minutes/
The local KFC (Kagawong Fitness Centre) at 91 Main Street has been closed while the fire hall was rebuilt, and it looks like it will continue to be closed for the foreseeable future. Plumbing/waste water issues were discovered while it was closed down and will need to be addressed before it can be used by the public again. The township is looking into possibilities and costs of repair.
Billings Township has officially welcomed Harmony Hancock on board as Director of Finance/Treasurer! Ms. Hancock has been working for the township on a contract basis, but the town wisely snapped her up in a full-time position this month.
Happy 29th birthday wishes go out to several Kagawongians (and some Kagawong-adjacent folks, too): Matt G, Darren H, Deb F, Mel H, Jen W-F, Chris T, Bev W, as well as our Mainland Mom are all celebrating another year of being awesome! Our advice for the festivities is that it is best to avoid marble cake. You don’t want to break a tooth.
Volunteers have started preparing the ice rink early this year! With luck, we could have a solid surface soon. Thanks to Andrew Preyde and the other volunteers for their hard work. If you are interested in helping with the rink, touch base with the township office.
Is your dearest wish for the holidays to be able to read all of the Christmas editions of this column? Okay, maybe world peace is your DEAREST wish, but just know that you can catch up on all of Team Fergmeijer’s past columns in our archive at https://teamfergmeijer.blogspot.com/
Please note that the municipal office will be closed December 25th through to January 1st. Likewise, the municipal landfill will be closed December 24th and 26th as well as December 31st, and the Library will be closed December 23rd, 30th and January 2nd.
Attention all artists, writers, crafters, potters, artisans, creatives, makers (and their friends and families) - come out to the Manitoulin Arts Community Potluck and Holiday Social on Friday, December 29th at the Kagawong Park Centre. Doors open at 4:30pm, arts announcements at 5:30pm (share your latest news!).
Now that Christmas is over, we’ve had time to process all the holiday music we’ve been listening to non-stop this month. It seems to us that Mariah Carey beginning with “I don’t want a lot for Christmas” and then revealing all she wants is ‘you’ is more of a burn than a romantic statement. Have a great week, and a very happy new year!
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