June 28, 2023

Buckle up, Kagawongians! July is turning out to be a wheely exciting month here in Billings Township. The township is overflowing with activities to fuel your community spirit. Team Fergmeijer has good memories of busy summers filled with get-togethers. Pre-covid, we would climb into a large tire and roll down a hill in it. Those were goodyears.

We don’t know about you, but we could barely sleep last night! Today (Wednesday, June 28), from 10am - 3pm is the first summer market of the season! We’re looking forward to all sorts of crafts, veg, and baked treats. With a reported 70+ vendors making regular appearances this summer, be sure to check out the colourful cabanas, the roofed arena, and the Park Centre parking lot. Markets will continue throughout July and August on Wednesdays.

This weekend! The annual Anglican Church yard sale and delicious BBQ is Saturday, July 1st (10am-2pm). Head to the Kagawong market pavilion to find treasures galore and grab lunch while you’re there!

Let’s Learn ASL! Interested in learning the basics of American Sign Language? Billings Library is pleased to be partnering with Andrea Wist, ASL instructor at Georgian College, to offer free ASL lessons! The session consists of 2 classes, Tuesday July 4th and Thursday July 6th, starting at 10am at the market pavilion. This first session will be for ages 14+ but a children’s session is also in the works so stay tuned! For more information, email billingsreads@gmail.com. 

The music continues! Don’t miss fiddling and step dancing siblings The Fitzgeralds: Wednesday, July 5 at 7:30pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance at https://www.thefitzgeraldsmusic.com/tour. 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. 

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. 

Don’t get left in the dark (room)! Be sure to catch the vintage camera and photographic exhibit on now at the Old Mill Heritage Centre. The museum is now open seven days a week, so be sure to pop on by and check out the latest displays.

And that’s not all the Old Mill Heritage Centre has up its historical sleeve. Be sure to save the date: “Speakers Night in Kagawong” with Arthur Milnes and Steve Paikin will be July 13th at the Park Centre!

NorthWords Festival (June 21st and 22nd) has so many fun activities lined up! The Book & Brew on the Friday, taking place at Split Rail Brewery in Gore Bay, will have the featured authors mixing and mingling with guests, enjoying tapas style snacks, and of course, dampling delicious Split Rail brews. Tickets are $15/pp  and can be purchased at the Billings Library or online (bit.ly/northwordsfest).  Tickets for the Knitting Pilgrim performance and pre-registration for the various workshops are also available. Visit the NorthWords Facebook page for more information (FB.com/NorthWordsFest). 

And if you’re looking for more to do this month, the Billings Climate Action Committee is planning a community picnic. Stay tuned for more details, and don’t forget to check out their blog at http://billingscac.blogspot.com

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!

It’s true what they say: the clothes really do make the man. Naked people have little to no influence on society. Have a great week!

June 21, 2023

This is a long one, folks! There is just SO much going on in the community, we can barely keep up with it all. No jokes today (well, maybe one), we have to get straight to the good stuff!

Today we celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day! Here in Billings, be sure to check out the Billings Connections Trail. The Anishinaabeg (Odaawaa, Ojibwa and Pottawatomi) occupied what is now Billings Township long before European settlers arrived. Archeological and oral evidence has established at least 10,000 years of Indigenous occupation on Mnidoo Mnising (Manitoulin Island). To learn more about the history of Billings’ original and settler inhabitants, visit the full series of historical plaques around the township, link to the QR codes on each plaque, and drop in to the Old Mill Heritage Centre in Kagawong, as well as the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation in M’Chigeeng First Nation.

A familiar figure strolled through the village earlier this month: Wayne Aelick, along with his many supporters on Team Aelick participated in the Stroll for Liver, raising money for the Liver Foundation. This is just one of many reasons Wayne was crowned Senior of Year by Billings Township! Congratulations, Wayne and thank you for all the work that you do in the Island community. 

In just one week! Come out next Wednesday, June 28, for the first of the Kagawong markets featuring all sorts of crafts, veg, and baked treats. With a reported 70+ vendors making regular appearances this summer, be sure to check out the colourful cabanas, the roofed arena, and the Park Centre parking lot. Markets will continue throughout July and August on Wednesdays.

The annual Anglican Church yard sale and BBQ is just around the corner! Saturday July 1st (10am-4pm) head to the Kagawong market pavilion to find treasures galore. 

The next event in the Kagawong Concerts series has been announced! Don’t miss fiddling and step dancing siblings The Fitzgeralds at the Old Church on the Hill, Wednesday July 5 at 7:30pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance at https://www.thefitzgeraldsmusic.com/tour

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. 

Local artist Willa Wilson is opening a new show! Willa is achieving interprovincial fame with the opening of a show with two friends in Baie St. Paul, Québec, that has been forty years in the making. Félicitations, Willa!

We shutter to think you might miss out… on the vintage camera and photographic exhibit at the Old Mill Heritage Centre! The museum is now open seven days a week, so be sure to pop on by and check out the latest displays.

And that’s not all the Old Mill Heritage Centre has up its historical sleeve. Be sure to save the date: “Speakers Night in Kagawong” with Arthur Milnes and Steve Paikin will be July 13th at the Park Centre!

Excited about NorthWords Festival coming June 21st and 22nd? Keen to get tickets to the Book & Brew or to The Knitting Pilgrim show? You are in luck! In addition to purchasing at the library, tickets are now available online at https://northwords.ticketspice.com/northwordsfest or go to the NorthWords Facebook page to find the link (FB.com/NorthWordsFest). 

The annual Elemental Festival is back! Some fantastic plans are in the works to celebrate the beauty, bounty and history of Mnidoo Mnising, September 23 & 24 in Kagawong. Artist Announcements and Festival Schedule will be coming soon. Interested in getting involved? Contact info@4elementslivingarts.org to learn more.

Whew! That is a lot of goings on. You know, they say that good looking people are always busy. Team Fergmeijer would love to tell you why, but we just don’t have a spare minute right now. Have a great week!

June 14, 2023

Team Fergmeijer is always happy to see spring in full swing, but we know not everyone shares our joy in the season. Our neighbour refused to believe it was already June. She has always been such a May-sayer. We focus on the positive: April showers bring May flowers. But she leans to the more pessimistic: May flowers bring June bugs. We tend to think her lack of enthusiasm stems from the family reunion they hosted last June. During the potluck dinner, most of the attendees got sick from eating some bacon that was a bit past its best before date. It was May-ham!

At the time of writing, there is a total fire ban in place in Billings Township due to the dry conditions. Check in with the township for up-to-date information (billingstwp.ca  and   FB.com/billingstownshipkagawong).

Congratulations to Brad MacKay, recipient of the Billings Township Volunteer of the Year award for 2023! Brad does so much around the community, most of it inconspicuously and out of the spotlight. Of course, the main exception to this are his annual Christmas displays. Nothing inconspicuous about that! And we wouldn’t have it any other way. Be sure to congratulate him when you see him!

The annual Anglican Church yard sale and BBQ is just around the corner! Saturday July 1st (10am-4pm) head to the Kagawong market pavilion to find treasures galore. 

Friends! Kagawongians! Countrypeople! Lens me your ears! Don’t miss out on the vintage camera and photographic exhibit at the Old Mill Heritage Centre. The museum is now open seven days a week, so be sure to pop on by!

And that’s not all the Old Mill Heritage Centre has up its historical sleeve. Be sure to save the date: “Speakers Night in Kagawong” with Arthur Milnes and Steve Paikin will be July 13th at the Park Centre!

Rumour has it that there would be no selfies or autographs, so being superfans, we are thinking we might bring our life-sized Steve Paikin standup with us. 

Billings Library has officially announced that their first annual NorthWords festival is coming to Manitoulin on July 21st and 22nd! NorthWords celebrates all the ways in which we use language. With the support of the Ontario Arts Council, authors Shelley Pearen and Claire Ross Dunn, poet Sophie Ann Edwards, playwright Kirk Dunn, artist Michael Cywink, and former Sudbury poet laureate Vera Constanineau are bringing their creativity to the festival. You can get full details on all the events and featured guests on the festival Facebook page (FB.com/NorthWordsFest) or email NorthWordsFest@gmail.com. 

A very happy 29th birthday goes out to honorary Kagawongian Karlene S who celebrates today! Always remember that age gets better with wine. 

Only a few more weeks until the first Kagawong market of the summer! Be sure to come out to the Park Centre Wednesday, June 28 for the first of the weekly markets, featuring all sorts of crafts, veg, and baked treats. Markets will continue throughout the summer on Wednesdays.

The annual Elemental Festival is back! Some fantastic plans are in the works to celebrate the beauty, bounty and history of Mnidoo Mnising, September 23 & 24 in Kagawong. Artist Announcements and Festival Schedule will be coming soon. Interested in getting involved? Contact info@4elementslivingarts.org to learn more.

If we are honest, the biggest difference between May and June is every single letter. Have a great week!

June 7, 2023

Turns out that Team Fergmeijer has a real issue with procrastination. We never seem to finish anything. It’s like we have a black belt in the partial arts. In an effort to overcome this, we have started making lists. And instead of calling it a ‘to do’ list, we’ve started writing ‘side quests’ at the top to make it seem more fun and interesting, and man has that not worked at all. 

At the time of writing, there is a total fire ban in place in Billings Township due to the dry conditions. Check in with the township for up-to-date information (billingstwp.ca  and   FB.com/billingstownshipkagawong).

This Sunday! On June 11th, Team Aelick will be heading out for the annual Stroll for Liver in Kagawong and you can join them! The 5km stroll starts at the Park Center at 11am, and will make its way through the village. You can support Team Aelick and the Liver Foundation by donating online (https://tinyurl.com/teamAELICK).

Billings Library has officially announced that their first annual NorthWords festival is coming to Manitoulin on July 21st and 22nd! NorthWords celebrates all the ways in which we use language. With the support of the Ontario Arts Council, authors Shelley Pearen and Claire Ross Dunn, poet Sophie Ann Edwards, playwright Kirk Dunn, and artist Michael Cywink are bringing their creativity to the festival. You can get full details on all the events and featured guests on the festival Facebook page (FB.com/NorthWordsFest) or email NorthWordsFest@gmail.com. 

Speaking of authors, our most faithful readers know that yours truly have a cookbook in the works. It has been a definite learning process and although we’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way, adding more cheese than what a recipe calls for has never been one of them. 

Candice Irwin of Body Stories Dance Instruction will be hosting drop-in dance classes for children throughout the month of June at the Kagawong Park Centre. There are opportunities for youth aged 3 and up exploring creative movement and contemporary dance. Classes are $15 at the door. Check out the Kagawong Facebook page for more information.

Happy 29th Birthday wishes go out to Morgan E, Trish T, and two Kagawongians who really know how to crack us up. Don’t worry about aging: you only look as old as the last selfie you took!

Candice Irwin of Body Stories Dance Instruction is holding drop-in dance classes for children throughout the month of June at the Kagawong Park Centre. There are opportunities for youth aged 3 and up exploring creative movement and contemporary dance. Classes are $15 at the door. Check out the Kagawong Facebook page for more information.

Mark-et on your calendars - the first Kagawong market of the summer will be Wednesday, June 28! The market is moving up into the covered rink, colourful cabanas, and part of the Park Centre parking lot. Markets will continue throughout the summer on Wednesdays.

Need a last-minute idea when visiting Kagawong? Make the snap-shot decision to visit the vintage camera exhibit at the Old Mill Heritage Centre!

The Manitoulin Tennis Club is up and running for the summer! Players of all ages and abilities are welcome to come out to the courts at Manitoulin Secondary School in M’Chigeeng for fun and fitness Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. First Sunday and Wednesday of every month there are free lessons for new players! Visit Manitoulin Tennis Club on Facebook for more information.

Rumour has it the Billings Climate Action Committee has some summer plans afoot! Don’t forget to check out their blog at https://billingscac.blogspot.com/ for regular updates. 

It’s shocking to think that someone out there has eaten the most potato chips in the world, and they have no idea of their achievement. Have a great week!

May 31, 2023

Your friendly neighbourhood columnists were out shopping for the day last week and hit up an amazing sweater store. They were so knowledgeable. Did you know it takes three sheep to make up one sweater? We didn’t even know sheep could knit! We ran into a bit of trouble when one of us went to buy a lovely pullover and her credit card was declined. It all worked out okay, she just had to swipe the cardigan.  

Have so many old electronics kicking around that it hertz? Manitoulin Secondary School will be collecting e-waste Monday, May 29 to Friday, June 2 (3-5pm) and Saturday, June 3 (10-3pm). Bring ANY dead electronics, including appliances, batteries of any size, devices, and even propane tanks to be recycled. 

Manitoulin Metal wants to show their appreciation for all the community support they received this year, and what better way to show gratitude than with pancakes! June 1st, the team will be serving up breakfast for dinner at MSS from 6-8pm. Meet the team over pancakes, sausages and hashbrowns; check out Bumblebee the robot, watch demos, check out the silent auction and take part in interactive activities.

Self care is important. We at Team Fergmeijer like to take a little nap on the sofa before taking ourselves up to bed for our main sleep. It’s called a snors d’oeuvre. 

Go fly a kite! No, really. On Sunday June 4th in Gore Bay you can go fly a kite in the Kite Festival! From 1-4 pm you can enjoy kite-flying at the Western Manitoulin Community Garden. It's a free event and fun can be had for all ages. Enjoy the BBQ lunch, get crafty at the Make a Scarecrow station, and check out a Pop-up Play area for the littles. There will also be community service people and their vehicles for viewing and questions. Bring your own kite or use one the festival provides. 

Happy Birthday wishes go out to Casey B, Morgan E, and David H this week. You are as old as you are brilliant! Which is both good news, and bad. 

Team Aelick is at it again, raising awareness and funds for the Canadian Liver Foundation! Last weekend was the annual yard sale chock full of goodies. June 11th they will be heading out for the annual Stroll for Liver and you can join them! The 5km stroll starts at the Park Center at 11am, and will make its way through the village. You can support Team Aelick and the Liver Foundation by donating (https://tinyurl.com/teamAELICK)

Candice Irwin of Body Stories Dance Instruction will be hosting drop-in dance classes for children throughout the month of June at the Kagawong Park Centre. There are opportunities for youth aged 3 and up exploring creative movement and contemporary dance. Classes are $15 at the door. Check out the Kagawong Facebook page for more information.

Save the date! Team Fergmeijer has it on good authority the first Kagawong market of the summer will be Wednesday, June 28! The market is moving up into the covered rink, colourful cabanas, and part of the Park Centre parking lot. Markets will continue throughout the summer on Wednesdays.

Can’t quite decide what to focus on when you visit Kagawong? Then picture this: the Old Mill Heritage Centre has a new exhibit on vintage cameras. Don’t miss it!

The Manitoulin Tennis Club is up and running for the summer! Players of all ages and abilities are welcome to come out to the courts at Manitoulin Secondary School in M’Chigeeng for fun and fitness Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. First Sunday and Wednesday of every month there are free lessons for new players! Visit Manitoulin Tennis Club on Facebook for more information.

Rumour has it the Billings Climate Action Committee has some summer plans afoot! Don’t forget to check out their blog at https://billingscac.blogspot.com/ for regular updates. 

We’ll leave you with a deep thought: Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana. Have a great week!

May 24, 2023

At the time of writing, Team Fergmeijer is dreaming of bear claws, forget-me-nots, and chocolate cupcakes. Of course, we always have chocolate on the brain this time of year; we love May a choco-lot. If May had a theme song it would be Wake Me Up Before You Cocoa. All we’re saying is, don’t get between the two of us, and our chocolate fix. When it comes to chocolate, we are not to be truffled with!

A number of stalwart tennis players braved the blackflies this past weekend at the aptly-named Blackfly tournament hosted by the Manitoulin Tennis Club. With this kick-off event, drop-in tennis will soon be up and running at the tennis courts in M’Chigeeng, and all will be welcome. Visit Manitoulin Tennis Club on Facebook for more information.

Manitoulin Metal wants to show their appreciation for all the community support they received this year, and what better way to show gratitude than with pancakes! June 1st, the team will be serving up breakfast for dinner at MSS from 6-8pm. Meet the team over pancakes, sausages and hashbrowns; check out Bumblebee the robot, watch demos, check out the silent auction and take part in interactive activities.

We saw a snapping turtle outside the museum. We still have no idea how he got hold of that camera. 

It’s impossible to be negative about the Old Mill Heritage Centre’s new exhibit that focuses on vintage cameras. We spoke with one visitor who was so excited about the display that we just couldn’t shutter up on the subject.

Go fly a kite! No, really. On Sunday June 4th in Gore Bay you can go fly a kite in the Kite Festival! From 1-4 pm you can enjoy kite-flying at the Western Manitoulin Community Garden. It's a free event and fun can be had for all ages. Enjoy the BBQ lunch, get crafty at the Make a Scarecrow station, and check out a Pop-up Play area for the littles. There will also be community service people and their vehicles for viewing and questions. Bring your own kite or use one the festival provides. 

Candice Irwin of Body Stories Dance Instruction will be hosting drop-in dance classes for children throughout the month of June at the Kagawong Park Centre. There are opportunities for youth aged 3 and up exploring creative movement and contemporary dance. Classes are $15 at the door. Check out the Kagawong Facebook page for more information.

Team Aelick is at it again, raising awareness and funds for the Canadian Liver Foundation! Last weekend was the annual yard sale chock full of goodies. June 11th they will be heading out for the annual Stroll for Liver and you can join them! The 5km stroll starts at the Park Center at 11am, and will make its way through the village. You can support Team Aelick and the Liver Foundation by donating (https://tinyurl.com/teamAELICK)

Happy Birthday to David H, Erin F who are both turning 29 this week. It can be tempting to feel bad about getting older, but remember, birthdays are to be cherished as a reminder that you are still alive and cake-ing!

The waterline work on Old Mill Road has started. That road will be closed as the work requires excavation of the roadway to install a new water main and service connections. Residents will have access to their property, but may have to use Newburn road via Graham’s hill at times. 

Fun fact: A camera takes photos, but a sock takes five. Have a great week!

May 17, 2023

Your friendly neighbourhood columnists have an eclectic taste when it comes to how we spend our free time. One of our favourite pastimes is to play board games. It all started years ago when we stole a neighbour’s game as a prank. He still doesn’t have a Clue! We told a friend about the prank and they warned us that we could get in a lot of trouble for stealing board games, but it’s a Risk we’re willing to take. We have so many board games in our collection now that we’ve had to weed out a few. We took a couple to the thrift store, but they said they could only take one. We were a bit upset, but finally just asked which one they wanted. They said, “Sorry. We don’t want any Trouble.” And now, Uno us just a little bit better. 

This Friday the 19th is Game Night in Kagawong! Join other board game enthusiasts at the Park Centre starting at 6:30pm. 

Not all blackflies are bad! Grab a racquet and come out a-swingin’ at the annual Blackfly Tennis Tournament hosted by the Manitoulin Tennis Club! Mark Saturday, May 20 on your calendars (rain date Sunday, May 21), and contact ctheijsmeijer@gmail.com for more information.

This week saw the water lines in town being flushed. If you notice any discolouration, let your water run until it is clear.

Did you know that you can access ebooks and audiobooks online for free through the library?! Download the free Libby app, login using your patron number, and you have thousands of books at your fingertips. Contact Billings Library (billingsreads@gmail.com) to find out what your patron number is. 

Do you suppose Canada’s national board game would be Sorry?

There’s a new exhibit coming to the Old Mill Heritage Centre in Kagawong! Word on the street is that a new camera and photographic exhibition is, ahem, being developed. Opening day is slated for the Victoria Day long weekend - stay tuned for further details!

Miss out on The Barrel Boys at the Old Church on the Hill at the end of April? It turns out they were just the first in a series of concerts running out of the Old Church through the spring and summer! Keep an eye on social media for more in the 2023 Kagawong Concert Series. 

Speaking of music, special thanks to Jane Best and the Manitoulin Community Choir for a lovely outdoor concert down by the Kagawong market pavilion on May 6. From toe-tapping tunes to soul-soothing songs, the audience was treated to a lovely repertoire.

Happy Birthday to a collection of present, past, and part-time Kagawongians: Sherri C, Gerry M, Tammy CS are all celebrating this week. May you live to be old and toothless – Jell-O is the caviar of the future!

The waterline work on Old Mill Road has started. That road will be closed as the work requires excavation of the roadway to install a new water main and service connections. Residents will have access to their property, but may have to use Newburn road via Graham’s hill at times. 

Go fly a kite! No, really. On Sunday June 4th in Gore Bay you can go fly a kite in the Kite Festival! From 1-4 pm you can enjoy kite-flying at the Western Manitoulin Community Garden. It's a free event and fun can be had for all ages. Enjoy the BBQ lunch, get crafty at the Make a Scarecrow station, and check out a Pop-up Play area for the littles. There will also be community service people and their vehicles for viewing and questions. Bring your own kite or use one the festival provides. 

There is another board game we used to play a long time ago that we haven’t yet mentioned. But we don’t like talking about our checkered past. Have a great long weekend!