Listowel Banner_June 2022

Celebrating Indigenous History Month: Asking the right questions

CONNOR LUCZKA Local Journalism Initiative Reporter crluczka@midwesternnewspapers.com

TREATY 45 ½ – June is National Indigenous History Month, a time of reflection and learning, but the local history concerning Indigenous People surrounding Listowel is not well documented or well known.

The reason for that gap is complicated and multi-faceted, but it can be found and understood.

Before the arrival of Europeans, the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) occupied two million acres from what is now the town of Arthur to Lake Huron and north to Georgian Bay. The land spread across the region and surrounded the Maitland River and what would become the town of Listowel. In 1836, The Saugeen Treaty no. 45 ½ opened 1.5 million acres (everything below the peninsula from Southampton to Owen Sound) “in exchange for economic assistance and protection from settler encroachment ‘…upon which proper houses shall be built for you, and proper assistance given to enable you to become civilized and to cultivate land, which you Great Father engages for ever to protect for you from the encroachments of the whites,’” according to the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Environment Office. Listowel would later incorporate 39 years later in 1875.

The history of the region is complex and starts not here in Treaty 45 ½ but in Niagara, according to Randall Kahgee. Kahgee is a lawyer at Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP. He is also a former chief of Saugeen First Nation.

Continued on page 6

Mayor expresses interest in innovation committee

Local community leaders attend June 8 luncheon

LISTOWEL – Innovation was the key subject of North Perth Mayor Todd Kasenberg’s luncheon on June 8, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. After speaking on the good, the bad, and the hopeful, Kasenberg turned his attention to the opportunities the COVID-19 pandemic may present to the community and the need for innovation.

“Here’s the bomb I’m going to drop today,” he ended his speech. “It’s not the municipality’s role to solve the innovation problem in our commu-

nity, but what if we created an innovation lab or an innovation program amongst our businesses and organizations in our community, to sort of help the process along?

“Could we find a way to nucleate an innovation solution in our community?”

The luncheon was the first in a few years, and in that time, there have been a lot of developments to the municipality.

“We’ve seen some new services and facilities in our community, our tax base has increased,” Kasenberg explained. “And this can lead in theory to further changes and improvements, services, an introduction of new services

and facilities. We’re certainly becoming a more diverse community and there’s a richness that comes from that and there’s work to do. We have renewed long-term care home funding. That was a big challenge that not only myself, but my predecessor was working towards.

“Now we have a provincial government commitment to renew our long-term care homes in Listowel.”

Aside from those changes, affordable housing, the problems arising from a lack of housing in the municipality, and youth leaving the area have also become worse.

Continued on page 2

CONNOR LUCZKA Local Journalism Initiative Reporter crluczka@midwesternnewspapers.com

Dan McNee Photo

TRACTOR TANDEM – Keira and Colton Bijman of Listowel enjoy a ride atop a vintage John Deere tractor during Premier Equipment Ltd.’s open house on June 10. It’s estimated that over 1,000 people attended the event over the course of the afternoon and evening last Friday. See more photos on page 10.

BANNER BRIEFS

North Perth pools, splash pad open as of June 13

The unofficial start of summer was marked with the opening of North Perth’s popular recreational cooling-down water amenities on June 13.

The Listowel Kinsmen Pool and Atwood Lions Pool are now open as of Monday this week, with evening and weekend swims available. Regular swimming lessons are scheduled to commence on June 20.

The Listowel Kinette Splash Pad also marked its opening on June 13. Usage is available within daylight hours, pending weather conditions.

Conners finishes sixth at Canadian Open Listowel’s Corey Conners marked his best finish to date at the RBC Canadian Open at the St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto this past Sunday, finishing sixth at the PGA Tour event.

Conners rebounded from opening rounds of 71 and 69 to vault up the leaderboard with a third round of 66 on June 11 and a scorching 62 during the final round on June 12 to finish at 12-under par, seven shots back of tournament champion Rory McIlroy, who claimed his second straight Canadian Open title.

Conners’ bogey-free final round included six birdies and an eagle.

Conners earned $315,375 for his efforts, and currently sits 30th on the World Golf Rankings heading into the U.S. Open Championship this week.

Eastdale Fun Night set for Friday, June 17

Listowel Eastdale Public School will mark the return of its Fun Night fundraiser this Friday, June 17.

The event runs rain or shine, and features an inflatable obstacle course, photo booth, giant cookie contest, face painting, raffles and a concession stand, among other attractions.

Funds raised from the event are allocated towards Eastdale school field trips, tech upgrades and other items such as sports expenses.

The Fun Night runs from 5-8 p.m. and is open to the public.

Correction

A photo appearing on page 16 of the June 9, 2022 Listowel Banner contained incorrect cutline information.

The sports photo featuring Listowel 11U OBA pitcher Oliver Morwood incorrectly identified him. The Banner regrets this error.

Mayor’s luncheon makes return

Continued from front

On the other side, the municipality has taken many steps in combating these prevalent issues. Like he mentioned, they secured funding from the province to support their LTCs, the mayor created a taskforce for the housing crisis early in his mayorship, work is further along on an Access Centre for United Way at the library, and the municipality secured a sizable grant for creating a Technology Learning and Skills Hub, tentatively called by Kasenberg ‘Set Seven,’ in honour of the seven skills the Canadian government has said are key to success. He says that some of the problems facing the community may not be ‘municipality issues,’ but the local government is, nevertheless, trying to monitor and assist in these issues.

“You saw the numbers, we’re becoming a place that is increasingly difficult to live and our children and our youth and our young people who’ve become adults are finding it difficult to stay here, to be able to afford to

live here. This is a grave concern to me.

“We hear it in our community as our youth leave and don’t find places to come back to as they’re trained and accomplished through their schooling. We need to address that… While many would say ‘well, that’s not really a municipal issue.’ Yeah, it is. It’s part of our social infrastructure to get some of this right. That’s certainly on our horizon and the things that we’re keeping aware of at a municipal level.”

The key issue the mayor advocated for was innovation in the community – and Canada at large as well. “We have some problems and innovation is at the heart of continuing success in the modern world,” he said. “We’ve seen a lot of manufacturing jobs lost in the last decade, we’ve seen that some of our nearest and dearest neighbors are outcompeting us on the innovation front. And maybe we could argue it’s a sense of scale, but still, it’s a concern. The federal government announced its most recent

budget – a raft of money – and I’m just greedy enough to want our part.

“Whenever I see these funds, I drive poor Kris (Snell) and Kim (Kowch) nuts because I’m like ‘how do we get our fingers in that pie?’ There’s a lot of money that’s being put on the table right now by the federal government to support innovation in Canada and I want our piece.”

Citing a recent article on innovation by RBC Economics, he explained that Canada has a highly-trained and educated workforce and yet the country is falling behind when it comes to this key area.

“We’re not doing so well translating those inputs to outputs and making our difference or our impact on the world,” he said, though admitted that in this arena the municipality might take a backseat. “I really think this must be a community-led initiative. I’m encouraging us together to consider this and to raise hands if you’re willing to get involved.”

Connor Luczka Photo

North Perth Mayor Todd Kasenberg had a luncheon on June 8 at Parkview Gardens hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. Local businesses gathered and heard Kasenberg’s “bombshell” – the desire for a new community-led innovation initiative. Citing a lack of innovation in Canada as a whole, he said that North Perth can be a trendsetter given the talent in the room and community at large.

Tyler Schaefer Photos Relay For Life ran in Stratford on Saturday, June 11. Since 1999, Relay For Life has united a collective of Canadians, who are a force-for-life in the face of cancer. At Relay For Life events, participants of all ages gather at a community space and take turns walking around a track or path to symbolize the perseverance and action needed to change the future of cancer. This year, 120 participants contributed in raising $70,000 at the event, the first in-person gathering since 2019. A student team “Our Chance” (pictured, top left) from Listowel was the top fundraising team, having raised $19,295.

Taking aim at gun violence

It is not unheard of for a school to receive a bomb threat this time of year – usually on a warm, sunny Friday when there is a physics exam scheduled.

There are likely readers who recall having taken advantage of the ensuing school evacuation, to head for the ice cream parlour, beach or a friend’s garage – a midwestern Ontario version of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Offenders, if caught, might have found themselves in detention hall – or even suspended for a few days (bonus!).

This year there is a marked difference in both the nature of the calls, and the reaction. A 17-year-old Toronto area youth found himself under arrest and facing serious charges after he posted a threat to shoot up an LGBTQ event in Florida. And a 13-year-old boy is in trouble for leaving threatening messages at a Scarborough school.

Recent mass murders committed by 18-year-olds in the United States mean police on both sides of the border have to be prepared to believe such threats and act accordingly. As much as we would like to think we are immune to such horrendous crimes, we are not.

Some have been hate crimes, fueled by paranoia and bizarre conspiracy theories. Victims have been targeted because of their race, religion, gender or mere presence at an event, school or other location.

Many are murder-suicides, in which the killer intends the final act in the drama to be his own death in a hail of police bullets.

What the killings have in common is the use of AR15 style weapons – the civilian version of military assault rifles – which can still be purchased legally in the United States by an 18-year-old, unless there has been a dramatic change in the law in the past few days. They have become the weapon of choice for mass murders.

Many of us have grown weary of the rhetoric that inevitably follows any effort to curtail the violence.

Most irritating is, “Guns

don’t kill people, people kill people.” While this is certainly true, it is also true that a killer armed with a rifle that fires bullets at a very high velocity, quickly and accurately, will be able to take a lot more lives than one armed with a knife or even a handgun.

The other irritating response is a call to arm teachers – which some states have done. If there were any guarantees that only attackers would be shot, this might work. However, consider a shootout in the hallways between a nervous teenaged attacker, and a bunch of even more nervous teachers, some of whom have only minimal firearms training. The probability of people getting shot by accident is sky high. Even having firearms in a school increases the chance of something going terribly wrong.

Canada banned AR-15 style firearms a couple of years ago, following the mass shooting in Nova Scotia. This does not mean the weapons are not here. They are in a good many gun collections, legally purchased before the ban, and illegally after it. There is an extensive and lucrative market for AR-15s purchased legally south of the border and smuggled into Canada.

Buy-back programs are worth a try. So are increased anti-smuggling measures at our borders. There is precious little we can do to combat the gun culture that exists south of the border, but we can support any and every measure in this country that will protect worshippers in mosques, kids in classrooms, and people celebrating diversity during Pride Month.

***

Pauline Kerr is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter with Midwestern Newspapers Corp. She can be reached for comment by emailing pkerr@midwesternnewspapers.com.

Own your opinion

I love living in Canada.

In Canada, we have the right to freedom of expression, as laid out in Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In fact, any of the rights in this section of the charter have been deemed fundamental freedoms.

The fundamental freedoms are freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of belief, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association.

It is because of this section of the charter that Canadians can enjoy many of the things we do, such as gathering at a church or community event, having open conversations without fear of being sent to Siberia, or reading newspapers such as this one.

Of course, there are some limitations – hate speech, for one, is not tolerated. Nor is obscenity.

However, it is because of this freedom of expression that some of a newspaper’s most popular pages –the opinion pages – exist.

These pages go by different names in different publications, but quality opinion pages have much in common. There is usually a cartoon that tackles a hot topic in society; an editorial piece, written by one of

TURNBACKS

Ten Years Ago

2012 – The seventh annual Relay For Life event took place in North Perth, surpassing $800,000 raised over the years.

Listowel’s Zellers location closed, while Livingstone Manor celebrated 100 years.

LDSS student Erin Katerberg won gold at OFSAA in junior girls’ high jump.

Twenty Years Ago

2002 – Rod Martin from LDSS won gold at Skills Canada in Vancouver. Over 650 students from across the country competed in 39 skilled trades and techno-

the newspaper’s staffers that reflects the stance of the paper on an issue; opinion columns, where staff reporters or contributors weave a wonderful web of words to give their opinion on a local topic of interest, or tell a funny story; and letters to the editor, where you – the reader – present your thoughts on a local issue or a story that appeared in the paper.

Personally, I love receiving letters to the editor – both positive and negative – because it tells me that people are reading and paying attention. It also gives me an idea of what issues readers are engaged in.

Locally, the proposed deep geological repository in South Bruce is a bone of contention with many. We’ve published letters from both sides – those for and those against – as we believe that everyone has their right to their opinion.

Most recently, the flying of the Pride flag and other Pride decorations has rubbed some the wrong way.

In Minto, Pride decorations on Palmerston’s Main Street have been damaged or removed. In Wingham, at least one resident has called on North Huron council to not fly the Pride flag this month. In fact, the

logical competitions.

A foursome of doctors – Russell Latuskie, John Conners, Rex Warren and Barry Neable – was the first group to play the new nine at the Listowel Golf Club.

Thirty Years Ago

1992 – Chris Long of LDSS placed second in long jump at the all-Ontario track meet.

Local officers raised $2,500 in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics.

Al Walters was named Male Athlete of the Year by the Ontario Broomball Association.

flag pole in front of town hall in Wingham was damaged prior to the Pride flag being raised, leading to some last minute MacGyvering by municipal staff to ensure the flag raising could take place.

Other communities, such as North Perth, are flying the Pride flag at the municipal office for the first time this year. And even that decision was not without opposition – not the flying of the flag, but rather flying it at the municipal office.

Personally, I think it’s great that our communities are flying the Pride flag for the month of June.

I also think it’s great that we fly the flag for the Terry Fox Run, Crime Stoppers, or any other local organization or special interest group that requests it. As long as the flag is not racist or associated with a hate crime, let it fly.

With that said, I know that not everyone agrees with me on this stance.

I received a letter to the editor the other day regarding the Pride flag flying in Wingham. The letter writer provided their reasoning as to why the flag should be removed, and proceeded to tell me to stop “shoving” Pride down their throat. The writer proceeded to end their letter by saying, “I think you won’t print this in your paper.”

They are right. Not because I don’t agree with their viewpoint, but because they didn’t include their name and contact information as required by our letters to the editor policy.

Continued on page 5

Forty Years Ago

1982 – Michelle Bartman of Gowanstown placed first in senior soprano and sacred solo at the Midwestern Ontario Rotary Music Fest in Walkerton.

Wallace P.S. students performed the musical Calamity Jane Henry and Eleanor Brown opened a chip wagon in a yellow bus, which they moved around town throughout the day.

Fifty Years Ago

1972 – Members of the Listowel and District Ministerial Association spent several weeks constructing a bandstand in Memorial Park.

Atwood Presbyterian Church had its largest confirmation class ever, as 20 young people from the area officially joined the local church.

A Scottish woman on exchange with the Junior Farmers said that Canada’s greatest asset was “the friendly people.”

Sixty Years Ago

1962 – Building permits passed the $1 million mark, more than the entire previous year.

The Listowel Tennis Club reduced its annual membership fee from $3 to $1, hoping this would increase membership with both new and occasional players.

Mike Wilson

From the Editor’s Desk

Pauline Kerr Column

A balancing act

For the majority of my life, I have been outnumbered by men.

Kelsey Bent Column

I grew up with two older brothers, played on multiple boys’ sports teams as a child, and fast forward to the present, I work in a male dominated industry with predominantly men in my newsroom.

Don’t confuse my writing for complaining, I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by wonderful men in my life – with my husband topping the list.

PIECES OF THE PAST

Fifty Archives Treasures: Milverton’s Dr. Percival Lawrence Tye (1884-1969)

Cindy J. Sinko Stratford-Perth Archives

This is week 22 of the continuing series celebrating the 50th anniversary of Stratford-Perth Archives and its treasures. This week’s treasure is a painting of Dr. Percival Lawrence Tye of Milverton, painted by Perth County artist Bruce Stapleton.

Born in Stratford in 1910, Stapleton grew up there before going to study at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto in his late teens. He married Isobel Orr in 1938 and moved their family to Vancouver in the 1950s. He is known and remembered for his Second World War public support posters as well as for his portrait paintings. Besides Dr. Tye, he painted portraits of his father-in-law, R. Thomas Orr, and the principals from Stratford Collegiate – C.A. Mayberry and W.L. Sprung – among others.

Dr. Tye was well known throughout the county. He died on March 30, 1969 and his death made front-page news when it was announced in the April 1, 1969 edition of the Stratford Beacon Herald. This article tells his story and strived to let the readers in on his life, that was full and well lived:

“Over 60 years in Milverton Dedicated practitioner, Dr. P.L. Tye, dies Milverton – Sixty years

and 10 days after he started his medical practice here, Dr. P.L Tye died Monday in Stratford General Hospital. He was 85 years old.

Dedication to his community kept Dr. Tye on the go seven days a week until several years ago when periodic illness took him away from his office.

He was born in Brantford, a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Tye. From Brantford he moved to Niagara Falls, then to Goderich, where he graduated from high school. He entered University of Toronto Medical School in 1903 and graduated in 1907.

Dr. Tye served his internship in hospitals in Ottawa and Buffalo, N.Y., before coming here. He began as an assistant to the late Dr. Fred Parker.

From the first Sunday he started his practice here Dr. Tye delivered a baby every Sunday until the first week in June that year. This was

his initiation in the 60 years and almost 6,000 babies that followed.

His first car, a Ford touring model bought in 1913, cost him $800 plus the 15 cents express charge to have the licence plates sent from Toronto.

The car eventually replaced the fine stable of horses Dr. Tye maintained to take him out in every conceivable sort of weather to treat patients.

He kept five horses usually so he would always have a fresh team if a series of calls had to be made.

The switch to the car meant problems in getting out on the township roads in the winter when the plows weren’t sent out to clear the snow away. To overcome this, Dr. Tye designed a snowmobile that took him everywhere duty called.

Instead of lightening as the years went on, Dr. Tye’s duties increased. When he started here there were doctors in Monkton, Millbank and Atwood. When they all left their communities, Dr. Tye was left with the overflow of patients.

He travelled about 30,000 miles each year between his office and the hospitals in Listowel and Stratford where he had patients. His area of service grew to cover about 150 square miles.

Medicine and consultation to patients was only one phase of Dr. Tye’s life. He was the first president of the Milverton Lions Club when it organized. For 11 years he

served on the council of the village here – four as a Councillor and seven as Reeve. In 1927 Dr. Tye was elected Warden of Perth County.

He spent more than 30 years as county representative on the Milverton High School Board, 12 of those as chairman of the board. Dr. Tye was chairman of the Old Age Pensions Board for Perth for two years. He was a past district deputy of the Masonic Order.

When he first came to the village he had to run the telephone system established by Dr. Parker. When the Mornington Municipal System took over the business in 1921 there were 275 subscribers.

Surviving besides his wife, the former Edna Beckett of Owen Sound, whom he married on Oct. 12, 1912, are two sons, William, Dundalk; MacDonald, Winnipeg; one sister, Mrs. Robert (Edrie) Carey, Goderich; eight grandchildren; four great grandchildren.

Besides the two children listed, he and Edna had two other children, James (191920) and John Herbert (191369). Dr. Tye was laid to rest in Greenwood cemetery in Milverton.” ***

Stratford-Perth Archives is open for in-person research by appointment from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For details, please contact us at 519-271-0531 ext. 259 or by emailing archives@perthcounty.ca

Wilson: We want to hear from you, but own it

Continued from page 4

People have points of view, and it is through these conversations the public may reach a conclusion or at least an understanding of a particular issue.

To quote Wellington Advertiser publisher Dave Adsett, “Positive outcomes from these interchanges emerge when

someone suggests they didn’t think of that point or soften their stance once certain facts emerge. Dialogue is so critical to a healthy democracy.”

At Midwestern Newspapers, we welcome letters to the editor – as I said earlier, I love reading them – and encourage everyone reading to send one

in when the mood strikes. Just remember to include your name and contact information.

*** Mike Wilson is the editor of the Listowel Banner. Feedback and letters to the editor may be sent to mwilson@ midwesternnewspapers.com.

Like I wrote before, I have been lucky to be surrounded by wonderful men in my family, career, and friendships. My son Lucas, albeit a wild child at times, has been a pleasure to raise and nurture.

My spouse loves to joke about the boys in our house running the show as my son, who I must add is the splitting image of his father, will almost always side with him in any tiebreaker disagreement. A common tiebreaker in our home is deciding where to order takeout from. I could want a burger and fries – my son’s favourite dinner – while Stephen’s vote could be for Chinese food.

My son will side with his father even though he does not like Chinese food and likely won’t touch what we put on his plate.

Even our male dog Ghost – who I fought my husband to get, picked him out of his litter, and even named him – more often than not goes to my husband first.

My only dig at my husband is the only other lady in my home – our beloved older dog, Rosie. She was my husband’s dog for years during his bachelor days before we met, but since our introduction she has truly been my shadow and best friend.

I often say to Rosie we are outnumbered so it is important us girls stick together. Well, I’m not going to let her stray very far, but that long lost battle is coming to a stalemate.

As you read this column, I am in my 22nd week of pregnancy with our second child, and the doctor has told us it looks to be a girl.

Finally some balance in our home – three girls (myself, my daughter and Rosie) against three boys (my husband, my son and Ghost).

I am extremely excited but this is untravelled waters for me and with it, brings some uncertainty.

I remember feeling a sense of calm come over me when I found out my first born child would be a boy. It was what I had always dreamed of. A big brother to look out for the younger siblings, just the same as what I had growing up. Although I am over the moon excited for our next child, I am nervous about being a mother to a girl.

They say girls are easier to potty train, and often surpass newborn milestones quicker than boys do – but I also know first hand the hard parts about being a girl. Girls can be down right mean to their friends and peers. The young female tactics of gossiping and silent treatments verge on the side of physiological warfare at times. It is downright hard to be a girl sometimes. I expressed my unsettling feelings to a dear friend of mine – who happens to be a mother of two beautiful girls – and I begged her to share her secrets.

She said she felt the same as me when she was pregnant, but everyday she tries to focus on the fact that she has the chance to raise good girls and hopefully balance out the odds of future young ladies going through the same hardships we went through. Or perhaps, our daughters can provide a strong shoulder for their friends to cry on.

There is a saying I have loved for many years, but I could never really put my finger on why. As I write this column I feel it suits my theme and could close out my thoughts nicely.

“Here’s to strong women. May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.”

***

Kelsey Bent is a journalist with Midwestern Newspapers. She can be reached for comments by emailing kbent@midwesternnewspapers.com.

Dan McNee Photos

The Middle Maitland River is typically teeming with life this time of year, with Canada geese and frogs amongst the regular creatures you’ll likely spot walking through Listowel Memorial Park.

Celebrating Indigenous History Month: Asking the right questions

Continued from front

His primary focus, though his practise is diverse, is Indigenous rights law. He says that to understand Treaty 45 ½, you should look to the Treaty of Niagara, 1764 Treaty 45 ½ “certainly wasn’t our first rodeo, so to speak,” he explained. “I think it’s important to take a step back. There was a starting point for what our relationship was supposed to be with the Crown, and I always step back to the Treaty of Niagara and use that as an illustrative point –and certainly our nation was a part of that gathering. After the defeat of the French at the Plains of Abraham, the Crown was looking to solidify its relationship with the Indigenous People … and that was one predicated on mutual respect.”

He said that in 1836, 72 years later, that was the context to which Treaty 45 ½ was agreed upon.

“We sought certain conditions to ensure that relationship remained intact. And that was that, the Crown would ensure that we would be able to continue to maintain that relationship: able to hunt, to trap, fish, gather medicines, and maintain spiritual connection to those lands and those waters. We know, of course, that didn’t happen. Not surprising, there’s a legacy of broken promises there,” said Kahgee.

Kahgee has been involved with modern treaty negotiations and recently began teaching at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law. These disputes, he tells students, is one of patience.

“A lot of the issues that Indigenous communities often face are very complex. They’re never simple. Often these things take years to resolve – not a matter of days, or weeks or hours – it’s a long process. I often say to my students we’re playing chess, not checkers,” said Kahgee.

“You have to be well-versed; you have to know what it is you’re talking about. And it’s very important, depending on any given situation, that you understand the history in the community and have a have a respect for that… We know that historically the promises that were made, in the context of treaties haven’t been upheld and there’s still a tremendous amount of work to do to reconcile those treaties. The treaties are significant because they were reflections of what our relationship was meant to be.

“My experience is that treaties get tarnished. The Crown wants to take a very impoverished view of those treatments and look at those treaties as simply land transactions or surrenders. They were much deeper than that. In many ways, the oral perspective of our people is so important, more important than words that are on paper.”

Kahgee says that, in his opinion, telling

It is a recreation of an oral story. June is National Indigenous History Month and the history of Indigenous People of this area is not well known or documented. However, Dennis says that, “When you start asking questions, things start to happen… when you’re asking the right questions, you’re going to the right directions.” The history of this region can be found, it may take time and dedication to uncover.

the story and history of Indigenous People is important, but he respects that everyone has a different opinion.

“I think that will depend largely on any given Nation, as to how they would choose to share that information. I totally respect that communities want to safeguard that and are very cautious in how they share that.”

That being said, “If people have an understanding of the history, then they have a responsibility to do something with that knowledge,” he said. “They just can’t be ignorant to it… some people are reluctant to talk about that history for the sake of protecting their voice, and I respect that. Certainly, I take the view that it’s important that we work to educate others and take opportunities to do that, because it’s not taught in schools the way it should be. It’s not accurate the way it’s taught.”

He also emphasizes that a lot of these wrongdoings are not ancient history. These are very recent.

“The way Indigenous history has been taught in the schools – that somehow we were willing participants in this experiment called Canada, and that, you know, we were great to the pioneers, and everything was ‘apple pie’ – that’s not the case. And we know that Canada has a very, very dark chapter. It sought to isolate and to essentially marginalize and diminish our people, strip us of our cultures, strip us of our language, take away our very identity, remove us from the land, confine us

to reserves, dismantle our forms of governance, and implement a system that was foreign to us at the time, and penalizes us if we sought to better ourselves. “Two things would have happened to me when I attained my law degree. One, because I attained a post secondary education, I would cease to be an Indian under the Indian Act. This is a time when membership committees weren’t allowed to have their own membership laws. It was Ottawa that decided who was and was not a member of your Nation. If I attained a post secondary education, I would cease to be an Indian, which meant I was no longer a member of my Nation. I wouldn’t have any of the entitlements that would come with that, with being a member of the Nation. The second thing that would happen, if there were any issues, say the committee won a challenge, they have a treaty, for example, they couldn’t do that, because they weren’t allowed to retain legal counsel. So not only did I cease to be an Indian but I cannot represent my people or advocate for my people as a lawyer, because they weren’t allowed to retain lawyers. That was all by design.”

The Indian Act was passed in 1876 and though it has been amended, it is still a functioning act in Canada.

Asking the right questions

Christin Dennis, of the Aamjiwnaangis (Chippewas of Sarnia First Nation), is a knowledge keeper for the Avon Maitland

Critically-endangered ‘Ojibwe Spirit Horses’ visit Seaforth P.S.

Cory Bilyea Local Journalism Initiative Reporter cbilyea@midwesternnewspapers.com

SEAFORTH – Before the arrival of European settlers, the Original People of this land had incredible helpers called Ojibwe Spirit Horses.

Ojibwe Horses were in North America by the thousands before contact.

According to the Ojibwe Horse Society, “DNA evidence shows they are different from European-introduced horse breeds in distinctive ways that made them an integral and harmonious part of the North American boreal forest. The testimony of Indigenous elders affirms they have had a spiritual and working rela-

tionship with the Ojibwe Horse throughout time.”

These friendly Indigenous horses roamed free, but they were always around to help the locals with the heavy lifting. They offered up their small backs to assist the People for things like hauling logs in from the forest or ice when it was brought to the camps. Their compact bodies allowed them to weave in and around the trees in the forests, making them valuable assets.

The relationship between the People and these special little horses was very harmonious. That special bond was nearly destroyed by the coming of the settlers, who at first used them horribly during the gold rush,

and eventually declared them a nuisance, the government ordering them all to be slaughtered.

In 1977 there were only four of these small and resilient horses left. Today there are less than 230, with less than 30 breeding stallions.

Two of these beautiful creatures visited Seaforth Public School on Jun. 9 as part of an ongoing initiative by the Avon Maitland District School Boards (AMDSB) Indigenous Education program.

“The initiative aims to increase engagement and awareness with AMDSB students about this unique breed of horse that was a historic part of society until they were considered pests by newcomers and brought to the brink

Continued on page 21

District School Board (AMDSB).

As he joked, “I was a knowledge keeper, not knowing I was knowledge keeper up until five or four years ago.”

Apart from knowledge keeper he is also an artist and a sweat lodge operator. He noted that rediscovering his culture was something he did when he was older, once he realized that he wanted to learn more. Through the AMDSB, he works with the Indigenous Education program in educating students on his culture and also teaching teachers as well. He will come in to speak about his own experiences as a Sixties Scoop survivor.

Recently, Dennis explained, the AMDSB has partnered with Aspen Acres Farms to educate students on a native horse species to Canada. The Ojibwe ponies, as they are often informally called, are native to the region unlike European horses.

“There aren’t many of them left,” Dennis explained. “When Natives were being put on reserves and reservations, the horses were put onto the reserves and then when they were taking children off the reserves to boarding schools and adopting them out, they were shooting the horses there.”

At one point there were only four horses. After rescuing them, there are now 230. Through his work as a knowledge keeper, he also teaches about Indigenous art and writing, teaching students different traditional methods.

There are no records of Indigenous history at the Perth County Museum and Archives due to a lack of documentation. The resources, sparse as they are, are from biased accounts and should be taken with a grain of salt, given the prejudice of the time. To discover more about the local Indigenous history of the area, one needs only to ask the right questions and keep an eye out. That’s what Dennis says as least.

“The thing is once you start to look and you’re committed to looking, I think the universe works with you,” Dennis said. “I believe the universe or the Creator will bring the people that every need. I guess that saying is ‘when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.’ It kind of worked that way. When I was ready to look inward and to look forward to seeking that knowledge, helpers seemed to appear. It was like magic, right?”

He says that places like the Perth County Museum and Archives may lack resources for learning, but it is a colonial institution. Historically, those kinds of institutions have not been reflective of the Indigenous Peoples’ rich history.

“At one time,” he reasoned, “they told everybody there were there were no horses here. History is being rewritten again. They told you the children were fine at the residential schools and we knew that for years that they weren’t. We knew that many of them died and were buried in unmarked graves.

“When you start asking questions, things start to happen, things will start to draw towards you. When you’re asking the right questions, you’re going to the right directions.”

Contributed Photo

Sacred Dream of Reality is a work by Listowel resident Christin Dennis.

Starbucks, Taco Bell coming to west-end Listowel plaza

CONNOR LUCZKA

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

crluczka@midwesternnewspapers.com

NORTH PERTH – Council voted to approve a zoning amendment for two new fast-food chains at its meeting on June 13, allowing Starbucks, Taco Bell, and a commercial plaza to be built next to the Listowel Canadian Tire location.

The owner – No Quarter Holdings Inc. –of the part lot 31 at 300 Mitchell Rd. S. proposed the restaurants be built and the lot be partially rezoned. It previously had two zoning categories – highway commercial and residential four – but now is just highway commercial. They also proposed to amend the bylaw prohibiting drivethroughs within the front of a facility, and the minimum ten stacking spaces be reduced to seven specifically for this site.

Consulting planner for Perth County, Gillian Smith, presented the report and proposal. She reported that the amendments

were appropriate and that with the proposed stacking spaces, if there was an overflow from the drive-throughs, traffic would be on the site and wouldn’t impact any existing roadway. Coun. Lee Anne Andriessen inquired about community growth and the potential for a double lane drive-through, just in case one day the overflow wouldn’t be contained by the stacking spaces.

A representative from Patterson Planning Consultants Inc., on behalf of the owners, said that the only brands that use double lanes are McDonald’s and Tim Hortons. Other brands don’t generate the same volume of customers. He also noted that for these restaurants, he feels the appropriate amount of stacking spaces will be available. They were careful in their planning to avoid any overflows seen by the McDonald’s in town or the Tim Hortons on Wallace Avenue North.

A public meeting occurred during council but there were no correspondences nor attendees. Contributed Photo

The proposed site for the new Taco Bell and Starbucks drive-throughs. North Perth council voted on June 13 to amend a few provisions of Section 5.37 of Bylaw 6-ZB-1999, allowing the two restaurants to be built.

New municipal position added, Horton Drain to be investigated

CONNOR LUCZKA

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter crluczka@midwesternnewspapers.com

NORTH PERTH – On North Perth’s June 13 Council meeting, council voted to approve a new po-

sition for the municipality and investigate the Horton Municipal drain.

Community Developer Program Council voted to approve a new position at the mu-

nicipality: the Community Developer and Support Worker position. North Perth collaborated with Family Services Perth Huron (FSPH), Stratford, and United Way Perth-Huron to Continued on page 9

LDSS co-op program continues to impact students, employers and the local business community

BEA TODD co-op@midwesternnewspapers.com

istowel is a tight-knit, supportive community, shown through the backing for the Listowel District Secondary School’s (LDSS) co-operative education course.

Since 1987, thousands of students have taken this elective, which provides a hands-on, indepth look and feel for a specific line of work, before a student may proceed to post-secondary education – and spending thousands of dollars on a career they may not enjoy. It also gives the opportunity to receive a part-time job, or networking.

Today, roughly 200 students take part in this course and encounter chances to work in a variety of fields including: agricultural tech mechanics, health care, trades, farming, auto, business, programming, media, services, education and more – all experiences provided by more than 100 companies in the community.

Thirty-five years ago, LDSS was the first school in the Avon Maitland District School Board to offer co-op education. It was a provincial initiative which was established by Eric Walden, and he was keen to get the program started. Walden attended three years of summer school to get a co-op specialist certification to further the program.

In an email from Laura Cressman, co-operative education teacher at LDSS, she states, “(Eric) went door to door, made many phone calls and used many personal connections to find employers, to talk to employers, explain what co-op was and invite them to take on students.”

After 11 years in charge, the program was taken over by Andrew Jaunzemis. Since then, the amount of students participating in co-op has more than doubled over the last 20 years.

According to John (JD) Kuepfer, head of the co-operative education department at LDSS, this is partially due to “our school’s many alternative education students who are talking co-op including those in CASE and Riverside Rural Learning, which includes many students from Conservative Mennonite, private school, and home school background.”

Outline

The routines of a co-operative education program are similar yet distant to the beginning structure and outline. Originally, students were placed in the classroom for two weeks and aptitude tests

were distributed which showed the kinds of jobs a student would excel in. Students developed and perfected their own resumes, participated in makeshift interviews to practice their skills for an interview, and set up times for an interview with potential employers – applying to two locations. If a placement was confirmed, students would go off to work for only half of the semester and this step was repeated for the second duration of the semester. At the end of the year, there was a banquet, which students, parents and employers would take part in. As a form of gratitude, the students would give their employers a plaque.

Although there have been changes since that time in the program, the concept and goals are still the same.

Students from past years are now paying forward their experiences of co-op as well, becoming supervisors to the next generation of students.

Finding a future

The students who have completed the co-op course have gone on to university, college, the trades,

finding networks and employment. An example of finding a future through co-op is Scott Gibson.

Gibson was a past co-op student who had taken the course multiple times. It originally appealed to him due to the hands-on experiences offered.

“I really liked the hands-on as-

pect of everything,” Gibson said in an interview with the Banner “I was eager to do co-op, so I signed up for the program,” In the past, he had taken his placement at a local farm and was set to take his placement with the same farmer once again, because he was making “good money” doing it. However his teacher (Jaunzemis) considered that Gibson should experience something else, since he had already taken his placement there previously. He took Jaunzemis’ advice and searched for an alternative placement. He landed on the masonry trade with Jim Greydanus and spent his term working there. Gibson went on to become a mason by trade and started up Gibson Masonry in 2012. Since that time, Gibson has taken on his own co-op students – with no hesitation either – saying “I was never hesitant. I think it’s a great program for the kids and (I) had a lot of luck with it.”

He currently has a 2020 LDSS graduate doing his apprenticeship under Gibson, after completing a two and four credit co-op with Gibson Masonry. With community support and assistance from businesses like Gibson Masonry, LDSS is able to provide on-thejob experiences for students.

“(Scott) has been a positive and willing supporter with some great connections to the community and the co-op program at LDSS,” writes Cressman.

Leaving a legacy

Barry Hutchison of Hutchison’s Welding has been a supervisor for several co-op students since the program launched, including the second semester of 2022.

“He is highly respected for his skills in his field, and also for his willingness to invest in the

lives of young people,” Kuepfer wrote in an email. “He has high standards and keeps people accountable, but also is a patient and understanding mentor to students who work for him.”

(Eric)

Walden approached Hutchison and he took a chance on Walden, becoming one of the very first coop employers.

“I thought this a good program for the students to get a feeling for the career they were thinking of after they graduate from high school,” said Hutchison. “I have had many students over the years and almost 100 per cent were very eager to learn, in our case, the welding trade. “The reason we accepted co-op students was to give them some experience in the welding field – it is not for everyone. The same goes for any job; some may like it and some find they would like to try a different line of work.”

Hutchison has been linked to assisting the start of careers and for building skills in many citizens in the community. He continues to be a strong supporter of the co-op program at LDSS.

“Barry sees the value of practical experience and believes that students should have the opportunity to develop their skills during their time with his company,” wrote Kuepfer.

When Hutchison retires, he will leave a legacy in that some of his former students will become coop supervisors themselves.

“With the community support from local health-care teams, services, companies and businesses, we work together to provide experiences for students with local experts in the industry of a student’s choice. Co-op promotes and supports local,” said Cressman.

Continued on page 9

LDSS hosting science fair, June 16

BEA TODD co-op@ midwesternnewspapers.com

LISTOWEL – On Thursday, June 16, Listowel District Secondary School (LDSS) is hosting a Grade 10 science fair to showcase students’ abilities. The event is set to take place from 11:45 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.

All the exhibitions at the fair are studentgenerated science projects, and students have

been working away at their projects since the beginning of the semester.

There are five classes involved and all students are a part of the Grade 10 academic science course. When asked about the importance of having a science fair, Jennifer Shields, LDSS science teacher, says: “It gives an opportunity for academic competition, which we don’t have otherwise. And for it to

be an event that’s outside the classroom and for (students) to network with employers and other businesses in the area, for them to showcase their talents.”

The event does come with rewards for the students as well, with there being three different categories – offering first, second and third prize chances.

The winners will be voted on and determined by judges,

based on a scoring sheet. There will also be prizes handed out through a student vote by the students who walk through the fair.

“The prizes have been mainly sponsored by the Listowel Hearing Centre,” says Shields. All are welcome to attend and for those wishing to come, they will need to check in at the office and do the traditional COVID-19 screening before entering the science fair.

Contributed Photo

Since 1987, thousands of LDSS students have participated in the school’s co-operative education program. Its inaugural year was documented above in LDSS’s 1987-88 yearbook.

North Perth sees renewed surge in May real estate listings

MIKE WILSON

mwilson@midwesternnewspapers.com

NORTH PERTH – After months of few real estate listings in North Perth, May brought a surge of new listings to the market.

According to recently released data from the Huron Perth Association of REALTORS, there were 39 new listings last month – a 56 per cent increase over May 2021. Active listings were also up compared to last year, with 32 active listings as of May 31 – a 68.4 per cent increase over May 2021.

The number of homes sold locally also increased last month compared to the previous year. Twenty-one homes sold in May, a 50 per cent increase from May 2021. Seventeen of the homes sold were located in Listowel, with the remaining four homes sold located in Elma Township.

LDSS co-op program

Continued from page 8

The average sale price in North Perth last month was $651,443, a modest increase of 15.4 per cent compared to May 2021, and a massive 235.8 per cent increase over May 2012. The average sale price in Listowel was $698,000, and Elma Township’s average sale price was $452,874. Despite the increased number of listings, houses are still selling relatively quickly and over asking price. The median days on the market for North Perth last month was 8.0, and the sale to list price ration was 106.3 per cent.

Howick

In Howick, seven homes sold last month with an average sale price of $648,889. The number of homes sold is up 75 per cent from a year ago, and the average price is up 29.8 per cent.

Supply remains low in Howick, with six active listings at the end of May. Months of inventory is currently 0.9, half the rate it was a year ago but down from 5.0 in May 2012.

Perth East

Nine homes were sold in Perth East last month, a 12.5 per cent increase from May 2021. The av-

Huron

The number of new listings for the month of May in North Perth was the highest it’s been in eight years. There were 39 new listings last month, up from 25 in May 2021. The last time there were this many new listings in May was in 2014, when there was also 39.

erage sale price was $835,839, up 41.8 per cent from May 2021 and 209.6 per cent from May 2012.

As of May 31, there were 19 active listings in Perth East.

Regional picture

Including home sales in North Perth, Ho-

wick and Perth East, a total of 214 units were sold in May. This was a decrease of 14.1 per cent from May 2021.

Home sales were 3.1 per cent above the five-year average and 0.9 per cent above the 10-year average for May.

The average price of the homes sold last month in the region was $685,082, a jump of 10.7 per cent from May 2021. The total dollar value of all homes sold in the region last month was $146.6 million, a slight increase of 4.9 per cent from the same time last year.

“Home sales were trending at average levels for this time of year, which is a decline from the record May we saw in 2021 but still quite solid considering many other markets in the province are currently posting below-average levels of activity,” said Julie Heitbohmer, president of the Huron Perth Association of REALTORS.

“The surge in new listings was a welcome sight as some much-needed supply returned to the market. However, with demand still being as strong as it is, overall supply levels continue trending near historical lows and it will take more than one month of stronger new listings to have any meaningful impact on the market balance.”

“It is immensely important for local businesses to support co-op programs to give students the opportunity to experience various career paths before going off to school. It allows students to build networks and connections that can create endless referrals and opportunities throughout their working life.

“With these connections students can return to the area to live and work where they can have job offers, start businesses of their own and have a support group of experts behind them or have a learning experience that can conjure a lifelong love in a specific field. Working locally allows students to see where demands are in our community and find ways to fill these needs in their educational pathway as well.”

Council approves addition to municipal staff

Continued from page 7 fund a pilot program to assist members of the public who are in need. Some of the issues needing urgent care are “COVID-19, mental health concerns, homelessness, and to address the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan.”

The Town of St. Marys completed a successful program, though impacted by the pandemic, and they received positive feedback

from the community. In response, North Perth put up an installment to FSPH to provide a similar program. The position in question would “meet with community members, provide shortterm support as required, and facilitate internal and community focused education and outreach to improve awareness of social issues and the supports that exist in the community.” They would conduct interviews

with the public and visit social housing. The candidate would be a qualified social worker. $70,000 in funding will come from Stratford with the remaining $25,000 coming from the municipality. It will be a one-year contract to be renewed if deemed successful and beneficial.

Horton Municipal Drain Council voted to appoint Dietrich Engineering to in-

vestigate improvements for the Horton Municipal Drain. Constructed in 1984, the drain serves lots in Wallace and Elma and “functions properly.”

The owners, however, expressed a need for upgrades since it isn’t big enough for the 110 acre catchment area. They’re experiencing poorly drained lands. The owners want a more “intense” drain system be installed.

Perth Association of REALTORS Graphic

Dan McNee Photos

Premier Equipment Ltd. north of Listowel held an open house on June 10, an event that over 1,000 members of the public attended over the course of the day last Friday. Attendees were able to view Premier’s impressive new 36,000-square foot facility that was completed in September 2021, also getting the opportunity to see an array of classic and modern John Deere agriculutural up close. “It was a great turnout for the open house,” commented Premier parts manager Jarret Wilken. “There was lots of good feedback from staff and the public.” Pictured, clockwise from top left: Exterior views of Premier’s new facility; Gowanstown’s Matthew and Colin Kreuger inspect a combine; a vintage 1959 430 Standard John Deere on display; attendees tour the interior of Premier’s new facility.

REGIONAL NEWS

Drayton Entertainment artistic director Alex Mustakas awarded Meritorious Service Medal

Paige Peacock

Wellington Advertiser

DRAYTON – Alex Mustakas, founding and current artistic director of Drayton Entertainment, has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division).

Governor General Mary Simon presented Mustakas with the medal during a ceremony on May 26 at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

“It’s obviously a great honour, a great privilege, but I do share it with everyone involved with our organization,” Mustakas told the Advertiser.

“I may have been the founding artistic director, but it certainly, it takes a village to run the company and so I’m very grateful to [everyone], including our volunteers and our audience – we’ve all been part of this journey.”

The celebration also complemented the launch of Drayton Entertainment’s 2022 season and

the reopening of all seven of its stages throughout Ontario on May 26.

Mustakas received the award, which recognizes Canadians for outstanding contributions in any field, for his lifelong commitment to making the performing arts affordable and accessible, according to a May 26 press release.

Knowing firsthand what it’s like to run a theatre company, Mustakas said he accepted the medal on the behalf of his organization, but also for the performing arts industry as a whole.

“Really, the big thing for me was the real honour that we’re recognizing how important theatre is and the arts are to our communities.”

After two years of not being able to operate due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mustakas said receiving the award was “a little bittersweet.”

“But it inspires us to keep mov-

ing forward because, again, it just goes to show how important arts activity is in our communities for our balance community.

“We need education, and we need health care, and we need sports, but for a balanced community, we also need arts activity and culture.”

At the height of its operations, Drayton Entertainment stages over 800 performances annually at its various venues, with attendance exceeding 250,000 each year.

Mustakas, who holds a business degree in economics from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo and a master’s degree in arts administration at City University in London, initially started out in the corporate sector before moving into performing arts.

Recognizing the physical, social, economic and cultural barriers that limited access to the arts, particularly in rural areas, and the stigma that surrounded the

arts, Mustakas made it a lifelong goal of his to rewrite the narrative.

When he began Drayton Entertainment 32 years ago, Mustakas said it was always important to the company to ensure theatre is accessible and affordable, “because it shouldn’t be out of reach for anybody.”

“We’ve really tried to do that over the years, and I think it’s worked well,” he said. “And we’ve introduced theatre to a lot of new communities.

“And as a result we have a re-

ally strong stakeholder base and that’s why we’ve been able to make it through these last two and a half years.”

Starting with an opera house in Drayton, Mustakas built up what is now known as Drayton Entertainment.

“It took me many, many years to kind of stand outside and look in and go ‘Oh boy, wow, we’ve really created something here that affects a lot of communities,’” Mustakas said of the organization’s success.

Continued on page 20

Contributed Photo

Drayton Entertainment artistic director Alex Mustakas was presented the Meritorious Service Medal during a ceremony on May 26 at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

Regardless of your interests, there’s no shortage of activities to fill your days this summer. Here are 10 suggestions to get you started.

1. Get back to nature

The thing about the outdoors is that there are many ways to enjoy it. Birdwatch in your backyard, stroll through the woods or bike around the countryside. Alternatively, enjoy a picnic in the park or pack your fishing rod and spend a weekend camping by the lake.

2. Host a game night

Your options are as numerous as they are varied. Keep your mind sharp as you roll the dice, shuffle the cards or test your trivia knowledge. You can teach your grandchildren a game that’s new to them or organize a regular board game night with friends.

3. Move your body

From golfing to gardening, opportunities to engage in physical activity during the summer are plentiful. You can also join a walking club or sign up for a yoga, tai chi or water aerobics class. Often, these group

courses are offered outside when the weather’s nice and can be adapted if you have reduced mobility.

4. Plan a cultural outing

Treat yourself to a night out at the theatre or take in a concert. If you want to spend an afternoon with your grandkids, head to the movies or visit a museum. Remember, summer is a prime time for all sorts of festivals and local events.

5. Explore your artistic side

Whether you prefer painting, photography, knitting or playing a musical instrument, there are numerous ways to get creative. Activities like scrapbooking and sculpting sandcastles allow you to combine creativity and spending time with your family.

6. Play outdoor games

If you enjoy activities that allow you to socialize and take advantage of a sunny day, there are many backyard games to choose from including horseshoes, bocce ball, ladder toss and croquet.

7. Enjoy your own company

Spending quiet time alone can be the perfect way to recharge. Curl up

on the couch with a crossword puzzle, retreat to the porch swing with a good book or simply relax while listening to music. On a rainy day, try your hand at a jigsaw puzzle or catch up on your favourite TV shows.

8. Indulge in local fare

Take advantage of the summer weather to discover new flavours in your region. Sample the menu at a local bistro, savour a cone at the ice cream parlour or enjoy a wine tasting at a nearby vineyard. If you don’t feel like going out, you can teach your grandchildren a family recipe or host a potluck with loved ones.

9. Test your luck

There’s no harm in playing games of chance on occasion, so try your luck at bingo or head to the casino for an evening of fun and excitement.

10. Go shopping

Support independent retailers and local artisans, or check out a few garage sales in your area. If you just want to window shop at the mall, this activity is suitable in all types of weather.

4 symptoms you shouldn’t ignore

As you age, you may notice minor changes in your overall health. While some symptoms are a normal part of aging, others require immediate attention. Here are four changes in your health you should never ignore.

A wound thAt won’t heAl

Do you have a wound that’s slow to heal? If so, it may be a good idea to see your doctor. If you have a low-grade fever or the injury becomes red and increasingly painful, seek immediate help.

An AbnormAl presence of blood

Unless you have a known medical condition, you must alert your doctor if you notice blood in your stool, urine or spit. If the bleeding is new or recurring and accompanied by other symptoms, go to the emergency room right away.

unusuAl stomAch pAin

Abdominal pain that increases gradually, lasts a long time or appears suddenly should be taken seriously. If this is happening to you, visit your doctor. They may refer you to a gastroenterologist for further testing.

increAsing shortness of breAth

Shortness of breath that prevents you from doing everyday activities like climbing stairs and going on walks should be investigated. This could be a sign of a serious health problem, especially if accompanied by a fever or chest pain.

If you have any doubts, don’t hesitate to consult a health care professional.

5 ideas for a dream retirement vacation

2. road trip. Travel from one end of your country or province to the other. Visit all the places you never got to see during your working years.

3. festival. Go to a festival of your choice. Whether you’re passionate about music, classic cars or art, let loose and enjoy yourself.

4. cruise. Lounge on the sun deck, enjoy stress-free entertainment and participate in excursions at the various ports of call.

5. rental. Rent a cottage or villa in a picturesque location where you can practice various activities like hiking and swimming.

Don’t forget to ask about reduced rates for seniors to help you save some of your hardearned money.

One of the best things about retirement is that you can use your free time to take the luxurious vacation you’ve always wanted at any time of year. If you’re ready to unwind and take a break from your routine,

here are five vacation ideas that may inspire you.

1. trip. Treat yourself to a complete change of scenery and discover another country’s culture, landscapes and flavours.

LDSS girls Lightning finalists at Huron-Perth tourney

Slo-pitch to make debut as sanctioned high school sport for 2022-23 season

DAN MCNEE dmcnee@midwesternnewspapers.com

GODERICH – The Listowel District Secondary School (LDSS) girls’ slo-pitch team went the distance in the Huron-Perth championship slo-pitch tournament on June 8 in Goderich, but came up just short in their bid for the title.

LDSS dropped an 8-7 decision in extra innings to South Huron District High School in the tournament finale. The Lightning rolled to the championship game with a 19-3 victory over Central Huron followed by a 12-2 win over Mitchell. Leading for most of the final, South Huron managed to tie the game at 6-6 to force extra innings. With opening inning play solving nothing, the two squads played an international tiebreaker inning (starting play with a runner in scoring position on second base) to determine the winner. LDSS’s Ayvn Duncan would cash in Ashlyn Hill on a double to make it 7-6, but South Huron would score twice in the bottom half of the inning to claim an 8-7 victory.

“The girls hit well, and their defensive play was outstanding,” commented LDSS coach Cathy Bitton. “They played so well defensively the whole game, it was just great ball and great to watch.”

Lauryn Town pitched all three tournament games in her pitching debut. Kamyrn Coombs, Hill and Grace MacLennan all contributed first-inning doubles in the final, with Sadie Long, Town and Anna Hinsperger providing key singles.

The LDSS squad, consisting of 14 roster players, was just over a week removed from participating in the 13th annual PWSA High School Invitational Tournament on May 30 in Drumbo. The Lightning would ultimately bow out of the tournament semifinal to East Elgin, a team that featured players committed to college softball scholarships.

“We did very well all things considered,” said Bitton.

Girls’ slo-pitch approved as permanent Huron-Perth sport in 2022-23

Bitton added that following years of petitioning the HuronPerth Athletics Association, girls’ slo-pitch will become a permanent fixture in regional high

school sports starting in 2022-23. LDSS physical education department head Amanda Kaye once again made a request to have girls’ slo-pitch added to the docket permanently to the HPAA council this school year, and it was finally approved. LDSS teams had already been par-

ticipating in the non-sanctioned PWSA tournament for over a decade, with Bitton saying it was a long time coming and the team is thrilled with the decision.

“It’s huge,” she said. “We’ve been trying to get this going for a while. These girls want to play ball, and it’s good ball. The rea-

son they’ve chosen slo-pitch over softball is mostly to do with pitching. It’s a lot easier to field a team with slo-pitch than it is with softball.

“They just loved it and can hardly wait to play again next year. It was just a tremendous experience for them.”

From microphone to management: Scott Bridge named incoming

Mitchell Hawks GM for 2022-23 CKNX commentator to head up PJHL organization

DAN MCNEE dmcnee@midwesternnewspapers.com

MITCHELL – The connections and knowledge

Scott Bridge has obtained through his last decade working on the local hockey radio broadcast circuit will no doubt be invaluable in his new position with the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s (PJHL) Mitchell Hawks.

That was certainly outgoing Hawks General Manager Josh Keil’s thinking when he brought in the 37-year-old Listowel native and former CKNX AM 920 junior hockey commentator as his replacement. A Listowel resident himself, Keil will now be taking on the role of director of hockey operations for the reigning Pollockchampion Hawks, only two months removed from Mitchell’s first PJHL divisional title.

The Hawks made the official announcement of Bridge stepping into the general manager role on June 8.

“Josh had presented the idea to me. He brought everything to the table, went over the job description, and went over what he wanted me to do as the general manager,” said Bridge in a recent interview with the Banner. “It was pretty attractive; I like dealing with people, and that’s really what it’s all about.”

In addition to covering the local Junior C and B circuits for the better part of a decade from a media standpoint, Bridge also has extensive experience in management, formerly serving as the GM of his family’s feed business in Listowel. Now employed as an account manager with PBJ Cleaning Depot, Bridge believes he is up to the challenge of overseeing player transactions of a junior hockey club.

The fact that Assistant GM Holdyn Lansink and the trio of coaches on the bench led by Louie Livingston would be returning for the 2022-23 campaign also factored into his decision to join the organization.

“I think the nice part about making the transition is that I know a lot of the people inside the organization just from covering them with the

radio station,” said Bridge. “Having those previous relationships goes a long way. It makes it more comfortable to ask questions. They know that you’re new, and I think they’re going to help with the transition big time.”

Bridge’s immediate task at hand will be supplementing the loss of some key players in Mitchell’s lineup. The Hawks will be losing four overage players heading into next season, including key defenseman Malcolm McLeod and starting goaltender Tyler Parr. Both played pivotal roles in Mitchell’s championship run that culminated in a lopsided 8-0 victory over the Hanover Barons in Game 7 of the Pollock Division Finals in mid-April.

The Hawks were then bounced in six games from the North Conference Finals by the Stayner Siskins.

Continued on page 18

Contributed Photo

The LDSS girls’ slo-pitch team participated in the 13th annual PWSA High School Invitational Tournament on May 30 in Drumbo, finishing as a semifinalist. The club would then finish as runner-up at the 2022 Huron-Perth tournament in Goderich on June 8. Pictured, back row from left: Coach Janine Donaldson, Addison Stevens, Avyn Duncan, Ashlyn Hill, Nicole Alexander, Hannah Smith, Anna Hinsperger, coach Cathy Bitton. Front row: Vanessa Neves, Momoko Uemura, Kamryn Coombs, Reece Cameron, Paytin Cameron, Grace MacLennan, Sadie Long and Lauryn Town.

Mitchell Hawks Photo Long-time CKNX AM 920 junior hockey commentator and Listowel native Scott Bridge will serve as the Mitchell Hawks’ new general manager for the 2022-23 PJHL season.

Dan McNee Photos St. Mary’s Catholic School in Listowel held its track and field day on June 8, with plenty of emerging athletic prowess on display across a number of events.

Pictured: (Above) Lillian Gutknecht prepares to let loose in the junior girls’ ball throw; (Right) Warner Hurst goes airborne in the intermediate boys’ triple jump.

LDSS runner makes mark during rookie track season

Junior Sydney Brooks racks up awards at regional, provincial levels

DAN MCNEE dmcnee@midwesternnewspapers.com

GOWANSTOWN – It’s almost hard to believe that Sydney Brooks only began running competitively this year. And if her success during the 2022 spring track season is any indication, she will be bringing home a lot more hardware for Listowel District Secondary School (LDSS) before her high school career is through.

Brooks, a Grade 10 student competing in the junior division and her first full track season since the pandemic all but ground high school athletics to a halt the previous two years, is also extremely modest of her accomplishments despite all that she has achieved in a relatively short period of time. It’s evident that she’d rather not have the spotlight on her at all.

That said, it’s impossible to ignore LDSS’s top track athlete this season. Brooks, 15, racked up seven individual medals across the Huron-Perth, WOSSAA and OFSAA West Regionals throughout the spring: She won first in the 1500m (beating the second-place finisher by 17 seconds) and second in the 400m at Huron-Perth in Clinton; she won second in the 800m and earned a pair of thirds in the 400m and 1500m at WOSSAA in London; and won another pair of thirds in the

400m and 800m at the OFSAA West Regionals in LaSalle. She also helped the LDSS junior girls’ team to a third-place overall finish at WOSSAA.

“It definitely made it easier, being with friends,” said Brooks recently at her Gowanstown home, referring to competing and travelling with a contingent of fellow LDSS track athletes.

“It made it easier being around a team, rather than just being in

your own head all the time. It was a family.”

After taking an interest in distance running in elementary school through cross-country, Brooks began training at Sundown Athletics Club in Clinton this year a couple times a week with coach Baird Robinson. Coupled with the guidance and expertise of LDSS track and field coach Jennifer Shields, Brooks began to see her times

improve ahead of the high school competition season.

Brooks would finish 11th in qualifying heats in the 800m at the OFSAA provincial finals in Toronto on June 2-4, and over the course of one month of competition had shaved six seconds off her time in that event, running a personal best of 2:22.95 at the Track and Field Centre at York University. She also put up a 1:01.31 in the 400m qualifiers, good for ninth in the province for a high school junior.

Brooks admits that she has had a tough time adjusting to a solo sport opposed to a team atmosphere like in hockey, which she avidly plays during the winter months. When asked if she gets nervous before a race, Brooks laughed.

“That’s funny. Yeah, it’s bad,” she said. “Track’s hard because you’re alone. It’s just you. Which I think makes it worse.

I’m bad when I’m waiting, but once I get into warmup, I can’t really be nervous anymore. I calm down and then I’m in a different zone.

“I always like when it’s done. It is fun even though it sucks. A 60-second race should not induce five hours of anxiety, but it seems to.”

“I’m proud of what she’s accomplished. It’s fun to watch,” added Sydney’s father, Jason Brooks. “The competing and racing is great, but just the fact that she’s able to do something like running that she can enjoy and help her in so many areas. We’re definitely thankful for the coaching that she’s received – from her club coach in Baird Robinson to her high school coach, Ms. Shields – both of them have been great.

“Getting ninth in the province and 11th in the province is pretty remarkable in my book. I’m very proud of her and I know she’s worked really hard. Whatever she gets she earns. I think as a father that’s what makes me the most proud.”

The good news for LDSS is that Brooks has at least two years of high school left, and how far her running will take her into local track lore with her first year as a senior on deck is yet to be determined. In any case she’s off to a flying start.

“I want to get my times down,” said Sydney of looking ahead to next season. “I have goals for this summer that I want to hit. There will always be goals.”

Bridge takes reins of Hawks

Continued from page 17

“We’ll have a nice core on the defense coming back,” said Bridge. “We’ll also have a nice core of forwards coming back, but there are some voids that we’ve got to fill with Tyler Parr leaving, who was the No. 1 goaltender. Also some leadership leaving as well –Malcolm McLeod is leaving as an OA – he was a leader. Hopefully some kids within the organization will now step up as far as leadership roles go.”

And while it will be of course impossible for him to continue with his radio commentary duties, Bridge said that he relished his time with CKNX and in particular, working alongside longtime broadcast partner Steve Sabourin.

“Steve Sabourin is such a true professional. Working 10 years with him has been amazing, I’ve learned a lot from him,” said Bridge. “Him and I have had some really good conversations about this, and he has been nothing but supportive throughout the whole thing. It’s been a lot of fun the last 10 years; you see guys that have come through a program then go on to play NCAA, or guys that jump to the OHL, or are now

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head coaches or assistant coaches. It’s been fun over the years just to see where guys go.

“Being involved in the local hockey community is almost like a second family.”

Bridge added that while he doesn’t feel a specific pressure for the Hawks to repeat as champions given the parity of the division, his primary goal would be to keep Mitchell competitive in its bid for a second title.

“You want to bring a championship back to Mitchell again. You want to make sure that you have a group of kids that are going to rally around each other, that they’re going to play for each other,” he said. “You want to put a team on the ice that is going to make the town of Mitchell and the community proud. We want Mitchell to be a destination where kids can come to play, but also get an opportunity to make that next step.

“We just want to make sure that every year we’re very competitive and that we put our best foot forward. We want to be a tough opponent year after year.”

To place an ad please contact Jackie Jardine at sales@midwesternnewspapers.com

Dan McNee Photo Gowanstown’s Sydney Brooks made her first track season at LDSS a memorable one, picking up several medals at the local, regional and provincial level. (Right) Brooks at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) finals in Toronto in early June (contributed photo).

Dan McNee Photo

The Listowel 11U OBA squad hosted the Walkerton Capitals at Jackson Park in local minor baseball action on May 31, with the home side coming away with a tight 9-8 victory. Pictured: (Above) Pitcher Oliver Morwood goes into his stretch.

Photos Wingham’s F.E. Madill hosted the 2022 North Regional Track and Field Meet on June 8. Pictured, clockwise from top left: Racing to the finish line is Tate Berfelz (left) of North Perth Westfield Elementary School and Preston Robinson of F.E. Madill Secondary School, with Berfelz finishing in second; Maggie Shiell of Elma Township Public School claimed second in the senior girls’ high jump event; Ava McLaughlin of Eastdale Public School participated in the junior girls’ ball throw event; Brooklyn Bournon of North Perth Westfield Elementary School took home the first-place ribbon in the senior girls’ 1500m race.

After a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Listowel Minor Ball Day was back with a full slate of games, a barbecue and silent auction on Saturday, June 11. Pictured, clockwise from top left: Listowel U9 #2 player Aubrey Robinson makes a sprint for home plate at the end of the team’s exhibition game against the Listowel U9 #1 team at the Memorial Diamond; Zach Hallam delivers a pitch during the first inning of the Listowel U18 team’s game against Clinton at John Bell South on Saturday afternoon. The game would prove to be a defensive battle, with both teams only crossing the plate once in a 1-1 tie; LMBA executive member Stacy Stewart was busy at lunchtime on Saturday manning the grill, where hamburgers and hotdogs were a popular item with those in attendance; Brandt Donaldson prepares to make a play at second base during the third inning of the Listowel U9 team’s game against the Howick Hornets at Optimist Park; Listowel U15 #2 pitcher Maddie Schaus prepares to deliver a fastball during the second inning of their game against the Listowel U15 #1 team at John Bell North. Despite solid pitching early in the game, Schaus’ squad dropped a 15-8 decision.

Mike Wilson Photos

Kelsey Bent

Inspiring Our Future campaign launches with $340K donation to BMG centre from volunteer team

SPECIAL TO MIDWESTERN NEWSPAPERS

BRUSSELS – The volunteer leaders heading up the Inspiring Our Future capital campaign in support of the renovation of the Brussels, Morris and Grey (BMG) Community Centre have collectively pledged $340,000 to the project.

These personal gifts have been essential to helping kick off the campaign which aims to raise a minimum of $2 million.

The volunteer members of the campaign management team were the first people to believe that it was possible for the commu-

nity to come together to raise $2 million to support the major redevelopment of the community centre. Many of the team members have been working together for over five years to make a newly renovated, modern community centre a reality.

The members of the Inspiring Our Future campaign are: Chair Brian TenPas, Co-Deputy Chairs Doug McArter and John van Vliet, Honorary Advisors Joe and Deb Seili and Neil McGavin, Campaign Coordinator Roxane Nicholson, Divisional Chairs Dan Fritz, Leisa Albers, and Michelle Blake and Canvassers Brett and Laura Fischer,

Howick amends clean yards bylaw

KELSEy BENT

kbent@midwesternnewspapers.com

HOWICK TOWNSHIP – The township’s bylaw enforcement officer said complaints regarding the clean yards bylaw are among the most common.

“The clean yards bylaw is one of the more common bylaws that the township receives complaints for, along with the property standards bylaw,” Riley Brugess wrote in his report to council on June 7.

This bylaw was first passed by council on Sept. 5, 2017, and Brugess suggested it needed some updating.

“Section 436 of the Municipal Act permits a municipality to pass a bylaw providing that the municipality may enter on land at any reasonable time for the purpose of carrying out an inspection,” he explained. “In contrast, the Building Code Act directly provides the municipality’s authority to enter land for the purpose of an inspection for a property standards bylaw.”

Brugess recommended council amend the clean yards bylaw to apply this section of the Municipal Act

The proposed amendment will solidify the township’s authority to inspect property for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the clean yards bylaw.

Additionally the amendment speaks to determining compliance with specific directions or orders given to property owners.

The complete amended section of the bylaw states: “Section 436 of the act permits a municipality to pass bylaws providing that the municipality may enter on land at any reasonable time for the purpose of carrying out an inspection to determine whether or not a bylaw passed under the act, or a direction or order made under such a bylaw are being complied with.”

Brugess told council this amendment will ensure that bylaw enforcement can continue to effectively address resident complaints.

The amended bylaw was read three times and passed at the June 7 Howick council meeting.

Kevin Deitner, Jeff McGavin, Steve and Marnie Knight, Jeff Cardiff, and Patricia Beuermann.

This group of volunteers is generously giving their time to ensure that Brussels and the surrounding area has a community centre that serves everyone and will enrich the quality of life in our community for the coming decades. They have been equally generous with their personal donations to the campaign.

Those considering making their own donation to the Inspiring Our Future campaign can rest assured that all the people leading this initiative are confident

POLICE NEWS

enough in the project to take action themselves.

These volunteers will continue their work seeking donations in the community to support the renovation of the BMG Community Centre over the coming weeks. Members of the community are encouraged to welcome their calls.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Inspiring Our Future campaign and how to support the community centre project can get in touch with Chair Brian TenPas at 519-4920214, Campaign Coordinator Roxane Nicholson at 519-357-6292, or any member of the fundraising team.

Vehicle stolen from school parking lot in North Perth

NORTH PERTH – The Perth County OPP is investigating the theft of a motor vehicle that was recently taken from a school parking lot in the Municipality of North Perth, and another vehicle was left behind.

On June 6 at approximately 1:30 p.m., the victim parked their vehicle in the parking lot of a school located on Perth Road 147, when their vehicle was stolen. The keys were left in the vehicle.

Two Ford Escape sport utility vehicles (one white, and one grey) attended the parking lot. The grey Ford Escape followed the grey Honda after it was stolen, and the 2015 white Ford Escape was left at the scene.

The stolen vehicle is described as a grey 2009 Honda Accord. The vehicle is valued at approximately $6,000.

The Perth County OPP would like to remind citizens to keep all vehicles and buildings locked and report any suspicious activity immediately. Consider installing security features, such as increased lighting, cameras, or alarms.

Anyone with information regarding this or any incident is asked to call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or online at www.opp. ca/reporting Should you wish to remain anonymous you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or leave an anonymous online message at www.P3tips.com where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.

Vehicle collides with tractor

NORTH PERTH – One person was injured after a driver drove through a cloud of dust into a farm tractor.

On May 6 at approximately 1:20 p.m., the Perth County Ontario Provincial Police responded to a two-vehicle collision on Perth Line 86 in the Municipality of North Perth.

The investigation indicated that a vehicle ran into the back of a farm tractor after the driver drove through dust that was in the air.

One person was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Ryan Devereaux, 33, of Wroxeter, has

Mustakas

Continued from page 10

been charged with careless driving.

The accused was issued a provincial notice for the offence.

Listowel resident charged with careless driving

NORTH PERTH – One person has been charged following a single-vehicle collision last week.

On June 8 at approximately 10:20 a.m., the Perth County OPP responded to a single-vehicle collision on Perth Line 86 in the Municipality of North Perth. Through the course of the investigation, it was determined that the driver swerved to avoid hitting an animal and drove into the ditch.

The driver of the vehicle sustained minor injuries.

As a result, a 26-year-old from Listowel has been charged with careless driving. The accused was issued a Provincial Offence Notice for the offence.

Local resident charged with shoplifting

LISTOWEL – One person has been charged after stealing over $100 worth of items from a local business in the Municipality of North Perth.

The Perth County OPP was called to a business on Wallace Avenue North in Listowel on May 31 just after 10 a.m., after a person was witnessed shoplifting.

Serina Rassman, 43, of North Perth, has been charged with theft under $5,000 –shoplifting.

The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Stratford at a later date to answer to the charge.

Ongoing dispute leads to assault charge

NORTH PERTH – On May 28 at approximately 8:30 p.m., members of the Perth County OPP were dispatched to an address on Perth Line 86 in the Municipality of North Perth, for the report of an ongoing dispute.

Officers learned that one person was assaulted. The victim received minor injuries.

Meagan Chamney, 36, of Listowel, has been charged with assault. The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Stratford at a later date to answer to the charges.

Driver charged with impaired in Listowel

LISTOWEL – On May 5 just after midnight, an officer from the Perth County Ontario OPP was on general patrol and observed a vehicle in a parking lot on Mitchell Road South in Listowel, with the driver’s side door open.

When the officer approached the vehicle, they observed a lone male sleeping in the driver’s seat. Upon speaking with the driver, it became apparent they had consumed alcohol and were displaying signs of impairment. A roadside-screening device was administered. The driver was placed under arrest and transported to a local OPP detachment for further testing.

William Lowe, 21, of Mapleton, has been charged with operation while impaired –blood alcohol concentration (80 plus). The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Stratford at a later date to answer to the charge.

Stunt driving charge laid near Listowel NORTH PERTH – The Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has charged a Walton resident after they were speeding more than 60km/h over the limit in the Municipality of North Perth.

On May 30 at approximately 5 a.m., police stopped a vehicle on Perth Road 147 in North Perth after it was found to be travelling more than 140km/h in an 80km/h limit zone.

A 21-year-old resident of Walton has been charged with race motor vehicle – excessive speed.

A 30-day-driving suspension and 14-day vehicle impoundment were initiated as per statute. The accused is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Stratford at a later date to answer to the charge.

awarded Meritorious Service Medal

“And a lot of artists and it has economic spinoffs and it’s a sense of pride for all our communities.”

Over the course of his storied career, Mustakas has been recognized with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, Ernst and Young En-

trepreneur of the Year Award (Media and Entertainment), Theatre Ontario’s Maggie Bassett Award, and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Wilfrid Laurier University, amongst others.

His focus right now, Mustakas explained, is on the Drayton Entertainment Youth Acad-

emy, a new arts education facility operated by the notfor-profit professional theatre company.

“Really for us, it’s kind of a legacy thing,” he said.

“I don’t think we need any more theatres at the moment, but the ability to affect the lives of the next generation,

and to make it accessible and to make sure that no marginalized community is left behind, that’s really our big focus at the moment.

“That’s where we’re hoping to focus a lot of our efforts over the next couple of years, not to mention running the other seven theatres.”

Contributed Photo

The Inspiring Our Future campaign team donated $340,000 to the Brussels, Morris and Grey (BMG) Community Centre renovation. Back: Jeff Cardiff, Kevin Deitner, Michelle Blake, Patricia Beuermann, Laura Fischer, Marnie Knight, Leisa Albers, Dan Fritz, and Joe Seili. Front: Campaign Chair Brian TenPas, Deputy Chair John van Vliet, Campaign Coordinator Roxane Nicholson and Deputy Chair Doug McArter.

INDIGENOUS HISTORY MONTH

Continued from page 6 of extinction in the early 1970s,” the AMDSB said in their board meeting highlights on May 24.

Dale and Sallianne Patch run

Aspens Ojibwe Horse Sanctuary just outside of Stratford and, in collaboration with Christin Dennis, a local knowledge keeper, have been bringing a message of hope for these horses to the schools in the AMDSB region.

The Sanctuary focuses on three key elements: preservation, protection, and promotion of the Ojibwe Spirit Horses.

Surrounded by children, Odamia (I Play) and Takona (I Hold Him) were calm, happily munching on the school’s grass and their net full of hay, taking in the excitement of the moment with the kids and making friends.

Odamia spent several minutes gazing into the eyes of a young lady named Charlie Brown, who was quite taken by the horse. That moment in time captured the pure gentleness of this special breed, bringing tears of joy to Diana Steep, the educational assistant (EA). She accompanied Charlie out to see the horses.

Sallianne spoke to the kids, telling them the story of the Ojibwe Spirit Horses, whose great, great, great-grandchildren were standing before them now.

Describing the unique relationship between the Spirit Horses and the People, the large group of young people was mesmerized, quietly listening to Sallianne as she went on to talk about what happened next.

“Then a thing called colonization happened. That was when people came from other coun-

tries, like my country, England… and they really liked Canada, or Turtle Island as First Nations call it. And First Nations were amazing, because they welcomed them, taught them how to live off the land and that was OK for a while,” she said.

“But the newcomers wanted more and more, they didn’t respect the Indigenous way of life, they thought it was strange, some of the ceremonies they had and so on, so they moved the First Nations onto reserves… and gave them very strict rules that they

PUZZLE NO. 876

Cory Bilyea Photos

had to follow that was harmful to the Indigenous way of life.”

Referring to the infamous Klondike Gold Rush, Sallianne said, “They didn’t respect these Indigenous horses, they were very cruel to them,” asking the children if they had heard about the gold rush.

Several of the youth nodded or spoke up, saying they had heard of that part of history. Sallianne went on to talk about the people who used the Spirit Horses so severely, saying, “They needed something to carry

their equipment, their tents and everything else, so they caught these ponies that were so friendly and easy to get along with; they wanted to please the people. They loaded them up way too heavy, with heavy loads, and they didn’t feed them or treat them well. So, many of them died.”

National Park Service (NPS) wrote the following about the horses that died on White Pass Trail. This difficult-to-reach area is spread throughout the wilderness of the Skagway River Valley and into the Yukon:

“Horses were not equipped with the constant physical demands, boggy mud holes, and slippery rocks. No one knows the exact amount of animals that took the two trails but it is estimated that 3,000 horses died in a one-year period on the White Pass Trail, earning it the nickname ‘Dead Horse Trail.’”

After the gold rush ended, the government declared the Ojibwe Spirit Horse to be a nuisance and a health hazard to the Indigenous People who kept the horses on the reserves with them, ordering the animals to be shot, destroyed, or sent to glue factories. By the late 70s, there were only four left, and these horses were rounded up, hidden by four men – two non-natives, and two of the People – who then shipped them to Minnesota, where they were safe.

Unfortunately, these four horses were all female. They were bred to a Spanish horse named Smokey, Sallianne told the students. “And from there, we now have six generations down.”

The children had the opportunity to ask questions, with one youth asking if they were all the same colour.

Sallianne said, “Ojibwe horses are black or dark-coloured bay, or there’s another colour called grullo, which is sort of a beige colour, and it’s very pretty. We have one at the farm.”

The two Spirit Horses that visited Seaforth were a male and a female, Sallianne told the youth in response to another question. “We have their two children back at the farm,” she said. “It’s very neat and unique to have a whole family intact.”

Dennis spoke to the youth next, reminding them of previous lessons he had shared with them, including a song he had taught them, which they remembered and sang along with him while he played his hand drum.

Monique Pregent, Indigenous education lead at AMDSP, also spoke about previous sessions with the children where they had learned to say several common words in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibway). They were happy to repeat what they had learned.

The students then put on a small art show, presenting their drawings about the experience of learning about the Ojibwe Spirit Horses as Pregent, Dennis, and the Patch couple, receiving some one-on-one attention and praise for their creations.

At long last, the youth were able to pet the horses, lining up, respectfully approaching the small ponies, their smiling faces testimony to the unique and wonderful experience they had learning about the Spirit Horses.

2.

3.

HOW TO PLAY:

ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 876

HOW TO PLAY:

HOW TO PLAY:

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once.

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once.

Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line. You already have a few numbers to get you started. Remember: you must not repeat the numbers 1 through 9 in the same line, column or 3x3 box.

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once.

Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line. You already have a few numbers to get you started. Remember: you must not repeat the numbers 1 through 9 in the same line, column or 3x3 box.

Ojibwe Spirit Horses, Odamia (I Play) (left) and Takona (I Hold Him) happily munch on their hay while youth learn more about the critically-endangered animals at Seaforth Public School on June 9; (pictured on page 6) youth attendee Charlie Brown pets Odamia with her EA Diana Steep watching. The young lady and the horse spent a long time looking at each other earlier in the morning, bringing tears of joy to Steep.

Listowel Banner

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HARRISTON – 1 bedroom apartment for rent July 1st, Main Street, all inclusive. NO DOGS! Call 519-335-6157.

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If you enjoy meeting business owners, developing promotional plans and being part of the community, this position is for you. As a key member of our team, you will work with us to build our growing list of clients who advertise in our paper each week. This position requires you to work with our creative department to produce unique ideas and quality advertisements that help customers build their business. The ideal candidate will be extremely organized with exceptional customer service skills and attention to detail. If you have the energy, personality, and skills we are willing to invest time and training to make you our next success story.

This is a full-time permanent position offering a base salary plus commission, mileage, and benefits.

BTE Transport Group Ltd.

BTE Transport Group Ltd.

Is looking for:

2 AZDedicated Highway

Is looking for: 2 AZ Dedicated Highway and 1 AZ Local Company Drivers!

WE PAINT BARNS AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS.

and 1 AZLocalCompany Drivers!

Must have clean CVOR and Abstract, 3+ years' experience.

• Competitive pay package and great benefits.

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• Highway is home weekends, every other night!

• Professionally maintained, well equipped trucks.

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• Dedicated routes, Dedicated trucks, Dedicated customers.

• Highway is home weekends, every other night!

• Highway is home weekends, every other night!

Also recruiting for casual AZ and DZ Drivers! Call Mike at 1-519-291-5322 Ext. 243 Fax: 519-291-5927 · mbarfoot@bte.ca

• Dedicated routes, Dedicated trucks, Dedicated customers. Also recruiting for casual AZ and DZ Drivers! Call Mike at 1-519-291-5322 Ext. 243 Fax: 519-291-5927 • mbarfoot@bte.ca

• Dedicated routes, Dedicated trucks, Dedicated customers. Also recruiting for casual AZ and DZ Drivers! Jason at 519-291-5322 ext 221

Fax: 519-291-5927 • jasonb@bte.ca

Help Wanted

Wellington REMINDER! AD DEADLINES: Fridays 5pm

AIRLESS PAINTING

No experience, we will train, to start immediately. Must be willing to work with an experienced person or independently. Salary commensurate with experience. Starting at $24/hr,Start day May 1st If interested, please contact rstrauss56@gmail.com or 519-827-6763

For CLASS IFIE DS

A Job?

SCOOT-A-LONG - Wingham, Wagler E-bikes, 48 volt, 60 volt, 70 volt. E-bikes & Mobilities Sales & Service. Located at Zehr’s Sales & Manufacturing RR#1 #3962 Line 72, Millbank Ont N0K 1L0. 519-722-0908.

LOTS OF FRESH PRODUCE at Maitside Orchards; lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, onions, rhubarb, haskaps and more. Fresh home baking every week! NEW sheeps milk ice cream, 23 Orchard Lane, Brussels.

GERBERS’ FIREWOOD – Your #1 source of quality slabwood and bodywood, for over 10 years! Order today, beat the rush! Delivery included! 519656-2057 or 519-441-2085.

GARAGE SALE – Tools and household items. June 23rd to July 3rd. 45205 Gough Rd. Fordwich.

YARD SALE- at Listowel Baptist Church under the carport. Different items from our May sale. Fire Route #6161, just past the roundabout on Line 86 west of Listowel. Friday, June 17th, 10am to 6pm. All proceeds to support Emanuel Foundation in Bolivia.

FAMILY GARAGE SALE - Friday, June 17, 12pm -6pm and Saturday, June 18, 8am - 4pm. Come check things out. Bikes, helmuts, snow blower, house hold items, toys, bedding, plants, puzzles, kites, etc. 775 Wellington Ave S, Listowel. Corner of Hutton and Wellington streets.

BALER 575 NEW HOLLAND with model 72 Thrower, baled 65,000 – 75,000 bales. Thrower Rack 18’ and Baler Elevator on Wheels. 2nd Cut grassy wrapped square bales, 20% Moisture, Dried 2nd Cut Round 4’x5’ Bales, 200 Bushel Grain-OVater. Call 519-392-6555

FOR SALE 1941 John Deere Model H Tractor, 2 Furrow John Deere Plow on steel, $2200 for both. Call 226-4302063.

CUSTOM INLINE BALE WRAPPING, based just east of Listowel. Call Marvin Metzger @ 519-291-6119

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS MEETING - every Friday evening at 7:30. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church 505 Wallace Ave North. For confidential information call 519-5000278

BLOW OUT SPECIAL: 22cu Chest Freezers $1199; 6cu Upright Freezers $299; 20cu Upright Freezers $1099; 60 Pint Dehumidifiers $249; Bar Fridges $149; 5cu Chest Freezers $249; 10cu Fridges $449; 4.4cu Bar Fridges $249; 18cu Fridges $899; Gas Stoves $599; Convertible Fridges/Freezers $899; Top Load Washers $599; Dryers $499; Electric Stoves $599; Dishwashers $399. SCRATCH & DENT: 18cu All Fridges $799; 8.5cu All Fridges $499; Air Conditioners $199; Dehumidifiers $169…Much more available in store. USED SPECIAL: All Fridges $699; Various Chest Freezers; Laundry Centers $699; Gas stoves $99; Gas Dryers $399; Fridges $399; Stoves $229; Washers $399; Sudsavers $599…Much more in store. Featuring a full line of New, Used, Scratch & Dent Appliances. Elmira Home Comfort, 1 Union Street, Elmira 519-669-4600. ehc@hotmail.ca (Division of Belmont Appliance)

obituaries

Susan Ann Cressey (nee Marshall)

Cressey, Susan Ann nee Marshall of Palmerston passed away peacefully at Palmerston and District Hospital, on Thursday, June 9, 2022 in her 71st year. Beloved wife of Dr. Christopher Cressey for 52 years. Dear mother of Jennifer Cressey of Montreal, Matthew Cressey and his wife Tami of Listowel and the late Elizabeth Cressey (2003). Loving grandmother of Piper and Keely. Loved sister of Cynthia Meyer of Calgary. Sister-in-law of Mary Frances Billingsley of Pickering and

John Cressey and his wife Monique of Paris, France.

She will be fondly remembered by her nieces, nephews and friends. Predeceased by her parents Wm. Clifford and Merilyn (McWilliam) Marshall.

To honour Susan’s wishes Cremation has taken place.

The family will receive friends at the Heritage Funeral Home, Palmerston, on Thursday June 16, 2022 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Chris and his family will be sharing memories at 4:00 p.m.

Wayne Alexander Biesinger

At his residence on Friday June 3, 2022. Mr. Wayne Biesinger of Londesborough, in his 63rd year. Beloved husband of the late Karen (Inglis) Biesinger. Loved father of his children Jeff, Adam, Brian and Frances, Andrew and Becky Biesinger. Grandfather of Dominic, Cameron, Broc, Colten, Leah, Aurora, Aislynn, William, Macy and Kai. Great Grandfather of Jordyn Biesinger. Dear brother and brother in law of Ray (late) & Brenda Biesinger, Earl (late)& Debbie Biesinger, Brenda (late) & Dave Mason, Danny Poulin, Rod & Sylvia Inglis, James & Linda Inglis, Scott and

Hope Moore, Bob and Joy Toleff. Friends were received at the Falconer Funeral Homes, 153 High St., Clinton, on Saturday June 11, 2022 from 12:30 –1:30. Followed by a celebration of life at the Clinton Legion 95 Kirk Street, Clinton from 2:305:00. Cremation has taken place.

As expressions of sympathy memorial donations to the charity of one’s choice would be appreciated. Messages of Condolence for the Biesinger Family are welcome at www. falconerfuneralhomes.com

Thursday, June 16, 2022 - The Listowel Banner -

in memory in memory

SIMMONS – In memory of Wade Evan who died while on a school trip to Flowerpot Island, Tobermory, June 16, 2000, age 12, forever in our hearts and Roy Neil Simmons who passed away on Wade’s anniversary June 16, 2012, forever in our hearts on this special day. Pat and family.

MCCANN – James (Jim) February 17, 1927 – June 20, 2008. In memory of my husband Jim. Lovingly remembered. With love your wife Shirley, Your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

mortgages/ Loans mortgages/ Loans

FUNDS AVAILABLE - no income, bad credit. Use your equity, farm, residence, commercial. Up to 90% ltv. Private funds. ALSO - investors needed. 12% return on first mortgage. 70% ltv. Call Dave at 519-379-7282. Broker #10215.

The MORTGAGE People - We do difficult mortgages. 1st, 2nd & 3rd mortgages. Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Farms & Land. Good credit, bad credit, self employed. We will go to your home. We use your equity in your home to get you approved. Mortgages are cheaper than your credit card! REVERSE MORTGAGES. No fees up front. One week to complete after everything is signed. Could be sooner! Call Don Madill #M08004349 or Austin Ainslie #M18002432. 519-743-5361, 1-800-3615114. www.themortgagepeople.ca (Lic. #10300)