HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-10-06, Page 27THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016. PAGE 27.
Entertainment & Leisure
Lions Club, Witches Walk organizers hosting dance
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
The Blyth Lions Club and the
group formerly behind the annual
Witches Walk are organizing a
Halloween Dance they hope will
become an annual tradition.
Bev Blair, who had formerly been
known as the "Head Witch" of the
Witches Walk, is one of the driving
forces behind the dance, which will
be held in the upstairs auditorium of
the Blyth and District Community
Centre on Saturday, Oct. 29.
After last year's Witches Walk,
which would have been the 14th
annual, was cancelled due to timing
issues and fire regulations, Blair and
the small planning committee began
discussing a potential Halloween
alternative for the community.
Blair, who is an enthusiast for
many of the fall and winter holidays
like Halloween and Christmas, said
it would be a shame for all of the
group's "wonderful" Halloween
props to go to waste. That's when
the idea of a Halloween dance came
to mind.
The dance would be for those 19
and over and Blair says the Lions
Club used to host a Halloween
Dance for the community years ago
and the results, both for community
betterment and for those who
attended, were always very positive.
Blair, whose husband Alex has
been the president of the Lions on a
number of occasions, says her heart is
with the club, as she has volunteered
with them for years, so she thought a
partnership with the Lions would
yield the best results in bringing a
Halloween Dance back to Blyth.
The group of volunteers hopes to
bring their enthusiasm to the dance as
they have for the Witches Walk for a
number of years. It won't be hard for
Blair, she said, as it often looks like
"Halloween exploded" at her house
every year near the end of October.
Like the Witches Walk, the
Halloween Dance will raise money
for community betterment. Blair
says all proceeds will go to the Lions
Club for their projects, including the
planned renovations to Blyth Lions
Park.
Blair said that the Lions do so
much important work in the
community, so partnering with them
made the most sense for this new
event.
The hope is that the event will
become an annual one, Blair says,
that Blyth residents look forward to
on their calendar every year.
The dance begins at 9 p.m. and
will run until 1 a.m. There will be a
D.J. and plenty of Halloween
decorations and everyone attending
is encouraged to wear their finest
Halloween costume.
Blair and her crew, as well as
members of the Lions Club, are
currently at work in developing a
component for younger trick -or -
treaters earlier in the day, whether it
be a children's dance or an activity
afternoon. However, those plans
have yet to be finalized, Blair says.
The Halloween Dance is not a
ticketed event, but admission is $10
per person at the door.
Parade, dinner marks anniversary of 161st battalion
The 161st Battalion of Huron
County began their journey to the
battlefields of France on
Thanksgiving weekend of 1916. Two
special events will mark the 100th
anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 8. The
first event is a victory parade that
will be a partial re-enactment of the
final march around Goderich Square
and down East Street to the former
train station that the 161st made on
Thanksgiving weekend in 1916.
Letter to the Editor
Event organizers to be thanked
Leaders of tomorrow
Grant Sparling, left, says the organizers of the recent Rural Talks to Rural Conference in Blyth
should be commended on their efforts and vision in bringing the conference to life. Sparling
was a member of a panel discussion that focused on retaining and attracting youth to rural
areas during the conference which is shown above. From left are panelists Sparling, Nova
Scotia's youngest -ever farmer Thian Carman and and open water Scuba instructor Katrina
McQuail. (Denny Scott photo)
THE EDITOR,
Thanks to Peter Smith and Karen
Stewart for their courageous vision
and leadership, and thanks for the
support and volunteerism of so
many when Blyth was host last week
to the inaugural Rural Talks to Rural
(R2R) Conference.
By every reasonable measure,
R2R was a success. R2R provided
an opportunity for a diverse group of
delegates to exchange challenges,
ideas and solutions in the context of
rural communities. The
conversation has begun.
As a young person who is "here
by choice" I was pleased to
participate on a panel alongside an
inspirational group of young people
who are living and working in rural
communities.
We are optimistic and we are
realistic. There is much to be done
and leveraging our opportunities
will demand decisive, forward-
looking thinking, smart
infrastructure planning and support
for development of a relevant 21st
century economy. And we must start
working together. As one speaker
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suggested, "It is time to stop
competing and start collaborating
and co-operating"
Count me in.
Grant R. Sparling,
Vice President and GM,
Cowbell Brewing Co.
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The Victory Parade begins at 2
p.m. and features historic re -
enactors, mass pipe and drum band,
cadet corps and colour guards. The
parade will enter The Square at
Kingston Street and proceed down
East Street to the former train station.
Historic re -enactors from The
Great War Society will run drills
prior to the parade at the Huron
County Museum, 110 North Street,
Goderich starting at 11 a.m. The
public is invited to visit the military
gallery at the museum and the new
Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV)
monument.
Following the parade on Oct. 8,
The Royal Canadian Legion,
Goderich Branch 109 will host a
161st Battalion Descendants Dinner.
The Legion will be serving a meal
that follows the menu from the
original dinner that was served to
members of the Battalion on
Thanksgiving weekend in 1916.
There will be displays about the First
World War and the 161st Battalion.
Cocktails and social are at 5:30
p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m.
followed by guest speaker David
Yates and period musical
entertainment by Seaforth Harmony
Kings and thatotherchoir. Tickets are
$35 each and can be purchased
through the Blyth Festival box office
at 519-523-9300. Everyone is
welcome to attend the dinner.
The parade and dinner are part of
a series of events taking place this
fall to commemorate the 100th
anniversary of the deployment of the
161st Battalion and Huron County's
role in the First World War. Events
were developed by a committee
made up of local heritage
organizations with support from the
Government of Canada, County of
Huron, Town of Goderich and Huron
Arts and Heritage Network.
For more information visit
www.huroncountymuseum.ca
Learn the VAity
B(yth East Side Dance
273 Hamilton St., Blyth • 519-523-4590
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