HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-01-04, Page 9THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018. PAGE 9.
Rain -shortened IPM impresses through perseverance
A welcome visit
With the International Plowing Match site closed after intense rainfall and organizers left
reeling, a visit from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his wife Sophie and their children
rejuvenated the event and brought tens of thousands to Walton as the site was reopened. (File
photo)
Continued from page 8
cancellation of others, but after the
community pulled together to repair
the site, the match opened again on
Thursday.
The Brussels Fall Fair 4-H
competition was moved from the
IPM grounds to its traditional home
at the Brussels, Morris and Grey
Community Centre and all of its
events went well, while the fair's
tent back the IPM grounds
welcomed tens of thousands of
guests in the four days of the match.
Kailey Donaldson of Halton was
named the match's Queen of the
Furrow, it was Huron's Brooklyn
Hendriks who was crowned the
match's Princess, a first for an IPM.
OCTOBER
Artistic Director Gil Garratt was
pleased to see that the Blyth
Festival's year -over -year attendance
was continuing to climb. In addition,
the inclusion of an extended run for
The Pigeon King to coincide with
the IPM proved to be a worthwhile
gamble, as the hall welcomed
hundreds of IPM -goers to Blyth
during the match.
Dwayne Evans was hired away
from Goderich to be North Huron's
new chief administrative officer after
the resignation of Sharon Chambers
earlier in the year.
The Festival of Wizardry was
deemed a success and brought
thousands to Blyth. Many who
attended the event had wonderful
things to say about the village and
local business -owners reported
record days.
However, not all was rosy, as
extreme weather forced the
cancellation of the festival's second
day and a messy social media war
ensued. Some patrons complained
of critical comments being
deleted, while others who planned
to attend on Sunday worried
that they wouldn't be refunded.
Regional Tourism Organization 4
(RTO4) began a process called
DestinationBLYTH that aimed to
identify strengths and opportunities
for the village, as it was set to grow
and welcome more visitors in the
coming years and become a bonafide
tourist destination, according to the
organization
NOVEMBER
Jackie Dewit and her JD and
Company business prevailed at the
Brussels Win This Space
competition, held at the Brussels
Legion.
Peter Gusso, chef and owner of
Part II Bistro in Blyth, announced
that he would be opening a second
restaurant, this time in Goderich.
A difficult five days
After members of the Fire Department of North Huron walked off the job en masse in early
December in protest of the township's hiring practices, among other issues, a mutually -
agreeable solution was reached five days later that left smiles on the faces of all involved. (File
photo)
Gusso had purchased The Bistro in
Goderich on The Square and
planned to be open by the end of the
year.
Ric McBurney was named Citizen
of the Year for the Blyth area, while
Elaine Armstrong was awarded as
Citizen of the Year for the Brussels
community.
Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil
Garratt announced the theatre's 2018
season, which will open in June with
Mark Crawford's The New
Canadian Curling Club.
Several locals were awarded at the
Royal Agricultural Winter Fair,
including Blyth Farm Cheese,
Connor Rodger of Auburn and
others.
Living Water Christian Fellowship
of Blyth marked its final service
after its elders made the tough
decision to close the church.
Siit7
DECEMBER
Ryan Ladner resigned from his
duties as chief of the Fire
Department of North Huron, just
nine months after he took the job.
He spoke highly of the department
and its firefighters, saying the
community is lucky to have them.
Forty-one North Huron
firefighters all walked off the job in
protest after a replacement for
Ladner was chosen.
The decision led to a frenzied five
days, where North Huron
councillors were scrambling to find
a solution and a number of special
meetings were called.
The firefighters, however, returned
to the job on Dec. 11 after a joint
resolution was reached. The
firefighters did, however, respond to
a number of calls during this time,
assuring the community that they
were not left without coverage.
Just days before Christmas, the
Brussels Post Office was burgled. It
was estimated that as many as 60
packages were stolen just before the
holidays.
#1 And We
Still Try Harder
Recent circulation figures
show The Citizen has the
highest circulation in the
northern part of
Huron County,
#3 in the entire county.
The Citizen
Proudly Community -Owned
Since 1985
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Babies of the Year 2017
Join the gallery of new faces in The Citizen's
baby photo display January 18, 2018
Email a jpeg of your little one born in 2017 along with a writeup
which includes full name, birth date and parents' names and then
call us, stop in or mail a cheque to prepay.
ONLY $20.00 (must be prepaid)
- Sample -
Matthew Robert
Smith
May 18
son of
Mike & Laura Smith
Please Complete
Baby's Full Name
Son Daughter
Birth Date
Parents' Names
$20.00 Enclosed
DEADLINE - January 8
2 pm in Brussels • 4 pm in Blyth
Email: info@northhuron.on.ca
519-523-4792