The Citizen, 2012-12-20, Page 32PAGE 32. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2012.
519-527-0761
Bert & Carol Reinink & family
43079 Hullett-McKillop Rd.
R.R. # 4 Walton
And Landscaping
At this blessed time of year
we’d like to wish our
customers and friends a joyous
Christmas season.
We thank you for your
patronage and look forward to
seeing you in 2013.
Christmases fills Riach’s Blyth home with family
Christmas in the Riach household
is a season of bustle, according to
North Huron Deputy-Reeve David
Riach.
Riach, who hails from Blyth, said
that with multiple celebrations, his
home is filled with family for much
of the holidays.
“Christmas in this household is
very busy,” Riach said. “We
celebrate Christmas with our family
the Sunday before and that is written
in stone. All the kids come home and
the grandkids and the great-
grandchild come and we have a
family gathering and it’s a really
good fun day with a lot of food and
a few presents and a lot of laughter.
We’ve been doing that for about 15
years.”
The celebration is held the Sunday
before Christmas every year, Riach
said, as a means to make sure that it
makes scheduling simpler.
“We do the Sunday before
Christmas because that way we
don’t interfere with the other
families and everyone knows that’swhen it’s going to be,” he said. “Wedon’t have to worry about
scheduling it every year.”
Riach also celebrates with his
extended family, bringing about the
same number of people into his
home as his more intimate
celebration does.
“For my brother and sisters, we
get together between Christmas and
New Years with all of our kids again
and as many come as can,” he said.
As a means of celebrating, Riach
said that things really haven’t
changed much in his family. For
generations now they have got
together and celebrated the
“Canadian way.”
“Our family roots are Scottish and
English, but we celebrate Canadian
Christmas,” he said. “Both of our
families have been here forever, so
we just do the Canadian Christmas.
“Christmas has always been a big
deal for the Riach side of the family.
When I was a wee kid we went to
Grandma and Grandpa’s, when they
passed on we went to Mom’s, and
now that Mom’s passed on we host it
at Grandma and Grandpa’s [David
and Tamara],” he said. “We like it
that way, it’s a good way to have
everyone in the same room at the
same time.”
Riach said that being the patriarch
of the family is a role for which he is
well-suited to as he’s always ready
to help his grandchildren and great-
grandchildren get a little bit more
when it comes to the holidays.
“If the grandkids want extra green
jell-o, all they have to do is ask
Grandpa, because Grandpa overrules
moms,” he said with a laugh.
While traditionally the Riach clan
has bought gifts for each other as a
means of celebrating, Riach said that
recently the family switched to a
“stealing” game in which people
bring only a single gift and hilarityensues.“We decided a few years ago that,
instead of all our kids buying gifts
for each other, all of the kids, and
that includes anyone 15 years of ageand up, would bring one gift with aset dollar limit on it, and we put all
A family portrait
North Huron Deputy-Reeve David Riach and his wife
Tamara, and dog Ruby, welcome their families into their
Blyth home thrice over during the holiday seasons in hopes
of connecting with as many of them as possible. (Denny Scott
photo)
from
Beuermann
Construction
Brussels 519-887-8246
Merry Christmas
from all of us
Country Store
519-887-8429
Feed Mill
Dungannon
519-529-7951
Walton 519-887-6023
1-800-665-5675
May you enjoy the blessings of the season with the
ones you love and may the New Year bring you
much happiness, success and good fortune.
Thank you for your patronage.
~ Winter Store Hours ~
Mon. - Fri. 6:30 am - 7 pm, Sat. 8 am - 7 pm, Sun. Closed
• Accounting and Income Tax Preparation
• Business Management
Services
519-887-9248
Merry
Christmas
& Best Wishes
for 2013
Jacquie Gowing
Accounting Services
Brett & Laura Fischer
Independent Sales Representatives
for Pioneer®brand products
42309 Morris Road, Brussels, ON N0G 1H0
519-887-8253 Office
brettandlaura@plantpioneer.com
Wishing everyone a wonderful
holiday season and the
very best for the coming year.
The
Fisc
h
e
r
’
s
Season’s Greetings
from
Directors, Staff & Agents
PO Box 819,
91 Main St. S.
Seaforth, ON N0K 1W0
McKILLOP MUTUAL
INSURANCE COMPANY
Office: 519-527-0400
1-800-463-9204
Fax: 519-527-2777
At this busy time of year, when everyone is
sprucing up for Christmas, goodwill and
gratitude would certainly come in handy, and
we’ve got plenty to spread around!
To all those who’ve passed through our doors
this year, we offer our best wishes and thanks.
It’s always a pleasure serving you.
Huron Country
Hardware
440 Turnberry St., Brussels
519-887-6851
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Continued on page 36