Youth welcome to join horticultural society.
McKellar council members and firefighters proudly displaying a new fire engine.
Al Last photos
McKellar Sunday School
Beginning on September 16, the McKellar United Church will be offering Sunday School starting at 9:30 am. All children are welcome.
Historical Society
The Evelyn Moore Heritage Room will continue to be open from 10 a.m. to noon each Saturday until further notice.
Take this opportunity to visit and learn more about the history of the township of McKellar.
McKellar Sunshine Club
McKellar Sunshine Club welcomes back the members to the first meeting, after our summer break, on Thursday, Sept. 13 with a potluck lunch followed by euchre and carpet bowling at 12:45 p.m.
New members and visitors are welcome to attend.
The Parry Sound and District Horticultural Society will host its fall flower show at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at the Seguin Seniors Hall, 80 James St. The speaker is Maureen Wilson and her topic is Incredible Edibles.
Maureen teaches courses at McKellar Pioneer College and is an expert on using plants from the natural environment that early settlers used. There is no charge for the meeting and new members and visitors are always welcome. A light lunch is served at the end of the meeting.
The horticultural society is looking to increase the membership of its youth group. Children are divided in classes of 6 to 9 years, 10 to 13 years and 14 to 17 years for competitions.
The present group is involved in many crafts: making birdhouses from gourds, greeting cards made using dried, pressed flowers, and of course, starting plants and helping with society functions.
They also compete in the flower shows and photo competitions. Barbara Jackson of Toad Hill Pottery donated a beautiful new trophy for the youth competitions and the society very much appreciates Barbara's generosity.
Anyone interested in having a child participate in this excellent program, please call Tabitha at 705-746-8556.
Species at Risk information session
The Township of McKellar invites all residents, ratepayers, community organizations, committee members, staff and the general public to attend an information session on Species at Risk on Saturday, Sept. 29, at 10:30 a.m. in the Township of McKellar council chambers, 701 Highway 124, McKellar.
David Bywater, Species at Risk Biologist with the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve will present an informative session on the 12 species at risk found in the Township of McKellar area, including information on identification and habitat.
The presentation will provide participants with the resources to help you make informed decisions on how to conserve these important species and enhance their habitat features.
“We’re excited about this opportunity to work with McKellar residents and look forward to discussing the species at risk found in this Township and identifying resources and practices to conserve these species”, said Bywater.
Come out and learn what you can do to protect these species at risk.
Food banks need your help
The local food banks are requesting your support in assisting those less fortunate. When closing up the cottage, why not consider making a donation?
Donations will be accepted up to the end of the Thanksgiving weekend at the McKellar Waste Transfer Site, the Township of McKellar Municipal Office and food bank locations.
Both Harvest Share and the Salvation Army food banks are in dire need of the following food items: canned food, macaroni and pasta, peanut butter, hearty soups, canned fruit, canned juice, healthy school snacks.
The following food items will not be accepted: opened, perishable or stale dated food items.
To donate to Harvest Share simply drop off foodstuffs at 22 Miller Street, Parry Sound, from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or use their drop box.
To donate
To donate to the Salvation Army drop off food items, in the Salvation Army blue bins located at the McKellar Waste Transfer Site, 13 Lee’s Rd, McKellar, or at the Township Municipal Office, 701 Highway 124, or at the Salvation Army, 61 Gibson St, Parry Sound, or at Sobey’s, or at the Thrift Shop.
To quote Heather Murch, Salvation Army Rainbow Country Church community and family services worker, “Food bank use is on the rise across the country and in many areas food banks are actually closing their doors temporarily as they are unable to keep up with the demand. We too are feeling the pinch after a busier than usual summer and need to restock our shelves to meet the added demands of families sending children to school with lunches and school feeding programs.”
Let’s help the food banks; clean out your shelves and restock theirs.
McKellar Fall Fair News
In spite of the weather, people still came, though admittedly not in the droves the fair had experienced in sunny weather’s past.
And in particular there was a hoard of kids, potential MCA Junior Conservationist ready and willing to introduce themselves, hopefully, as ongoing conservationists, the seed being the bird feeder construction.
MCA members understand the enticement a young mind experiences when they set up that first feeder anticipating the first bird to arrive.
The experience is hard wired, the potential results being future conservationists. It’s the reason Mel Hammond et al do what they do.
Fall fairs go beyond this, with neighbours meeting neighbours, friends with friendship being reaffirmed and the potential for new relationships.
It’s a social setting anticipated and a celebration-shared community.
Gerdine Van Wouderberg, of Alexandria Ontario, somewhere between Ottawa and Montreal, artistically demonstrated her love for sculpture, her media wood, her tool a Stihl chain saw.
Her quest included 16 years of post secondary graduation education.
“I do this for the instant gratification I receive when I first, unknowingly, approach a chunk of wood, chainsaw in hand,” said Van Wouderberg.
Why wood as an art form?
“My partner worked in cabinetry and I helped. This bred comfort,” she said.
Van Woudenberg spent eight-and-a-half years with mallet and chisel followed by two and a half years with chain saw sculpture. Her work is not rough but finished to a natural glean.
Rose Cunningham, 11 years of age and a student at St. Peters, is strange. She has a pink goat named - you guessed it - Pinkie. In previous fall fairs, Pinkie’s presence, along with Rose, have been there in support of breast cancer awareness.
McKellar council is proud of their recent purchase on our behalf. Displayed at the fair was our new fire engine.
Jaden and Haleigh Bier, aged 12 and 9 respectively, could hardly wait to help Dad, Fire Chief Ed Bier, pick up the new engine and the children were the first kids to ride it, and with continued pestering had dad succumb to their pleas to blare the siren, even if it was at the fire hall.
One hopes the engine has no need for action, yet should it be so, one may feel comfort in that fire fighting technology, in this new purchase, saves property and lives. If you have information for McKellar News please contact us at 705-389-1786 or last@vianet.ca. We would appreciate hearing from you by Sunday noon for the following week’s newspaper.