Grand Bend, Ontario community newspaper and entertainment events guide. Also serves Zurich, Dashwood, Port Franks, Exeter, Parkhill. Casey Lessard photos.
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Grand Bend playwright Paul Ciufo nominated for Governor-General’s literary award for Reverend Jonah Born in Toronto, raised in Guelph and Mississauga, Paul Ciufo has called Grand Bend home for more than two decades. His first professional play, Reverend Jonah, was recently nominated for the Governor-General’s Literary Award for Drama. “It was probably the most pleasant [...]
By Casey Lessard Similar to the crowd at a Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel church, familiar faces fill the rows of seats at today’s gathering. I see Steve Dietrich, Pat and Marion Sullivan, Marty and Teresa Larkin, Don O’Rourke, and many Regiers. Instead of seeing Father Ray Lawhead at the front of [...]
View from the Strip By Casey Lessard Warning: graphic details of the Rivera and Regier murders follow. Discretion is advised. If there is any reason people feel uneasy about the Jesse Imeson trial, I suggest it is this: we still have no explanation for why Jesse Imeson decided to kill Carlos Rivera, and Bill and [...]
What the U.S. and Canadian elections reveal about “democracy” Alternative View By Lance Crossley On the surface, the recent Canadian and U.S. elections seem like a study in contrast. The Canadian election recorded the nation’s lowest voter turnout in history – a paltry 59 per cent – which is a shameful outcome for a country [...]
We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. – T.S. Eliot Story and Photos by Andy McGuire For two weeks in mid-September I traveled to the Canadian Arctic with a group of nearly 100 other [...]
Eye for Design By Lorette Mawson As we approach that magical yet busy time of year, this month is a great time to think about how to give your home a festive look for the holidays on any budget. My first suggestion is to look to the great outdoors. I draw inspiration from my backyard, [...]
Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard I suppose by now the kids who were out trick or treating have slowly come down from their sugar high. Most people enjoy this holiday because it gives them time to act silly by dressing up in their favourite costumes and partying; sometimes we need an excuse to do [...]
Keeping the Peace By Tom Lessard In the spring of 1958, there was a posting on the board for an increment to go to Wainwright, Alberta for three months attached to the RCEME (Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) workshop. Of course I applied, and was accepted. I boarded the train in London and met [...]
Community/Charity Every Tuesday 7 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion Bingo Every Friday 5 to 7 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion Meat Draw Thursday, Nov. 13 5:30 p.m. – St. John’s Anglican Church Grand Bend Diners Program. second and fourth Thursday of the month. Transportation is available along with take out. Cost $9/person, entertainment and social [...]
Living in Balance By Jenipher Appleton Most people choose their wines by bouquet, an eye-catching label, or price. The true connoisseur uses terms like ‘oaky’, ‘peppery’, ‘fruity’, or ‘earthy’. Our outdoorsman friend, Gary Russwurm of Muskoka, chooses his wines by the birds pictured on the label. His choices come from Pelee Island, the southernmost point [...]
Chamber’s top entrepreneur and business agree: it’s about customer service and quality 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year Shannon Ryan The Garden Gate Gifts & Florals 15 Ontario St. S., beside New Orleans Pizza Opened March 2007 “I think people wish Grand Bend were a more intimate town like Bayfield,” Ryan says. “I wish there were [...]
2008 Federal Election Candidate profiles Huron-Bruce Dave Joslin Christian Heritage Brussels 519-887-9337 joslin@wightman.ca Age: 54 Hometown: Burlington Status: Married College: Georgian College, Owen Sound Concentration: Welder High School: M.M. Robinson, Gr.12 Employer: Cleaver-Brooks City/Town: Stratford Position: Fitter-Welder Activities: hiking, biking Interests: philosophy, theology, political theory Favorite Music: variety Favorite TV Show: don’t watch TV Favorite [...]
2008 Federal Election Lambton-Kent-Middlesex Joe Hill New Democrat Sarnia 519-542-2344 joethenewdemocrat@yahoo.ca www.ndp.ca Birthday: April 8,1942 Hometown: Wallaceburg Status: Married High School: Wallaceburg District High School Employer: New Democratic Party City/Town: Sarnia-Lambton Position: Riding association president Activities: running, cycling, triathlons Interests: political activism, cooking, gardening Favorite Music: blues, rock Favorite TV Show: CBC [...]
The Strip asked all of the candidates five questions related to federal issues in our ridings. The Green Party did not return our questionnaire by press time, and the Christian Heritage Party’s Dave Joslin did not respond to these questions. Huron-Bruce What is the most pressing issue facing your riding, and what do you plan [...]
What is the most pressing issue facing your riding, and what do you plan to do about it if elected? Micheal Janssens: The most pressing issue facing this riding, this country, this world, is the demoralization of western society brought on by the disintegration of the family. We kill our children, trample marriage, ignore the [...]
By Casey Lessard Photo courtesy UWO Libraries in Zurich, Exeter and Parkhill each have a little gem hiding in their DVD catalogue: archived 8mm film from the late 1940s featuring each town and its residents from the era. Stars of the Town is a collection of 85 films profiling towns from across southern Ontario, distributed [...]
Planners move to block splash pad from wind, make more attractive for pedestrians Story and photo by Casey Lessard Diagram courtesy EDA Collaborative Snowbirds and visitors won’t recognize Grand Bend’s beach next summer. The beach enhancement project will be finished in June 2009, and the planners have made some major changes that should ease some [...]
(Note: originally published October 9, 2008. Jesse Imeson plead guilty to second-degree murder, and received three concurrent life sentences with no chance of parole for 25 years.) View from the Strip By Casey Lessard There’s a dangerous game being played in Goderich, at the court where Jesse Imeson faces first-degree murder charges in the deaths [...]
By Casey Lessard Turnout at the recent sewer meeting (previewed in the Sept. 25 edition of the Grand Bend Strip) was more than double what the municipality of Lambton Shores expected, community services director Peggy Van Mierlo-West said Monday. “We proposed we would get 200 people. We had 400 show up. It’s great to see [...]
To the Editor, After our successful ‘Home and Garden’ tour on July 5, the Horticultural Society asked our members for suggestions on spending some of the money to improve areas around the Bend. Sharon Solden asked that we consider doing something with the very neglected front at the public school. The executive decided that because the school/library is [...]
To the Editor, Every year for six years our family has participated in The Walk to D’feet ALS, as my grandfather died from ALS in October 4th, 1985. This year my daughters, aged four and six, wanted to raise money and brainstormed for ideas. First my daughter Abby wanted to sell live turkeys to people [...]
Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard Since we are preparing to go to the polls for another election, I suppose my column this week should reflect on the matter. Like most people I’m not too sure who I want to vote for, but I will vote and hopefully my choice will be a wise one. [...]
Or, how to get into real trouble Keeping the Peace By Tom Lessard Many years ago, there was an upcoming municipal election looming. I resided in Huron Park where there was probably the largest number of voters in Stephen Township. I was pretty well known as a helper, a doer and a goer in the [...]
Technically Speaking By Tamara Nicola VisitGrandBend.com Are you ready to give selling over the Internet a try? There are a host of tools available; many of them are free or very low cost. Cleaning out the closet Most of us remember the days when costly classified ads or yard sales were the only option. Today [...]
