Golden Age Club: A general meeting of the Golden Age Club will be held on Wednesday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m., at the Community Centre. This Club has been responsible for helping to organize many of the important social functions in our community including Sunday breakfasts, annual potluck and community centre development. Members have also been ready to step into crisis situations whenever required. Here is your chance to lend a hand in the community. Election of Officers will take place at the meeting.   Community Yard Sale: The Golden Age Club and the Garden Club is sponsoring a giant community yard sale at the Community Centre on Saturday, May 13th and Sunday, May 14th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Are you moving or downsizing? Here’s a chance to unload your extra stuff. Rent a table for $10.00 from the Burpee Mills Golden Age Club and the Burpee Mills Garden Club. To reserve a table contact Seija Bailey at 282-8108, Carol Lang at 282-2782 or Kathy Keenan at 282-2900. This will be an opportunity to stock up kitchens, cottages, and fish huts, while socializing with your neighbours. Small appliances, bedding, towels, clothing, household utensils, pots, pans, dishes, furniture, toys and many other household items will be available at the sale. Don’t miss out on this great chance to find bargains and treasures.   Fire Team Report: The fire team had a practice on Thursday, March 30th. Both trucks were inspected and taken for a test run around the block. While dry and warm weather is beginning to tease us don’t forget the dry conditions last spring, which resulted in several dangerous grass fires. Please, if you intend to burn trash or brush remember to get your fire permit and be careful. For volunteers, the turkey gambling is at the hall in Gore Bay on April 8th. Those going should try to be there by 7:30 p.m. as it starts at 8:00 p.m. Call Dennis at 282-8196 if you have any questions. Next practice is on Wednesday, April 26th at the fire hall.   Ed Wright gets ready for the Easter egg hunt wearing his best camouflage outfit while curling in last month’s Funspiel   Farming Operations to come under OHSA: On June 30, 2006 the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) will apply to farming operations in Ontario where paid employees are present. Farming operations without paid workers will continue to be exempt from OHSA. One of the basic requirements is that a copy of the Act be posted in the workplace and is accessible to all employees for reference. Copies of the Act can be obtained from the Farm Safety Association by calling1-800-361-8855 or email at info@farmsafety.ca for a cost of $8:00 each. The Act can also downloaded from the Ministry of Labour website at www.labour.gov.on.ca for free. Under OHSA, general duties of employers will include providing information, instruction and supervision to workers, advising workers about hazards in the workplace; and notifying the MOL of workplace fatalities and critical injuries. Employers with six or more regularly employed workers will also have to develop an occupational health and safety policy and program. Farm workers will have the right to participate in decisions about health and safety at the workplace, to know about workplace hazards, and to refuse unsafe work.   Council Report: The next regular meeting of council will be Monday, May 1st at 7:30 p.m. Nelson Campbell is moving on. The man with the happy grin who has helped staff our transfer station for almost six years is packing up his belongings and moving, along with his wife Donna, to Blind River. The residents of this community certainly appreciate the fine job he has done. While we really would rather he didn’t go, we have to wish him the best. Sincerest THANKS for all the help you provided, Nelson!   Employment Opportunity: The Municipality of Burpee and Mills has an employment opportunity for an attendant at the waste transfer station. Copies of the job specification and other information are available at the municipal office. To apply, leave your letter of application with the clerk, Bonnie Bailey.

Community Breakfast: The next Community Breakfast will be Sunday, March 26th from 8:00-11:00 a.m. Come out and support the Golden Age Club, Fire Team, and Recreation Committee while enjoying a delicious, all-you-can-eat breakfast, with friends and neighbours. Remember that new volunteers willing to help cook and serve are always welcome.   Funspiel: The Burpee Mills Funspiel will be held on Saturday, March 11th at the Gore Bay Curling Club. Everyone is welcome to come out and watch. If you haven’t signed up to curl, come out and cheer on your favourite team. Even those who do not wish to curl are cordially invited to join the gang at the curling club for a potluck supper at 5:00 p.m. Cost for supper is $5.00 plus a dish.   Transfer Station: The Burpee Mills Transfer Station is not authorized to accept used needles for disposal. These items require special transport and disposal procedures. Please consult with your pharmacist about proper disposal of such equipment.   Fire Team Report: The last practice of the Burpee Mills Fire Team was on February 9, 2006 where we had a visit from Clair Rouse of the Office of the Fire Marshal. Our next practice is set for Thursday March 30, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. The next Manitoulin Firefighter Association meeting is on March 15, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. in Billings. Interested firefighters should call Dennis at 282-8196.   Fire Permits: As of April 1st, you must obtain a fire permit in order to burn trash or brush. You can obtain a fire permit on the Internet by going to the Burpee Mills website at www.burpeemills.com and then clicking “Fire Permits”. You can also get a fire permit by applying in person at the municipal office.   Working Smoke Alarms: It’s the law!: The following information on smoke alarms was taken from an article prepared by the Office of the Fire Marshal. A recent amendment to the Ontario Fire Code now requires homes to have working smoke alarms on every level. This is in addition to the existing requirement of having smoke alarms outside all sleeping areas. The amendment applies to all single-family, semi-detached and town homes, whether owner-occupied or rented. For homeowners, that may mean purchasing additional smoke alarms and installing them on every level of their home and outside all sleeping areas. Failure to do so could result in a fine of $235. Landlords must make sure their rental properties comply with the law. Individual landlords who fail to comply with the Fire Code smoke alarm requirements can face penalties of up to $25,000. Tenants of rental properties are encouraged to contact their landlords immediately if they do not have the required number of smoke alarms. Once smoke alarms are installed, tenants cannot remove the batteries or tamper with the alarm in any way. If they do so, the tenant could be subject to a fine of $235. The Fire Code amendment comes into effect on March 1,2006. After that date, fire departments will be enforcing the regulation in communities throughout Ontario. Ontario fire statistics reveal that in about 50% of fatal home fires, the victims had no smoke alarm warning. As you are aware, our fire team has been conducting a campaign to encourage residents to clean the chimneys connected to wood burning stoves. The cooperation shown by residents of Burpee and Mills in this project has drastically reduced fire team callouts for chimney fires this winter. We anticipate that the cooperation of our residents to install the additional smoke alarms, where required, will help make our community an even safer place to live. Smoke Alarm Facts     •   Test your smoke alarms once a month and change the batteries every year.     •   Never remove the batteries from smoke alarms. If nuisance alarms are a problem, try moving the alarm to another location or purchase an alarm with a “hush feature” that temporarily silences the alarm.     •   Smoke alarms don’t last forever. Replace smoke alarms if they are more than ten years old.     •   Make sure everyone in the household knows what to do if the smoke alarm sounds. Develop a home fire escape plan and practice it with the entire household.   Council Report: The next regular meeting of council will be Monday, March 6th at 7:30 p.m.

Burpee & Mills Township Monthly Newsletter February 2006 Issue   Potluck Supper: The annual potluck supper organized by the Golden Age Club will be held at the Community Centre on Saturday, February 11. Meal service will begin at 6:00 p.m. sharp. The cost will be $5:00 with a dish or $10:00 without a dish; children under 10 years of age eat for free. Come out, bring your favourite dish, and enjoy the scrumptious food prepared by the great cooks in our neighbourhood   Musical Entertainment: After the potluck supper on Saturday, February 11, Mel Fredrick and his band will play at the Community Centre from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. You can enjoy a great evening of music for just $7:00.   Curling Funspiel: The annual Burpee Mills Funspiel will be held at the Gore Bay Curling Club on Saturday, March 11. This is a fun event and novices are encouraged to participate. If you are interested in curling please give Debbie Wright a call at 282-2077 to sign up.   Fun Night: Fun Night continues Fridays, from 7:00 p.m.– 9:00 p.m. at the Community Centre. Kids, come out and join in the fun playing games such as floor hockey, volleyball and dodgeball.   Fire Team News: The Burpee Mills Fire Department had meetings/practices on January 5 and 25, 2006. The next get together will be on February 9, 2006, 19:00 at the complex. The Manitoulin Fire Fighter Association meeting on January 19 in Mindemoya included a demonstration by the ambulance service for lift assistance procedures. On January 26 at the Manitoulin District Mutual Aid System meeting, the island fire chiefs received the approved Mutual Aid Plan for the District of Manitoulin from the Office of the Fire Marshal. Mutual Aid is the agreement among our local communities to provide assistance to one another in the case of a major emergency. Stay safe.   Council Report: The next regular meeting of council will be Monday, March 6th at 7:30 p.m. Burpee & Mills Township Monthly Newsletter January 2006 Issue   Potluck Supper: The annual potluck supper organized by the Golden Age Club will be held at the Community Centre on Saturday, February 11. Meal service will begin at 6:00 p.m. sharp. The cost will be $5:00 with a dish or $10:00 without a dish; children under 10 years of age eat for free. Come out, bring your favourite dish, and enjoy the scrumptious food prepared by the great cooks in our neighbourhood.   Fun Night: Fun Night continues Fridays, from 7:00 p.m.– 9:00 p.m. at the Community Centre. Come out and join in the fun playing such games as floor hockey, volleyball and dodgeball.   Karate: Alain Desaulniers is offering free karate classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the Community Centre. It’s not too late to sign up. Please call Alain at 282-2545.   Fire Team News: Happy New Year from the Burpee/Mills Fire Department. At our last meeting on January 5, 2006, a tentative date was set for February 9 for a visit from Claire Rouse of the Office of the Fire Marshall. Claire in his capacity of Fire Protection Advisor was and still is instrumental in helping the fire dept and continues to provide most welcome support services. We are encouraging our volunteers to attend forthcoming meetings and practices where we will get started on Vehicle Extrication training with our newly donated equipment from Al Viita of Telstar Hydraulics. Manitoulin Fire Fighter Association meeting is on January 19 at the Mindemoya fire station at 19:30. Manitoulin Mutual Aid System meeting is on January 26, 19:30 at MSS. Interested fire fighters call Dennis at 282-8196 for a ride to attend these meetings. Stay Safe! Remember to check and clean your chimney and pipes at least once a month.   Council Report: The next regular meeting of council will be Monday, February 6 at 7:30 p.m.   St. John Ambulance First Aid: During the weekend of January 7th, thirteen course participants received training in First Aid at the Burpee-Mills Community Centre. This program offered education and training in artificial respiration (AR), Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), as well as First Aid Methods to assist choking, injured, or bleeding individuals. At the end of the long daily sessions, the participants were very appreciative of the extra care, thought and effort that Paula Gauthier, R.N., course instructor put forth in preparation of her lessons. The course on Saturday, dealt primarily with Emergency Scene Management (ESM) with emphasis on preparation for testing for CPR certification. Seven of the course participants returned on Sunday to prepare for certification in the complete St. John Ambulance First Aid Program. They learned how to treat victims with bone and joint injuries and practised bandaging and splinting techniques. They also learned how to care for victims suffering from burns, poisoning or other medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma and allergies. Those who participated in this course wish to express their appreciation for the use of the municipal facilities as a venue for the program. They also would like to thank Seija and Wayne Bailey for organizing the course and providing the great lunches.   Burpee & Mills Township Monthly Newsletter December 2005 Issue   Fire Team News: On Sunday, November 20, 2005, the regular fire practice was combined with a pump test on the pumper truck. Ken Roy, of KPS Technologies Inc. from Sudbury measured the capabilities of the pump and all of its accessory equipment. When Ken presents the results of the test, any deficiencies will be repaired to keep the unit in optimal condition. Ken Roy was instrumental in the donation of hydraulic vehicle extraction equipment to our fire department. Al Viita, owner of Telstar Hydraulics in Sudbury was looking for a small volunteer fire department, which might be in need of such tools and Ken immediately thought of us. A big thank you to Al Viita for donating the spreader and cutter valued at about $8,000. The capital committee continues its work, and several of the purchases have been received. Additional bunker suits have been ordered to provide an adequate supply to ensure the safety of all of our volunteers. On November 15, 2005, film for the MCTV, Christmas Fire Safety promotion was shot in Sudbury. It was a spectacular event with hundreds of firefighters in attendance. No, these are not the same firefighters who encourage you to drink Maxwell House coffee on the CBC. The MCTV safety campaign will air from December 15 to January 7. Watch carefully to spot some of our local heroes. Here are a few slogans that you may hear on MCTV over the season: Fire Escape Plans – “KNOW WHERE TO GO” Alarms - “Install smoke alarms: It’s the law!” Candles - “Use candles with care: When you go out, blow out.” Safety- “Get out and stay out!”   CPR Course: The St. John Ambulance First Aid Training with a C.P.R. component will be offered at the Burpee & Mills Community Centre in January of 2006. Instruction Schedule:       Saturday, January 7, 2006 – Cardio-pulmonary Resuscitation (8:30 am - 5:30 pm)       Sunday, January 8, 2006 – First Aid Program (8:30 am - 5:30 pm) Registration Fee: Complete Course – Adults $120.00, Students $100.00 Cardio-pulmonary Resuscitation (Saturday only) - $70.00 Instructor: Paula Gauthier A minimum of 10 participants is required to present the course (12 have been confirmed). The instructor will teach a maximum of 20. Registration fees are payable to the instructor on January 7. Cheques should be made payable to Paula Gauthier. Please notify Wayne Bailey (282-8108) if you wish to have your name added to the list as a course participant. For those who have already submitted names, please notify Wayne if you prefer to register for the C.P.R. component ONLY.   Potluck Supper: The annual potluck supper was postponed because of a scheduling conflict. It will be held later, in January or February. Watch for a new date in the next newsletter.   Fun Night: Back by popular demand! Fun Night at the Hall will start on Friday, December 9, from 7:00 p.m.– 9:00 p.m. at the Community Centre. Come out and join in the fun playing such games as floor hockey, volleyball and dodgeball. These evenings were well attended and very popular with area young people last year. There will be a special fun day on December 18 from 11:00am – 3:00 pm. Recreation Committee will host and supply lunch (hot dogs and refreshments). This is to replace the regular fun night that would be held on December 16. Fun night will start back up again on January 6, 2006.   Karate: Alain Desaulniers is offering free karate classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the Community Centre. Classes start Tuesday, December 13thand Thursday, December 15th. Please call Alain at 282-2545 or come to the first class to sign up. Students will be divided into groups, depending on their level of ability, to continue their training.   Job Opportunity: Applications are being requested for the position of custodian for the Community Centre to do part time cleaning of the hall and office.   Council Report: Last winter many of the residents of the west end of the Island expressed concerns about the snow removal practices taking place on Hwy 540 between Gore Bay and Meldrum Bay. Following requests from council to our MPP Mike Brown, we were provided with the following information. Hwy 540 will be maintained this winter at the Provincial standard required for highways with a volume of less than 400 vehicles per day. The road surface shall be maintained in a snow pack condition within 24 hours after a storm. The contractor will continue to plough and spread sand to maintain this condition. Any areas that are washboarded, rutted, potholed, or excessively slippery are required to be ice bladed. The contract also requires that the blade of the plough be set no more than 1 cm. above the level of the shoe. If these conditions are maintained, travel should be more reliable this winter. The next regular meeting of council will be on Monday, January 9th, at 7:30 p.m.   Burpee & Mills Township Monthly Newsletter November 2005 Issue   Community Breakfast: The next Community Breakfast will be Sunday November 20th, from 8:00-11:00 a.m. Come out and support the Golden Age Club, Fire Team, and Recreation Committee while enjoying a delicious, all-you-can-eat breakfast, with friends and neighbours.   Golden Age Club: The golden age club made donations of $500.00 each to the Burpee & Mills Garden Club and the Mindemoya Hospital Auxiliary. Money was also put towards new equipment for the Burpee and Mills Community Centre kitchen.   Potluck Supper: The Golden Age club will be holding a potluck supper on December 3rd at 6:00 p.m. sharp. The cost will be $5:00 with a dish or $10:00 without a dish; children under 10 free. The food is sure to be scrumptious because everyone brings his or her best cooking.   Euchre: Euchre is finished for the season. Last month, a money jar containing over $500 was won by Mrs. Peggy Noble with a score of 86 points. She generously split her prize with Barry Barnes who had scored 83 points. Hope to see you all again next year.   Garden Club: The Garden Club was busy last month planting bulbs, thinning out perennials, moving plants to better locations, augmenting the soil with manure, and planting new shrubs. The support of the Golden Age Club is very much appreciated. Their generous donation of $500.00 will be put to good use in the spring to buy plants, fertilizer and equipment. The draw for the Burpee/Mills Heritage Community Garden raffle was held at the last breakfast. First prize went to Cassandra Noland; second prize to Erwin Thompson; and third prize was won by Erin and Haley Kubian. Thanks to Tara Bailey for donating the prizes and to all who participated.   Fire Team News: Fire prevention week October 9th to the 15th, has come and gone but every week is essentially dedicated to fire prevention. On October 12 at 10:00, all schools in Ontario were encouraged by the Office of the Fire Marshall to conduct the world's largest fire drill. The event may have qualified for a Guinness World Record!!!! Your Burpee and Mills Fire Department was helping out at the C.C.McLean Public School in Gore Bay. In October both fire trucks were mechanically re-certified for another year. Training was conducted on October 25 and November 3. The department has finalized plans to purchase more bunker suits, fire extinguishers, foam, cut-off saw and a battery booster using funds provided by the Province. The capital committee is commended for its fine work to increase our safety and effectiveness. Alert Tec Training Centre in Sudbury received training certification from the Ontario Fire College and courses are to begin in January 2006. This is the first training college operating in northern Ontario. Plans are underway to send a minimum of 6 Burpee and Mills firefighters for extended training. Watch MCTV over the Christmas holidays, to see if you know any of the Islanders that participated in the November 5 filming for 200 infomercials, promoting fire safety.   Council Report: Property owners should have received notices in the mail from MPAC regarding their new property assessments. Check to make sure that you agree that the value of your property is fair. That is the value that will be used to determine your 2006 taxes. If you disagree with the assessed value of your property, you must contact MPAC and file a request for reconsideration. The phone numbers are on the assessment notices. The next regular council meeting will be Monday, December 5th at 7:30 p.m.   Burpee & Mills Township Monthly Newsletter October 2005 Issue   Community Breakfast: The next Community Breakfast will be October 16, from 8:00-11:00 a.m. Come out and support the Golden Age Club, Fire Team, and Recreation Committee while enjoying a delicious, all-you-can-eat breakfast, with friends and neighbours.   Golden Age Club: The annual meeting of the Golden Age Club will be held on Wednesday, October 19th at 7:00 p.m. at the complex. Annual membership fees are due.   Garden Committee: A 'Veteran’s Garden' has been prepared next to the entrance to the Community Centre. This has been planted with Dwarf Evergreens, Hollies and Peace Roses. Anyone wishing to honour a veteran or peacekeeper is invited to purchase a plant in his/her name. Contact Seija Bailey at 282-8108 or Carol Lang at 282-2782. The draw for the Burpee/Mills Heritage Community Garden will be held at the breakfast on October 16th. The prizes, donated by Tara Bailey of Home Interiors & Gifts, are as follows: 1st – Picture ($139); 2nd – Shelf ($52); 3rd -Tray ($44). Tickets are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00. You can still get tickets at the breakfast.   Euchre: Come out and enjoy a friendly game of euchre Thursday evenings 7:30 pm at the community centre.   Fire Team News: The week of October 9th to the 15th has been designated as Fire Prevention Week. Community members are reminded to replace smoke alarm batteries, check fire extinguishers and review family escape plans. A reminder to all families that wood burning stoves and chimneys are to be checked and cleaned prior to the winter heating season. Information letters will be sent out to all residents in this municipality informing them of the requirement to have working smoke alarms in any building with sleeping facilities. Burpee/Mills Fire Department conducted a training session in tandem with the Gore Bay Fire Department on September 26, 2005. Familiarity with each other’s personnel and equipment is beneficial in the event of an incident requiring mutual aid.   CPR Course: Are you interested in getting training in standard First Aid, including CPR on adults, children and infants? We are taking a survey of interested people in order to get enough people together to take the course during the winter months. Please call Wayne Bailey at 282-8108. Please note phone number was incorrect in September newsletter.   Council Report: Council members would like to express our sincere appreciation to members of our Golden Age Club, Garden Committee, Recreation Committee, and Fire Department. These hard working volunteers make our community a much more pleasant place in which to live. Numerous compliments have been received on voluntary events such as our community breakfasts, landscaping improvements at the community centre, participation in our exercise programs, and the response capability of our fire team. If you are not already a member, why not consider joining a group to help make things happen in Burpee/Mills to benefit all of us. Have you noticed the blue sign in front of our Community Centre designating one parking space for physically disabled persons? This location is part of our official “accessibility plan” to help make all public facilities accessible to disabled persons. Our plan is reviewed each year so we can improve facility access to seniors, persons with mobility impairment, physical disabilities or who are hearing or visually impaired. If you or anyone you know has experienced problems getting into public areas, please send your concerns, in writing, to the municipal office so they can be incorporated into our latest revisions. A copy of the present plan is available at the municipal office for public use. During the last month, we were approached by the Ministry of Natural Resources with a proposal to add the Pitcher’s Thistle to the list of plants protected under the Endangered Species Act. Several shoreline locations, where the thistle can be found, have already been identified in this municipality. Council was concerned that restrictions applied to landowners, if this plant was listed as endangered, could significantly reduce land values, make shoreline property severances prohibitively expensive, and potentially deny landowners the right to access and enjoy their shoreline properties. Questions raised during the presentation indicated that the Ministry did not have convincing data to show that the Pitcher’s Thistle was being endangered by human activities in our community. An official response to the Ministry proposal is being prepared. The next regular council meeting will be Monday, November 7, 2005.   Burpee & Mills Township Monthly Newsletter September 2005 Issue PLEASE NOTE: Katrina Relief Effort: On October 1st a Manitoulin Transport truck donated by Doug Smith will be travelling to Jackson, Mississippi with a load of materials for the hurricane victims. Anyone wishing to donate non-perishable materials such as canned goods, baby foods, flashlight batteries, hygiene products, soap etc., may drop their donations at the Gateway Grill before October 1st. Any money donated, will be spent locally to purchase additional goods. Please do not donate clothing because it is not such a problem in the warm climate.   Community Breakfast: The next Community Breakfast will be October 16, from 8:00-11:00 a.m. Come out and support the Golden Age Club, Fire Team, and Recreation Committee while enjoying a delicious, all-you-can-eat breakfast, with friends and neighbours. Remember that new volunteers willing to help cook and serve are always welcome.   Cemetery Board: During August, the municipal summer employee, Tim Armstrong, was assigned the task of preparing a computerized cemetery information file. The purpose of this file is to enable office staff to access information more quickly and efficiently. The cemetery trustees thank Tim for his dedication to the job. He contributed many hours of his own time researching and collating information from the numerous old files and documents. Thanks to his efforts we now have a concise file of information for Section 1, the first cemetery area established. The Board also requests relatives to please remove any glass floral containers from the cemetery grounds before winter. When the water in these containers freezes, the broken glass becomes a safety hazard.   Burpee & Mills Heritage Community Garden: Garden committee volunteers extend our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who contributed to our municipal gardens by donating or purchasing plants at our third perennial sale. This successful event raised $684.00 which will be used pay for additional garden supplies and equipment. Thank you all.   Euchre: Come out and enjoy a friendly game of euchre Thursday evenings 7:30 pm at the community centre.   Fire Team News: Several firefighters of the Burpee Mills Fire Department earned their CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) certifications in August. The next fire training session is scheduled for Saturday, September 24, 2005. The Fire Marshal's office has issued a communiqué in regards to compact fluorescent light bulbs. The " Globe mini-spiral 13w " bulb may pose potential fire and electric shock hazards. Consumers are advised to immediately remove these light bulbs from service. Consumers can contact the manufacturer at customerservice@globe-electric.com or phone 514-694-0444 ext 151, for replacement bulbs.   CPR Course: Are you interested in taking a course in standard First Aid, which includes level C CPR on adults, children and infants? Please call Wayne Bailey at 282-8101.   L.I.F.E. Program: Recreational and educational courses are being held in Gore Bay under the Learning Is Fun Eh (L.I.F.E.) program. You can participate in any or all of the courses offered for just $5.00 a year. Classes start the week of September 19 – 2005 Mondays         7:30 - 8:30 pm    Tai Chi for beginners    Gore Bay Community Centre Tuesdays         4:00 - 5:00 pm    Calligraphy for beginners        United Church Hall Gore Bay Wednesdays    7:30 - 8:30 pm    Sign language                         Pel Residence, 80 Meredith Thursdays        7:00 - 8:00 pm     Social dance for beginners    Gore Bay Comm. Centre Saturdays         Literacy     Call for time and place For registration and information contact Penny Palonen at 282-1646 or Tini Pel at 282-2929.   Gore Bay Ballet School: The Gore Bay Ballet School is directed by Tini Pel, a certified ballet instructor. Classes are offered to students age 4 and over. The children will receive a sound foundation in classical ballet for career or personal enjoyment. There will also be a stretch and jump class for boys 6 and 7 years of age and a morning stretch class for adults. For more information call Tini Pel at 282-2929 before September 30.   Council News: The next regular meeting of council will be Monday October 3rd, 2005.   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Job Opportunity: Applications are now being accepted for the position of custodian, for the community centre complex. Interested persons should leave their name and a brief statement of experience at the municipal office before September 29th.   Manitoulin Centennial Manor Fundraising Dinner: The Manor is in the process of raising funds to purchase electrically controlled beds to meet new requirements of the Ministry of Health. To date, twenty beds have already been purchased. A fundraising dinner will be held on Saturday, October 1st at the Red Lodge Resort in Sheguindah. Tickets for the dinner are $50.00 per person, of which $25.00 will be eligible for an income tax receipt. Choice of two sittings will be available at 5:15 and 7:00 in the evening. To reserve tickets, please call Linda Bowerman at 368-2465. Burpee & Mills Township Monthly Newsletter August 2005 Issue   Community Breakfast: The next Community Breakfast will be Sunday, August 28th from 8:00-11:00 a.m. Come out and support the Golden Age Club, Fire Team, and Recreation Committee while enjoying a delicious, all-you-can-eat breakfast, with friends and neighbours. Remember that new volunteers willing to help cook and serve are always welcome.   Burpee/Mills Gimmick Road Rally: The Road Rally held on July 16th was a huge success. Congratulations to Colleen Blackburn and her committee and thank you to all of the volunteers who helped out with the various tasks needed to run the event. Everyone agreed that it was so much fun that there should be another one next year! After the Rally a delicious meal was served. Thank you to Vic Noble who barbecued scrumptious roasts of beef to go along with the potatoes and buns and the delicious homemade salads and desserts. The band “Homespun” was excellent, playing music to please both young and old at the dance. A great time was enjoyed by all.   Relay for Life: The relay for life team would like to thank everyone who donated bake goods for our bake sale which raised $400.00 to help find a cure for cancer. Thanks again from Robyn, Charlene, Barb, Tammi, Spencer & Jamie-Lee.   Burpee & Mills Heritage Community Garden: Our third annual perennial sale will be held during the community breakfast on August 28th. Come and get a head start on next year’s flower garden. The garden committee wishes to thank Jim and Barb Harper and the Nelson Robinson family for their very generous donations to our new shrub gardens.   Euchre: Euchre Nights continue every Thursday at 7:30 pm at the Community Centre.   Yoga: Julia Winder is offering yoga classes Tuesday evenings from 5:30 – 7:00 pm at the Community Centre. Call Julia at 282-1741 for information or, better yet, come out and join the class.   Transfer Station: People who use the municipal transfer station are reminded to please ensure that all trash is properly separated into the recyclable categories. If you have any questions you may consult the staff at the transfer station.   Fire Team News: A provincial fire ban for Manitoulin Island is still in effect. This prohibits all open fires, including burn barrels. The fire team is pleased with the way in which community members have complied with the Ministry of Natural Resources' fire ban restrictions. Anyone who does not follow the ban could be charged under the provincial legislation. In addition to the regular monthly practice on Monday August 8th, firefighters will be attending a re-certification CPR course at the complex on August 23, starting at 6:00 PM. A full day CPR course will be held sometime in September or October, to fulfill the requirements of those firefighters who have not had the previous training.   Council News: At the council meeting held on August 3rd, tenders for properties with outstanding taxes were opened. Of the five properties listed, four were awarded to the highest bidders. Owners of the fifth property paid the outstanding taxes prior to closing of the bids, and this property was returned to the owner. The current phase of work on the special roads project in the Poplar area has been completed, along with the regular hard topping program along Union Road. Unfortunately, our municipality was unable to obtain calcium chloride for a short period, resulting in dust problems during the dry season. This problem is now resolved and dust control has been applied to all gravel roads. Reconstruction of the McKinley Road is scheduled to begin this fall. The next regular council meeting will be on Wednesday, September 7th. Burpee & Mills Township Monthly Newsletter July 2005 Issue   Community Breakfast: The next Community Breakfast will be Sunday, July 24, 8:00-11:00 a.m. Come out and support the Golden Age Club, Fire Team, and Recreation Committee while enjoying a delicious all you can eat breakfast with friends and neighbours. A big thank you is extended to all who donated baking for the Cancer Relay for Life bake sale which was which was held during the May breakfast.   Burpee/Mills Gimmick Road Rally: It’s not too late to sign up for the Road Rally, Saturday, July 16th.      2:00 p.m.    Check in and line up      3:00 p.m.    Start time      6:00 p.m.    Awards and Dinner      7:00 p.m.    Dance Cost after early bird registration (July 9) is $60.00 per team (driver and navigator). Registration includes the cost of dinner and dance for driver and navigator. Passengers will be required to pay $2.00 each at the beginning of the rally. The dinner will cost $7:00 plus a dish (meat, potatoes & rolls provided bring a favourite salad or desert) and the dance is $10:00. You may attend only the supper if you prefer. The beer garden will be open in the afternoon from 3:00 p.m., but the drinks are definitely not free. The band, “Homespun” will play during the beer garden and also at the dance. No minors will be allowed to attend this event, because of the bar service. Entry forms can be picked up at Steele’s Home Hardware, Taylors One Stop and Gateway Restaurant, or contact Colleen Blackburn at 282-8196 for a registration form. An instruction packet will be supplied when we receive your registration form and payment.   Burpee & Mills Heritage Community Garden: The garden committee would like to thank Pat Noble for his generous donation of the large patio stones placed under the garden bench and planters. The new gardens at the entrance will soon be complete Watch for our garden committee raffle at the next breakfast. Thank you to Tara Bailey for the generous donation of prizes from Home Interior’s.   Euchre: Euchre Nights continue every Thursday at 7:30 pm at the Community Centre.   Yoga: Summer hours will begin on the second week of June and continue up to and including the Labour Day weekend. Bring your garbage, separated, in clear plastic bags. The transfer station is open at the following times during the summer.      Tuesday  2:00 pm – 3:00 pm      Thursday 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm      Saturday 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm   Euchre: Euchre Nights continue every Thursday at 7:30 pm at the Community Centre.   Yoga: Julia Winder is offering yoga classes Tuesday evenings from 5:30 – 7:00 pm at the Community Centre. Call Julia at 282-1741 for information or, better yet, come out and join the class.   Fire Team News: The June newsletter helped to prompt the recruitment of five firefighters to the team, which provides a full complement. If anyone wishes to join though, please call Dennis Blackburn at 282-8196, and your name will go on the list. As positions become available you will be called upon. June was a good month for training for the fire department. Regular fire practice was held on June 8 and a full day of forest firefighting training was completed on June 25. Representatives of the Burpee & Mills Fire Department, among a host of other Island departments, were at a workshop facilitated by the Ontario Fire Marshal's office. This training for the OFM's Arson Prevention Program was held at MSS on June 16. The month of July has started out very dry. Please remember to have water readily available at your campfire. Fire extinguishers are recommended on mechanized equipment including farm tractors.   Council News: The new budget has been approved for the year 2005 resulting in a residential tax rate of 0.012121. Consequently, municipal taxes for the year 2005 will be returning to approximately the same level as 2003. For last year the rate was temporarily raised, in order to pay extraordinary costs accumulated while defending the municipality against a legal suit. The municipality was successful, winning both the initial case, and the appeal. Our municipality was awarded compensation of $4500.00 for our legal cost of the appeal hearing, but we were not awarded our legal fees of $30,497.12 for defending the initial case. These fees were the cause of last years tax increase. The 2005 budget, therefore, reflects the actual cost of running the municipality for a total of $306,305.00. Taxes are due by August 31, payable at the Municipal office. Many of you will already have noticed the construction projects underway to improve our municipal roadways. Construction is presently taking place in the Poplar area of Mills Township. As part of our regular resurfacing program, construction will also be commenced on Union Road, east towards Poplar. Please drive carefully in the construction zones to ensure the safety of our workers. Plans are underway to extend the parking lot at the community centre. Thank you to Fred Scott for donating the gravel for this project and C. Pearson & Son Excavation & Haulage Ltd. for trucking the gravel. We are currently in the process of creating an information website for our municipality. Any business wishing to have a link in the Burpee & Mills website should contact Pat Keenan at pokokat@vianet.ca. Just a reminder that all groups and organizations using the Community Centre are requested to clean up after their activities, especially after food has been served. The next regular council meeting will be Wednesday, August 3rd,2005. Burpee & Mills Township Monthly Newsletter June 2005 Issue   Gore Bay Library: The municipality of Burpee and Mills contributes to maintenance of the public library in Gore Bay. This entitles all of our residents to free use of its resources. Please don’t hesitate to make use of this facility.   Community Breakfast: The next Community Breakfast will be Sunday, June 19th. Come out and support the Golden Age Club, Fire Team, and Recreation Committee while enjoying a delicious all you can eat breakfast with friends and neighbours.   Burpee/Mills Gimmick Road Rally: Here are the answers to some of your questions for Saturday July 16th. A road rally is part car race, scavenger hunt, trivia contest, and physical contest, but mainly about having a good time. Anyone 18 or over who can drive and listen to their navigator can participate. Passengers are also encouraged to participate. You don’t need a special car, but decorations are encouraged. The rally will take place on the roads around Burpee & Mills Township. Winning will require a combination of speed, distance, endurance, and number of correct answers. Cars will begin to check in and line up around 2:00 pm Saturday July 16th. The rally will commence at 3:00 pm and finish by 6:00 pm. You’ll be in your car for approximately three hours. Choose your navigator wisely! You may want to put your spouse in the back seat. Even if you are last you could get a prize. Every participant will also get a great meal; open bar to quench your thirst (or drown your sorrows); and music and dancing to invigorate your body since you’ve been trapped in a car for three hours. The party will last from 7:00 pm to 1:00 am. Every rally participant will learn some cool things about Burpee & Mills Twp. even if they never were good at history! So come out and support Burpee/Mills Recreation. The cost until July 9th EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION (DRIVER AND NAVIGATOR) is $50.00 which includes rally, dinner and dance. The fee after early bird registration is $60.00 per team (DRIVER AND NAVIGATOR). Passengers if attending, dinner and dance will be required to pay at the finish line and will also be required to pay a twoonie at the beginning of the rally. Dinner will be barbequed beef and potluck. Bring your famous summer salad. The dinner will cost $7.00 plus a dish and the dance will cost $10.00. “Homespun”, a country and western band from Sault Ste Marie, will play during the afternoon “Beer Garden” and also for the dance later, featuring music from the 50s 60s & 70s, classics, boogie-woogie and blue grass. Entry forms can be picked up at Steel’s Home Hardware, Taylors One Stop and Gateway Restaurant, or contact Colleen Blackburn at 282-8196 for a registration form. An instruction packet will be supplied when we receive your registration form and payment.   Burpee & Mills Heritage Community Garden: In recognition of our efforts to promote horticulture in our community, the Campbell Horticultural Society donated a garden bench for our Community Centre. We hope you will take the time to enjoy our growing project this summer. Any students wishing to work in the garden, under supervision, to accumulate volunteer hours, please contact Seija Bailey at 282-8108.   Transfer Station: Summer hours will begin on the second week of June and continue up to and including the Labour Day weekend. Bring your garbage, separated, in clear plastic bags. The transfer station is open at the following times during the summer.      Tuesday  2:00 pm – 3:00 pm      Thursday 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm      Saturday 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm   Euchre: Euchre Nights continue every Thursday at 7:30 pm at the Community Centre.   Yoga: Julia Winder is offering yoga classes Tuesday evenings from 5:30 – 7:00 pm at the Community Centre starting Tuesday June 21. Call Julia at 282-1741 for information.   Fire Team News: The Municipal Council has accepted the resignation of Fred Noland, from the position of Chief of our Volunteer Fire Department,, with regret. Fred was instrumental in organizing the original unit and served as it’s capable Chief until May 20th of this year. During that time the department grew from a few enthusiastic individuals to a functional organization staffed and equipped to deal with all of the usual fire emergencies of our Municipality. At it’s special meeting of May 17th, council named Dennis Blackburn as the new Chief to fill the vacant position. There are, at present, several openings for new volunteers to join the fire department. Anyone wishing participate is asked to contact Dennis at 282-8196. Call 911 In case of a fire emergency, residents are asked to call 911 rather than the number mistakenly listed in the telephone directories. Your 911 call will serve to immediately activate the emergency response. Calling the number listed in the phone book will not get a response and may actually delay the emergency response.   Council News: Pat Best has recently compiled a History of Mills Township documenting past generations of families who lived in the farm communities. This document is presently being published and will soon be available for sale at our breakfast events. Work has begun on our new roads project starting with Union Road in the Poplar area. Please be considerate of the workers and slow down in the construction areas. We will be providing further information on the scheduling of additional projects shortly. The next regular council meeting will be July 4th. Burpee & Mills Township Monthly Newsletter May 2005 Issue   Community Breakfast: A community breakfast will be held on Sunday, May 15th from 8:00 to 11:00 am. Come out to enjoy a delicious breakfast of pancakes, French toast, scrambled eggs, sausages, fruit salad and more, while meeting friends and neighbours. During the breakfast there will be a bake sale to raise money for the Cancer Relay for Life. You will have a chance to pick up some home baking while supporting this worthy cause.   Burpee/Mills Gimmick Road Rally: Get your motor running… The first ever Burpee/Mills Gimmick Road Rally is ready to roll on Saturday, July 16th! Assemble your team-driver, navigator and passengers – then head to our starting point in Burpee/Mills Township. This year’s top secret, Burpee/Mills recreation of Evansville sanctioned course will require a cunning blend of savvy driving, sharp navigation and good old-fashioned ingenuity to make it to the finish line. Along the way teams will encounter roadblocks, which they must complete in order to finish the rally. After the course completion, participants will return to the finish area to celebrate with awards, barbecue supper and dance. Register today and get ready to start your engines! 2:00 pm          Line Up 2:30 pm          Start time 6:30 pm          Dinner & Awards 9:00 pm           Dance For information and registration contact Colleen Blackburn @ 282-8196.   Burpee & Mills Cemetery: Let’s keep our cemetery grounds attractive! On Friday, May 20, interment lot owners and family members are invited to participate in the “Annual Burpee & Mills Cemetery Grounds Clean-up”. Most volunteers usually arrive after 6:00 pm. Remember to bring a rake and container to carry grass and leaves. Your assistance will be very much appreciated. Many hands make light work.   Burpee & Mills Heritage Community Garden: May is definitely the time when green thumbs begin to itch. Remember, our community garden would happily welcome any extra annuals that you would like to donate. Call Seija Bailey at 282-8108 or Carol Lang at 282-2782 if you would like to contribute to this project.   Euchre: Euchre nights will be held at the Community Centre every Thursday at 7:30 pm. starting May 19th. The money jar with $33.00 will be carried from last season. All are welcome to try to win the big loot.   Fireteam News: Volunteers turned out to extinguish two wild fires during the month of April. Both fires caught into dry grass from burn pits and barrels, resulting in large areas of fields and bush being burned. As part of the fire prevention program we urge all residents to use extreme care when lighting outdoor fires. Read the cautions on your permit, stay at the fire, have water readily available, and don’t light in windy or dry conditions. When the 911 call is made, equipment and volunteers are sent from our fire hall. If additional help is required, neighbouring fire departments respond with mutual aid. In the case of fires burning in the bush, the Ministry of Natural Resources may be required to respond. The cost of dealing with a fire can go up very quickly. In most cases the law requires that the person causing the fire will be held financially liable if he is found to have been negligent. Wednesday, May 11th is the date for the next Fire Meeting. All volunteers will meet at the fire hall at 7:30 pm. It is imperative that all active members attend to decide on our expanded training program and purchase of new equipment. Nominations for the position of Fire Chief will be put forward for consideration by council.   Council News: The next meeting of council will be Monday, June 6, 2005 at 7:30 pm. Council is pleased to announce that the Township of Burpee and Mills will receive substantial funding for road improvements on Bell, Indian Point, McKinley, Williams and Union Roads from the federal and provincial governments. The total eligible project cost is $673,950 with the governments of Canada and Ontario contributing up to $212,650 each. Council applied for this funding under the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Funding (COMRIF) program. This grant covers 66% of the expenditures for upgrading our municipal roadways over the next 3 years. Natural Resources Canada is initiating an anti-idling campaign. Although our council would like to encourage residents not to leave vehicles running for long periods of time, there are no plans to create by-laws to enforce anti-idling. Council has decided that our residents are wise enough to know when to shut engines off in order to save money while at the same time helping to cut down on pollution.   Summer Job Opportunities: Our municipality will require an assistant swimming instructor /rec. co-ordinator for a period of 8 weeks during the coming summer. Applicants must be a minimum of 16 years of age. This position is dependent on approval of funding to the municipality. Positions will be available for students to cut grass at the community centre, cemetery and Mills Township ball field. These positions are suitable for students wishing to complete their community service requirements or on a contract basis. Applicants should be familiar with operation of a lawn tractor and be able to transport the grass cutting equipment to each of the locations. Interested students should send a resume to the Municipality of Burpee and Mills by May 20th, 2005. For further information, call the municipal office @ 282-0624. Burpee & Mills Township Monthly Newsletter April 2005 Issue   Community Breakfast: Our first breakfast of the year was successful despite a slow start caused by the change to daylight savings time. It seems many people were reluctant to give up that extra hour of sleep. Eventually, hungry residents of Burpee-Mills and other parts of the Island turned out to enjoy a delicious breakfast and visit with friends and neighbours. By the time the last pancake was poured, 231 people had been fed. Some of our hard-working volunteers ready for action   Fireteam News: The next Fire Team meeting will be held at the Community Centre on Wednesday, April 13th at 7:30 pm. to plan for future training. The Township of Burpee and Mills will receive $50,000 from the Provincial Government as part of a one-time Ontario Fire Service Training Grant. The funds, designated to improve effectiveness of local fire-fighting teams, will be distributed to municipalities throughout Ontario. Although the money appears to be directed specifically to training, some purchase of important equipment may be allowed. Technical training is always a difficult and expensive proposition for communities such as ours, when we have to bear the cost of bringing in trainers from larger centres. The winter snow is rapidly disappearing and industrious homeowners are coming out of hibernation to rake up the debris on their lawns. Before you fire up that burn barrel please take the time to apply for that Fire Permit required after the 1st of April.   Cemetery Board News: Interested in researching your family genealogy? Wondering where all those family ghosts come from? Perhaps you would like to look at the following website: http://nocgg.maddoc.net/manitoulin/burpee. The Burpee-Mills Cemetery was photographed by Marilyn Irish (Album Effective - June 2004). Gravesite photographs are indexed and clearly show the text on the headstones. Let your new technology find your old history! Another informative site recommended for your perusal is Manitoulin Genealogy: http://www.rootsweb.com/~onmanito/. This site provides photographic records of monuments in Burpee-Mills Cemetery, as well as many other cemeteries on Manitoulin Island.   Council News: The next meeting of council will be Monday, May 2, 2005 at 7:30 pm. The e-mail address for our municipal office has been revised to: burpee@ontera.net Your council has been actively exploring ways to keep both our residents and our summer visitors informed about what is going on in the community. That requires us to use the electronic media as well as the proven paper system that many people still prefer. This newsletter is, therefore, available directly by e-mail, on local websites including http://manitoulinislandindex.com and, by bulk mail delivery. In order to get the cheapest mail cost, we contract Canada Post to put a copy in every mailbox in our community. You may find that even if you subscribe to the electronic system you still get the paper copy. Sorry, but it’s just cheaper that way. Don’t forget the purpose of the newsletter is to keep the community informed. If you are planning an event that you want the neighbours to know about, you have to tell us. Burpee & Mills Township Monthly Newsletter March 2005 Issue   Community Breakfast: Back by popular demand, our first community breakfast of the year will be held on Sunday, April 3rd between 8:00 and 11:00 a.m. Come and enjoy the same good food and meet the same hard-working staff. Proceed will go towards funding our Recreation, Volunteer Fire Department, and Golden Age Club activities. Free Skate: The recreation committee will be renting the ice surface at the Providence Bay Arena on Sunday, March 20th from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Bring your family out to this FREE skating opportunity. Children wishing to participate in a game of shinny hockey should bring their own hockey stick. Funspiel: The funspiel held on February 26 was a very successful event. There was great participation with many new curlers entered. Heather Turner’s team finished with the top score. This year the Bob Haskett award was established for the most enthusiastic curler who contributed to the fun of the tournament. The first winner of this coveted trophy was Dalynne Orford. As always the potluck meal was wonderful and enjoyed by all. Congratulations to the organizers for another fine get-together. To receive the Newsletter electronically, send your e-mail address to ppalonen@ontera.net Fun Night: Fun Nights at the Community Centre will continue until Friday March 18th. Bring your children to enjoy the games. Fireteam News: We move our clocks forward to daylight savings time next month. Even though the haystacks and woodpiles are getting smaller around the municipality, we have it on good authority that there will be a summer again this year. When changing the time on all of those clocks, ovens, microwaves, VCRs, and other electronic gizmos we all have around the house, don’t forget to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. LaCloche Manitoulin Strategic Plan: Public meetings have been held to develop the LaCloche Manitoulin Strategic Plan for 2005 to 2010…“Let’s Keep Going!” For more information contact the LAMBAC office at 282-3215. Copies of the 2000 “Let’s Go!” Strategic Plan can be found on the LAMBAC website www.lambac.org. The purpose of the new plan is to set goals which the municipalities will be encouraged to work towards in the long-term development of the Island and North Shore communities. Council News: The next meeting of municipal council will be on Monday, April 4th. HAPPY EASTER Burpee & Mills Township Monthly Newsletter February 2005 Issue   Fun Night: Come out and join the fun on Friday nights at 7:00 p.m. at the Community Centre. Have a ball playing floor hockey, dodge ball, volleyball, air hockey and foozeball. The evenings of fun have been well attended by an average of 20 participants. Jeff Middleton reports that there is lots of room for more players. Kids of all ages enjoy a spirited game of dodge ball on our new floor. Curling Funspiel: If you haven’t already had a call to join in on the funspiel on Saturday, February 26, call Debbie Wright at 282-2077 to be included on a team. You don’t have to be an experienced curler. Novices are welcome. This event is just for fun! The positive response last year has ensured the event will again be smoke free! If you don’t wish to curl, come out to cheer your favourite player and enjoy the potluck supper. Cost to curl is $10.00 plus a dish. Supper only is $5.00 plus a dish. The costume theme this year is TV personalities and cartoon characters. Rink: Plans to flood the rink have been cancelled because of the decidedly un-Canadian weather conditions prevailing this winter. To receive the Newsletter electronically, send your e-mail address to ppalonen@ontera.net Fireteam News: Members of the volunteer fire fighters were called out only once in January. A late model pickup truck caught fire while travelling on Hwy 540 just east of Evansville. The cost of dispatching fire vehicles to deal with an incident on a Provincial Highway is partly borne by the Provincial Government. Chief Fred is working diligently on our behalf to recover a share of the expenses. We are now about half way through the winter heating season. The next warm day will be a great opportunity to clean out that chimney to ensure it works safely for the second half of the season too! Council News: Volunteers are required to be trained to deal with potential emergencies in our community. As part of the Provincial Emergency Preparedness Program, our municipality is currently developing a plan to deal with any major emergency likely to occur in this area. Funding has been made available to enable the Red Cross to train a number of resident volunteers to lead an emergency response. The Red Cross will provide training locally, on a weekend, to accommodate working people. Anyone interested in going through such training should leave a message with Ms. Bonnie Bailey at the municipal office, call 282-0624, or e-mail to burpee@ontera.net. Just a note to all those industrious snow movers in our municipality to please avoid pushing any snow from your driveway on to the main roadway. With the freeze/thaw cycles we have been going through, the snow freezes to the roadway. Any passing vehicle (especially our expensive snowplow) is likely to hit the bump and bounce off the road. Permanent residents of the Municipality of Burpee and Mills are reminded that the original agreement to allow use of it’s right-of-ways as designated snowmobile trails, included a condition that residents not be required to purchase a Trail Permit. Any resident may use trails on our municipal right-of-ways without having to show a Trail Permit. A letter reminding the snowmobile club of this condition has been sent. The next meeting of municipal council will be on March 7th. Attention Archery Hunters “Antlerless Dear Tags” A limited number are available for the season opening on February 14th. Happy Valentines Day! Burpee & Mills Township Monthly Newsletter January 2005 Issue January 2005   Golden Age Club: Members of the Golden Age Club wish to thank all those who brought their favourite dishes to the potluck supper in December. There was plenty left over in spite of the best efforts of the satisfied participants to consume all of it. Recreation Committee: The Burpee/Mills Recreation Committee is looking for volunteers to help with their wide slate of activities. Anyone interested in helping with this program may contact Colleen Blackburn at 282-8691 or Jeff Middleton at 282-2532. Keep your eyes open for a new event coming up that is sure to be exciting and a lot of fun. Here is your first clue...”How good are you at navigating?” Open House: An Open House will be held at the Wellness Centre (that’s the new name of our fitness centre) on January 18th starting at 7:30 p.m. For this event, two new pieces of cardio equipment, a recumbent bike and an upright bike have been added to the fitness equipment. Come in and check out the fancy new equipment that is guaranteed to get your heart racing. Everyone is welcome and looking is absolutely free! Rink: The skating rink will be up and running shortly. Current delays were caused by the unusually mild weather, although how the members of the Rec Committee knew about that ahead of time still remains a mystery. Volunteers will be needed to help start the rink. Please contact Gary Gilpin (282-3197) or Jeff Middleton (282-2532). Ability to skate is not a requirement! Curling Funspeil: The annual curling funspeil will be on February 26 at the Gore Bay Curling Club. Mark this day on your calendar and call Jeff or Colleen from the Rec Committee to be included on one of the teams! You won’t want to miss the event that many consider the highlight (or was it twilight?) of the winter. Fun Night: Fun Nights will be held Friday evenings starting at 7:00 p.m. at the Community Centre. There will be activities for all ages including games, floor hockey and more. All are welcome to join in the fun. Fire Team News: Volunteers in the fire department spent the last month of the year having to attend only one call-out for mutual aid to an adjacent municipality. The quiet end to a very quiet year is a credit to the prevention program operating in our municipality and was much appreciated by the volunteers. Winner of the 40-inch, high definition, colour television draw, generously sponsored by Gateway Grill, was Arron Lewis from Providence Bay. Burpee Mills Cemetery Board: The Ontario Ministry of Consumer and Business Services has issued a Certificate of Consent for enlargement of the Burpee-Mills Cemetery in accordance with Regulations made under the Cemeteries Act. The following Board documents have been approved and a copy of each filed in the Registrar’s office:      -      Cemetery Services Information      -      Contract for Purchase of Interment Rights      -      Certificate of Interment Rights      -      Plan for Map of Interment Rights      -      Survey Plan of Lot Addition to Cemetery Copies of the above documents are also on file at the Burpee & Mills Municipal office. In order to purchase interment rights in the Burpee-Mills Cemetery, you will be required to complete a Contract for Purchase of Interment Rights. All purchasers will be provided with copies of the Cemetery Services Information (including the Price List), Cemetery By-Law and a Certificate of Interment Rights. The Corporation of the Township of Burpee & Mills is now recognized by the Ministry as the owner of the “Burpee-Mills Cemetery”. Members of the Cemetery Board will continue to be appointed by Council. Council News: Next meeting of municipal council will be on February 7th of this year. **************           THE GOOD NEWS           ************** Every day this week will have two more minutes of daylight than the previous day. Burpee & Mills Township Monthly Newsletter December 2004 Issue December 2004   Potluck Supper: Our annual potluck supper will be held on Saturday, December 4th at 6:00 p.m. at the Community Centre. Admittance is $5.00 with a dish and $7.00 without a dish; children under 12 years eat free. Donations of nonperishable food items for the local food bank are welcome. Come out and support the Golden Age Club while enjoying a tasty meal with your neighbours. After all, nobody ever brings her worst dish to a potluck supper! New Floor: After a few delays, the glittering new epoxy floor is complete in the main hall of the Community Centre. Installed by Rob Chandler of Industrial Floor Solutions Inc., the coating is designed to resist heavy traffic, scuff marks and even spilled drinks for many years. Fire Team News: A training meeting for all current fire team members will take place on Tuesday December 14th at 7:30 p.m. in the fire hall. All members please attend for this special session. Our volunteer members appreciate the help of the community participation in the fire prevention program. The year is almost complete and only one fire requiring callout of the members has occurred. A word of caution is required. If you plan to burn larger quantities of brush or trash, please notify one of our volunteer members. Failure to do so could result in 21 pickups and a big red truck with flashing lights having to turn around in your yard in the middle of the night. Ever wonder what happens to those loonies you contributed at the last fund raising event? Some of them, with a little help from our taxpayers, purchased six new flame resistant suits to protect our people when a true emergency arises. Have a safe Christmas and remember, not only Santa Claus appreciates the safety of a clean chimney for the holiday season! Television Raffle: Tickets are still available for the 40-inch colour television sponsored by the Gateway Grill. Proceeds will go to support the Burpee Mills Volunteer Fire Department. Tickets are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00 and are available at the restaurant or from any volunteer fire team member. The draw will be held December 23rd. Cemetery Board: On Monday November 29 the Cemetery Board held its final meeting of the year 2004. Concern was expressed regarding the pile of sand on the path at the north end of the Cemetery. This will be removed and used to level the grounds next spring. An expression of thanks goes out to the many family members who have thoughtfully placed beautiful flower arrangements on the monuments of their loved ones this summer. The board also expressed an appreciation for the fine work of Michael Honess who took over as grounds keeper. Thank you to Burpee-Mills residents for helping to keep our cemetery so aesthetically pleasing. Recreation Committee: The recreation committee is looking for volunteers to help with the rink. Watch for the next newsletter for more information on a "Fun Night At The Hall." Call Gary Gilpin (282-3197) or Jeff Middleton (282-2532) for more information on the rink news. Casino Night: A successful casino night was held at the Community Centre on Saturday November 27. Although the attendance was down significantly from last year, approximately $1400.00 will be contributed to the new digital x-ray equipment presently being installed at both Manitoulin Medical Centres. Burpee Mills Council News: The December council meeting is Monday Dec. 6th. Dates for the 2005 Council meetings have not yet been finalized. Anyone interested in having the newsletter e-mailed, may send an address to ppalonen@ontera.net.    Top