The inevitable day has arrived. I had hoped I would be able to continue to provide the Grand Bend Strip newspaper for free indefinitely, but after thinking long and hard this spring, I realize that the only way for the paper to publish this winter is to ask for your support.

Looking for something fun to do with the family? There are several great events happening the weekend of July 12, including the Kettle Point Pow-Wow, which takes place on the reserve Saturday and Sunday. The event features native dance, music, food and crafts in a beautiful park setting.

The RONA MS Bike Tour is a pledge-based fundraising event that provides Canadians with the opportunity to ride through scenic countryside from Grand Bend to London and back. Over 1200 cyclists have already registered for the two-day event.

To the Editor, I read with interest your article on the Sexsmith pilots. I was glad to hear that Sexsmith Airfield is, according to Ron Helm, “… nice here; it’s quiet.” Unfortunately, that is something I can’t say for Grand Bend, with planes constantly buzzing overhead all day long.

Grand Bend resident Denis Shackel lives in Oakwood Park with his wife, photographer Mary Lynn Fluter, and their home is among eight locations on the Grand Bend and Area Horticultural Society’s Home and Garden Tour, which takes place Saturday.

There are eight homes on the Grand Bend and Area Horticultural Society Home and Garden Tour, which takes place July 5. Among them is the Spanish inspired home of Frank and Nancy Moore, who owned a home in Costa Rica and wanted to bring some of the same feel to a plot of land north of Grand Bend. Frank has traveled extensively through South America for a book he’s writing on a famed British ...

More than 60 artists are taking part in the fifth annual Hensall By Design, which runs July 12 to 18 at the Hensall United Church on King Street. Funds raised from the event support local initiatives.

People say and do the craziest things. Since we had such a cold winter, I said if I ever heard anyone complain about the heat, I would surely slap them. Well, I’ve got my dukes up and I’m ready because - would you believe it - people are complaining already.

Even though I spent 18 years in the army, I was never trained as a fighting man. My first two years were spent doing some foot drill, learning how to be a storesman and getting more education. Next, I was posted to London’s 27 C.O.D., where I worked in shipping, loading and unloading trucks.

The word of mouth is spreading for Sorry… I’m Canadian, playing until July 12 at the Huron Country Playhouse. The show is a tribute to Canadiana, featuring Canadian jokes by Neil Aitchison, Canadian music by the K-9 Four and step dancing by the Ballagh Bunch.

Vegetable gardening, though not for everyone, can be a very therapeutic endeavour. Planting the seeds, harvesting, and then being able to enjoy the resulting food on your plate is rewarding in itself. Then there is the physical health benefit of the exercise and fresh air.

Everyone in town is talking about it, so I might as well say it: it looks like we are having a slow season and this could have a negative trickledown effect on the whole community. Is it the price of gas, the weather, or security at our border crossings?

If you attended South Huron District High School during the 1980s, you’re invited to attend a reunion August 2 at the South Huron Recreation Centre. Tickets are $25, and are on sale at Movie Gallery in Exeter, or by contacting Tim Rowcliffe (timaro -at - yahoo.com).

The Huron Country Playhouse Guild’s first annual gala was a great success, raising $20,000 for the Playhouse; now the guild moves to its focus to its second major fundraiser for the year, the Dinner for Eight.

Live! On Stage! Review by Mary Alderson At every opening night at Huron Country Playhouse, you can always count on Neil Atchison for a few laughs.