Simcoe Reformer
Warmth and love: Patches From Heaven helps the homeless
It takes about 80 hours to make a wool blanket destined to be wrapped around a precariously housed person in Norfolk County. “That’s a lot of love and time that goes into each blanket,” said James Durka of Port Dover. Durka and his wife, Barb, run...
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Fire damages commercial building in Hagersville
Fire officials say the cause of a fire that left three businesses heavily damaged in Hagersville on Saturday is unknown but isn’t considered suspicious. Emergency crews arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming through the windows and roof at the...
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‘Status quo’ not viable for Lynnwood Arts, council told
A report updating talks between Norfolk County staff and representatives of Lynnwood Arts about a future home for the arts centre will be presented to council in March. Paul Hammond, chair of the Lynnwood board, told councillors at a...
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Granger debuts Young Farmer documentary
The seeds of Daryl Granger’s sophomore documentary planted in the summer are now ready to bloom. The owner of Rosele Studio in Simcoe debuted Netting the Waters last year to unanimous praise. The full-length feature on Lake Erie’s fishing industry...
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Port Dover family to appear on Family Feud Canada
A Port Dover family has had to keep a big secret since early September and they can’t let the cat out of the bag for another month. The Azzopardi family competed on Family Feud Canada, and the episode will air on February 12 at 7:30 p.m. on CBC. “It...
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Plunging into the new year
Say what you want, Brad Davis knows how to dress for an occasion even if that event is a plunge into Lake Erie in January. Davis, a Port Dover resident, wore a polar bear mask, a white robe and even had a set of claws. “Yep, I’ve got cleats on my...
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Community dinner ‘filled with joy’
Feeding empty tummies is important work but the Church Out Serving made a point to fill the souls and spirits of hundreds of guests at a sixth annual Christmas dinner Thursday. “People are important,” said Church Out Serving board chair Eric...
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SAY CHEESE
Kayla Wright (right) of Brantford takes a photo of her friend Haley Skoretz and her dog Winnie in one of the displays at the Simcoe Panorama in Simcoe on Friday. Billed as the oldest light festival in the province, the displays light up nightly from 6...
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Voter turnout up as MCFN elects next chief and council
Voters from Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation opted for stability when electing their next band council on Dec. 6 — except when awarding the top job. Band members returned all six incumbent councillors who ran for re-election, adding newcomer...
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SPECIAL DELIVERY
Lily Murray had some help from her parents Kyle and Emma in delivering her letter to Santa, thanks to a local Canada Post employee during Saturday’s parade celebration in Waterford. Hundreds of people attended the annual Santa Claus parade in the town.
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SNOW AND MORE SNOW
A fresh batch of snow and rain greeted Norfolk County residents on Wednesday morning. That left a day of cleanup for roads crews, and homeowners like John Bishop, who was shovelling a driveway on Courtland St. in Delhi just before noon. A snow squall...
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School boards show improved testing results
Although results remain below the provincial average in all areas of assessment, the Grand Erie District School Board is showing notable improvements in the latest provincial testing scores. Results from the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District...
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RED SCARF CAMPAIGN COMES TO DOWNTOWN
Members of Grand Erie Public Health (GEPH) shared warmth and a message to mark World AIDS Day on Monday. In an effort to promote information about the GEPH – formerly Haldimand-norfolk Health Unit - Sexual Health Clinic, a pair of staffers placed...
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New and refreshed displays light up Simcoe Panorama
Hundreds of people gathered Saturday night in Simcoe to stand in the dark awaiting the magical moment when the annual Simcoe Panorama of Lights went live. As the two young winners of the 'Light-up’ contest threw the switch to activate about half a...
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Couple scammed out of $4K, then came battle with bank
A Port Dover couple is warning others about the dangers of fraud - and a bank’s initial reaction to their loss - after their dream vacation turned into a financial nightmare. Roger and Lisa Buis recently ventured to Florence for a trip in the heart of...
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SIMCOE PANORAMA
Volunteers, including Rick Adams, left, and Gary Edge, were busy Monday getting this year’s Simcoe Panorama light display ready for the event’s kickoff. The festival will kick off Saturday at 6 p.m. in Wellington Park in downtown Simcoe. Edge has been...
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Demand growing for pawpaw fruit in Ontario
It sounds easy enough for an experienced chef: design a three-course meal that showcases the pawpaw fruit. But Shelli Bosgoed, the executive chef at Marshview Patio in Norfolk County, was working under a few constraints. For one, pawpaw are hard to...
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Teeterville community remembers the fallen
Three of Teeterville’s lost sons were top of mind as residents gathered for the village’s annual Remembrance Day service on Sunday. The lives of three Wagner brothers - Howard, Ivan, and Harry – were all cut short within a twoyear span during the...
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Developer makes changes to subdivision plan
The developer of a large subdivision proposed for Decou Road in Simcoe came back to Norfolk councillors with a modified plan, but some residents still have concerns. The applicant, an Ontario numbered company in the care of Paul Halyk, is proposing to...
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Jamaican farm workers keep the faith
It takes a lot more than a Category 5 hurricane to shake the faith of Jamaican farm workers in Norfolk County. More than 130 farm workers on Sunday gathered at the recreation hall at Schuyler Farms near Simcoe and played music, danced, sang and prayed...
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Golf course could be yours for a song in tax sale
Ever dreamed of owning a golf course on the cheap? Norfolk County may have a deal for you. The owners of a golf course in Port Dover have until Nov. 5 to cough up nearly $200,000 in unpaid property taxes before the sprawling 154-acre property along...
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New location brings ‘positive energy’ to farmers market
The Simcoe Farmers Market is now located where it was originally designed to be – beneath the Lloyd S. Culver Grandstand at the Norfolk County Fairgrounds in Simcoe. “Years ago, when they built this grandstand, the fair board of that day had the...
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HALLOWEEN HOMESTEAD
The home of Elijah and Trachelle Johnson on Crosier St. in Delhi has been a popular spot this month as residents check out their dozens of Halloween decorations.
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PUMPKINFEST PARADE
Villa Nova Baptist Church, which is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year, was named best overall float in Saturday’s Waterford Pumpkinfest Parade. The parade was one of numerous events that drew thousands of people to the town.
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PUMPKINFEST DECOR
Misty Ladd (left), her daughter Faith Harrington, and grandson Stirling Conlon stand with some of the hand-made halloween figures they have created to decorate their Main Street South home in Waterford. The town’s annual Pumpkinfest celebration takes...
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Learning is part of activities at Norfolk County Fair
While items like apps and smart boards are great tools, there’s no substitute for hands-on learning. The Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show provides a unique opportunity for youngsters - and adults - to get up close and personal with farm animals and...
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RIBBONS GALORE
Eight-year-old Sienna Osborne shows the ribbons that her family won at the holstein show on Tuesday at the Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show in Simcoe. The family’s farm is located west of Hagersville.
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Big start for Norfolk Fair
The Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show is a massive production in more ways than one. Local growers were busy transporting their biggest and best crops to the Lloyd S. Culver Grandstand Sunday afternoon for weigh-in and judging before the 185th...
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‘All I wanted to do was go home’
— Mohawk Institute survivor Roberta Hill, who spent five years at the former Indian Residential School in Brantford, called it the saddest time of her life. “All I wanted to do was go home,” she told a huge crowd, most wearing orange shirts to mark...
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FAIRLY GOOD FRIENDS
Brothers Jack and Carson Mckibbon found a new friend at the Langton Fair on Wednesday. The 135th annual fair was held at the Langton Arena and Sports Complex. The festivities included a parade, talent contest, food trucks, a baby show and tobacco tying...
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NORFOLK TERRY FOX RUN
Owen and Luke Martinow joined their mom Carrie at the Terry Fox Run held at Lion’s Park in Simcoe on Sunday morning. The Port Dover family members were among several dozen people who helped raise almost $22,000 in the Norfolk run as of Monday. The...
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Scotlynn building $30M facility in Brantford
Scotlynn, a premier logistics and transportation provider in North America, is building a new $30-million state of the-art office facility in Brantford. Construction of the new 60,000-square-foot facility is under way on Sinclair Blvd. just off the...
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RE-ENACTMENT BRINGS HISTORY TO LIFE
The crack of musket fire and the boom of stout iron cannons unsettled the tranquility of the Backhouse Historic Site near Port Rowan on Saturday. Lined up in formation, dozens of history buffs, dressed in meticulously accurate uniforms, re-enacted...
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UKRAINIAN CELEBRATION
Victoria Drewnitski shows one of the hand-made items that were up for grabs at the Ukrainian Independence Day celebration held Sunday at the Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church in Waterford. The event included a traditional meal, followed by a live,...
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Police working to return items stolen from gravesites
Norfolk police are working to return bronze and brass items ripped from the gravesites of loved ones at cemeteries across the county. An Oxford County man is facing charges in connection with a rash of recent thefts, including name plates, fixtures,...
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DEER FRIENDS
Lunch time! The Waterford Deer Park has been a popular place this summer. Herds of Norfolk County residents and tourists have visited the grounds to see the deer and provide them a healthy snack. Sisters Leanne, 6, and Hailey Sullivan, 6, of Delhi...
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SEIZING THE MOO-MENT
Four-year-old Elias Fournier tackled the simulated bovine milking machine at Breakfast on the Farm, a first-time event in Norfolk that attracted about 1,500 people Saturday, Aug. 23 to the Norfolk fairgrounds in Simcoe and nearby Schooley Orchards and...
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BOOKS GALORE
Debby Russell of Simcoe was among hundreds of people attending the ever-popular used book sale held as part of the Port Dover Summer Festival. The festival, which ran last weekend in the lakeside town, includes arts, crafts and entertainment at Powell...
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Cyclist completes 48-day trek in son’s memory
A 48-day cycling trek that began on Canada Day in British Columbia culminated with a welcoming home for a Port Dover family and the announcement of more than $285,000 raised for a hospice project. Dan Johnson cycled about 5,000 kilometres in the Live...
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From ordinary guy to national Hometown Hero
The “Saviour of Ceylon” was a good friend and a terrific mentor, Simcoe native and retired lieutenant general Larry Ashley says. “I’ve had a number of mentors of the years who I loved dearly,” Ashley, 87, said. "One of my dearest, as I was working my...
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COOL ACTIVITY
Open swims at the Delhi Kinsmen Pool have been popular this summer, especially when the area is under a heat warning. A few dozen locals enjoyed cooling off during a warm Sunday afternoon this week, including (pictured) Orion, Arber and Leandra Morina...
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GIVE ‘STINKING MESS’ PRIORITY: RESIDENT
Paula Jongerden held up a blackened pot at a Norfolk County council meeting on Tuesday. Frustrated after a decade of demanding a fix for an old gas well on county-owed land that is spewing huge amounts of hydrogen sulphide gas and methane near her...
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How sweet it is! Sweet corn season begins
The recent heat wave in Norfolk County propelled fields of sweet corn all the way to harvest. “The warm weather’s bringing corn on,” said farmer Charles Welsh, one of three brothers growing asparagus and sweet corn south of Scotland under the Welsh...
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Rodeo draws big crowd to Norfolk
With up to 7,000 people visiting the Norfolk Pro Rodeo in Nixon on the weekend, it was obvious the event has grown about as big as it can get. “We’re pretty much maxed out,” said organizer Krista Timmermans who, with her husband Mike Timmermans, have...
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‘We can’t do this without help’
Purrfect Companions of Norfolk is asking the public for help in the wake of surging vet bills. A group of dedicated volunteers and fosters, the organization aims to assist as many stray cats and kittens in Norfolk as possible. “In nearly five weeks...
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‘Epic’ boater bash at Pottahawk
Ken “DJ Kenny” Gillingwater needed only one word to describe this year’s Pottahawk Pissup. “Epic,” Gillingwater said in a telephone interview from Pottahawk Island on Monday morning. “Just like it always is. “We love it. There’s no denying that, we...
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Hometown Champion: ‘We’re all in this together’
It’s a muggy Tuesday morning outside Simcoe Composite School. With the building’s air-conditioning on the fritz, every door in the gym is open, and several large fans are at full blast. The facility is packed with youngsters dribbling basketballs,...
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PITCH MEETING
Tarik Mclean (No. 10) of the Schuyler Farms team watches his kick sail beyond the reach of the Sandy Shores Farms goalie on Sunday, July 6, during a farm-to-farm workers soccer tournament in Simcoe. The shot went over the net, but Mclean scored a short...
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Patriotism on display during Canada Day celebration in Port Dover
Norfolk County received an injection of unbridled patriotism during Canada Day celebrations in Port Dover on Tuesday. Thousands of residents and visitors converged on the lakeside town to enjoy a day filled with events aimed at honouring the great...
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Groundbreaking held for West Elgin school
Staff, students, and officials from the Grand Erie District School Board broke ground Monday for the newly named West Elgin Public School in Simcoe. “Today’s event marks a significant milestone in education in Simcoe,” GEDSB superintendent Regan...
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It’s a hot one! Sunday breaks record high in Simcoe
The town of Simcoe broke an 84year record for high temperatures on Sunday. Geoff Coulson of Environment Canada said the temperature hit 35.3C on Sunday, beating the record high for June 22 of 33.9, set in 1941. Dangerously hot and humid conditions...
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HUNDREDS GATHER FOR HISTORIC CEREMONY
Just as people within the region did exactly 100 years ago June 17, hundreds lined Norfolk Street in Simcoe to celebrate the Carillon Tower War Memorial. The large grey tower was erected to celebrate the end of The Great War and honour the local...
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MOTORCYCLISTS ROAR INTO PORT DOVER
Friday the 13th in Port Dover isn’t just a rally reserved for motorcycle enthusiasts but an opportunity for Norfolk County transplants to return home. A native of the tourist town, Shawn Ewart of Ottawa used Friday’s gathering to bring his sons Brock...
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Program teaches students critical swimming skills
As families in the region schedule trips to the beach or cottage, students are receiving the skills they need to remain safe. This month, youngsters in Grades 3, 4, and 7 in both the Grand Erie District School Board and Brant Haldimand Norfolk...
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FESTIVAL OFFERS VISITORS TASTES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
A few hundred people took a trip around the world – with their taste buds -- on Saturday at the Delhi Tobacco Museum & Heritage Centre. The aroma of simmering spices, the earthy scent of roasting vegetables, and the buttery, sweet smell of desserts of...
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Organizers expect huge Friday the 13th event
The countdown is on to the only Friday the 13th celebration in Port Dover in 2025. And organizers predict it will be big. For more than 40 years, motorcyclists -- and those who just want to watch the spectacle – have roared into the lakeside town by...
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Library staff facing security issues
Norfolk County Public Library CEO Julie Kent is spending more time at the Simcoe branch outside of regular work hours, not to catch up on traditional library functions but to monitor behaviour inside and outside the facility. The downtown branch,...
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ROADWORK SEASON
Construction projects are popping up across Norfolk County. One of the projects underway is a section of West Street from Talbot to Queen streets in Simcoe. Talbot Street remains open, which provides an access point to the Town Centre Mall. The project...
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‘MS is an awful disease’
The disorder is deadly but the attitude of those fighting it is filled with energy and positivity. With about 100 walkers, family members and volunteers pulsing around the Royal Canadian Legion in Simcoe on Sunday morning, the fight against multiple...
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‘PAWS’ FOR A GLASS OF WINE
Hounds of Erie Winery owners Melissa and Matt Vaughan, and their Great Dane, Athena, are shown at their dog-themed winery located in Clear Creek in Norfolk County on Saturday, May 17.
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Bread and Cheese Day celebrated at Six Nations
A centuries-old tradition was carried out on Monday as thousands flocked to the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation for Bread and Cheese Day. Blankets were originally given to the Haudenosaunee during the reign of Queen Victoria to thank them...
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Top marks from elementary students studying at high school
Moving more than 60 students from Waterford Public School into an unused wing of Waterford’s high school served to ease overcrowding at the elementary school — whose yard cannot physically hold any more portables — and help kids on the cusp of...
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Norfolk music legends enter new hall of fame
When it came time for the newly-minted Norfolk Music Hall of Fame to choose its inaugural class, there was no choice at all. Three names – brothers Rick and Terry Danko and their friend James Atkinson – jumped off the page.the trio was honoured by the...
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Port Dover businesses voice concern over roadwork
Broken glass, traffic congestion, and loss of revenue are just some of the issues facing businesses along Harbour St. in Port Dover as re-construction of the road takes place. Unfortunately for these entrepreneurs, things are just getting started. On...
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Waterford library showcases new look
Patrons anxious to see the completed renovation of the Norfolk County Public Library branch in Waterford had their curiosity piqued during a grand reopening on Thursday evening. “This was such a team effort, and we are absolutely thrilled with this...
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Lewis re-elected in Haldimand-norfolk
The federal Conservative grip on Haldimand-norfolk remains tight. For the second straight election, voters in the riding resoundingly chose Conservative Leslyn Lewis to represent them on Parliament Hill in Monday’s federal election. Lewis...
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ROADSIDE CLEANUP
Mike Postma of Langton and Joanne Hill of Rattlesnake Harbour were among the Silver Spokes Cycling Club members who took part in their annual roadside cleanup Saturday. The group took to the roads in and around La Salette as a way to beautify the...
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‘It was like a Hollywood movie’
Luke Johnson never gave up when times got tough – neither did his father Dan. Even as the Port Dover man got past the emotion of competing in the Boston Marathon on his late son’s birthday Monday afternoon, Johnson encountered a physical challenge...
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ON THE HUNT
Two-year-old Chase Lawrence of Boston looks for Easter eggs on the ball diamond adjacent to the Waterford Tricenturena during an Easter egg hunt organized by the Waterford Heritage and Agricultural Museum on Saturday in Waterford.
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EASTER EGG HUNTS
Easter egg hunts are being held in Delhi and Simcoe on Saturday. The Delhi BIA will host its 17th annual Easter Egg Hunt from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. A total of 29 downtown businesses will welcome youngsters and their families for the festivities. Taking part...
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Federal election hopefuls square off at debate
The five political candidates looking to take the title of Haldimand-norfolk MP from incumbent Leslyn Lewis stepped into the public arena on Thursday night. In the first local candidates forum, Colin Walsh (Liberal), Shannon Horner-shepherd (NDP),...
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Apple producers promote local
With apple consumption in decline in Ontario, Norfolk County apple farmer Chris Hedges wants to remind shoppers of the many benefits of buying local. “The carbon footprint of an imported apple is substantial,” said Hedges, who farms 750 acres of apple...
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