Machin Messenger

Serving Minnitaki, Eagle River, Vermilion Bay

And surrounding area

Volume 19 issue 12 December 7, 2017

Mayor’s Message

I welcome December. I like the holidays in this month, the forced slowing down due to the cold weather and short

days, and the fact that once we get to January first, our days are getting longer. Now is the time to spend read-

ing, relaxing, enjoying family and whatever you like to do during winter’s darkest days. I wish you and yours one

of the best Decembers ever.

News from council. First, a request. We are starting to work on how to make our community more pleasant to

look at and live in. In our strategic plan, it’s called “Beautification” in our document. This was chosen as a priority

from you, the members of our community and we are working to move forward. However, we need some direc-

tion and ideas regarding how to make that happen. So, council’s request is to look for input on how to make this

area better looking, better maintained for esthetics and the like. If you have ideas or would like to be involved in

this part of our strategic plan, please contact the Municipal office with your written ideas and/or name. We would

love some input and direction on how best to move forward on this.

Also, as I write this, our roads are quite slippery due to the snow, rain, and freezing and thawing temperature

changes. Some have raised concerns regarding sanding and road work. First, we as council share your concerns

and drive on those same roads. Second, it costs you the tax payer about $3500 every time we sand the roads, so

budget-wise, we must always be careful with your money and stay within its limits. I don’t think anyone wants to

see us sand the road and have it washed or blown away without effect - we still need to pay the bill once the sand

hits the road, regardless of the outcome. And finally, we need to remember that we live in Canada, and our roads

are often in poor condition in the winter- regardless of where you live. I was in Ottawa for the ice storm in the

90’s when for a week you could barely walk outside on any side street. My father lost power for 11 days a few

Christmases ago in Toronto and could not drive up his street due to ice. And most recently, the council huddled in

a dark Thunder Bay hotel in at a conference last spring as we watched the city turn to ice outside - locked down

in ice for a couple of days. I barely made it across the street from the hotel to a Shoppers Drug Mart to get some

baby supplies for my daughter due to the ice coating every-

thing. Bottom line, people do their best to keep the roads safe

to drive, but if you live in Canada, you will need to slow down

and deal with bad roads at least some of the time during fall,

winter or spring- regardless of where you live.

While this Mayors Message will come out after the Christmas

Parade, Santa Skate and Holiday Train have come and gone, I

will still say come out and enjoy the fun of these events. And

thank you to all of you that helped out at whatever you do to

make this holiday season a great one for all.

Please be safe, have fun and enjoy the best place in the world to live. Happy holidays and have a great New Year!

Sincerely, Drew Myers Mayor of Machin

Machin Messenger—Page 2

MESSENGER DEADLINE

Submissions for the Machin Messenger must now be in by the LAST WEDNESDAY of the month, by noon. Since the Messenger is published on the first Thursday of the month, the deadline will change if the 1st is on Thursday. We will put reminders in the month before. The deadline for the January Messenger will be Wednesday December 27th. Drop submissions off at the Municipal Office or email to pilmar@sympatico.ca, subject line “Machin Mes-senger”. Ads will need to be pre-paid prior to insertion in the Messenger. Please note that there are price changes for ads. Call

the Municipal Office for details.

MESSENGER ADS

If you wish to advertise in the Machin Messenger,

please call the Municipal Offices at 227-2633 to find out

the charge for your ad. Ads will need to be pre-paid.

Municipal Notes

Property Owners in Vermilion Bay with Aqua Flow units are

reminded to turn them on to prevent your water from

freezing. Please ensure that they remain on until the mid-

dle of April. Should you have any questions please call

Tammy Rob, Clerk Treasurer at 227-2633 ext. 22.

2018 Municipality of Machin – Water Rates – Effective

January 1, 2018

2% Increase from 2017

Residential Users $107.10 monthly billing

Residential Service Turned Off $53.55 monthly billing

Minimum Meter Rate Under 10,000 gal. $162.60 monthly billing

Meter Rate for 10,000 to 50,000 gal. $.01656000 gal.

Meter Rate for next 50,000 gal. $.01481300 gal.

Meter Rate for next 999,999 gal. $.00683700 gal.

Meter Service Turned Off $81.30 monthly billing

Turn On and Off Charge $50.00

Sale of Water $.1454 gal.

Machin Messenger—Page 3

The volunteers at the Machin Fire Department are urging everyone to pay spe-cial attention when cooking during the holidays, and to drink responsibly. Pro-vincial statistics reveal that careless cooking is the number one cause of fires and the second leading cause of fatal fires. All too often, these fires are started by unattended cooking and in many cases alcohol is involved. Smoking is another leading cause of fires during the holiday season. Make sure smokers extinguish cigarettes in large deep ashtrays – not in plant pots which may contain peat moss or shredded bark that can easily ignite. Ashes should

be emptied in a metal container – not the garbage can – and put outside. Enjoy a fire safe holiday season by following these tips: Stay in the kitchen when cooking. If a pot catches fire, don’t try to move it. Cover the pot with a lid to smother the flames and turn off the burner. Keep things that can burn such as cooking utensils and paper towels a safe distance from the stove as they can easily ignite if they are too close. Keep an eye on any drinkers in your household and make sure all cigarettes are properly extin-guished and the stove is off before going to bed. Cigarettes can smoulder among upholstered items for hours before igniting. Check sofas and chairs for cigarettes that may have fallen between the cushions. Provide large, deep ashtrays for smokers. Drink responsibly. Excessive alcohol consumption is a contributing factor in many residential fires. Install and maintain working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms outside all sleeping areas of the home. Smoke alarms also are required on every storey. Failure to comply with the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements can result in a ticket for $360 or a fine of up to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for corporations. Take a few minutes to test your smoke alarms and make sure everyone in the home knows ex-actly what to do if the smoke alarms sound in an emergency. Develop and practice a home escape plan with everyone in the home. Christmas Trees: Make a fresh cut across the trunk about an inch from the original cut when you bring the tree into the house for decorating. Use a tree stand that holds plenty of water. Trees are thirsty. They may drink up to four litres of water per day, so be sure to check daily and supply fresh water as needed. Place your tree away from fireplaces, radiators, television sets and other sources of heat. NEVER use lighted candles on or near a Chr istmas tree and avoid the use of combustible decorations. Lights People should remember to inspect their decorative lights every year before using them. If wir-ing is frayed or worn, or if the lights are old, they should be replaced. Turn off Christmas tree lights when you leave and before you go to bed at night. Make sure lights are used in accordance with manufacturers’ recommendations. Candles Candles are another cause of fires across the province, especially during the holidays. If you are going to use candles, make sure you place them in a sturdy holder so they can’t be tipped over.

MACHIN FIRE—Join us on Facebook

Machin Messenger—Page 4

2018

The Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU) wants to know how people feel about public health services in Machin.

In January 2018, we will be asking people who live in Machin to fill out a short survey to share your ideas and input to help improve public health services in the area. The survey will be available in hard copy online. Stay tuned! Watch for survey and drop off information in the January Machin Messenger.

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ON

YOUR BEHALF IN 2018

Machin Messenger—Page 5

Meetings on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. at St. Mark Lutheran Church

(west of Fort Vermilion) for more information call

Darlene @938-7061

Machin Messenger—Page 6

December 16th

Eagle Lake Figure Skating Club

Christmas Skating Concert

Sunday December 17, 2017

3-4:30 pm

Woodland Arena

Admission donations welcome

Pictures with Santa !

A big THANK YOU

to

Northwestern Ontario

Harley Riders

for the generous

donation

to the bus fund.

The Seniors Bus last day for 2017 will be December 21st.

The bus will be going to Dryden in the New Year starting on

January 2nd and 4th weather permitting.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year from Charlene

and the Bus Committee.

Machin Messenger—Page 7

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A Benefit Dinner For the

Dave Toews Family

Date: Saturday, December 9, 2017

Time: 5:00 p.m.

Place: Lillian Berg School Gym

Cost: $15.00 for adults - $5.00 for children under 10

Menu – Ham, Mashed Potatoes and gravy, Mixed Vegetables,

Coleslaw, Buns, Pickles, Tea, Coffee, Dessert.

Tickets & Donation Jars available at: Co-op,

Piston Ring and Machin Office

All money raised will go to the family cover costs while in

Thunder Bay

If you have any questions please call Sharon at

227-5289.

Fundraising Sale for the Dave Toews Family

Saturday December 9th

1:00 pm – Dinner

Lillian Berg School

No time for Christmas baking? Come and stock up while

supporting a great cause!

Already baking up a storm? Donate some to our sale!

Drop off donations at Lillian Berg School between Thursday – Saturday.

Contact Shannon @ 220-4050 or Heather @ 465-4005

All money raised will go to the family to help

cover costs while in Thunder Bay.

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Seeking Volunteer Coordinators….

Are you looking for a new experience in supporting

your community? This volunteer opportunity

may be for you!

Machin Area Helping Hands is seeking Coordi-nators to take over the reigns with the organi-zations activities

Activities include coordinating the annual CP Holiday Train event – serving hot chocolate and gathering food and mone-tary donations

Picking up donations of non-perishable food items from our generous communi-ty members and organizations, shopping for non-perishable food donations, clothes, toys etc.

Wrapping gifts

Putting Christmas hampers and Thinking of You baskets together for the families and coordinating delivery

Responsible for financial information (bank reconciliation, deposits etc.)

If you are interested in this opportunity to get involved in our effort to help those in need in our community during the Christmas season

Points North Family Health

Team/Machin Medical Clin-

ic

REMINDER

Hours of operation are:

Monday to Thursday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Fridays: doors open at 1:00pm, phone starting at 9:00 am. Fri-day’s hours are subject to change based on Dr. schedule. Drop in hours for blood pressure checks and blood sugar testing

are Thursdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Lab hours are Wednesdays from 9:00 am to 11:30 am

Everyone’s time is important. Please call to cancel your appointment if you are unable to attend instead of not showing up. Even if short notice, we can then try to fill the appointment

This summer, the residents of Machin were challenged to bike across Canada. Submissions were made by 8 people, for a total of 1210 kms biked this sum-mer! That is equivalent to biking from Kenora to Sault St. Marie, with a quick detour through Quibell. All participants received a prize pack, and Danny Knecht also won an additional prize pack for logging the most kms on a bike, totaling 350 km!

The family of Joy Smegal would like to thank so many for their kindness shown us through the difficult time of mom's passing. We especially want to thank our "Extended Families" we have here who were around when we truly needed you the most. An extra big hug to Sue for her big loving heart. We also want to say how truly appreciative we are to Dr. Gagnon and his wonderful staff as well to the Dryden Hospital staff for all their care & compassion. Thank you all again......Rick, Tracy & Brent.

Kin Korner Lions Lines

Machin Messenger—Page 12

Thank-you!! The Waldhof Ladies Guild would like to thank everyone who came out and supported our Fall Supper. We had a nice crowd and the entertainment by Shannyn Peters and Dr. Peter Cortens was enjoyed by all. We would like to thank them, both for donating their time and music for our fund raiser. We have raised $5,478.00 towards our new roof, which was replaced for $10,000.00. Donations are still welcome and can be sent to Mary Loewen. The Ladies Guild will be putting up a list of all the kind persons and Organiza-tions that made a donation to our new roof. If there is money in excess of the ten thousand dollars, we will use it to replace the windows and eventually the ceiling in our hall. Again, please accept our sincerest thanks and appreciation for your kindness and generosity.

$10,000.00 GOAL

--------------$,5,478.00

$5,000.00

$4,000.00

$3,000.00

$2,000.00

$1,000.00

The Vermilion Bay Lions would like to thank the community members for all their support this past year. Your continued support helped build the Cen-tennial Legacy Project at Machin Park and support the Machin Cadet’s, school bursary, Lions Project Pride, Dog Guides, Minor Hockey, Figure Skaters, Medical Equipment, Lillian Berg school programs, Christmas Cheer, Hall renovations to name a few donations.

May you all have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Lions Annual Christmas Carol Night - December 18, 7:00 at the Lions Hall Please join us for a festive evening. We are honored, once again, to have Clint Dutiaume join us. Clint plays the guitar, mandolin and fiddle and is a 9-time winner of the Manitoba Instrumentalist of the Year award. Music students from Migisi Sahgaigan School will once again enter-tain us, we all enjoy their annual concert. Tickets for the Winter Raffle are on sale at local businesses and members. They make great stock-ing stuffers and gift exchange presents. The Vermilion Bay Lions Club has their own website www.vermilionbaylions.org. Please visit the site as there are links to all the Lions Charities as well as Lions Clubs International. www.lionsclubs.org

If you are interested in becoming a Lion’s member

contact any Vermilion Bay Lions member. Meeting

first and third Wednesday of the month.

Hall rentals contact Al Koroniak 220-1107

The Vermilion Bay Kinsmen and Kinettes would

like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and

Happy New Year. Our cubs would like to thank

everyone for your support over the past year

and we are looking forward to "Serving the

Communities Greatest Needs" in the coming

year.

We are having our candy wrap on Monday De-

cember 18th, 7:00 p.m. at the Bayview. If you

are interested in coming out to help and/or

finding out more about our growing clubs we

welcome anyone 19 and up.

It's also that time of year to be on the lookout

for princess tickets! Please support the girls and

the clubs they represent. Our communities are

what they are because of our service clubs.

Machin Messenger—Page 13

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all the staff of

Machin Medical Clinic/Points North Family Health Team

Dr. Yvon Gagnon, Eileen, Elaine, Jessica, Nicole, Brenda and Jennifer

May the Christmas season fill your home with joy and laughter and may

the year ahead be full of good health and joy.

We will be closed December 25th, 26th, 29th and January 1st

Open December 27th and 28th

We will resume regular hours of operation

on January 2nd, 2018.

Points North Family Health Team is pleased to offer-

The Woman in the Mirror by Cynthia M. Bulik, PH.D. –

How to Stop Confusing What you look like with Who You Are. Book Club meetings will be one and a half hours approximately,

once a week for 4 weeks. Books will be provided and are yours to keep. Meetings will be relaxed, interactive and confidential; we will discuss the

book and our thoughts on what we’ve discovered. Many women-regardless of income, size, shape, ethnicity, and age-are uncomfortable in their own skin. We fixate on our body image and try endless diets, implants, hair extensions, and new shoes, but it's never enough. The problem is that girls and women have been socialized to mistakenly conflate body esteem and self-esteem. Body esteem re-fers to how you think and feel about your physical appearance: your size, shape, hair, and features. Self-esteem re-fers to how you think and feel about your personality, your role in relationships, your accomplishments, and your val-ues-everything that contributes to who you are as a person. The Woman in the Mirror goes beyond typical self-esteem books to dig deep into the origins of women's problems with body image. Psychologist Cynthia Bulik guides readers in the challenging task of disentangling self-esteem from body esteem, and taking charge of the insidious negative self-talk that started as early as when you first realized you didn't really look like a fairy princess. By reprogramming how we feel about ourselves and our bodies, we can prac-tice healthy eating and sensible exercise, and focus on the many things we have to offer our family, community, and job. Bulik provides us the tools to reclaim our self-confidence and to respect and love who we are. Sessions are scheduled to run Thursdays from January 11th though February 1st at 1:30 pm in the down-stairs boardroom of the clinic.

You do not need to be a patient of the clinic to enroll. There are only 5 seats

available for this program; three people are required to run this program. Program will repeat

if necessary. To register or for more information, please call the clinic or Brenda at 227-2675.

Machin Messenger—Page 14

Happy-Go-Lucky-Seniors

Elderly Depression and the Holidays For many seniors (and others) the holidays are not a time of celebration and joy,

but only serves as reminders of how lonely he or she may be, the friends and

family that have passed on, the lack of family get-togethers and an inability to get around due to weather or medical conditions,

severely limit many senior's ability to socialize during holiday seasons. Family members spread throughout the country often

prevent elderly parents from visiting children, grandchildren or other extended family members because of the cost of transpor-

tation. It is more important than ever for senior’s to stay active and socially involved during the holidays. Common Symptoms of

Elderly Depression during the Holidays: Change in sleeping habits, Difficulty sleeping, Apathy or lethargy, Change of appetite,

Loss of interest in activities, Loss of interest in socializing.( Condensed from © Copyright evSky Incorporated 2008-2017 )

Let’s look after our fellow seniors this holiday season, by visiting any shut ins and offering rides to

those who have difficulty getting to events so that everyone will have a very Merry Christmas.

From The Happy-Go-Lucky Seniors to the Community a Happy and Blessed Christmas.

CHECK THE CALENDER FOR ALL OF THE EVENTS THIS MONTH

Take special note of the following:

There will be NO LUNCH on December 15th

The centre is rented every Thursday afternoon from 9:30 – 1:30 from November 2nd to December 14th.

HGL Christmas dinner is December 8th at 5:00pm

To use the senior’s center contact Anita @227-2882 or Marnie @227-2670

Machin Messenger—Page 15

G & G SPORTS

Box 309 Vermilion Bay

Phone 227-2895

Repairs to most sports equipment

Zipper replacement or repair

Snaps & buckles

Recover ski-do seats and bike seats

Chairs—boat seats

Re-lacing baseball gloves

Skate repair/sharpening

In this area, batteries may be dropped

off at Timbermax in Dryden.

Do you need a ride to an appointment or just want to go into Dryden

for shopping and lunch? This is a reminder that the Machin Bus goes

to Dryden every Tuesday and Thursday. The Bus leaves the Machin

Office at 9:00 a.m. and returns around 2:30 p.m. The cost is $10.00

for the round trip. For more information call Charlene @ 529-4485.

The Vermilion Bay Co-op would like to let the shoppers know the

following dates for Senior & Shareholder Days as well as Flyer

Days:

Shareholder Senior Flyer Discount Days Days December 8th December 20th December 8th – 14th December 22nd – 28th Just a reminder that you can view the Co-op flyer online at www.coopconnection.ca Thank you for your patronage.

A reminder to advertisers

to renew your ads for 2018!

Machin Messenger—Page 16

It seems winter is coming. If your layers don’t fit, we’re here to help!

Join us Thursdays

at 5:00 p.m. in the Reading Room

(basement of the Municipal Office Building)

We’ll give you the support you need

to lose those extra pounds!

Building Permit Applications and general inquiries are available at the Machin Office. Any questions on building, please call our Building Inspector Charles Tarrant direct at 1-709-884-9302

UPCOMING MEETINGS

TUESDAY THURSDAY SATURDAY

VERMILION BAY 2 p.m.— 6 p.m. Closed 9 a.m.—1 p.m.

EAGLE RIVER 9 a.m.— 1 p.m. Closed 2 p.m.—6 p.m.

Copies of the water systems monthly summary, annual reports and the financial plan

are available for viewing at the Municipal Office if any of the general public would like to

review them. Also available at the Municipal Office the public may access the Water Qual-

ity System Policy for the Vermilion Bay water treatment plant and distribution system

which forms part of the Operational Plan. Should anyone have any questions or concerns

please do not hesitate to contact Tammy Rob at 3227-2633, ext. 22.

Machin Council: Monday December 11th 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers, Machin Municipal Office. Meeting minutes are now available online— www. vis-itmachin.com Public Works Meeting: Monday December 11th, 6:00 p.m., Council Chambers, Machin Municipal Office. Recreation Meeting—Monday December 4th, 6:30 p.m. at the Council Chambers. Lot Development Committee: Meeting TBA Lions Club—First and third Wednesdays of every month, 7:00 p.m., Lion’s Hall. Happy-Go-Lucky Seniors: No meeting in December Pine Tree Pathways: Tuesday April 10th, 2018 4:00 p.m., at Machin Council Chambers. TOPS—Weigh-in at 5:00 p.m.. every Thursday. Short meeting follows in the Reading Room, Municipal Build-ing. AA - Every Tuesday at 8pm. New meeting: Every Sunday at 7pm - Open meeting for anyone af-fected by Alcoholism. All meetings held in the Reading Room at the Machin Municipal Offices. Sew’n’Sew Quilters— Quilting resumes in Septem-ber. Kinettes—The first WEDNESDAY of each month, 7:00 p.m. in the Bayview meeting room. Community Gardens Committee— TBA Seniors Friendship Club of Eagle River—Second Wednesday of each Month. Community Policing Meeting—TBA Waldhof Wranglers—No Mtg. Scheduled for Decem-ber. We wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year! Contact: President Joanne Gra-ham 807-220-3497 Secretary: Sam Bolduc 807-937-0094

Area Church Services

Our Lady of Fatima

Roman Catholic Church Hwy 17 Vermilion Bay

Mass: Fridays at 5:30 p.m.

United Church 97 Spruce Street

Vermilion Bay Closed until Christmas

Eagle River (Ebenezer) Baptist Church

Services at First Baptist Church

58 King Street, Dryden, Ontario

Morning Worship Service at 10:30 a.m.

St. Mark Lutheran Church

Hwy 17 Vermilion Bay

Services: Sundays 11:30 a.m.

Evangelical Mission Church

55 Willow Street, Vermilion Bay

Services: Sundays 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School—10:00 a.m.

Upper Falls Baptist Church

Hwy 105 North

Worship: Sundays 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School/Bible Study:

10:00 a.m. (all ages)

WINTER HOURS—WASTE DISPOSAL SITES Effective October 3, 2017