This Week in Photos - June 11, 2026
PHOTO 1 – Fifty years after winning the Founders Cup, the 1976 Elora Mohawks team was celebrated during Elora’s Alumni Lacrosse Day on June 6. The team gathered on the rink of the Jefferson Elora Community Centre before being introduced individually. The day included minor lacrosse games, a Jr. C Fergus Thistles game, dinner for Mohawks Alumni, and a ceremonial faceoff prior to the Elora Hawks Junior A game against the Toronto Beaches. PHOTO 2: Members of the 1976 Elora Mohawks were guests of honour on June 6 during Alumni Day. Team members came from near and far – one from P.E.I. – and many hadn’t seen each other in decades. PHOTO 3: Manager of the 1976 Elora Mohawks Tom May helps then-coach Ron Weatherhead onto the floor as the team was introduced on Alumni Day. PHOTO 4: Minor lacrosse team members waved a ceremonial flag while O Canada was played before the Elora Hawks took on the Toronto Beaches. PHOTO 5: Members of the 1976 team wore special T-shirts to mark the occasion. Photos by Joanne Shuttleworth
Making lemonade – After a few years of construction in downtown Erin, it was time to celebrate the lack of detours. Downtown businesses pulled out all the stops for Erin’s Lemonade Festival on June 6. PHOTO 1: Many shops had lemonade-themed attractions and Annie King ran a traditional lemonade stand outside Rural Commons. PHOTO 2: Erin councillor Bridget Ryan, orders a glass of lemonade from Jo-Anne Carney, left, owner of The Kitchen – Carney Country Events and Catering, and Ally Delill. PHOTO 3: Tania Crook, right, of Tania Crook Makin’ Faces, went to work during the festival. Isobel Pedersen and Liam Vasey seemed pleased with their new looks. PHOT 4: Lemons and limes – Nineteen month old Maeve enjoyed a water table that was set up outside Club Ned, a children’s playspace on Main Street. PHOTO 5: All decked out – Erin’s Lemonade Festival on June 6 included all the downtown businesses. Erin Village Convenience had an eye-catching display of flowers. PHOTO 6: Good turnout – It was a windy day but otherwise perfect for an outdoor sidewalk sale and Erin’s Lemonade Festival attracted a good crowd. Photos by Joanne Shuttleworth
Premier visit – Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Joseph Racinsky invited the Fergus Whalers to Queen’s Park on June 2 to meet Premier Doug Ford and celebrate their historic win of the Schmalz Cup. The Whalers defeated the Tavistock Braves 4-3 in overtime on May 10 to clinch the provincial Jr. C championship in five games. Submitted photos
Matilda – In May, Theatre Norwell presented seven sold-out performances, including four evening performances and three elementary school performances, welcoming over 3,000 audience members. Audience members from across the community described the show as “professional quality” citing the productions lights, music, sets and costumes. “This production was made possible by the hard work, creativity and commitment of more than 100 students and teachers who contributed on stage, backstage, in the pit, at the tech table and behind the scenes. From the performers and crew to the staff advisors and volunteers, this production showcased the passion, collaboration, and excellence that makes Theatre Norwell so special,” said officials. “We would also like to recognize our graduating students who took part in this production. For many of them, Matilda marked their final show with Theatre Norwell. “Thank you for the countless hours, memories, leadership, and talent you have shared with this program over the years,” officials stated. “Your impact on this stage and within this school community will not be forgotten. We are incredibly proud of all that you have accomplished, and we wish you all the very best in the next chapter of your journeys.” Submitted photos
Emerging Insights – Artwork from Upper Grand District School Board students is on display at the Wellington County Museum and Archives in the second annual Emerging Insights juried exhibition. PHOTO 1: Of the 25 artworks selected for the show, five were from Wellington Heights Secondary School students, including Birds of a Feather by Grade 10 student Oliver Holland, who received an Emerging Artist Award at the exhibition opening on May 28. PHOTO 2: Juror Eric Allen Montgomery said he’s impressed with how powerful the artwork looks on display in the exhibit, particularly this piece, Between Life and Machine, by Orangeville student Maya Lindsay, which received top honours on opening night: an Award of Excellence. PHOTO 3: Centre Wellington District High School (CWDHS) student Emily Paul is the only student with two art pieces selected for the show. She received an Emerging Artist award for Pop Goes the Pontiac. PHOTO 4: CWDHS Grade 9 student Norah Pinkney played guitar and sang during the exhibition opening. PHOTO 5: CWDHS Grade 12 student Avery Birk played guitar during the showcase. PHOTO 6: Vanessa van Wyk said her painting shows a statue coming alive with tears streaming down its face, to encourage people not to repress their feelings because it’s emotions that make people real. PHOTO 7: Westside Secondary School student Mya Rendall won an Emerging Artist award for Possession Of, which was inspired by Rendall’s passion for horror and creepy things. Photos by Robin George
Down the Rabbit Hole – Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute (GCVI) International Baccalaureate students held an art showcase on May 28 at the Guelph Civic Museum. Down the Rabbit Hole included work from 12 students who each presented eight to 12 pieces reflecting personal themes of their choice. The show brought a crowd of supporters to the museum, including the student artists’ families, friends and peers. PHOTO 1: Sofie Jenkens, who lives near the Village of Erin, explored the human experience through the lens of animal symbolism and the relationship between predator and prey. The above piece, The Eye of the Beholder, is one of Jenkens’ two favourites. It’s the most abstract of her work, and the “funky weird animals” inside the giant eye represent how everyone’s own perspective influences how they see the world. Her other favourite is Charlie, of her late pet dog. Jenkens said the piece was cathartic to create as it’s a celebration of his life that helped her to process her grief. PHOTO 2: Michelle Vu, Taskeen Razvi and Kamilla Menzies are recent GCVI graduates who make up the band The Menzies and played during the art show. PHOTO 3: GCVI student Allie Snyder sang and played guitar during the art showcase. PHOTO 4: Maya Jenkins, who lives near the Village of Erin, said her favourite of her pieces is the collage shown here. For the lower portion, Jenkens and asked women she admires to send her photos in which they feel confident and proud. For the frame portion, Jenkens cut images from magazines printed in the ‘50s and ‘60s that objectify women. The collage of empowering photos is suspended by the frame to symbolize “taking yourself out of that context and building something you can be proud of,” Jenkens said. PHOTO 5: The theme of Erin resident Julia Bettridge’s artwork is “hidden worlds,” and she told the Advertiser she was guided by what she wants her art to feel like – “happy, not heavy.” The piece behind Bettridge to the left, 1,000 Bites, depicts a childhood memory of her playing under a tree with her sister and cousin. The children were so engrossed in their imaginations and playing in the natural setting that they didn’t notice until afterwards that they were covered in mosquito bites – hence the title. Photos by Robin George
Tree planting – Friends of the Grand River organized a May 30 planting of 350 trees along Swan Creek, south of Elora, near Inverhaugh. Swan Creek is a tributary of the Grand River. Organizer and Friends of the Grand River board member Tyler Bredschneider said tree canopies and root systems help maintain water temperature and flow, and to stabilize the creek bank and prevent erosion. The group previously planted 150 trees on May 23 along the Conestogo River, another tributary of the Grand. Submitted photos
Happy trails – Hundreds of humans, and their dogs, took part in the Guelph Humane Society’s Happy Trails Walkathon on June 7. The day included breakfast, activities and a one- or five-kilometre walk on a breezy but sunny day. Here walkers approach the finish line. PHOTO 2: Kristen Murphy brough her two dogs to the walkathon. Phoebe, left, a miniature Australian Labradoddle, and Henley, a boykin spaniel, seemed to enjoy socializing with the other dogs. PHOTO 3: Cierra Crere adopted her dog Sophie, a great pyranese mix, from the Guelph Humane Society – so it seemed only right to take part in the fundraiser, she said. PHOTO 4: With their thick fur coats, these two Alaskan malamutes, Kenzie and Siren, found the day a little warm. They crashed at the water bowls. Photos by Joanne Shuttleworth
Jewish heritage celebration – The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) held a celebration of Jewish heritage at the Guelph Civic Museum on May 27, in recognition of Jewish Heritage Month. The event was a joyful celebration of Jewish culture, traditions and identity meant to honour the past while celebrating the future. It included challah bread making, music from a Klezmer band as well as from a UGDSB teacher, crafts for children, a clip from a documentary about Jewish identity and a presentation from Gabrielle Zikha representing No Silence on Race, a non-profit organization that advocates for “inclusive Jewish spaces in Canada that reflect the rich cultural and ethnic diversity present within our communities and throughout our diasporic histories.” PHOTO 1: Eleanor Berkow works hard to make some challah, while Rabbi Raphi Steiner looks on in the background. PHOTO 2: Oliver and Evelyn Beirnes enjoyed some pizza and colouring pages. PHOTO 3: This lively Klezmer band travelled from Toronto to play at the event. PHOTO 4: Amnon Vaneno from AA Pizza on Wheels donned his kippah and fried up some pizza outside the museum for attendees to enjoy. Photos by Robin George
Plant sale – The Erin Garden Club held its plant sale on June 6 in McMillan Park. It coincided with the Lemonade Festival on Main Street in the village of Erin. PHOTO 1: Sabeeha Rehman was offering henna treatments and some products for sale under the gazebo in McMillan Park during the plant sale. PHOTO 2: Sun, shade, native and ornamental: there was a large variety of plants for sale throughout the day. Photos by Joanne Shuttleworth
PHOTO 1: Chartwell Royal on Gordon sported a team for the annual Hike for Hospice event on June 7 at Guelph’s Riverside Park. Wearing tutus – some on their heads – they called themselves the Royal Rainbows. PHOTO 2: Penny Van Esterik was the guest speaker at the Hike for Hospice event on June 7. She spoke about Hospice Wellington and how they helped her husband when he was dying, and her as she dealt with her grief. PHOTO 3: The Divas fielded a team for the Hike for Hospice event on June 7, complete with antennae and wings. PHOTO 4: Participants at the Hike for Hospice fundraiser for Hospice Wellington, were guided through some warm-up exercises before the walk began. PHOTO 5: Hundreds of people took part, either as individuals or teams, in the Hike for Hospice event at Riverside Park on June 7. Photos by Joanne Shuttleworth
Field trip – Tessa Heffernan’s Salem Public School kindergarten class visted Scoop Ice Cream in Elora on May 14 and finished up the day with a picnic and playing in the park before picking out some canned food from the Geddes Street Market to donate to the food bank. PHOTO 1: Oliver Bauman practices pouring with Scoop owner Stephanie Tomlin Tomlin. PHOTO 2: Ayla Pelletier, left and Amelia Morgan enjoy some strawberry buttermilk ice cream. Submitted photos
Pride – It was a day of laughter, love and pride on June 7 in Palmerston, as the local queer community and its allies gathered at Palmerston Heritage Lions Park Pavilion to celebrate the seventh annual Pride in the Park. The event featured craft vendors, a variety of foods, free crafts and activities, as well as special performances and live music. PHOTO 1: Chloe Cherry-Elliot sat patiently as she got her face painted. PHOTO 2: Cherry the tortoise was beyond thrilled to be welcomed at the event and even ran off several times in an attempt to join the festivities. PHOTO 3: Performer Jake Rice made sure to keep the youngsters engaged throughout the later portion of the event. PHOTO 4: Chair of the Minto Pride Working Group Caitlin Hall gave a speech thanking community members and Pride committee members for their support and time to make the event possible. PHOTO 5: Bee Caskenette, owner of My Enchanted Right Hook, had a bubbly conversation with another vendor during the celebration. PHOTO 6: representatives from the Community Resource Centre of North and Centre Wellington had rubber ducks on offer for the upcoming Duck Race at Bissel park in Elora on July 1. PHOTO 7: These guests dawned pride flags as they painted rocks. PHOTO 8: Represenatives from the Liberal Party were also in attendance. Photos by Ellouise Thompson
