This Week in Photos - March 12, 2026

Ready for construction – The New to You store is getting a rebuild. It will still be located on Highway 6 just north of Fergus, but a new store is about to be constructed and eventually the existing store will come down to make way for a parking lot. Phase one begins in September, the existing building will come down in October, and the work should be completed by December. Volunteers and board members of the Groves Hospital Volunteer Association gathered for a photo at the site on March 6. From left: Ann Ironside, Terri Arora, Renne Charbonneau-Smith, Terry McKee, Don Kidd, Bob Fleischauer, Howard Dobson, Linda Benallick and Ken Steffler. Photo by Joanne Shuttleworth

Go team – Emmanuel Christian High School Junior Girls Volleyball team had an outstanding playoff run, starting with a dominant performance at the D4 playoffs in Orangeville, team officials say. Seeded first, the team swept Wellington Heights 3-0 in the semifinals to secure a trip to Central Western Ontario Secondary Schools Association. In the final against Westside, the only team to take a set from the Eagles all season, the girls battled back from early deficits to win in straight sets, finishing the playoff round undefeated at 6-0. At CWOSSA in Cambridge the team earned silver medals. Submitted photo

Seedy Saturday – Spring was in the air on March 7 during Erin Seedy Saturday at Erin United Church. The event offered to gardeners flower and vegetable seeds from vendors and from the Erin seed library, and it featured kids crafts, a bake sale and advice from local clubs. PHOTO 1: Town of Erin councillor John Brennan and event organizer Jen Edwards. PHOTO 2: Guests and onlookers took their time browsing booth and displays. PHOTO 3: From left, Hillsburgh Horticultural Society volunteers Cyndy Anderson, Barb Switzer, Michelle Black and president Connie Bienia. Photos by Tristan Clark

Kitchen party – The Great Canadian Fiddle Show is coming to the Fergus Grand Theatre on March 22 at 2pm. The group preserves and celebrates Canada’s rich musical heritage through traditional fiddling and step dancing. Tickets are available online at fergusgrandtheatre.ca or call 519 787 1981. For more information contact Deb Stanson at debstanson@gmail.com. Submitted photo

Sugary sweet – The Waterloo Wellington Maple Producers held its annual first tree tapping ceremony for the 2026 maple syrup season at Maple Tree Farm in New Dundee on Feb. 28. PHOTO 1: Maple Tree Farm owner Andrew looks on as Elmira Maple Syrup Festival (EMSF) chairperson Marc McInerney taps a large maple tree. PHOTO 2: EMSF member Caitlin McCabe taps a large maple tree under the watch of farm owner Andrew. PHOTO 3: Gunther Kramer, left, and Elmira Maple Syrup Festival (EMSF) chairperson Marc McInerney, right, presented the EMSF producer of the year award to Tom Snyder of TDS Farms located in Montrose. PHOTO 4: Volunteers worked hard to prepare the free breakfast on offer at the event. Breakfast consisted of pancakes, sausage, coffee and apple cider. PHOTO 5: From left, Marc McInerney (EMSF Chairperson), Dave Unrau, Jeff Hutchinson, Flapjack, Gunther Kramer, Maxine Metzger, Drew McGovern, Caitlin McCabe, Mary Blanchard from the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival pose for a photo. PHOTO 6: Drew McGovern and Jeff Hutchinson assisted the EMSF mascot Flapjack down an icy slope. PHOTO 7: Waterloo Wellington Maple Producers chair person Kevin Snyder addresses the crowd. Photos by Ellouise Thompson

Another good deed – On March 2, 100 Women Who Care Centre Wellington presented a cheque for $12,500 to the Wellington Pregnancy Care Centre, an organization that supports women with an unexpected pregnancy or challenges as a new parent. From left: 100 Women Who Care CW members Ann Ironside, Pam Stumpf and Nicole Martin; nominating member Diane Cook; Mikayla Horsburgh; Chantelle Jones; Henrietta Jonker and Jannilea Ghezzi. For more information visit wellingtonpregnancycentre.ca and cw100women.com. Submitted photo

Competition – Students from Guelph Family Martial Arts returned home with an impressive medal haul following the Ontario Provincial Martial Arts Championships on Feb. 28 in Burlington. The event welcomed athletes from across North America, representing a wide range of martial-arts styles and is regarded as one of the premier provincial championships in the country. Coached by local residents Nathan and Sophie Skoufis, the Guelph Family Martial Arts team brought home three gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal. Submitted photo

True Canadian – Elliott Tree Farm near Hillsburgh welcomed guests from as far as Australia to embark on a true Canadian maple syrup experience on Feb. 28. Guests were invited to indulge in an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, syrup tastings and a brief history lesson on the origins of maple syrup. PHOTO 1: An employee makes maple syrup taffy on snow. PHOTO 2: Some of the items on display in the farm’s maple syrup museum included vintage syrup tapping tools, tree cross sections, Indigenous artifacts and an array of other maple syrup related memorabilia. PHOTO 3: The farm offered samples of their maple sugar candy as well as some maple taffy over snow.

Competition – Youth athletes in four divisions faced off in Palmerston and Harriston over four days during the 18th annual Palmerston Junior Broomball Tournament that ran March 5 to 8. PHOTO 1: Palmerston White Express U12 player Etta Barlett, left, faces off against a Blyth Silver player at the Palmerston Arena on March 7. PHOTO 2: Addalyn Kennedy, left, fights for the ball. PHOTO 3: Natalie Decaire, right, chases after the ball. The Palmerston peewee team won in overtime 1-0 against Blyth but lost in the afternoon against the Mildmay Moose, ending the team’s run in the tournament. Photo by Jordan Snobelen

Donation – Blessings to You Centre in Palmerston recently donated $3,000 to the Alzheimer Society of Waterloo Wellington. Funds will go towards providing support and services to people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers in the local community, with no cost to the recipients. From left, front row: Wilma Cherrey, Sharon Driese and Sharon Drost. Back: Sarah Orth, Diane Speers, Alzheimer Society event and volunteer coordinator Tom Connelly, Danielle Webb, Sharon Christensen and Joelle Sweeney. Submitted photo

Retiring – Mayor Dave Turton took a moment at the March 3 council meeting to give Shirley Borges flowers to congratulate her on her upcoming retirement. Borges is the Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team executive director and the Minto-Mapleton Health Professional Recruitment Committee chair. After 20 years, Borges will be retiring from her health team role in April but will continue to chair the committee. From left: Turton, Borges, North Wellington Health Care recruiter Alison Armstrong and town director of economic and community development Belinda Wick-Graham. “She has been a leader in health care in our community and is one of the reasons we have been successful in our recruitment efforts,” Wick-Graham said of Borges. “Her and her leadership will be missed.” Submitted photo

Helping hands – Blessings to You Centre in Palmerston donated $350 to Norwell District Secondary School’s Relay for Life cancer fundraiser on May 29. Blessings to You is a non-profit volunteer-run thrift store. In the above image is Relay for Life committee members. The event’s purpose is to “bring our community together to honour those who have faced cancer, remember loved ones lost and support an ongoing fight against the disease,” officials said of the Relay for Life event. Submitted photo

Prayers – World Day of Prayer was hosted by the St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Arthur on March 6. Church representatives from Arthur and the surrounding area participated in the service written by the Nigerian Christian women. From left: Esther Sanda, Debbie Sanda, Tola Sanda, Penny Renken, Diane MacDonald, Debbie Atkinson, Joyce McKee, Janet Degroot, Lorna Checkley, Mary Townsend, Darlene Woods, June Mullin, Alfhild Neabel and Faye Craig. Submitted photo

Community helpers – The Neustadt and District Lions Club recently presented a $500 donation to the Hanover and District Hospital Foundation (HDHF) in support of patient care at Hanover and District Hospital, on Feb. 25. The foundation is grateful for the Lions Club’s continued commitment to strengthening local health care services, officials say. From left: Lions Gary Smith, Lana Girodat, Karen Beggs, HDHF director Shelley Adams, Lion Heather Provender, HDHF director Cheryl Speer, Lion Tim Yundt and HDHF executive director Madison Bryan. Submitted photo