This Week in Photos - October 22, 2026

Spooky season – Sensational Elora hosted its annual Monster March and Wicked Wagons Parade on Oct. 17 in downtown Elora. PHOTO 1: The parade attracted hundreds of people, in and out of costume alike. PHOTO 2: Charlie Bee Marie Lucid Boleyn, left, and Niaomi Patricia Blackett are dressed to kill. PHOTO 3: Is it Halloween or Christmas? Cian Odonnell could not decide. PHOTO 4: Amanda Mansz, left, and her son Vance Burrows dressed as Big Bird and Yoshi. PHOTO 5: This group went with a toy theme. PHOTO 6: Freddy Krueger stalked parade participants and gave a few a good scare. Photos by Ellouise Thompson

Champions – The Centre Wellington RiverHawks U11 sixes field lacrosse team won the Ontario ‘A’ Championship on Oct. 18 in Hamilton. The team defeated Owen Sound in the final to cap off a perfect 20-0 season. Submitted photo

Food, glorious food – Students at St. Joseph Catholic School in Fergus collected 1,500 pounds of food for the Centre Wellington Food Bank during their Thanksgiving food drive. The project was spearheaded by the Grade 8 student council, which rallied classes to participate, did morning announcements, held inter-class contests and eventually packed and delivered the food. “I’m definitely proud of the students,” said Grade 8 teacher Jamie Quigley, who helps the student council, along with fellow teacher Robyn O’Drowsky. Submitted photos

Fleetwood Mac – Guess who showed up at Bruce Welton’s home in Maple Leaf Acres? It’s Fleetwood Mac in pumpkin form. Welton has been creating pumpkin bands on his deck for 14 years. “It’s always a lot of fun for the neighbours and the enthusiasm has been tremendous this year,” Welton said in an email. Submitted photo

Cheese – More than 2,000 people attended the 2026 Ontario Cheese Festival at the Grand River Raceway on Oct. 17, shattering previous attendance records, according to PEC Markets Inc. There were over 65 cheesemakers and artisans at the event. PHOTO 1: Angelina Campos from With the Grain in Guelph. PHOTO 2: Saba Mustaq with Zing hot sauce. Photos by Ellouise Thompson

Clubs – Community members gathered at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex on Oct. 3 for the second annual All Clubs Day. The event featured face painting, a scavenger hunt and free lunch provided by Zehrs Fergus. Clubs present included; Volunteers in Action (CW) Rotary, Elora Fergus Rotary, Fergus Legion, Elora Legion, Elora Lions, Fergus Lions, Belwood Lions, Fergus Kinsmen, Optimist Club of Centre Wellington and Zehrs Fergus. Photos submitted and by Ellouise Thompson

Fundraiser – The Centre Wellington Celtics U15 Girls basketball team worked hard to shoot 28,180 baskets during a 24-hour “shootathon” starting at 7am on Oct. 17. The 11 players raised $2,856 with 50 per cent going to Team Addy, a not-for-profit fundraiser for sarcoma research. The remaining funds will go to the basketball club to reduce player fees. PHOTO 1: From left, Ellie Howe, Anya Lee, Quinnlyn Watkins, Elise Sinclair, Hunter Dobrowolski, Zainab Khan, Iyla Bauman, Emily Scott, Bridget Pratley-Smith, Dara Banjo and Isla Morgan. Submitted photos

Protest – Members of the Erin Citizens Coalition stood outside the Hillsburgh Arena on Oct. 14 to protest the Hillsburgh pit commercial fill project. This project will see up to 300 trucks per day leaving and entering the site for the next 20 years. From left: Kevin Guyan, Karen DeRooy, Jacqueline Guagliardi and Kim Van Den Hoek. Submitted photo

Donation – On Oct. 14, 100 Women Who Care Centre Wellington presented a cheque for $13,000 to the Ronald McDonald House South Central Ontario. Ronald McDonald House in Hamilton supports families whose children are hospitalized. Accommodation and food costs run close to $350 and Ronald McDonald House covers the expenses with the family only paying $12 per night. All funds raised through CW 100 Women were asked to be spent on Centre Wellington residents, allowing CW families at McMaster Children’s Hospital to receive support. From left: 100 Women Who Care CW member Lisa MacDonald, partnership and engagement officer Megan Henshaw, 100 Women Who Care CW founder Tracy Bachly and nominating member Lisa Cashmore. Submitted photo

Cheque – The Rotary Club of Erin recently presented $3,000 to Erin District High School to support its Grade 9 camp, helping ensure that financial barriers do not prevent students from participating in the long-standing school tradition. For 22 years, the Grade 9 Residential Camp has helped new students begin their high school experience by building friendships, confidence and a sense of community. This September, approximately 175 Grade 9 and 12 students traveled to Camp Pinecrest in Bracebridge for two nights and three days of activities, workshops and opportunities to get to know their new classmates. The camp is completely phone-free, giving students an opportunity to step away from phones and social media and focus on face-to-face connections. Activities include nature walks, fire-building, ropes courses, archery and community-building exercises. For Grade 12 students who return as mentors, the camp is an opportunity to help new students make the same connections they did when they were in Grade 9. Submitted image

Hospice – Hooves for Hospice, now in its ninth year, raised a total of $11,000 for Hospice Wellington at this year’s event, which took place Oct. 17 and saw 25 riders participate. The ride covered eight interconnecting trails provided by several landowners on 4th Line. The landowners provide access to their interconnecting properties each year so riders can enjoy the private trails. This year’s top fundraiser was Nina Gale, who raised $1,700. PHOTO 1: Organizer Lynn Smiley, second from left, poses with fellow riders and a few neighbours. PHOTO 2: Mark Cripps from the Fergus Pipe Band played the group out for their ride. Photos by Ellouise Thompson

Donation – On Oct. 16 Co-Operators presented a $10,000 cheque to Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington to support programs such as Project Lockdown. Delivered in partnership with the Guelph Police, Project Lockdown helps residents protect their vehicles by providing auto theft education and awareness. “Auto theft continues to affect communities across Ontario, and addressing it requires a collaborative approach,” said Tara Laidman, Co-Operators vice president, home and auto insurance. “We’re proud to support Crime Stoppers and programs like Project Lockdown that help our local communities to better protect their vehicles and reduce of the risk of auto theft.” From left: Laidman, Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington vice chair Jennifer Muli and Patrick Seward, associate advisor at Co-operators - Craig Janzen and Associates. Photo by Ellouise Thompson

Honoured – The rain did little to stop the crowd on Oct. 4 as community members, council officials and Tree Trust dignitaries gathered to celebrate this year’s Tree of the Year. The tree, a copper beech, is located at 104 McNab St. E. in Elora and is owned by Dan and Tracy McNulty. PHOTO 1: From left, Centre Wellington mayor Shawn Watters, Tracy and Dan McNulty. PHOTO 2: Tree Trust arborist Phil Guenter discusses the 150 year old tree. Photos by Ellouise Thompson

Appreciation night – The Groves Hospital Foundation’s 2026 Donor Appreciation Night took place on Oct. 15. Donors included the Belwood and District Lions Club. Event organizer Sara Sheehan, left, stands with Lions Club president E. George Woodley. Submitted photo

Partnership – The Grand Quilt Guild of Centre Wellington has partnered with the Children’s Foundation of Guelph Adopt-A-Family Program. Members have sewn over 300 gift bags and 20 childrens’ quilts for the program. The program matches families who need support during the holiday season with donors who shop for tangible gifts and grocery gift cards. Families are referred to the program by community agencies in Wellington County and Guelph. According to program director Megan Harron, the need has increaased year after year with demand growing 20% in the last four years. From left: Program manager Tammy O’Connor, guild outreach coordinator Maryann Chisholm and guild member Sue Graham. Submitted photo

Halloween Harvest – The second annual Halloween Harvest drew families to Clifford Rotary Celebration Square on Oct. 17 for an evening of seasonal fun, contests, treats and activities. Hosted by the Clifford Connects committee, the free event ran from 5 to 8pm and was teeming with witches, wizards, superheroes and scores of creative characters all enjoying the spookiness of the season. Contests included costume, pumpkin carving, scarecrow making and pie eating. PHOTO 1: Front row, from left: Emma Rose, Elyse Rose, Evan Rose and Kaz Hunt. Back: Bridget Rose, Arya and Chris Hunt. PHOTO 2: Pint-sized firefighter Klayton Thompson, 4, gives a thumbs up while climbing aboard a fire truck. He is joined by sister Brynlee, 2, and future firefighter Emma Ellis. Photos by Sue Hogenkamp

Donation – Blessings to You Palmerston donated $750 to the Palmerston Ag Society to help support the Ambassador of the Fair competition. From left, Celeste Signer, Kim Moroz (coordinator), Felicity Signer (junior ambassador), Emeline Zemmelink (ambassador), Emma Schafrick and Bilha Nucamendi. Submitted photo

Butt Blitz – The Mount Forest Green Team collected thousands of cigarette butts at the Mount Forest and District Sports Complex and the Louise Marshall Hospital parking lots on Oct. 3, to be recycled by TerraCycle. From left: Daphne Rappard, Rhoda Seibert and Wayne Allen. Submitted photo

Showdown – Nearly 200 Wellington Heights Secondary School students participated in the school’s annual Heights Showdown event, where teams of 10 students dressed up in costumes and participated in creative physical activities outside on the school grounds. The goals of the event are to promote school spirit, to encourage physical activity and to foster teamwork and collaboration while having fun with peers. Students participated in a variety of activities such as a relay race, beach volleyball with a giant ball and water bottle launching. PHOTO 1: Students participating in a relay race. PHOTO 2: The Bob Squad, from left: Clara Corrigan, Myah Tupling, Reagan Driscoll, Ashtyn Truax, Gracelyn Foerster, Jocelyn Hutchison, Ava Reeves, Beth Van Dongen, Brittany Nicholson and Addison Needham. PHOTO 3: Jude White and the Nine Dwarfs, from left, Faith Fuller, Keady Bodendistle, Grace Holliday, Sierra Bambach, Jude Lodge, Lilly Fowlie, Gracie Rundle, Samantha Ball and Julia Gilbert. Submitted photos