Guest Speakers for 2024-25
Presenter: No meetings in July and August
Topic: “Activity Showcase Event” for September meeting
There will not be a regular monthly meeting when we get together again in September. Activity Coordinator volunteers and Activity Committee volunteers will set-up tables to display details of their activity. Members will have the opportunity to visit each activity table, ask questions, sign up for the activity, and enter their name in draw for a prize. In August, an e-mail will be sent to all members with further details about the event. Plan to attend.
Below is a picture from our Annual General Meeting in June.
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Presenter: Annual General Meeting on June 11
Topic: Annual General Meeting
As promised at the last General Meeting, modifications (sent via separate email to everyone) to the Club by-laws that will be voted on at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on June 11th.
There will also be an opportunity to review and comment on last year’s finances as well as the budget for this upcoming year.
As was announced at the May general meeting, the Hanover Legion Ladies are preparing a sandwich lunch for us in June after the Annual General Meeting. If the weather doesn’t co-operate we have the option of staying at the Legion to eat and visit as will not be meeting until September. A sunny day will find us heading to the Hanover Heritage Square to enjoy visiting with each other outdoors.
Presenter: Brandon Dobson, Program Supervisor for the Town of Hanover
Topic: Hanover Age Friendly Committee
Brandon Dobson has 9 years of municipal experience, including 3 years with the Town of Hanover as the Program Supervisor in the Parks, Recreation & Culture department. He will be speaking about Hanover's Age Friendly Committee.
Brandon grew up loving sports & recreation, having played hockey, football, baseball and track & field, among others. He is extremely passionate about this community, and the role he plays within this department. He looks forward to continuing to foster relationships, and building connections in the area.
Brandon and his wife, Nicole (an RPN at Hanover Hospital), moved to Durham in 2022 and shortly after welcomed a baby girl. They are looking forward to the anticipated arrival of a baby boy this July.
Presenter: Willy Waterton & Audrey Armstrong
Topic: Hiking the Bruce Trail
Willy Waterton
A creek still bears the family name where Willy’s ancestors settled in northern Grey County during the 1840’s. A self-taught photographer, Willy Waterton spent 35 years as a fulltime photojournalist at the Owen Sound Sun Times. During his tenure as chief photographer, he oversaw the transition from black and white to colour then finally to digital. His newspaper photographs won over 100 provincial and national awards. In 1990, Willy was named Ontario News Photographers’ Association Photographer of the Year. His photographs have appeared in national and international magazines, newspapers and books including the Globe and Mail, New York Times and National Geographic. In the past, Willy was a contract photographer for both Ontario Parks and Parks Canada. His work is in public and private collections. Willy’s lifelong love for Bruce & Grey Counties has led to a commitment through his photography to interpret these special parts of the world for you to enjoy and help to protect. He is active in many community volunteer organizations including the Owen Sound Field Naturalists and Huron Fringe Birding Festival. He is also the OSFN representative for the Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park advisory committee.
Audrey Armstrong
Audrey graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in experimental art and textiles and for ten years she ran Watercress Weavery,her own weaving business. After graduating from University of Guelph and the University of Toronto, Audrey taught elementary school with the Bluewater District School Board for 25 years, receiving the Teacher of Excellence award. A presenter with the Monarch Teacher Network, Audrey has led in-depth workshops on monarch butterflies, habitat development and Voices from the Land workshops, developing visual and literary interpretations of nature in Canada and the USA. She continues her love of teaching by leading workshops for Ontario Parks and Parks Canada staff. She is active in many community volunteer organizations including the Owen Sound Field Naturalists and Huron Fringe Birding Festival. Audrey shares her passion and interest in habitat creation with the public. She is also the Ontario Nature representative for OSFN.
Presenter: R.J. Taylor
Topic: Cedar Crest Trout Farms - Springhills Fish
Springhill was given the Business Innovator Environmental Award for the humane harvesting of fish.
They started over 35 years ago when Jim and Lynette Taylor bought an old fly-fishing club. They had a big dream of building their own fish farm in Grey County. Although it took eight years of permits, they opened Cedar Crest Trout Farm in 1995 in Allan Park (just outside Hanover).
In the 2010s, the Taylors added three more land-based fish farms to meet the growing demands for sustainable fish. At the time, the business was focused on hatching young rainbow trout for sale to floating farms in northern Ontario to grow-out.
One of these newly acquired farms had a small processing plant and smokehouse, and it was called Springhills. It gave the Taylors all the ingredients they needed to expand into filleting and offering more fish.
By 2018, Springhills became the first land-based farms in central Canada to get certified by the Best Aquaculture Practices program. This held their team to the highest international standard for environmental impact, fish welfare, and social responsibility. Shortly after they were recommended by Ocean Wise too.
The Springhills family was hit hard by cancelled orders during the first weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic. So their entire team started filleting fish and asking people on Facebook if they’d want a box.
Soon so many requests came flooding in and they quickly outgrew our plant and built another much bigger one. They branched out with more types of fish, and even found other farmers and fishers for more variety.
In less than a year, they were delivering local fish to more than 1,500 homes every month nearly across the province. They launched into most grocery retailers big and small. And expanded with smoked fish and other fishy products.
Presenter: Dan Herrick, ED for Grey Bruce Makers
Topic: All About Grey Bruce Makers
Dan serves as the Executive Director at Grey Bruce Makers, a nonprofit makerspace in Owen Sound, where he combines his passions for art, design, business, and fostering community connections.
Challenged to grow Grey Bruce Makers into a self-sustaining community workspace, Dan leverages his leadership skills, creative problem-solving, and technical expertise to empower individuals of all ages to explore and develop their skills in art, design, and technology.
Dan is a versatile artist and community builder with a rich background in scenic and production design for theatre and film. Dan’s career spans over a decade and his creative work has been recognized by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, where he received a nomination for Achievement in Art Direction/Production Design.
Through his work at Grey Bruce Makers, Dan is committed to fostering innovation, collaboration, and a sense of belonging, ensuring that the makerspace continues to thrive as a hub for creativity and community engagement.