Patrick Raftis

Among my favorite movies is The Butterfly Effect. The 2004 film features Ashton Kutcher as a troubled time traveller who discovers, to his chagrin, that attempts to correct mistakes in the past can generate unintended consequences for the future. “Change one thing – change everything” as the promotional tag line goes. The film was only…

An official grand opening was held for Stacked Pancake and Breakfast House in Listowel on June 27. North Perth Mayor Todd Kasenberg, front row centre, with owners Romy Sharma to his left and Hitang Singla to his right, joined with staff members, well wishers and Community Living North Perth (CLNP) clients to cut the ribbon. Denis Gordon-Smith of CLNP (beside Sharma) says the restraurant has been a big supporter of the agency’s fundraising efforts. To the right of Singla is Dave Meulensteen, who owns the property on which the new restaurant is located. (Patrick Raftis photo)

WINGHAM –The cenotaph was originally dedicated on Aug. 26, 1924, at a ceremony that featured an address by Sir Arthur Currie, Commander of the Canadian Armed Forces in France. The 17-foot tall monument, topped by a bronze statue of a soldier in full marching order, was built for just over $7,000. Local resident Margaret Stapleton,…

We’ve been critical in recent (and not-so-recent) weeks, of numerous initiatives of Premier Doug Ford’s Conservative Ontario government, so it seems only fair to shine a light on a positive development emanating from that corner. This past week, the province directed Ontario’s Crown corporations such as the LCBO, the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation, the Ontario…

With every Olympic Games there are stories of triumph and disappointment and the 33rd Olympiad currently underway in Paris will be no different. A story many residents of this area will follow as the men’s golfing event (slated to start July 31) gets underway will be the quest for gold of Listowel hometown favourite Cory…

A children’s fishing derby will be among the fun activities during the Bluevale Homecoming 2024 celebrations Aug. 9 to 11. (Midwestern Newspapers file photo)

A push from Bruce County council to have the province reconcile its approach to health care in this area with the region’s importance to Ontario’s economy and social fabric is garnering support from local municipalities. South Bruce Council, at its July 23 meeting, became the latest to endorse the county’s call for the province to…

Fifty-year milestones are understandably rare for community organizations, but there are several coming up in our area within the next couple of weeks. The Atwood Fire Department is holding a half-century celebration on Sept. 7. A history of the station and the firefighters who made up its ranks can be found in last week’s issue…

LISTOWEL – North Perth Malayalee Samaajam (NPMS), hosted an Onam celebration at the Agricultural Hall here on Sept. 7. Onam is “a significant and joyous festival for the Malayali community,” explained NPMS President Jomy George in an email to the Listowel Banner. NPMS is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving people from Kerala, India, living…

News last week that more than a million people living in Ontario turned to food banks over a 12-month period starting in the spring of 2023, should be concerning to us all. According to new data collected Feed Ontario, a network of more than 1,200 food banks and hunger-relief organizations across the province, said a…