Featured Pictures

Thank you to Reverend Jan for bringing some white and red into this year's Canada Service. How blessed and lucky we are to live in this Country with its freedoms and beauties!

May we harness these aspects and bring aid and positive change to less fortunate countries.

Many hands joined together to get things ready for the annual Plant & Bake Sale at the Primrose Church. A big thank you to all who came out - including the sun - to organize and carry plants on the Friday before the sale, and on the Saturday Sale day itself. Vendors boasted their wares, including The Al Diri family who sold delicious Syrian food!

Singers and musicians had congregations at Trinity Primrose United Church and High Country United Church in Camila clapping their hands and tapping their feet to Gospel. Our own Bruce Ley led the musical collaboration. Local band members, and local favourite Gary Hyssop on vocals, rocked the pews while Reverend Jan spread joy and hope in her sparkly cowboy hat!

After a successful Plant and Bake Sale meeting, everyone grabbed a shovel, rake or trowel and spring cleaned the Primrose Meditation Garden. Daffodils and Pasque flowers are proving that April showers bring May flowers. Perennials were dug up and potted in preparation for the upcoming May 11th Plant and Bake Sale.

In honour of Easter Sunday, the Trinity Primrose Choir and music director Bruce donned their festive robes. A meaningful and uplifting service was led by Rev. Candice Bist, while the choir gave voice to some favourite and joyful Easter hymns.

Trinity Primrose Church kicked off the beginning of six months with Reverend Jan ministering, with a delicious brunch. Thanks to Wendy & Ed, Shelley & Paul, Deb & Wayne, Diane and Sabine (well really the thank you goes to Sabine’s hens!) The menu consisted of cooked ham, home made home fries & muffins, and farm fresh eggs. Here’s to a wonderful six months!

Beautiful, sweet Ontario strawberries conjure memories of socials, family time at reunions or strawberry picking and making beautiful strawberry creations with cakes and jams. Join us to make new memories and kick off the beginning of summer.

There are signs of changes happening in our seasons. The Shelburne-Primrose Pastural Charge is also in transition as the quartet finishes this Sunday offering a variety of speakers with discussion on how the church is relevant, but not just Sunday morning. Please join us as we make the transition to welcome Valerie Vande Wiele on September 12.

This is a fun time of year to harvest our gardens and taste the freshness. There is a lot going on in the world out there, but simplicity such as fresh vegetables from the garden helps to ground us and appreciate the beauty of this earth.

Mary Simon is Canada's 30th Governor General, the first Indigenous person to ever hold the position. She praised Canada on their "selflessness" and vowed to "bring people together".

We are blessed to have such beautiful landscape in our community. We have the opportunity to be grounded in our daily endeavours which reminds us: whatever's good for your soul... do that.

The community gardens in Shelburne are showing great abundance. The gardens are full of beautiful plants that have been nurtured and fed. This is a successful project to bring people together and bring beauty to the park in Shelburne.

Meditation: a practice to use a technique to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. The meditation at Primrose is in full glory and beauty and enables a calm and stable state during times of upsets and difficulties. Thank you, Primrose.

The pandemic and news has been heavy this past year. My hope is that during the summer everyone has a chance to take a time out and enjoy some simplicity and the wonder of this beautiful country we live in.

June is Pride month and pride flags are being flown at all the schools in Shelburne. The flag has represented pride since 1978 but flags and symbols are still vandalized. Waving the flag symbolizes positive support to encourage dialogue and social interaction. This makes our community stronger and a better place for all to live harmoniously.

Soha is in Grade 10 at Centre Dufferin High School. She spoke passionately how the horrific hate crime in London has affected her. She expressed her fear when she goes outside for a walk looking over her shoulder all the time.... wondering if she will be made fun of or will someone try to pull of her hijab/head covering. We also heard about her neighbourhood where people from many countries and faiths live together and how amazing Canada is when diverse people live together peacefully. Let's all work towards Peace!

This has been a difficult week to once again come to terms with the shameful legacy of residential schools in our country. The Town of Shelburne has lowered its flags to half-mast to honour the lives and spirits of the 215 children in Kamloops and others in unmarked graves.

The Town of Shelburne has created a community garden where people can come together to grow a variety of vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers. Shelburne residents can rent individual plots or raised garden beds which is located at Fiddle Park. Community gardens are known to have many benefits such as food source awareness and positive environmental impacts. What a great addition to our community.

You met Daisy on May 9th when we celebrated all mothers. Daisy is now the proud mother of Dalia, Daffodil and Dandelion—2 doelings and 1 buckling at 1 day old. May 9th was also Rural Life Sunday, so here is a tribute to Rural Life... precious and sweet.

The closure of buildings and stopping activities has meant that we have not been able to keep our traditions. Erma Lepard has a tradition by acts of kindness to all mothers on Mother's Day. This year she surprised mothers living in Shelburne by delivering a rose. Thank you Erma, for your kindness and keeping the tradition.

It was a challenge to get a picture of this family. We celebrate all Mothers this Sunday. May you have time to reflect and connect with all Mothers that have touched your life. "Life doesn't come with a manual, it comes with a mother.” — Unknown

My daughter loves orchids and gives them to me on special occasions. Orchids are a popular houseplant all over the world, but at one point in time, they all originated in Asia.

Orchids grow best in a porous medium, like bark, with excellent drainage because in the wild, orchids grow on the bark of trees instead of in soil. Blessed to enjoy so many gifts from different parts of the world.

Sunday, April 25 is Camping day, so go camping. Ok... camping may not appeal to everyone but we are so fortunate to live in Dufferin County to experience beautiful nature. Albert Einstein said it well: “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” — Native American Proverb

April 18 is Earth Sunday. Earth Day is April 22, which is recognized globally by 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. Thank you Maryam, Mathew, and Stela for helping to beautify our earth.

It was a battle of wills to get a picture of this visitor in the garden at Trinity United Church. The pandemic has allowed time to slow down and be in the moment. The beauty of nature in spring surrounds us each day and reminds us of God's wonderful creations and re-birth.

The news about the pandemic this week is discouraging but we will always continue to look forward with Hope. The Easter Lily with its trumpet shaped blooms announce the arrival of spring and the joy of resurrection. We anticipate the resurgence of everyday activities while we are blessed to live in a country that has a Health Care system and working hard to get vaccines.

Best wishes to you this Easter. May your life be blessed with joy and prosperity.

This is Fred and he lives in the Hills of Beautiful Mulmur. The significance of Jesus riding on a donkey on Palm Sunday was he was solemnly entering as a humble King of Peace rather than a war-waging king arriving on a horse. May Peace be with you and your Loved ones as we enter into this Holy Week.

Spring is a time of new beginnings and fresh starts. We eagerly anticipate the beauty that emerges from dirt and watch as the little buds on the trees evolve into beautiful blossoms and foliage. The season of Lent allows us to slow down and watch as the beauty unfolds.

This Jordanian family of 8 is standing in front of the tent they have been calling home for 8 years in a refugee camp. They have recently been called for an interview by the Canadian Embassy in Amman!

International Women's Day is Monday, March 8. This purple scarf is from Family Transition Home in Orangeville. Purple signifies justice and dignity. The words "courage" and "Not alone" are inscribed on the scarf. The first gathering of International Women's Day was in 1911. The church is partnered with Rural Response, a local Shelburne-centred initiative of Family Transition.

Gabby Spencer and Azaria Gallimore are beautiful, articulate young women who are part of the Black Chapter group at Centre Dufferin District High School in Shelburne. They made a video called Hair Love. The message of the video is simple—Love yourself! Students of the Black Chapter were interviewed by Craig Norris on K-W CBC- The Morning Edition about the attention they received from this video. Take a look at the video.

After 141 years the Shelburne Police Services has been replaced by the OPP effective February 18, 2021. We are grateful to Shelburne Police Services for the services they provided to our community.

On February 20 at 1pm there is a panel discussion called Solidarity in my Community hosted by the Dufferin County Canadian Black Association and you can access the live stream on the Museum of Dufferin website. The panel includes Canadian artists, poets, Sylvia Jones, Solicitor General of Ontario, Kyle Seeback , MP for Dufferin-Caledon, Alethia O'Hara-Stephenson, President of DCCBA and Steve Anderson, Deputy Mayor of Shelburne. They will discuss opportunities for the Dufferin community to come together as a unified force, and what these actions mean for the future. www.dufferinmuseum.com

The Pan African Flag is raised at the Museum of Dufferin. The Museum and the Town of Shelburne declared February Black History Month to acknowledge and honour the historical and present contributions of Black Canadians.

During this month we will share stories to celebrate the contributions of Black Canadians to our economic, cultural, spiritual and political development. Black History is Canadian History!

In the quest to get pictures, I got stuck in the ditch. I had 3 people stop to help me, 1 person went home to get straps to pull me out of the ditch and my neighbour came to make sure I was ok. Feeling Blessed, to be living in the beautiful Dufferin Hi-Lands and feel a sense of community, during this pandemic "Lockdown".

Mary Hardick will be celebrating her 95th Birthday on January 26, 2021.

Mary was very active in the life of Trinity United Church since she and her husband moved to Shelburne in 1952. She was a member of the choir, UCW and Sunday School. She really misses going to church and seeing her church family but she really appreciates visits from Geraldine and getting news. She is interested in life around her, keeping up with the news and business of the world, reads the newspaper every day and can discuss politics anytime. She enjoys her six grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren but does miss seeing them during this extraordinary time.

Mary has 3 daughters , Dale, Joan and Mary Lynn and her sister Margaret who is 91.

Mary and her husband had a jewelry store on Main Street in Shelburne for many years and were active, well known and beloved in the community.

Mary would love to receive a note or card from her friends to celebrate this very special birthday. Address: Box 92, 641 Owen Sound Street, Shelburne, L9V 2W9

Our first two residents at Shelburne LTC receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccination process has started in our community for front line workers and vulnerable people in our community. We are grateful for the people who worked so hard to bring hope and light for the future.

Bruce may be busy keeping the driveway clear this winter, but he also continues on as musical director for the SPPC. Watch for his musical video suggestions starting next week!

What a wonderful parade! And so many thoughtful gifts and cards. Your generosity eases my leaving, for it is a sweet parting. My every blessing for all that is about to unfold in 2021.

Trinity’s sanctuary was filled with toys that had been gathered by Bobbi Ferguson and her team as part of the Shelburne Hamper Assistance Program. So grateful to see our space used by the community. It might not be the usual picture of everyone gathered singing carols, but it reminds us that our building is to be shared and used for other purposes than our own. Grateful thanks to the various service clubs, other churches, and individual businesses and people who made it possible.

We won’t be able to see our full choir this Christmas Eve, but you will be able to hear some of them singing never the less. And we hope you will be singing along with them.

We enter the season of Christmastide next Thursday. Watch for our Christmas Eve Service, not in person, but on podcast, and there to share with others.

Christmas may be different this year, but there is no reason why it need be any less joyful. For joy is born of deep gratitude for the many graces known and unknown in our lives. Allow the divine spirit to offer you joy, no matter the circumstances that surround you.

Well, we knew it was coming eventually. And here it is - full on winter. Think of the snow as Advent’s gift of slowing everything down. We are in a season of reflection. Let winter be your guide.

Our beloved Wilena died this last week in her 94th year. Under the pandemic protocols, only a small family service could be held. But you can read the full service, with granddaughter Michelle Sage’s wonderful eulogy, in the minister’s blog.

Happy 80th Birthday to our wonderful Fran, with her wonderful laugh, her quick mind for math, and her cheerful countenance. Wishing you the best of blessings this special day.

Three of our beloved older ladies are currently in the Dufferin Oaks - Helen Lyon, Helen McKelvie and Wilena Flear. No visitors are allowed other than a family member. Please to keep them all in your thoughts and prayers as they live through this difficult time without the extra companionship that visitors provide.

Though unable to gather for a Remembrance Day Service in the usual way this year due to the pandemic, the local heroes banners will be put up around Shelburne, so watch for them. Remember. And then work towards a world where war is a tale of long ago.

For the last eight years, the Rev. Blair has been serving in the General Council Office, Toronto, as the Executive Minister, Church in Mission Unit, which maintains the relationships with overseas partners, develops faith formation resources for the church and initiates advocacy campaigns for the denomination. Welcome, Michael!

The last time we saw Nicole, was weeks before her beautiful son Marley was born. Look at the size of him now! Jamie was helping Nicole and Morley move this weekend. We wish Nicole and Morley every blessing in their new home.

Bob Webb died this last Wednesday morning. We hold Marion, Nevin and Tamela and the extended family in our hearts and thoughts this week.

It is never too early to shop for Christmas, as Gwynn knows well! Thanks to everyone who came out to support the Primrose Fall Fundraiser on a very cold Saturday.

It was not so long ago that we were able to gather in close proximity to one another and sing together and see our whole faces. It is a good reminder to be grateful for the simplest things, for one never knows when circumstances may take away what we once took for granted.

A wonderful gathering to support four traditional musicians who make their living playing live, for real people, in real places, in real time. Every blessing for their continued musical magic.

With the first frost this week in our area, there is a shift in the landscape. Stand in awe at the beauty of autumn - the liturgical season of creation - and know yourself to be the fortunate recipient of nature’s generous, timeless gift of wonder.

Enormous mums and fall plantings, irises and hostas were hand delivered by masked ladies at Primrose this Saturday. An inventive fundraiser, and excellent plant materials!

With Cov-id 19, the gardening gals at Primrose got inventive with their fall on line plant sale. Pick up is next Saturday 8 am - 11 at Primrose United Church. We missed the spring plant sale, so let’s hope to see it back in 2021.

Helping out at Horizons Christmas Dinner

From the wonderful Spirit Touches Art Touches Spirit Extravaganza, October, 2016

Jim turns 93 years of age this Sunday August 16th.

He is always available for window visits!

But no inside visits yet at the Shelburne Residence.

Isn't this the sweetest picture of Loretta Foster when she was a young woman? I see she loved gardening then too.

The On-line Primrose Plant sale has begun!

This weekend we celebrated spring.

Labour Day Weekend, you can feel the autumn approaching. Bundle up. Enjoy the sweetness of September

After a successful Plant and Bake Sale meeting at the Primrose Church, everyone grabbed a shovel, a rake or a garden trowel, joining in on a spring cleaning of the Primrose Meditation Garden. Daffodils, Pasque flowers and an assortment of rock garden flowers are showing their colours, proving that April showers do indeed bring May flowers. Perennials were dug up and potted in preperation for the May 11 MOther’s Day Plant and Bake Sale.