LOCAL HEADLINES

What started as a dream for a 10-year-old girl from Exeter has become reality for a local barrel racer. Olivia Den Hollander, a barrel racer who competes in events including the Exeter Rodeo, is packing her bags and heading south of the border to join the Sam Houston State University rodeo team in Texas on a scholarship that makes it all possible.

By John Miner South Huron candidate for mayor Maureen Cole has organized an all-candidates meeting for later this month and sent out invitations, but it’s uncertain if other candidates will participate. Some have said they definitely won’t be there. Candidate Aaron Neeb said typically all-candidates meetings are hosted by a neutral third party organization with a moderator to ensure fairness and transparency for the public and the candidates. “I have serious concerns about th

Depending on when you find this issue of the Exeter Examiner in your hands, you may have a fantastic opportunity to experience the wonders of our universe ahead of you. This year, we’re particularly lucky that two fascinating astronomical events will be happening on the same day.

Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health is pleased to welcome a new Student Research Assistant to its Summer 2026 team. Over the course of the summer, she will support Gateway CERH’s impactful community projects and initiatives that promote research, community engagement, and rural health innovation across our local regions.

Public health units across the region are calling on all levels of government to address growing concerns about food insecurity in Ontario. In a recent press release, they said the number of households struggling to afford basic needs, including food, is growing year over year.

With just a few days until nominations close, there is now a candidate for every spot on South Huron municipal council.

An Aug. 10 house fire on Parr Line south of Varna has resulted in the death of an 82-year-old. According to Huron County OPP, emergency crews responded at about 2:45 a.m. to a reported structure fire in Bluewater.

United Way Perth-Huron is inviting the community to take to the open road in support of the organization with their newest fundraiser.

After an undefeated run at the U11 Girls Ontario Rural Softball Association (ORSA), a local team of players were crowned provincial champions. The fresh squad, made up of players from local Zurich and Exeter teams, was venturing into a more intense competitive landscape for the first time as they set off to compete in the provincial championships in Innerkip on July 4 and 5.

A community tradition that has lasted generations is returning to Zurich this month, bringing neighbours and visitors together in a celebration of the area’s agricultural roots. The Zurich Bean Festival will kick off Friday, Aug. 21 with an evening of entertainment and attractions including food trucks and a midway at 5 p.m. Fan favourites Chemically Altered and Tasty Newz will take to the main stage that evening.

The Exeter Examiner is pleased to welcome our newest member of the team, Mackenzie Hodgins.

The dog park issue continues to dog South Huron council. At its latest meeting, council received a report from staff on what people thought about locating a dog park in Exeter.

The future is now. At least that’s the sentiment we’re hearing repeated like a broken record from artificial intelligence (AI) companies. They say we are entering a new age of advanced technology that promises greater efficiency and innovation, all thanks to this new invention that has become accessible to the world.

The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority is asking for the public’s input into management of what has turned out to be the authority’s most heavily used conservation area. Cellphone data collected by Huron County indicates that the South Huron trail, running through the Morrison Dam Conservation Area and connecting to McNaughton Park in Exeter, was visited 91,064 times in 2024, with an average visit duration of 30.3 minutes.

South Huron council has adopted a bylaw to triple development charges on Jan. 1, 2027, but that might not be the end of the story. The charge for building a single-family detached dwelling in the municipality is going from the current $6,467 to $19,131.

The area’s newest vineyard has opened its doors to the public, creating a new place in the community where tourists and locals alike can find wine, dining and experiences fuelled by local products.

South Huron doesn’t own the beach next to Port Blake Day Park, but Coun. Marissa Vaughan would like the municipality to clean it up anyway. “The fact of the matter is, people are not picking up their garbage and it looks disgusting,” Vaughan told a recent council meeting.

Upheaval in the world energy markets is hitting South Huron municipal projects, adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to the costs. “As they say, the chickens are coming home to roost. We are now paying the price,” Don Giberson, general manager of infrastructure and development, told a recent council meeting.

There are many good seats available with one month remaining to file nominations papers in upcoming municipal election rates. A University of Western Ontario professor is an expert in the field of local politics and he said there were several reasons why so few people run for office including what he called the incumbency advantage.

In Dashwood, tug-of-war has long been a tradition that has lasted generations through Friedsburg Days. That tradition is now helping send a local youth team overseas to represent both their community and their country. The Bluewater Youth Tug-of-War team is gearing up to compete in the annual GENSB International Junior Tug-of-War Tournament for a second time, which is taking place in Switzerland on Saturday, Aug. 29. The tournament is hosted annually by the founding members