LOCAL HEADLINES

Capitol Arts Market in Simcoe can be an inspiration for both artists and artisans, and the community as a whole. Debbie Near, one of 23 artists and artisans currently exhibiting and selling at the Capitol Arts Market, paints in all mediums, including acrylic and oil. She has been at the Capitol market for two years.

For over 50 years, Dan McCutcheon has been selling local produce. What started in 1970 as a job selling produce at local farmers’ markets turned into a full-time passion rooted in local farms, fresh produce, and community trust. “I worked at CIBC for four years and then in 1981, I expanded to the Simcoe Farmers’ Market,” said McCutcheon, who is known at the market as Dan Dan the Mushroom Man.

Considering the fact that all eight freshwater turtle species in Canada are in decline, a joint project involving the Long Point Biosphere Region and Long Point Eco-Adventures Resort and Retreat Centre is a timely one.

Every step, clap and dance move at ZumbaThon for Hope 2.0 will go toward helping children in Tanzania, as Tumaini Children’s Foundation brings its lively fundraiser back to Simcoe. The second ZumbaThon fundraiser will run from 1-3:30 p.m. at Final Touch Women’s Fitness, 10 Park Road, Simcoe on Sept. 7. The fundraising event will cost $25 per person, there will be a market table and refreshments that people can additionally purchase, with all proceeds donated to raise funds f

Illusionist Lucas Wilson, holder of four Guinness World Records, might be slowing down his performances a little these days, but he’s still amazing people - young and old - across the province. Big crowds, smaller crowds, he and his talented assistant Catherine entertain them all with humorous and eye-popping magic tricks and illusions as they did during three shows at the 2025 Simcoe Heritage Friendship Festival on August 2nd.

The 2025 Simcoe Heritage Friendship Festival was a celebration of Norfolk music and arts. Held August 1st to 4th at Wellington, Clifton and Lynnwood Parks, and this year adding an Argyle Street kickoff party, the four-day festival featured local entertainment, vendors, food trucks and fun, reached out beyond Norfolk.

Some ducks just float faster than others.There was, admittedly, some luck involved in the annual ABEL Enterprises Duck Race on Monday, August 4th, during the 2025 Simcoe Heritage Friendship Festival. It was not aerodynamics. Theoretically, it wasn’t weight, length, wingspan or height that enabled a handful of rubber ducks to lead the pack of 750 – upright or on their side the entire race – floating from overhead bridge to bridge down the shallow, meandering Lynn River.

Aalanna Rusnak of Courtland is taking her pageant career to the next level this week competing at Miss World Canada, August 12-17, in Vaughan. “It’s a lot more intense, a lot more goes into it,” said Rusnak in the days leading up to the national pageant. “Basically, everything is taken up like 10 notches and it’s like a whole different ball game. Girls are more prepared… it’s not like Teens, this isn’t their first time competing, they know what to expect, they’re more season

If you’re tired of watching summer reruns, there’s a different show running outdoors until August 24: the annual Perseid meteor shower. Though the shower began July 17 and peaked around August 12, there’s still plenty of time to catch the action.

Community legend and volunteer Iris Smith is bringing vintage flair and community spirit to support the Norfolk General Hospital Foundation with a glamourous fundraising ‘Speakeasy’ on Nov. 1. Over the years, Smith has collaborated with the NGH Foundation to bring creative and successful fundraising events to life. In 2023, they hosted The Mad Hatter Tea Party, and in 2024, guests were transported to the tropical paradise of Iris’s Luau.

Blind and visually impaired golfers from across Canada gathered in Norfolk County early in August for a week of championship tournaments. The Blind Golf Canada Championships returned to The Green at Renton where visually impaired golfers played in the Ontario Provincials Championship, August 1-2 (Stableford format); the ISPS Handa Canadian Open, August 4-5; and concluded with the International Blind Golf Association World Championships, August 7-8.

Paul DeCloet and his family are doing their part to preserve unique Carolinian forests in Norfolk County. DeCloet, a retired Norfolk farmer and philanthropist now living in Tillsonburg, previously donated the Paul DeCloet Forest to Norfolk County in 2021. That donation safeguarded a biodiverse area home to 26 tree species, including unique Carolinian varieties such as tulip trees and sassafras. When Paul saw a 50-acre parcel across the road from the Paul DeCloet Forest for

Lighthouse Festival Theatre’s latest production, Pinkerton Comes to Prospect, is a witty swashbuckling western comedy the community is sure to enjoy. On stage in Port Dover from July 30 to August 16, and in Port Colborne August 20-31, it is brimming with colourful characters and snappy dialogue. Our main character Herschel Penkerton arrives in the town of Prospect and is quickly mistaken for a legendary gunman. As Penkerton tries to stay alive and tries to flirt with Lacey,

Illusionist Lucas Wilson, holder of four Guinness World Records, might be slowing down his performances a little these days, but he’s still amazing people - young and old - across the province. Big crowds, smaller crowds, he and his talented assistant Catherine entertain them all with humorous and eye-popping magic tricks and illusions as they did during three shows at the 2025 Simcoe Heritage Friendship Festival on August 2nd.

For generations, the Junior Prize Book has been a cornerstone of the Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show, giving youth a chance to showcase their creativity, compete for prizes and take pride in their accomplishments. “There’s something critical about the process," said Angela Hogeveen, general manager at the Norfolk County Agricultural Society. “Especially when it comes to arts and crafts. Children flip through the Junior Prize Book, choose a category and division that excit

Two local golfers will be competing at the 2025 Special Olympics North America (SONA) Golf Championship, August 25-28 in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania. Level 5 golfers AnnMarie D’Hondt, from Courtland, and Rick Buck, from Tillsonburg, will experience the Penn National Golf Club in Fayetteville, a four-star, 36-hole course. More than 250 athletes, Unified partners and coaches from the United States and Canada are expected at the four-day event. Level 5 will be divided into multi

Norfolk County has long been known for its ideal growing conditions and the variety and diversity of the crops we produce. Local farmers have put us on the map and continue to make Norfolk the go-to place for some of the tastiest crops around. Longtime family-run farms are a huge part of that success and I recently met two of the next generation farming successes.

Hannah Dolson performs on the side stage. Alex Hunt  Advocate Correspondent Over 40 performers, including Norfolk’s Juno-nominated...

Youth dancers from the Lisa Naves Dance Company have returned home with national accolades after a standout performance at the 2025 Dance Canada Solo Finals, held June 30 to July 6 at the historic Sanderson Centre in Brantford. The prestigious event brought together top soloists from across Ontario, Manitoba, and Quebec, all of whom earned their place through a ‘golden ticket’ invitation - awarded to dancers who achieved exceptional scores during the 2025 Dance Canada compet

An apartment building that will include 10 rent-geared-to-income units is one step closer to reality. Norfolk councillors approved a zoning bylaw amendment request by the Haldimand Norfolk Housing Corporation for a property on Gibralter Street near Ewell Street in Delhi. The amendment paves the way for the three-storey, 25-unit build.