John Nater

A proud Jr Kindergartener in the Nater household this week! Bennett reached the milestone of reading 100 books. We are very proud of the little guy and thankful for his great teachers who inspire him to read!

Canadians join with their Commonwealth partners in mourning the death of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. As the longest-lived Consort, Prince Philip has led a life of service.

The Annual Swan Parade may have been cancelled, but Caroline can report that the swans are back on the Avon River in StratfordON!

Green Shirt Day honours the gift of life given by Humboldt Broncos’ player, Logan Boulet. The #LoganBouletEffect saw 150,000 people register as organ donors following his example. Please have this conversation with your loved ones. In Ontario, you can register at: https://beadonor.ca/

The kids are wearing blue today in support of World Autism Month. Canada needs a comprehensive National Autism Strategy to support families and create a more inclusive country.

Happy Easter from the Nater Family!

A great story about the generosity of the Town of St. Marys community! Thank you to the anonymous donor for thinking of the St. Marys Fire Department. And, as always, thank you to all first responders for always being there. https://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com//anonymous-12k-donat

I enjoyed meeting with representatives from the Young Cattlemen's Council (especially since one of the reps was a fellow Logan Township lad!). It's encouraging to hear how the beef industry is showing leadership on a number of fronts.

This week we celebrate #MarchForMeals in support of Meals on Wheels! It was great to hear about how VON - Wellington, Waterloo, Dufferin has been working hard with their many community volunteers to continue to serve the community in spite of the challenges of COVID-19.

We are sporting our mismatched socks today for World Down Syndrome Day. Let’s celebrate the contributions and accomplishments of all people with Down Syndrome who enrich the lives of so many! #LotsOfSocks

Always a great discussion with ag leaders at the annual Perth County Federation of Agriculture Spring Forum!

I am saddened to hear of the passing of our High School English teacher, Mr. Sam Young. He taught students in five separate decades and no one he taught will soon forget his lessons on the proper use of punctuation in writing. On our last day of OAC English Class, Mr. Young recited to us the words of Lord Tennyson, I am a part of all that I have met. While he explained to us how much he benefited from having known each of us, in reality it was we his students who benefit...ed from his sometimes stern, but always compassionate style of teaching. In the words of Shakespeare, we shall not look upon his like again. https://memorials.lockhartfuneralhome.com/samuel-y/4514797/

Today marks the start of Black History Month in Canada. One of the many stories that’s worth reading is that of these three young Black men who played hockey in Mount Forest in the 1950s: Howard Sheffield, Arthur Lowe and Gary Smith. https://www.cbc.ca//mount-forest-redmen-black-hockey-1.546

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Today marks 10 years since North Perth lost two of its finest citizens: Deputy Chief Kenneth Rea and Firefighter Ray Walter in the tragic Dollar Store fire. In Ottawa, Ray and Ken’s names are forever memorialized on the Canadian Firefighters Memorial. Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Bennett’s Kindergarten Class made bread this afternoon during online learning (and Ainsley supervised the process)! I know most of us are eager to see the kids back in school, but until then: thank you to all those educators who are going above and beyond to make online learning fun!

Last week, I enjoyed meeting (virtually) with Danielle and Michelle from Feeding Your Future. As those in our community know, there are many exciting jobs and opportunities in the agriculture and agri-food industry. One exciting project that is now available is an online course delivered in partnership with University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus. Check it out! https://feedingyourfuture.ca//ontario-agriculture-worker-/

Today is #BellLetsTalk Day! Mental health does not discriminate. But we can (and we must) end the stigma around mental health. Reach out to your friends, your family, your colleagues: ask them if they're okay. If you need help, please reach out. Thank you to CMHA Huron Perth and CMHA Waterloo Wellington for their work to provide services and resources to help promote mental health.