MEOTA — The village has been a busy place recently as the Christmas lights have been put up on the power poles making the evenings brighter. There is action at the skating and curling rinks where the ice is being installed, so there will soon be activities over there.
The bridge players gathered Nov.15 with three tables in play. Nov. 15 winners were Gerry Craig and Mary Phelps, with Donna Scherman and Catriona Winterholt second. Nov. 17, again with three tables, saw the winner again Gerry Craig and Mary Phelps, and tied for next spot were Margaret Dyck and Dave Creegan, along with Jean Lawes and Fraser Glen.
Two films were shown at the Do Drop In Nov. 14, arranged by Vivianne Lesko. The projector was operated by Trudy Janssens. The films were borrowed from the Yorkton Film Festival. The first film was Esther and Sai, two young nursing students, new to the country, in Vancouver. They endured racism and homesickness. A night of loneliness and self doubt threatened to unravel them, but they found each other and a kindred spirit sparked. The second film was Incorrigible about Velma Demerson in 1939. She was jailed in Ontario for falling in love with a Chinese man. She endured mistreatment and torture. Many years after her release she sued the Ontario government for wrongful incarceration and until her death at age 98, she continued to fight for the rights of thousands of women imprisoned on the grounds of incorrigibility until 1964. There will be more films shown in January.
The funeral service for the 95-year-old Dorothy Ray was held in the Meota Community Complex Nov. 18 with a full-house crowd attending. This showed that she was well respected and loved by the community and her family for a very long time.
Canasta was played at the Do Drop In Nov. 17 but some folks attended the funeral before going to play cards, so there were no official winners, but a nice social afternoon.
The Meota Lakeshore Lions Club have their plans in order for a New Years Eve dance to be held in the Community Complex. You can start dancing at 7 p.m. to Entertainment. Admission is $20. There will be one $1,000 door prize for someone present at the time of the draw and a 50/50 draw with a guaranteed worth of no less than $500. So, it's sounding pretty exciting and be sure to include this in your future plans. More details will be put out before that date.
A Remembrance Day service was held at Meota Community Centre. It was well attended by many, from children to grandparents.
Readings included In Flanders Fields read by Bob Zurowski and Response to In Flanders Fields by Linda Ard.
Two speakers highlighted the service. Rev. Father Barry Tkatchuk (veteran) provided a thoughtful and thought-provoking reflection. Leo Janssens shared his memories of living as a child in Holland during the Nazi occupation of the Second World War.
Wreaths were laid by local dignitaries including veteran Ray Knowles.
