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TRUE Festival moved to summer By Ron Giofu
A festival that has become known for happening in January is being moved to the summer instead. The TRUE Festival has not appeared on the town’s tourism website at www.visitamherstburg.ca, prompting some concern and questions from people wanting to know what happened to it. The tourism department made it known Friday with a social media post that the event isn’t cancelled, it’s just being moved to a different time of year. “All events are impacted by weather but winter events can provide additional challenges for event programming,” explained manager of economic development, tourism and culture Jennifer Ibrahim. Not only do people attending the festival have to come in cold weather and deal with the possibility of snow and ice, the vendors and performers that come to town also have to come to Amherstburg in bad weather should Mother Nature not co-operate. Should a festival have to be cancelled, there would still be expenses the town would have to incur as the organizer, Ibrahim added. “So far, we’ve been lucky,” she said. Ibrahim said the TRUE Festival is being moved to a warmer weather month. It will be part of the 2026 Open Air Weekends lineup, she indicated, but exactly which weekend is unclear at this point. The festival will occur likely in June or July, Ibrahim stated, but a date has not been finalized. “We think it will give a better experience for the attendees,” said Ibrahim. “We’ll make it one of the themed weekends (of Open Air). We think it will be a better fit.” The TRUE Festival has typically had such entertainment as fire shows, drag queens, games and more and has been held on Dalhousie and Richmond streets. When a date is finalized for the TRUE Festival, Ibrahim said it will be released via social media and the town’s tourism website.
Closed Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Bryerswood kicks off year with fundraising dinner The Bryerswood Youth Camp Optimist Club (BYCOC) held its annual chicken or rib fundraising dinner last Saturday night at the Columbus Hall in River Canard. The event raised $1,600 to help fund camp operations. The next camp at Bryerswood is Jan. 16 from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
RTT PHOTO BY RON GIOFU
By Ron Giofu Members of the Bryerswood Youth Camp Optimist Club (BYCOC) were joined by people from the community in raising money for the camp over the weekend. The BYCOC, in co-operation with the River Canard Knights of Columbus, presented their annual chicken or rib dinner Saturday night at the Columbus Hall on Malden Road. Combined with the 65 tickets sold, the silent auction and 50/50 draw, the dinner raised over $1,600. BYCOC president Kathi Poupard confirmed their registrations are now open for PA Day, March Break and summer camps, with the latter offering seven weeks of activities children can be signed up for in its entirety or for portions of the summer. “Not only do we have the camps online now, we have our first registrations already,” said Poupard. Poupard thanked camp directors Caitlin Gonneau
and Pamela Zeman for their work in planning and setting up the camps. Their next camp is Jan. 16 from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. with the theme being “Art-Venture.” The cost is $45 per child. Cathy Robertson, vice president of the BYCOC, outlined what the board of directors and staff is doing to maintain and sustain the campground, and make it better going forward. “We are only four years into our ownership of the camp and what we have accomplished in that times is incredible,” said Robertson. Fundraising and camps have been ongoing, with Robertson highlighting the “Let’s Make Bryerswood Even Better” campaign that closed 2025. She said they were able to hit their fundraising target. “It’s because of the community and the people who support us that we raised over $10,000,” said Robertson.
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