When students arrived for the fall semester of Providence University College, they were treated to the biggest Welcome Week celebration in the school’s history.

For the ninth year running, Imagine Mental Health Matters drew crowds to Hespeler Park for a day of family fun with a sombre theme: there is no shame when it comes to mental health struggles and suicide is preventable.

Imagine Mental Health Matters is quickly becoming a household phrase in Niverville, and that’s exactly what this not-for-profit organization is after. What better way to eliminate the stigma attached to mental illness than to get everyone talking about it?

Every year, Tabs for Wheelchairs collects and recycles tabs from drink cans and uses the proceeds to purchase a specialized wheelchair for someone in need. In June 2016, a wheelchair was presented to Jessica Rempel, who was born with spina bifida and nerve damage to her lower spine. The wheelchair is helping Jessica to live a more independent life.

On September 20, a group of Grade 7–8 students from the Île-des-Chênes school spent the morning planting trees at the TransCanada Centre. The trees were planted directly north of the TransCanada Centre and the Île-des-Chênes Arena.

The third Municipality of Ritchot Volunteer Appreciation Evening on September 27, held at the Farm and Food Discovery Centre in Glenlea, was a great success.