<strong>Bay</strong> <strong>Harbour</strong> News Wednesday <strong>March</strong> <strong>23</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 16 NEWS Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz Reacting to Little River fire siren in 60sec <strong>Bay</strong> <strong>Harbour</strong> News continues its series on our fire chiefs. Reporter Kristie Boland talks to Little River Volunteer Fire Brigade chief John Genefaas IT’S LESS than a minute’s drive in a straight line for John Genefaas to get to the Little River Volunteer Fire Brigade. It’s less than a minute to get to most places in the small rural town, but that’s just how Genefaas likes it. With a population of just under 300, it’s a tight-knit community. “It’s just a different atmosphere than Canterbury. I personally like it because it’s a smaller community, you know more people,” Genefaas said. Originally from Holland, when Genefaas was four-years-old, his father saw an advertisement in a newspaper for a job in New Zealand. The Genefaas family packed up their belongings and moved to New Zealand to settle in Christchurch. Genefaas, the middle child of six, said he felt like he fitted in as a Kiwi right from the get go. Although he said he has kept one Dutch attribute, he doesn’t beat around the bush and calls it how it is. “I call a spade a spade,” he said. Growing up, his family lived beside the Bottle Lake plantation, Burwood. “There was lots of land we could play on. We weren’t really allowed there so we used to get chased out of there,” Genefaas said. Genefaas said he was never really into sport or the outdoors growing up. But in his teenage years he did enjoy a few drinks with his mates. After high school, Genefaas worked on a farm for a while in Marshland. When he reached his early 20s, he and his brother made friends with a couple of Aussies who were touring New Zealand. The brothers later decided to go and LOYAL: John Genefaas has been part of the Little River Volunteer Fire Brigade for 29 years. visit their friends in Australia where Genefaas ended up staying for six years. He took up many roles there, one being a milkman, another working on the oil rigs. Genefaas was married and later divorced while in Australia. He had two children Jeremy and Raymond from his first marriage that came home with him to New Zealand. Genefaas met his current wife, Christine, whom he has been married to for 35 years and had two more boys with, Allan and Izaak. Christine also already had a daughter Maxine. All of their children are now in their mid-30s to early-40s and some have had children of their own. When Izaak was 18 he joined the fire brigade with his father. He now lives in Canada with his wife and two children. Genefaas and Christine lived in Southshore which Genefaas said felt quite rural. It was from there they decided it might be nice to move out to the country. Living in the country meant growing up, the Genefaas’ kids got to enjoy an abundance of pets including sheep, goats, ducks, rabbits, guinea pigs, cats and a dog. Genefaas, now works maintaining the Wainui YMCA. He has been a part of the Little River Volunteer Fire Brigade for 29 years, deputy chief for 10 of those years and chief for three. He joined because like most volunteers, he wanted to help his community. Genefaas said the brigade is a tight-knit group. He enjoys the camaraderie and the personal development that comes with being a part of the fire and emergency organisation. Genefaas lives very close to the station. “You hear the siren. I’d hear it go at night and think I’m glad I don’t have to get up but then it turned at that I joined and then I did have to get up,” he said. The Little River brigade is currently low on numbers with only 14 people and Genefaas encourages those interested to join them, especially those who can be available during the day. “We take all sorts of people. We’d love to get some more women in the brigade. We have one woman there now and she is probably the most capable in the brigade,” Genefaas said. • Our series on fire chiefs has now finished Ferrymead Sumner Men’s Probus Club THursday, <strong>March</strong> 31, 9.50am Probus is about friendship, fellowship and fun in retirement. Meetings are held on the last Thursday of each month, featuring guest speakers, this week it is Phil Mauger. There will also be a club member speaking prior to morning tea, who will talk of his experiences mining in Western Australia in the 1970s. Phone Ian, 021 196 3737 if you would like to attend. Redcliffs Mt Pleasant Bowling Club, James St, Redcliffs Toddler Thursday Thursday, 10am-3pm A day out especially for toddlers. Train and tram rides, bouncy castles, pony rides, face painting and much much more. There will be food, ice creams and coffee available for sale all day. Or, take a picnic lunch. Ferrymead Heritage Park Create ’n’ Connect Every Thursday, 10am-noon Create ’n’ Connect art and craft group join together for fun, connection and creativity. $3 to cover morning tea. Phone Beth Email samantha.mythen@starmedia. kiwi by 5pm each Wednesday for more info 022 678 1252. St Andrews 148 Main Rd, Redcliffs. Redcliffs Volunteer Library Open Monday to Friday, 10am- 4pm, Saturday, 10am-12.30pm and Sunday, 2pm-4pm. Adults books $2, Large print $1 and Children’s books are free to borrow. No membership fee. Go along and support your local library and have a great read. 91 Main Rd, Redcliffs JP Clinic Saturday, 10am-noon A justice of the peace will be available to members of the community, to witness signatures and documents, certify document copies, hear oaths, declarations, affidavits or affirmations as well as sign citizenship, sponsorship or rates rebates applications. No charge for this service. Matuku Takotako: Sumner Centre Lyttelton craft and treasures market Saturday, 9am-1pm Jewellery, timber craft, clothing, woollen handcrafts, toys, natural body products and much more. Meet the makers. Collett’s Corner, next to the Lyttelton Farmers market <strong>Harbour</strong> Basin Dance Classes Thursdays 3.30pm-8.30pm New students welcome for ballet and jazz lessons for ages four and up on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays during the school term. Email Georgina at harbourbasindance@gmail.com to find the best class for you. Community Hall, Waipapa Ave, Diamond <strong>Harbour</strong> Linwood Woolston Rotary Sunday Market Sunday, 9am-12.30pm Fresh produce, plants, food stalls, second-hand goods. Pop inside to the club to grab a hot Stoddart Cottage <strong>March</strong> Art Exibition – Seeing the Lines – we protect what we know, we know what we see. Friday-Sunday for the month of <strong>March</strong> 10am-4pm. By artists Karen Greenslade, Carolyn Currie and Vic Mangan. Through its responses to the physical landscape and natural elements of the Banks Peninsula, Seeing the Lines reframes the region’s native Taonga by foregrounding it in the local environment and the art of this exhibition. In this group show at Stoddart Cottage Gallery, Karen Greenslade, Carolyn Currie and Vic Mangan seek to counter plant blindness, when plants exist as a backdrop to our lives and art prioritises the human figure. The artists have moved their collaborative art practices away from purely decorative floral vistas, to an engagement with the less obviously aesthetically engaging endemic plants of the place inhabited, reflecting the contemporary shift in concerns towards ecology and the local environment. Stoddart Cottage Gallery, Waipapa Ave. Left – Detail from Karen Greenslade - Koromiko, Hebe (Veronica) Strictissima coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Woolston Club, Hargood St Little River Farmers Market Sunday, 9.30am-2pm Community market with produce from around Banks Peninsula. The market operates Sunday mornings weekly from October through to April. Christchurch Akaroa Rd
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