DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: Beaverton’s four-legged residents now have a new place to run, play, and socialize, following the official opening of the Township of Brock’s new municipal dog park. The dog park, located at Mill Gateway Park, 204 Simcoe St. in Beaverton, officially opened September 9th with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by Brock Township Council, staff, residents, and their dogs. The new facility provides separa

BRANDON CLARK The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: Walmart Canada has announced plans to open a new Supercentre in Lindsay, marking a major milestone in the community’s continued growth. The approximately 142,000-square-foot store will anchor the new SmartCentres development, in the northwest corner of Lindsay, at Highway 35 and Sylvester Drive. It is expected to open in 2028. “Walmart is a sign of how far Kawartha Lakes has come,” said Mayor Doug Elmslie. “We’ve spent years preparin

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: The sights, sounds and traditions of autumn will return to Beaverton this weekend as the Beaverton Fall Fair brings two days of agriculture, entertainment, competition and community celebration to the fairgrounds. The annual fair runs on Friday, September 18th and Saturday, September 19th, offering something for visitors of all ages, from livestock and homecraft exhibits to live entertainment, children

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: The community spirit which helped bring the Kraft Hockeyville title to Scugog continued, on Friday, September 11th, as 10,000 pounds of food was delivered to local food banks. The generous donation, from Kraft Hockeyville, was distributed to the Janetville Food Bank, Operation Scugog Foodbank, and Kawartha Lakes Food Source, providing a significant boost to local organizations supporting residents fac

DARRYL KNIGHT The Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: Five decades of hockey, skating, friendships, and community memories will be celebrated this weekend as the Scugog Arena marks its 50th anniversary. Residents past and present are invited to take part in a full day of festivities on Saturday, September 19th, honouring the people and events which have made the Port Perry arena an important part of the community since it opened. For 50 years, the Sc

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: For six young entrepreneurs in Kawartha Lakes, the summer months offered more than a break from school. They spent the summer building businesses, serving customers and gaining hands-on experience through the Kawartha Lakes Small Business Centre’s (KLSBC) Summer Company program. The annual program, delivered by KLSBC in partnership with the Province of Ontario, gives aspiring entrepreneurs age

William McGinn, Communications & Marketing  Assistant BGC Kawarthas KAWARTHA LAKES: With students settling into a new school year, The Loft Youth Centre, in Fenelon Falls, is welcoming youth back for another year of connection, programs, and opportunities. Located at 30 Colborne Street, The Loft provides youth services for students in Grades 7 to 12. Registration at The Loft is free. “I’m incredibly proud and excited to be offering accessible youth services to Fenelon Falls f

It was a warm summer day at a family picnic table near the shore of the Bay of Quinte. Uncle Earl “Sonny” Green sat with three enthusiastic children, their eager faces turned toward him as he recalled moments from a life which had known both extraordinary sorrow and exuberant joy. At eighty-seven, his face was etched with time, but his eyes still carried a remarkable spark. His memories reached back to his early years at the Brantford Mohawk Residential School and forward to

by Geoffrey Carpentier In my last two columns, I spoke about the mechanics of migration – how do birds migrate? What tools do they have to make these perilous journeys? What can go wrong when they lose those tools or use them improperly? Today let’s finish the story and see how the environment itself can cause catastrophic challenges. I mentioned last time that small errors in the chosen migration route will be magnified each time the bird deviates from course. Gradually, the

by Shawn Lackie Many years ago, when we first started our home-owning journey, we looked in a number of areas in Toronto. For us at the time, the main criterion was: could we afford this? Even if it meant living in what would now be called a scuzzy neighbourhood (is scuzzy even a word?). At any rate, we looked everywhere and settled on a place we could afford. That was the main thing. We could afford to buy the place, and that was all that mattered. Well, it seems that’s not

COLLEEN GREEN The Standard SCUGOG: Local jazz musician, Lynn MacDonald is inviting the community to an evening of music, friendship and fundraising, in support of families and communities in Cuba. The fundraiser takes place Saturday, September 26th, beginning at 6 p.m., at The Hall (Church of the Ascension), 266 North Street, Port Perry. The evening will feature an outstanding lineup of musicians, including the Cubano Band, with Sean Bellaviti on piano, “Gato” Bill McBirnie o

by Pat Asling Can you believe September is already half past? The weather has been coolish, although forecasters predict a long, pleasant autumn. We can only hope old man winter stays away for a good long time, victim of El Niño! Several of the birds already seem to be gone to warmer climes. I thought my purple finches had left, and then one lone male showed up for several days. Around the same time, several very striped little birds appeared at the feeders, but many still ha

by Patricia Dawson Bring the whole family out for a weekend of fun to the Lindsay exhibition Saturday, September 19th through Sunday, September 27th. There will be agricultural displays, Truck and Tractor pulls, heavy horse show, horse pulls, antique farm equipment, demonstrations, demolition derbies, livestock competitions, midway, games, a marketplace, live music, and much more! The exhibition kicks off with the horsepower weekend on September 19th and 20th. The cost is $15

by Faye Ashton Have you been listening to the cicadas sing these last few weeks? They certainly fill the night air with such a warm feeling. I was so concerned in the Spring because I didn’t see the honey bees working on the snowdrops and other spring blossoms, and the pear tree was just loaded in bloom. Well, something worked 9-5 because the pear tree was loaded in fruit, but of course a lot of the pears are quite small, which took a lot of picking up when they fell, amid th

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: There was hardly a cloud in the sky as the sights, sounds, and smells of the Port Perry Fair filled the Fairgrounds over Labour Day weekend. With beautiful summer weather providing the backdrop, thousands of fairgoers had plenty of reasons to linger, from the midway and live entertainment to livestock competitions, tractor pulls, rodeo action, and one of the community’s most anticipated annual demolit

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard UXBRIDGE: The midway lights will soon be glowing, tractors will be rumbling, and the sounds of livestock, live entertainment, and excited fairgoers will once again fill Uxbridge’s Elgin Park. The Uxbridge Fall Fair returns, from Friday, September 11th to Sunday, September 13th, bringing with it a packed three-day schedule, celebrating agriculture, local talent, competition, and one of Uxbridge’s favourite lat

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: For 173 years, the Sunderland Fair has brought together generations of families, farmers, volunteers, and visitors, to celebrate the agricultural traditions at the heart of the community. This September, one of Brock Township’s longest-running and most beloved traditions returns, with a theme which leaves little doubt about its rural roots: “Holy Cow, It’s Fair Time.” The 173rd Sunderland Fall Fair tak

BRANDON CLARK The Standard NORTH DURHAM: Local municipalities are once again coming together for Hunger Action Month, to raise awareness and collect food and monetary donations, to fight hunger in the community. Food insecurity doesn’t always look the way one might expect. It can affect anyone - a neighbour, coworker, senior, or a family struggling to keep up with the rising cost of everyday essentials. The need across Durham remains significant. Over 880,000 visits were made

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: With the current term of Council nearing its end, the City of Kawartha Lakes is reporting significant progress on the priorities it set out, nearly three years ago, with 98 percent of its tracked strategic initiatives now either completed or moving forward as planned. Council received its 2026 mid-year update, on the 2024–2027 Strategic Plan, during its August 25th meeting. According to the re