BRANDON CLARK The Standard PORT PERRY: Residents of Port Perry, Ontario, Canada are invited to take part in a full slate of Canada Day festivities this year, with events taking place throughout Historic Downtown Port Perry and at the Scugog Shores Museum Village. The celebration features a packed schedule of entertainment, family activities, food, and fireworks. Festivities begin early in the morning with the Canada Day Parade at 10:30 a.m. The parade, featuring “Vettes-for-V

BRANDON CLARK The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: Residents and visitors in Lindsay are invited to take part in a full day of Canada Day celebrations featuring family-friendly activities, entertainment, and an evening fireworks display at Wilson Fields. The festivities run from 1 to 10 p.m., offering an afternoon and evening packed with activities for all ages. Throughout the day, families can enjoy kids’ activities designed to keep younger visitors entertained, alongside opportunit

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: A proposed mixed-use development which could bring between 950 and 1,375 new homes, employment lands, commercial space, parks, and a long-term care component to Port Perry, took its first public step through the planning process, at a Statutory Public Meeting, held by Scugog Township's Planning and Community Affairs Committee, on June 15th. The proposal affects approximately 64 hectares (157 acres) of

COLLEEN GREEN The Standard Summer has arrived, and with it comes one of Ontario's most beloved seasonal traditions—strawberry picking. Across Kawartha Lakes and Durham Region, local farms are welcoming visitors to their fields, offering families a chance to enjoy fresh air, beautiful countryside, and baskets full of ripe, juicy strawberries. Pick-your-own strawberry farms provide a fun and affordable family outing. Children enjoy searching for the biggest berries, while adult

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: Dog owners in Beaverton are one step closer to having a dedicated place for their pets to run and play, after Brock Council voted to move forward with the long-awaited Beaverton Dog Park project, this year. The decision was made during the, Monday, June 15th, council meeting, when members considered a staff report, from, Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, Wayne Ward, outlining updated costs

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: Plans to significantly expand Brock Township's sidewalk network have been put on hold, after council voted to pause future work, outlined in the Sidewalk Master Plan, and undertake a detailed review of its long-term financial and operational impacts. The decision was made during Brock Township Council's meeting, on June 15th, after members received a report, from, Capital Projects Coordinator, James Pe

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: Families across Scugog will once again have access to a summer favourite, as the Township’s Park and Play program returns for another season of free recreation activities, for local children. Running weekdays, from July 6th to August 28th, Park and Play brings the excitement of Camp Scugog directly into neighbourhood parks, offering games, sports, crafts, themed activities and more, for children aged

MARY MEYER Blackstock Agricultural Society SCUGOG: This year marks a major milestone, as the Blackstock Truck and Tractor Pull celebrates its 50th anniversary. What began as an idea, in 1976, has grown into one of Ontario's best pulling events, drawing competitors and spectators from across the province. The vision belonged to Harvey Graham, who attended a truck and tractor pull in Western Ontario and believed the Blackstock Fairgrounds would be the perfect place to host a si

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: Young readers across Kawartha Lakes are invited to make a splash this summer, as Kawartha Lakes Public Library launches its 2026 Summer Reading Club, a season-long program, designed to inspire a love of reading, while keeping children and families engaged through fun activities and community events. This year's theme, “Dive In,” draws inspiration from the lakes, rivers, and waterways which hel

By Nick Kossovan The word "networking" makes most people's stomachs turn. It conjures images of hotel conference rooms, aggressive business card swapping, and awkward, forced conversations in which everyone is subtly looking over their shoulder, to see if there's someone more important they should be speaking to. If that's your mental picture of networking, you can't be blamed for resisting it. Undoubtedly, active networking has its place in job searching, just not to the ext

by Shawn Lackie This article could also be titled: Buyer quirks and quarks. Remember the old adage, if it’s too good to be true it probably is? That pretty much sums up some of the potential clients you meet in the wonderful wacky world of real estate. If they run in the door waving a check-book saying, “We’re buying a house today,” chances are you’ll never see them again. Any realtors reading this will be smiling and thinking, 'Ya pretty much.' That’s the nature of this busi

by Helen Nicolaou June has had many windy, cool days which have made working in the garden, pleasant. It’s been an unusual time, having perennials bloom weeks later than anticipated. The upside of the cool weather is, it gives us time to enjoy a longer bloom time. Driving around, you will find many u-pick strawberry farms which are open to the public. What a true delight, picking and tasting locally grown, in-season strawberries. There seems to be endless possibilities, of ho

by Lauren Walker So what do you do when your Instagram video takes off? I posted a video on my Instagram page, @theartistwithin86, and it blew up past my wildest expectations. By the time this article gets published, I'll have almost 3 million views. It is overwhelming, to say the least. Uncharted Territory This is uncharted territory for me. I believe these moments are rare and fleeting, so I feel like I'm riding a wave, until it settles back in to the vast social media ocea

MIKE PERRY Executive Director, City of Kawartha Lakes Family Health Team FENELON FALLS: Residents of Fenelon Falls and the surrounding area can once again access laboratory services in their community. The blood law is reopening its Fenelon Falls location at the Fenelon Medical Centre, 205 Francis Street East, offering walk-in service Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., while administrative systems are being finalized. Online and telephone appointments will be coming soon. Th

by Geoffrey Carpentier Wind turbines have become one of the most visible symbols of the clean energy transition, worldwide, with the goal of shifting away from fossil fuels and toward a low carbon future. Still, wind turbines can have significant negative environmental impacts. For many people, these turbines raise a troubling question: What about the impacts on birds and bats? Wind power and wildlife conservation are often portrayed as opposing forces, since migration patter

by Faye Ashton It’s Sunday, June 21st, the longest day of the year. It was beautiful, minus the strong winds we have experienced lately, sunshine and no prediction of rain even. The farmers went full tilt with three clear days without rain. Hope it holds a bit longer. There are many graduation ceremonies as students of all ages move on to the next class or higher education. Nothing can top little 4-year-olds moving from pre-school to junior kindergarten, so small, so excited

By Patricia Dawson Free board game day in Bobcaygeon invites you to have fun and challenge your brain. Come to the Kawartha Lakes Public Library, 123 East Street South, Bobcaygeon, for free board gaming and a chance to meet new people and make friends. This will take place Saturday, June 27th, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This family-friendly drop-in is geared towards adults. Bring your own games, or learn from others. Now that the kids are out of school, why not enroll them

by Pat Asling Sunday was also the first day of summer. We hailed the first day of spring not long ago and now it’s gone, not having lived up to its promise so we can only hope that summer brings a bit more of the things we think of as summer. My friends in Belize are suffering through days of 97 degree heat and humidity. We don’t want that, believe me. Sunday, June 21st, had a multiplicity of special days assigned to it, but Father's Day is the one most people know. I hope al