by Geoffrey Carpentier We have been experiencing an unusually warm autumn season this year, with early November temperatures frequently climbing into the low 20s Celcius. It is both exciting and scary, as climate change continues to progress, sometimes making our weather hotter or colder, or drier or wetter. Still, this column isn’t about that. It’s about how nature’s plants and animals respond to weather events and changing environmental conditions. To be clear, flora and fa

By Trevor Howard, Lindsay Monument (Campbell Monument) On Remembrance Day, I think of the people behind the names on memorials. One has a deeply personal meaning to me: my great uncle, R.119924 Warrant Officer II William “Bill” Kashmar, a Royal Canadian Air Force airman killed during the Second World War. My connection to Bill’s story began around 2010. After a family dinner, my grandmother, Joan Eva Shoomski, handed me a package, containing medals and photographs, belonging

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: Knowing how to respond in a medical emergency could save a life, and local residents will have two opportunities, this November, to learn potentially life-saving skills, at no cost. Two free CPR-C training sessions, approved by Scugog council and delivered by St. John Ambulance, are being offered to township residents aged 18 and older. “This is an awesome opportunity to learn these skills,” said Lisa

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Sunderland this November, as the Sunderland Lions Community Youth Theatre celebrates its 11th season with a wondrous production of The Wizard of Oz. The beloved musical classic will take audiences on a whirlwind adventure, with Dorothy and her little dog Toto, whose lives are turned upside down when a Kansas tornado sweeps them away to the Land of Oz. Hoping to find her

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard NORTH DURHAM: Grade 5 students across North Durham can hit the ice, make a splash at the pool, and discover new recreational activities, all for free, through the Durham Region Grade 5 Action Pass. The program offers all Grade 5 students in Durham free access to public swimming, public skating, and select drop-in programs at participating recreation facilities, including locations in Brock Township, Scugog To

William McGinn, BGC Kawarthas KAWARTHA LAKES: The Boys and Girls Club (BGC) Kawarthas is pleased to announce, Avalon Loube has been selected to represent the Kawarthas as a new member of BGC Canada’s 2026–27 Youth Advisory Circle. The BGC Canada Youth Advisory Circle is comprised of ten youth leaders, between the ages of 16 and 21, from across the country, who have strong connections to their local BGC Clubs. Members bring their diverse experiences, perspectives and skills to

by Geoffrey Carpentier A few weeks ago, something strange happened. I felt a soft bump against the base of my back. Carefully, I reached back to see if it was something unwelcome. To my surprise it was a very small Blue Jay. It clung there for a few seconds, then weakly flew up to my shoulder and simply sat there, while I talked to my neighbour. To say this was distracting would be an understatement! I wasn’t sure where this little guy (or gal) came from, but I suspected it w

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: Orange shirts will be a familiar sight around Brock Township, next week, as residents gather to remember the children who never returned home from residential schools and honour those who survived. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also recognized as Orange Shirt Day, will be marked Wednesday, September 30th, with a number of opportunities for residents to learn, reflect, and remember. In

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 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

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: Artists across Kawartha Lakes and surrounding communities are being offered a new opportunity to turn creative ideas into reality. The Kawartha Lakes Arts Council (KLAC), the official Community Arts Council for the City of Kawartha Lakes, has launched its new Creative Futures Grant Program, providing financial support to artists looking to develop their creative practices, explore new ideas, o

KELLY WHYTE VCST KAWARTHA LAKES: Did you know the Victoria County Studio Tour (City of Kawartha Lakes) is the second oldest studio tour in Ontario? Our tour offers a diverse range of art sure to satisfy visitors from across the province. If you crave a local landscape, created in oils, watercolours or acrylics, we’ve got it! Jewellery designed to dazzle, wood-turned bowls, fabric art creations and pottery that will make your guests green with envy- we have it all! And the bes

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard NORTH DURHAM: For residents with a question about policing, a concern about their neighbourhood, or simply a desire to get to know the officers who serve their community, there will soon be an easy place to start, over a cup of coffee. Durham Regional Police Service’s (DRPS) popular 'Coffee with a Cop' initiative is returning this autumn, with North Division officers making stops at coffee shops, in Uxbridge,

JAY THIBERT North Durham Nature Club SCUGOG: Julie-Ann will share her enthusiasm for a small shorebird which nests and dwells in Ontario, on a few exposed sand and gravel Great Lakes’ beaches. Piping Plovers returned to Ontario in 2007, after a 30-year absence. In 2026, we celebrated their 20th breeding season in Ontario. Join us to learn how you can help this charismatic shorebird and ensure we celebrate many more successful seasons to come, on Tuesday, September 22nd, at th

by Geoffrey Carpentier Last time we talked about migration and how birds and some insects use a variety of tools to safely move from their summering to wintering grounds and back again. However, what if things don’t go as planned? There are many factors which can and frequently do occur which can offset the positive migratory adventure our birds face. Setting aside things like predators, wires, buildings, hunters, pesticides and disappearing habitats (which usually lead to th

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: As summer winds down, six young entrepreneurs, in the region, are wrapping up a season of turning their ideas into businesses, through the 2026 Summer Company Program. The annual program, offered through the Kawartha Lakes Small Business Centre (KLSBC) in partnership with the Province of Ontario, provides students with an opportunity to launch and operate their own businesses, while gaining ha

JAMIE STEEL Senior Lead of Community Relations, Ampere KAWARTHA LAKES: Ampere invites people of all ages to join fellow community members for STEAM Fest, a free, family-focused celebration featuring live music, diverse food, a vendor market, and tons of art, science, engineering, and technology activities. The second annual STEAM Fest promises to be a bigger, bolder celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM). It will be held at Ampere’s Lindsay Ma

by Geoffrey Carpentier From time immemorial, humans have looked to nature to adorn themselves, perhaps to just offset the mundane parts of their difficult lives, or more likely to make themselves more attractive to their partners. Beads made from seed pods or berries, flowers, shells, bits of bone or feathers to adorn the hair and small pieces of wood were shaped into appealing decorative items. This trend has continued to the present day and will assuredly persist for eons.

by Helen Nicolaou July marks the middle of the summer season, with garden foliage filling in open spaces and a wide assortment of flowers to admire. Although the bloom of a daylily only lasts the day, there are many blooms maturing on a scape which will last for several weeks in the garden. It's a good idea, while walking through the garden, to assess the growth of perennials, as they have matured, and decide if some trimming back of spent blooms and over-growth will help wit

by Geoffrey Carpentier It’s not hard to imagine why we might be speaking about forest fires right now. Our skies are clouded with smoke which has travelled thousands of kilometres, homesteads in the north are gone or threatened and people displaced to cities and towns far from home. I think we understand why our skies are smoke filled, as it’s relatively simple – lots of fires, lots of smoke and winds which have driven them both towards us. The other day, as my wife and I sto