By Patricia Dawson There will be a Cottage Country Spring Craft Show on Sunday, April 12th, at the Lindsay Exhibition, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring numerous vendors. Vendors will offer homemade goods, crafts, tasty treats, custom jewelry, woodcrafts, and other items. This event will be held at the Commonwell building at the Lindsey Fairgrounds and will feature unique, locally sourced items. Families can enjoy the Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival from April 11th to 12th, in

Jamie Steel, Senior Lead of Community Relations, AMP KAWARTHA LAKES: Surrounded by leaders in science, technology, engineering, art and math, as well as their peers, community supporters and educators, participants of the first-ever inSTEAM event on March 25th spent the day connecting, learning, sharing and exploring what life in STEAM could look and feel like. The event, a partnership between the Women Changemakers Fund of Kawartha Lakes, Ampere Canada, and community partn

KAWARTHA LAKES: In an effort to mitigate fire hazards, Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service has issued its annual April burn ban. The burn ban will be in effect as of 12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 1st. During this period, all Regular Annual Burn Permits will be temporarily suspended, in adherence to both April's annual burn ban and any municipal-wide burn bans in effect. Exceptions to the burn ban may include Agricultural or Special Burn Permits, though strict adherence to safet

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: A popular public art initiative is returning for 2026, offering local artists a chance to transform everyday infrastructure into vibrant community showcases, while also sparking conversation among residents. The 'That’s a Wrap' Traffic Control Box Art Program is once again seeking submissions from visual artists and graphic designers, across Kawartha Lakes. Selected works will be reproduced

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: A proposed overhaul of purchasing rules, in the City of Kawartha Lakes, is aiming to strike a balance between supporting Canadian businesses and complying with complex trade laws. At a Committee of the Whole meeting, on Tuesday, March 10th, Launa Macey, Supervisor of Financial Services, Procurement, presented a Procurement Policy Update report, co-authored with, City Solicitor, Robyn Carlson.

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: The Kawartha Art Gallery is set to shine a spotlight on the next generation of local talent, with its upcoming Young Musicians Showcase, bringing together students from across the community, for an evening of music and inspiration. The concert, part of the Gallery’s 2025/26 Music Series, will take place on Wednesday, April 15th, at 7 p.m., at Celebrations, in Lindsay, located at 35 Lindsay Str

By Patricia Dawson Bring the family out for a free event with crafts, an egg hunt, games, and Easter bunny photos. This event will take place at the Lindsay Recreation Complex, located at 133 Adelaide Street South, in Lindsay, on Saturday, March 28th, at 9 a.m. This is a free, fun-filled family event featuring numerous activities for children. They ask participants to bring a non-perishable food donation to support the Lakes Food Source. St. Andrews Presbyterian Church holds

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: Paramedics in Kawartha Lakes are keeping pace with rising call volumes, while maintaining strong response times, according to the 2025 Operational Key Performance Indicators (O-KPIs) report, presented to Council, on Tuesday, March 10th. Last year, paramedics responded to more than 14,000 patient calls, or, roughly one call every 37 minutes. Despite the increase in demand, the service met or

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: A midpoint review of the municipality’s four-year strategic plan shows significant progress, with more initiatives now moving from planning into delivery and completion. At a council meeting, on Tuesday, March 10th, Josh Dunsworth, Manager of Strategy and Innovation for the City of Kawartha Lakes, presented the 2025 annual update and midpoint review of the 2024–2027 Strategic Plan. The repor

KIM COULTER RMH Foundation KAWARTHA LAKES: The Ross Memorial Hospital (RMH) Foundation is happy to welcome the team from Mary Brown’s Chicken, in Lindsay, as the newest member of the WE ARE THE ROSS Business Community! Peter Patel presented the proceeds of the Mary Brown’s Guest Appreciation Event fundraiser to Kim Coulter, RMH Foundation Communications Specialist, on Tuesday, March 10th. Over the two-day event, on March 4th to 5th, $1,550 was raised to support critical inv

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: Entrepreneurs, across the community, are being encouraged to take the next step to grow their businesses. Applications open for the Spring 2026 cohort, of the Starter Company PLUS program, in the City of Kawartha Lakes. The program, offered through the municipality, in partnership with the Province of Ontario, is designed to support small business owners who are looking to launch, expand, or

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: Recognizing its importance to the local economy and workforce development, councillors in the City of Kawartha Lakes are calling on the province to strengthen funding for Ontario’s college system, to ensure the continued success of the Frost Campus of Fleming College. At its meeting, on February 24th, council passed a resolution, brought forward by Ward 3 Councillor Mark Doble, requesting th

By Patricia Dawson The Royal Canadian Legion in Beaverton offers several exercise classes, including Gentle Fit, which focuses on improving functional performance, strength, and balance to help prevent injury. Contact the Brock Community Health Center to register by calling 705-432-3322. There is also a Zumba class every Wednesday, at 6 p.m., at the Beaverton Legion. The cost is $15. Bring the kids out for a free event during March break at the Legion in Lindsay. On Thursday,

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: A one-day immersive STEAM ( Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics ) experience, aimed at inspiring the next generation of female leaders, has received financial backing from the City of Kawartha Lakes. At its meeting, on Tuesday, February 24th, council approved $2,500 in one-time funding, to support the upcoming Women’s Changemakers STEAM Event. It is scheduled for Wednesda

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: From Lindsay to Omemee to Bethany, the 2025 Kawartha Lakes Business Count reveals a community full of economic potential and future possibilities. Presented at the Committee of the Whole meeting, on February 10th, the survey paints a picture of businesses thinking ahead, ready to hire, expand, and reach beyond the region. Rebecca Mustard, Manager of Economic Development, said, the survey was a

KIM COULTER RMH Foundation KAWARTHA LAKES: Since it launched in 1972, Armada Toolworks Ltd has been advancing its design, development and manufacturing skills. Today, this Lindsay based company is a leading supplier of custom made automotive components. They know having the right tools in the right hands is critical to success. Support from the Armada Toolworks team for the WE ARE THE ROSS capital campaign will help fund the highest priority investments at Ross Memorial Hos

By Patricia Dawson A number of engaging programs are coming up at local branches of the Kawartha Lakes and Brock Township Public Library systems. Bobcaygeon Book Club Readers are invited to join the Bobcaygeon branch for its monthly book club on Tuesday, February 24th, from 1 to 2 p.m. at 123 East Street South, in Bobcaygeon. Registration is required; please contact the Bobcaygeon branch to sign up. The club meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month and explores a different n

KIM COULTER RMH Foundation KAWARTHA LAKES: In 1946, life was changing in the Kawartha Lakes. With the end of the Second World War, families were reuniting and growing; community business and industry launched an era of prosperity; and Ethelreda (Hutton) Morrison, from Elm Tree Corners, graduated from Ross Memorial Hospital’s Nursing School, beginning a long career devoted to patient care. Ethelreda’s daughter, Marlene Morrison Nicholls, has been supporting Ross Memorial, for

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: Fifteen local entrepreneurs are being celebrated for successfully completing the Starter Company PLUS Program, a provincially funded initiative which helps aspiring and existing business owners launch and grow their ventures. This year’s graduates represent a diverse and innovative group of individuals, who have demonstrated resilience, creativity and dedication while turning their ideas into

Carissa Ferguson, Kawartha Community Foundation KAWARTHA LAKES : The Kawartha Community Foundation is pleased to announce a $180,000 community investment, through the Together for Justice program, awarded, in recognition of the Foundation’s leadership capacity and its strong track record of community collaboration, to strengthen access to justice services and address systemic barriers across the City of Kawartha Lakes. Delivered locally, through the Kawartha Community Founda