DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES : On a chilly January morning, in Lindsay, Simone Watts stepped outside to find her usual blue box pickup hadn’t happened. A few empty beer bottles sat awkwardly beside the bin, reminders of a new rule she hadn’t quite wrapped her head around. “I thought these went in the blue box, like before,” she said, picking them up. “Turns out, they have to go to a separate program now. It’s a bit confus

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: Early results from Brock Township’s Downtown Community Improvement Plan (CIP) suggest the program is already making a visible impact on local main streets, helping to encourage reinvestment and refresh the look of downtown areas. The update was outlined in a recent staff report, presented by, Director of Development Services, Robin Prentice, detailing activity since the updated Downtown CIP was appro

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: Volunteers, Township staff, and conservation partners came together, this past autumn, to plant 100 native trees and shrubs along the banks of the Beaver River, at MacLeod Park. A testament to the growing partnership between the Cannington Horticultural Society (CHS) and Brock Township. An October 18th, 2025 planting event, aided by the Township with mulch, and by the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation A

By Shawn Lackie This one might be a little out there but work with me, please. Quick question. How many local businesses are you aware of? And no, I don’t mean eateries like Jesters or Marwans. Even Haugens, who has been here for a looooong time. I have witnessed their menu firsthand since 1970. Still great. Yummy, but I digress. No, I am talking about those manufacturing places, Industrial or not. We often hear there isn't enough manufacturing and such to offset taxes and cr

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: As Ontario prepares to welcome back the Northlander passenger train, the release of the revived service’s proposed schedule has reignited calls, in Beaverton, for a long-sought return to the passenger rail map. Ontario Northland recently announced details of the restored Northlander service, which will operate between Toronto’s Union Station and Timmins, with a rail connection to Cochrane. The return

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: On a crisp winter afternoon, this past Tuesday, December 16th, in downtown Lindsay, time folded in on itself. Beneath the Eternal Flame in Queen’s Square, a small metal capsule, sealed 25 years ago, waited quietly for its moment. Children, who had placed it there: Reenie Brydon, Mathew Kent, and Caelin Nesbit, all of them now adults, approached it with a mixture of wonder and nostalgia, thei

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: Residents looking to kick off the new year with a more organized home will have an opportunity to do so, in an eco-friendly way, at an upcoming Home Organization Swap, in the Sunderland Branch of the Brock Township Public Library. The swap will be held, on Saturday, January 24th, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sunderland Branch. Community members are invited to exchange gently used home-organization i

Canada was built on the idea people should be free to believe, or not believe, without government interference. From the country’s earliest days, religious freedom helped shape our communities. Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other faith groups helped build schools, hospitals and charities which still serve Canadians today. This was possible because the state did not control belief and belief did not control the state. That balance is now being questioned by Bill C-9. Supp

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES/BROCK: Sunday, December 28th, arrived with an uneasy quiet, across Kawartha Lakes and the Township of Brock. The sky was gray, the air sharp with winter cold, and the forecast promised a coating of freezing rain which had residents remembering last spring’s ice storm: downed trees, power outages, and days of cleanup. People checked their driveways, prepared their sidewalks, and wondered: would

by Shawn Lackie Have you ever heard the adage, “You better not assume something because it could make an ass out of U and me?” Or the old saying, “Never judge a book by its cover?” Both are excellent pieces of advice. Assuming something could be more hazardous than you think. In his amazing book Blink, Malcolm Gladwell tells the story of a car salesman in the Midwestern United States who, at one point, was the most successful salesman for his brand of automobile. The reason w

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: A community-led vision, for the future of the Blackstock Arena, was brought before Township of Scugog council recently, as a delegation called on the municipality to partner with residents, to revitalize the aging facility and secure its long-term future. Kirk Swain, Mike Blakey and Rob Harvey addressed council, at their meeting on Monday, December 9th, on behalf of the newly formed Blackstock Arena Planning and

by Shawn Lackie It’s that time of the year again, when all the best and worst end of the year lists come out. So I thought, hey why not? Except this isn’t a list, it’s a collective look at what has happened and maybe some crystal ball gazing in what might happen next. Please don’t hold me to any of this. These are merely my thoughts on what might happen. The past year provided many people with a more realistic look at the Real Estate market. We know this market is like all ot

Brandon Clark The Standard BROCK: Brock Township Council took time, during its meeting last week, to recognize the volunteers serving on the Township’s Non-Profit Sector Review Committee (NPSRC), acknowledging their ongoing efforts to support local community organizations. Council heard an overview of the committee’s mandate, focusing on identifying challenges and opportunities facing non-profit groups in Brock Township, as well as encouraging collaboration and networking am

DARRYL KNIGHT  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG:  A regular review of the Township of Scugog’s capital program has resulted in more than $830,000 being returned to municipal reserves, after council approved the closure of several completed or discontinued projects. Council received the third Capital Account Closing Report of 2025, at a recent meeting, following a presentation from, Director of Finance and Treasurer, Laura Barta. The report recommen

DARRYL KNIGHT, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: Concerns over housing affordability and tenant stability prompted local elected officials to call on the provincial government to rethink proposed changes to rent control legislation which could further strain the rental market. At a recent meeting, council supported a resolution, after receiving a memorandum from Councillor Pat Warren, regarding rent control. The resolution endorses a moti

DARRYL KNIGHT , Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK : With the Sunderland Arena temporarily closed for renovations, Brock Township is making sure residents still have plenty of opportunities to enjoy ice time, this holiday season. A full slate of free public skating sessions is being offered, at the Rick MacLeish Memorial Arena, in Cannington, and the Foster Hewitt Memorial Arena, in Beaverton, with several local organizations and businesses stepping f