DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: Concerns about housing affordability and business competitiveness took centre stage, at a recent Kawartha Lakes council meeting, when residents and developers weighed in on a proposed by-law to update the city’s development charges. As required under the Development Charges Act, a statutory public meeting was held, on October 21st, to review the proposed by-law and its background study. Dr.

by Shawn Lackie I was sitting with some close friends, the other night, and we got to talking about needs in a home purchase. Now, I have always believed there is a vast difference between a need and a want. Most times buyers confuse those two, so called, priorities. A need is something you absolutely MUST have, based on necessity: number of bedrooms; good sized living area; large or small lot, depending on your needs; access to schools and transportation; and hospitals, if y

UXBRIDGE: In support of Durham Vision Zero, The Regional Municipality of Durham will be installing a 70 kilometre per hour (km/h) posted speed limit on Lake Ridge Road (Regional Road 23) in the Township of Uxbridge. The speed limit reduction from 80 km/h to 70 km/h will take place on Lake Ridge Road, from 740 metres south of Chalk Lake Road (west leg) to 675 metres north of Chalk Lake Road (west leg), in Uxbridge. The speed limit reduction signs will be installed in early No

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: Plans to breathe new life into Cannington’s MacLeod Park took another step forward this week, as Brock Township Council received an update on the long-discussed revision plan, at their October 14th meeting. Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, Wayne Ward presented the latest concept, explaining, the refreshed plan brings together feedback from residents, user groups, and regional officials w

BRANDON CLARK The Standard Remember to set your clocks back one hour on Sunday, November 2nd, at 2 a.m. The Uxbridge Fire Department also advises residents to change the batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. To ensure smoke and carbon dioxide alarms function properly, batteries must be replaced annually. Doing this at the same time as clock resets is a useful way to keep track of when to replace batteries. Smoke and carbon dioxide alarms are important because

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: When Cheryl Faber and her team, at the City of Kawartha Lakes Human Services Department, stood before Council, on October 21st, they weren’t just presenting another report, they were outlining a vision for how the community can work together, to ensure everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. The presentation, led by Ms. Faber, Housing Manager Michelle Corley, and Jesse

by Helen Nicolaou SCUGOG: Surprisingly, the maple trees did not disappoint, as the leaves gave a striking show of fiery reds, oranges and yellows. Breathing in the cool scents of fallen leaves, at this lovely time of year, provides a sense of quieter days ahead, bringing another gardening season to an end. Mild temperatures still allow for last minute planting of spring blooming bulbs, and if you want to save summer bulbs, then once a hard frost damages the stems, dig up sum

by Shawn Lackie I know the title sounds like a bit of a joke, to many, but there ARE realtors out there who care, and they carry themselves and their business with honesty and integrity; really. However, too often we hear about the “bad apples,” and there are more than a few of those. Recently, a brokerage was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Their trust account was audited and there was a $10 million dollar shortfall. The case is still under investigation but may

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: From pickleball players, hoping for more courts, to families, seeking accessible playgrounds, residents of Kawartha Lakes have made their priorities clear: they want recreation spaces which are flexible, inclusive, and designed for the community. Their voices helped shape the draft Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan, a bold new vision which looks ahead to 2040. Presented by Jenn Johnson, Dir

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: Residents of Brock Township’s Ward 4 will soon have a new representative at the council table, following the declaration of a vacant seat, after the promotion of Cria Pettingill to Regional Councillor. Council formally declared the Ward 4 position vacant in accordance with the Township’s Council Vacancy Policy, which outlines a transparent and accountable process for filling vacancies that occur during

Douglas Ellis , Executive Assistant, Constituency Office of the Hon. Todd McCarthy SCUGOG: The Ontario government is investing $879,549 to help renew and rehabilitate critical infrastructure in the Township of Scugog. The funding will be delivered through the 2026 Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF), as part of the government’s more than $200 billion capital plan to protect Ontario, by building key public infrastructure which will strengthen the economy and keep wor

Edward White, Executive Director, Office of Peter Bethlenfalvy MPP of Pickering-Uxbridge UXBRIDGE: The Ontario government is investing $983,894 to help renew and rehabilitate critical infrastructure in Township of Uxbridge. The funding will be delivered through the 2026 Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF), as part of the government’s more than $200 billion capital plan, to protect Ontario by building key public infrastructure which will strengthen the economy and ke

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: An updated Emergency Management Program and Emergency Response Plan will help ensure the Township of Scugog is ready to respond to any emergency which might come its way. The new plan was presented to Council by, Alternate Community Emergency Management Program Coordinator (CEMC), Jacqueline Bjorklund and Fire Chief Mike Matthews at a recent meeting, where both emphasized the importance of keeping Sc

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: A long-time community greenspace in Beaverton will now be preserved for generations to come, after the Township accepted the donation of Fox Park from the Beaverton & District Conservation Club. The matter was discussed at the October 14th council meeting, when, Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, Wayne Ward presented a report recommending the Township assume ownership and maintenance respon

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: A recent report, presented to Council on Monday, October 6th, outlined the progress being made on dozens of infrastructure projects currently underway across the Township of Scugog. Financial Accounting Supervisor, Maria Turino delivered the update as part of the 2025 Capital Project Status Report which tracks the status of all active capital initiatives. The 2025 Capital Project Status Report, cover

by Shawn Lackie The title of this week’s piece comes from a classic baseball book, written in 1970, by then Seattle Pilots pitcher Jim Bouton. It is a CLASSIC. If you have never read it, do yourself a favour and set aside some time to do so. What he was saying was loosely based on a line from a Peanuts comic strip which said, “Tell your statistics to shut up.” At any rate, it was credited to his manager, at the time, Joe Schultz. Now, there was a character. What this is all l

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: Following a thorough and transparent selection process, Councillor Cria Pettingill has been appointed as Regional Councillor for the Township of Brock, filling the vacancy, created earlier this year, when Mayor Mike Jubb was acclaimed and sworn in as Mayor. Residents had the opportunity to see three qualified candidates present their case for the position, during a Special Council Meeting, on Wednesday