by Janet Van Camp The Van Camp, Rudkin, and Bisschop families recently celebrated the baptism and first birthday of Archer Michael Dale Van Camp at the Blackstock Nestleton United Church. What a lucky boy to have had great-grandparents (Jake and Barb Bisschop), grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, great-aunts and uncles, and a great-great-aunt (Aileen Van Camp) in attendance. Lots of visiting took place in the afternoon. The Blackstock Agricultural Society has started its an

by Faye Ashton April fools day has come and gone before I realized it was the April full moon (pink) on that very day. Most days have been cloudy, windy, and wet, except for the most beautiful and warm Good Friday. As most friends who attended the Good Friday Breakfast know, it was warmer on the steps than in the church. Thank you to everyone who didn’t complain about the situation we found ourselves in and came to support the Canadian Foodgrains Bank Breakfast and fellowship

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

by Pat Asling Spring is not here yet. Even though it was 19 °C one afternoon, much of the snow had already melted. Finally, my pond is ice-free. The ducks found it immediately. Several mallards and a pair of hooded mergansers appeared. It is so nice to see them. Hundreds of geese, of course, but none here yet. Only a few ever come here because it doesn’t have the cleared side that the shallow pond across the road has. Regarding swans, none visit here as the pond is too small

By Patricia Dawson A Passion Play at St. Edward the Confessor Parish on April 3rd, at 7 p.m., at 75 Churchill Avenue, Uxbridge. The parish and community are blessed to once again present the Passion Play, a prayerful and moving retelling of our Lord's suffering, death, and love. At last year's debut, this year's production has grown even more, with many dedicated volunteers working to bring this retelling to life. We warmly invite our parish and community to come experience i

by Faye Ashton It feels like Spring just to see the snowdrops blooming. We may have to make believe for a while, but this winter, which seemed like it wasn’t going to end, will soon be over. The ground needs to warm up slowly. Our community was saddened to hear that Clifford Boyington passed away recently. Clifford attended Epsom Public School and Uxbridge Secondary School. Many of his classmates will remember him and his family when they lived on the 8th concession. Please j

by Pat Asling Another week of seesawing weather, from bitterly cold to spring temps, sometimes all on the same day! But there is hope! As I walk around the yard, I see some flowers with blooms, some unopened but very obvious, and shrubs with big buds but still unopened. Unfortunately, all the work I had planned to do last autumn was curtailed by the early winter arrival, much of that (excuses, excuses!). In fact, I bought an electric trimmer just to do that work, but looking

By Faye Ashton The end of March is approaching, and Spring temperatures are still eluding us. It will take a while for the snow piles in our area to melt. At this time in 2012, Rob’s records show he had the fields worked. What a difference a few years make. Please plan to attend the potluck breakfast to support the Canadian Foodgrains Bank Project at Epsom United Church on Good Friday. Come for a visitation at 9 a.m., with breakfast at 9:30 a.m. This year is Epsom United Chur

by Pat Asling So, we suffered through the first day of Spring! I am wondering if someone was trying to be smart and decided to pull an early April Fool’s Day joke on us because it sure wasn’t very Spring-like, at least the kind we were hoping for! Nor does this week past (by the time you read this) seem to be pointing in the right direction either. However, there are some positive signs. Although my crocuses are still snow-covered, I have several hellebores (commonly called C

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

By Patricia Dawson Bring the family for a free skate at the Uxbridge Arena on Thursday, March 19th, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The address is 291 Brock Street West, Uxbridge. The Uxbridge pool is offering free swimming for families during the March break. Thursday, March 19th, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. This is open to all ages. The address is 1 Parkside Drive, Uxbridge. Want a fun night out listening to country music and enjoying country line dancing. Saddle up for an unforgeta

by Faye Ashton It’s hard to prepare oneself for what to wear the next day with the quick ups and downs this weather system takes. Certainly not conducive to the sap run. Having lost most of the snow this past week, except for what has been piled, we are back to a good amount of snow again. Doesn’t everything look nice and clean again? Come and enjoy a potluck breakfast in support of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank Project at Epsom Church on Good Friday. April 3rd, 9 a.m. for vis

By Larry Doble The Greenbank and District Lions, now in their 33rd year, recently gave 12 of their members certificates of appreciation. The years of dedicated service totalled almost 250 years. We are always looking for new members to help those in our community who need assistance. Our recent project is the sale of 55-pound bags of lawn 28-4-8 and garden 18-18-18 fertilizer for $50 each. This includes tax and free delivery. Email larrydoble@hotmail.com with your order and

by Pat Asling So, Mother Nature is playing tricks again! It was sooo nice to see all that snow disappear and then, whammo, to have another 6” dumped on us. At least it was soft and fluffy, and easily moved by the wind as well as by shovels, etc., but we are in mid-March (hard to imagine), so only a couple more months to persevere! Sadly, our little weather prognosticator, Wiarton Willy, passed away in his sleep after predicting an early Spring. For him, it probably did, in gr

by Pat Asling The best news of the week is the warmer weather we enjoyed has melted a great deal of the piles of snow hedging us in, not good news for skiers or outdoor skaters, but for those trying to get around, it sure makes a big difference. Unless, of course, you are faced with a huge puddle in front of your house, or worse, water running into your basement. It seems here though, much of the water is disappearing, and my theory is the ground never really froze because it

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,

by Faye Ashton First I must apologize. I don’t know whose calendar I was checking, but the proper date for the Breakfast in support of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank Project at Epsom Church, Good Friday, is April 3rd at 9:30 a.m. Please keep this date on your calendar and plan to attend. We have been made aware of the desperate need for aid in areas around the world. Sending all March birthdays and anniversaries warm congratulations for a year full of blessings and lasting memo

by Pat Asling Gone! What happened to February? A short month that seemed even shorter in spite of the extremes of winter weather. We had some nasty storms, but also some lovely days with temperatures above 0 °C, blue skies, and sunshine! Sitting on my front deck, you could have started on your summer tan! Strange that it can change from +6 °C to -12 °C in a matter of hours! Did anyone manage to see the parade of planets supposedly visible after sunset late last week? Unfortun

by Faye Ashton The bright sunshine on the first day of meteorological Spring (March 1st) helped defray the -11 daytime temperature, and it sank to -21 in the evening. I don't seem to recall the temperature with such wide swings as we’ve seen this year. We have not seen the height of the snowbanks along our road in many years, quite something. Watch on Facebook, Otter Greenhouse is rolling out their new baby plants to hang from the rafters. What a delight. The Ontario County H

by Janet Van Camp At a recent gathering of the Blackstock Agricultural Society, several people were recognized for their contributions. Congratulations to Craig Larmer, Barry Van Camp and Ann-Julia Bajema on receiving awards of merit for long-standing service to our Fair. All have worked diligently for many years to help make our events a success. Also recognized was Helen Coates for her past association as a Director and Homecraft President, and her ongoing work with the Veg