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

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard The Uxbridge Bruins are back on top of the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s Orr Division, capturing the Cougar Cup, with a decisive 3-0 victory over the Clarington Eagles, in Game 6 on Sunday, March 29th, in Bowmanville. The championship marks the eighth in franchise history for Uxbridge and their first since 2019, capping off an impressive playoff run which saw the Bruins win four of the final five games in the series. After splitting the opening

BRANDON CLARK The Standard NORTH DURHAM: On Tuesday, March 24th, the North Durham Chamber of Commerce gathered at Blackstock Recreation Complex for its Annual General Meeting, running from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sponsored by several organizations, including TD, Durham College, and Elevation Accounting. Lunch was served by Mary's Country Kitchen. Following the welcome remarks from emcee Jonathan van Bilsen and Scugog Mayor Wilma Wotten, the meeting continued with an update

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 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

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard The Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) Orr Division championship series is off to a fast and physical start, with the Uxbridge Bruins and Clarington Eagles splitting the opening two games of the Cougar Cup final over the weekend. Uxbridge drew first blood on Friday, March 20th, at the Bear Den, skating to a commanding 6-1 victory on home ice. The Bruins wasted no time setting the tone, striking twice in a 12-second span early in the first perio

Melissa Briggs USC There’s been plenty of action happening at the Uxbridge Swim Club (USC) lately, and lots more on the horizon. 2025 Japan Cultural Exchange Tour Team with Swim Ontario Over the winter break, USC swimmer, Chloe Walker, travelled to Japan as part of the 2025 Japan Cultural Exchange Tour Team with Swim Ontario. This was a huge experience for Chloe, offering international racing and training opportunities in Sagamihara, Japan. The exchange also allowed her to e

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

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard The Uxbridge Bruins have advanced to the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) Orr Division finals, eliminating their arch-rivals, the Port Perry MoJacks, in a hard-fought five-game Battle of North Durham series. After storming to a 2-0 series lead last weekend, Uxbridge faced a resilient LumberJacks squad in Game 3 on Tuesday, March 10th, in Uxbridge. Port Perry struck first in the third period with a power-play goal from Parker Lemay, assisted by

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 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 Jay Thibert NDN SCUGOG: All around us, creatures are conducting their lives, many largely unseen. Who has observed amorous salamanders, piscine stonemasons, or crooning tree crickets? We are more aware of birds and the larger mammals, but there are a host of animals which are active underwater or after dark and are seldom noticed. Others use camouflage to conceal their presence. Everyone is welcome to North Durham Nature’s March talk, to hear Don Scallen share stories

Natasha O’Dell, Digital Brand Manager LSRCA DURHAM/KAWARTHA LAKES: The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) is warning residents, across the Lake Simcoe watershed, to exercise extreme caution near rivers, lakes, and streams, as warming temperatures and melting ice create increasingly hazardous spring conditions. After a winter, marked by heavy snowfall and significant ice buildup, a rapid warmup is now accelerating the seasonal thaw. Weather forecasts indicate t

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard The Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) playoffs shifted into the divisional semifinal round over the weekend, and one of the most anticipated matchups is the Battle of North Durham between the Uxbridge Bruins and the Port Perry Lumberjacks. Through the first two games of the best-of-seven Orr Division semifinal, the Bruins have seized early control of the series. Nearly 800 boisterous fans packed the Bear Den in Uxbridge on Friday night (March 6

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