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 Geoffrey Carpentier Last time, I explored the reptiles and amphibians, to determine how they use their jaws and teeth (or non-teeth) to capture or harvest food. Today, we’ll look more closely at birds and how they use their beaks to hunt and eat. All birds have beaks – this is indisputable, but the size, structure, shape and use of them varies considerably between groups of birds. Beaks come in many forms: hooked or curved, cone-shaped, needle-like, spatulate and even cros

by Shawn Lackie On Wednesday October 15th, the 100 Men of Scugog met for the fourth and final time in 2025. The Port Perry Legion hosted the members, including nine new additions. Three brief presentations were made and the vote was cast. The Winner for this time around was the Oak Ridges Hospice of Durham. Executive Director Christine Vos made a strong presentation and accepted a donation of almost $6,000. That donation will go towards the Hospice being able to upgrade their

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

by Pat Asling Well, this is a very short week since Monday was the Thanksgiving holiday, and this is being written on Thursday evening! I hope everyone has recovered from all the Thanksgiving eating! There are beautiful colours in the trees just now, but a lot of trees have not started losing many of their leaves yet, so looking at a large bush is very satisfying with the various colours. We know it is autumn, though. Even when the sun shines brightly during the day, the cold

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard The Thanksgiving weekend delivered plenty of excitement for junior hockey fans, in the PJHL Orr Division, as the Uxbridge Bruins, Port Perry LumberJacks, and Little Britain Merchants all took to the ice in crucial early-season matchups. Uxbridge continued their hot start, sweeping a two-game set, against the Caledon Golden Hawks, to remain undefeated. The Bruins crushed Caledon, 12-1, on home ice, at the Bear Den, on Friday, October 10th, before fol

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard For fans of the Port Perry MoJacks, in the early 1990s, Brad MacArthur was hard to miss as a determined, skilled player, who gave his all every time he hit the ice. After a decorated minor hockey career, he joined his hometown MoJacks, in 1992, playing two seasons in junior hockey. At the same time, he was also excelling in lacrosse, suiting up for the renowned Whitby Warriors junior program. “I loved every minute playing in Port Perry,” Mr. MacArth

By Lorilee McKelvie SCUGOG: For the first time ever, the Port Perry High School (PPHS) put together a girls’ softball team this autumn, for the 2025/26 year. The season kicked off in early September with tryouts and a few practices, followed by a short season. The Rebels hosted All Saints Catholic High School (CHS) on September 23rd, at Joe Fowler Park, and won the home opener 12-2! They traveled to Whitby for a double header on October 2nd, defeating Anderson Collegiate Voc

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

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: Starting in June of 2026, residents in urban areas of Lindsay, Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, and Omemee could see changes to how their garbage and green bins are collected, following a presentation, to City Council’s Committee of the Whole, on October 7th. Heather Dzurko, Manager of Waste Management, provided an update on the city’s Source Separated Organics (SSO) program, which launched earlie

by Lauren Walker Since Autumn is upon us, I thought it pertinent to talk about Fall. The leaves are falling and it got me thinking about Fall prevention! My clients have a varying range of mobility issues and a very realistic concern is falling. Fear of Falling Life is unpredictable, so its important to mention, I cannot necessarily prevent people from falling. Sometimes it just happens! Even those who do not have mobility issues can find themselves in these moments. The good

William McGinn, BGC Kawarthas KAWARTHA LAKES: Fenelon Falls officially has a brand new youth after-school centre, at 30 Colborne St., called The Loft. It's operated by BGC Kawarthas (formerly Boys & Girls Clubs of Kawartha Lakes), where teens aged 12-17 will be able to meet after school. There is no cost for attending drop-in, and youth can register for the after-school program on their first visit. The new centre had its opening on Tuesday, October 7th. I’m really excited

BRANDON CLARK  The Standard Durham Region Police Service Board (DRPSB) Chair Shaun Collier presented the October 2025 Community Policing Report at Tuesday, October 14th's Brock Township Council meeting. Under the Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA), changes have been made for Boards and Services. Training and Education, equipment, oversight by the Inspector General-new codes of conduct, and expanding the definition of “adequate and effective”. Current areas of focus incl

KEN WILSON  PPTC SCUGOG: Last Saturday, the Port Perry Tennis Club held its Year-End Banquet at the Port Perry Curling Club. The members were served a delicious roast beef dinner by the Curling club caterer. After dinner, Colin Hooper, Club Tennis Pro, recapped the 2025 Club Champions and presented the 2025 Singles Ladder Championship award to Mark Orchard. Following the award presentation, the banquet committee organized some games, which the members gladly participated in.

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiativer Reporter for The Standard BROCK: The Brock Township Public Library is inviting residents to embark on an unforgettable adventure, without ever leaving Beaverton. National bestselling author and professional adventurer, Adam Shoalts will appear at the Beaverton Branch Public Library, on Tuesday, October 21st, from 6 to 7 p.m., sharing stories from his solo expeditions across some of Canada’s most remote wilderness regions. Mr. Shoalts

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: The Scugog Environmental & Climate Change Advisory Committee (SECCAC) is encouraging residents to grab their cameras and celebrate the natural beauty of their surroundings, through the second annual Scugog Nature Photo Contest. Open to residents of all ages and skill levels, the contest highlights the plants, animals, and scenic landscapes which make Scugog such a remarkable place to call home. Twelve

by Jonathan van Bilsen The very first time I went to Beijing was in the late eighties. The tallest building was no more than three stories high, and individuals were not allowed to own cars. It was a city of unadvertised adventure, and I fell right into the middle of it. It was my last day in the capital city, en route to Singapore. I had contacted the airport to confirm my flight, only to be told it was overbooked and I would not be able to leave on schedule. I have never be

by Tina Y. Gerber - McCurley It's certainly been a challenging year for us. We both look forward to a fresh start with hope and anticipation. As believers, we focus our eyes on Jesus and his wonderful ways of coming through. Many see an older person as broken, as if somehow, they need to be fixed. I will admit, our bodies do change and so they suffer. Their parts no longer work like they once did. Most seniors begin to seem to disappear into the background, and this is a grow