EVE-LYNN SWAN The Standard

UXBRIDGE: Town council has accepted planning consultant Liz Howson’s recommendation. The township will participate in the LPAT (Local Planning Appeal Tribunal) process, stemming from Goodwood-area business owner Conrad Richter’s appeal of zoning changes.
A zoning by-law was amended in early April, allowing Grainboys Holdings Inc. to construct a dry grain processing mill at 351 Highway 47, on the eastern edge of the hamlet of Goodwood. Expecting additional truck traffic, rodents, water consumption, invasive weed infestations, noise and falling property values, many nearby residents object to the project. 
Research carried out by a new community group, Goodwood Conservation Association, has revealed dust from milling activities has contributed to explosions and fires at existing mills, causing further concern. 
LPAT rules dictate individuals or corporations can file appeals, barring the new association from participating directly in an appeal process. Therefore, Conrad Richter, president of Otter Richter and Sons Limited, has stepped up. Mr. Richter’s herb business neighbours the proposed grain processing mill.
Stating that Zoning By-Law 2019-054 is inconsistent with planning guidelines and official plans, planning consultant Stefan Szczerbak, of Planscape Inc., on behalf of Mr. Richter, submitted the appeal form and letter on May 13th.
After explaining, she stands behind her work on the by-law review and recommendations, Uxbridge Township’s planning consultant, Liz Howson, advised Council to direct their solicitor and planner (herself) to defend the by-law. Ms. Howson added “it’s anyone’s good guess how long it (the process) will take”, since proposed legislative changes will change the tribunal’s format.

DAN CEARNS The Standard

SCUGOG: Scugog council is hoping the Ontario provincial government can help make Greenbank safer. 
At a meeting on Monday, May 27th, council approved a motion to request the Ontario Minister of Transportation to have a pedestrian crossover, intersection pedestrian signal, or full traffic signals installed at the intersection of Highway 7/12 and Cragg Rd. 
The motion was made in the notice of motion section of council’s meeting, by Ward 1 Councillor Ian McDougall. 
In his motion, Councillor McDougall stated the province had previously removed a pedestrian crossing from that site. Councillor McDougall’s motion referenced the fact Greenbank Public School is located on Cragg Rd. and stated “Durham Student Transportation Services have indicated that 14 students would need to cross the highway to walk to school.” 
“I think it’s a great motion, and I fully support it,” Regional Councillor Wilma Wotten said. 

COLLEEN GREEN The Standard

Just north of Greenbank and south of Saintfield, on top of the hill, is a new hidden gem, called King's 12 Cafe. Sneider De La Cruz opened his farm fresh restaurant on May 13th of this month. 
Mr. De La Cruz is a veteran of the culinary scene, having worked for nine years in the kitchen of the Ajax casino, 23 years at the Rogers Centre and 10 years at the Air Canada Centre. He has also done extensive catering. So far the highlight of his catering career was the opportunity to cater for the Pope, during his visit to Toronto in 2002.
Such a busy schedule left little time for family. Wanting to make time for his new bride, Sneider decided it was time for a change. He and his family chose to visit, what is now the location of King's 12 Cafe. 
There was an existing restaurant there, and the owners wanted to offer the space to Sneider to rent. Originally Mr. De La Cruz just wanted to work for someone else. Mr. De La Cruz spent a month just sitting in the restaurant, getting familiar with the community and the clientele. He could see there was a lot of untapped potential there. The building's owners where very supportive and spent time crunching the numbers with him before he decided to go for it.
When asked what his inspiration was for pursing a culinary career, beaming he replied “My mother is an excellent cook and has done a great deal of catering herself.” 
For Sneider cooking is truly a labour of love. “I have always tried to raise the standard in cuisine wherever I have worked. I worked at a private school, where, when I arrived, 75% of the food they served came as pre-made frozen meals. By the time I left I had reversed that percentage to 25% frozen with 75% made fresh.” The students loved it.
Mr. De La Cruz insists that fresh, local ingredients are what make a great meal. “We take pride in featuring locally grown, fresh, high quality and grass fed products from Durham farms, in all our delicious and mouthwatering food; cooked to perfection, just for your taste buds.” All his bread, eggs, ice cream, meat and pastries are locally sourced and he is working on purchasing more produce from local farmers, based on the season. “Our food is made daily in-house, from whole, and natural ingredients.” he added.
The King's 12 Cafe is a family restaurant specializing in good, hearty, comfort food with a twist. They serve an all day breakfast, with such classics as The Barn Buster and the Farmers Breakfast Skillet. Their menu also includes sandwiches, such as Canadian Kaiser on the Go and Vegetarian Panini. There are also burgers, such as the Road Rage Burger and the Perfect Grass Fed Burger. Best of all are the pasta dishes, such as the classic King 12 Ultimate Lasagna or the Skillet Pasta with Sausage.
For sports lovers there is also a flat screen TV, for viewing sporting events. They serve, dine in and take out. To order take out call their order line at 289-507-6873. They are also available to host catered events in their restaurant after hours. 
So, whether you are looking for somewhere to eat lunch or a family friendly locale for your next event, consider King's 12 Cafe.

CEARRA HOWEY The Standard
  
UXBRIDGE: On Saturday, June 1st, Trinity United Church will have their annual Tour of Homes for the 49th year. The event takes place in the Township of Uxbridge, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. 
People can expect to see seven different homes on the tour this year. “We strive to have variety on the tour with different types of homes,” said Corinne Croxall, one of the event organizers. 
In the past, the Tour of Homes has been quite popular with people who live in Uxbridge, and those who don’t. “I think, this time of year people like to get out in the country and see beautiful homes and gardens, as well as [a] variety with those homes,” Ms. Croxall told The Standard. 
This event is a fundraiser. It aims to support different community outreach programs and initiatives the church supports. The funds raised from the event also go toward local charities and camps. Camp Scugog is one of the beneficiaries of the Trinity Tour of Homes. Camp Scugog offers a variety of programs for children, youth and mothers who face poverty and other barriers. 
“I have been helping out with this event for a long time and I enjoy the people. The people I get to work with and the people I get to meet in the tour,” said Ms. Croxall. 
Tickets to the Tour of Homes can be purchased ahead of the tour as well as on the day of. Call 905-852-6213 for more information. 

CEARRA HOWEY The Standard

DURHAM: On Friday, May 24th, Durham MPP Lindsey Park, Pickering-Uxbridge MPP Peter Bethlenfalvy, Whitby MPP Lorne Coe, and Ajax MPP Rod Philllips were in Oshawa, at Lakeridge Health’s Pinewood Centre, to announce $1,519,989 in new provincial mental health funding for three different agencies in the Durham Region. 
The Canadian Mental Health Association Durham Branch will receive $46,804, Frontenac Youth Services, a children’s mental health centre in Oshawa will receive $240,000 and Lakeridge Health’s Pinewood Centre in Oshawa will receive $845,200. 
The Pinewood Centre offers a variety of addiction and mental health services. The new funding the Pinewood Centre is receiving will go towards youth residential treatments, withdrawal management, community addictions services, Opioids addictions treatments and services, early Psychosis intervention and addictions and withdrawal management for Safebed facilities. Pinewood is also using the funds to add a full-time addictions counsellor.
The board chair of Lakeridge Health, Sharon Cochran, spoke during the announcement about the benefits the new funding will have for Lakeridge Health. “We are focusing on re-imaging the future for healthcare in the Durham Region,” said Ms. Cochran. She mentioned Lakeridge Health’s main focuses, “we have a focus on an innovative health system, we have a focus on our community partnerships, and we have a focus on healthcare improvements that matter the most.” 
This funding announcement is part of a larger mental health and addictions investment by the Ontario Government. The Government will be investing $3.8 billion over the next ten years to develop and implement a broad and connected mental health and addictions strategy. “This is [an] historic investment and we are working hard to deliver on it,” said MPP Park during the funding announcement. 
Ms. Cochran said, in closing to her speech, “we have a vision that focuses on the patient and it is one system, best health.” 
MPP Park ended the announcement by saying, “together we will create a connected system of care, where every person in Ontario and across our region can be supported.”

DAN CEARNS The Standard

UXBRIDGE: North House is inviting the North Durham community to help them celebrate their 15th anniversary in June at an event in Uxbridge. 
The event, titled Hope for Homes, will be held on Thursday, June 6th at Wooden Sticks Golf Course, starting at 6 p.m.
“We're celebrating our 15th year anniversary. North House was born in 2004, so we decided to build an event to celebrate that. It's the first time we've ever done something like this. As well, it is a fundraiser,” Mona Emond, North House’s Executive Director, told The Standard. 
A press release explains North House “provides a spectrum of housing supports for those who are at risk or in crisis within [North Durham] through programs such as; homelessness prevention outreach, rental subsidies, seasonal tax preparations, as well as, landlord and tenant relations.” 
The event will include a dinner and a silent auction. Comedian Jeremy Yaschik will be the emcee for the event, and Canadian actor Neil Crone will give a keynote address. 
“It's going to be a really dynamic evening,” Lauren Hughes, North House’s Fundraising and Event Coordinator, said. “There's a lot going on in the evening, it is going to be a lot of fun, a very celebratory evening.” 
Ms. Emond spoke about North House’s history. 
“When they first started, they started in the basement of St. Paul's Anglican Church in Beaverton, and it was basically started by a grassroots initiative from community members,” she said. “It was because they recognized a need in their community. They realized their neighbours and friends were starting to struggle. They were having trouble paying their bills, or buying food. They were just having trouble surviving. A few key members from the community got together with Rev Ted McCollum and they decided to create North House.” 
North House is currently based in Uxbridge, and services all the communities in Uxbridge, Scugog and Brock Townships. Last year, North House helped 170 households in North Durham. 
“People are great from our communities. I like to think of them as our family and our friends and people that we know. Housing instability can happen really quickly for people, so we like them to come in. They are always nice to us,” Ms. Emond said. “Every story is different, and we try to be open to listen to those stories and try to help them find solutions to those problems in a compassionate way.” 
Tickets to the event are $85 each, and each ticket purchase will receive a $40 tax receipt. For more information on how to purchase tickets, call Ms. Hughes at 289-640-1929 ext. 105 or go online to northhouse.ca/hopeforhomes. Organizers encourage people to buy their tickets by the end of this weekend. 

DAN CEARNS The Standard

SCUGOG: North Durham residents are invited to come to the Port Perry Fairgrounds in June to get some exercise, while raising awareness of mental illness.
On Saturday, June 8th, Community Care Durham will be holding their Walk for Mental Health Awareness, from 9 a.m. until noon, the walk beginning at the Port Perry Fairgrounds.
Participants can choose to walk, run or ride their bicycles on a 1, 2 or 5 km path.
“It's open to anybody who wants to come. If somebody raises $20 or over, they'll get a T-Shirt. We are going to have a silent auction, raffles, [and] a free barbecue. It's a fun day, so bring your family, your kids, [and] your pets, and come and support the walk,” Jillian Howsam of Community Care Durham told The Standard. The event will also have childrens’ activities, music and an information tent.
“It's all about awareness and the promotion of Community Care Durham's Mental Health services,” Ms. Howsam said.
Community Care Durham provides the COPE Mental Health service.
“If you or a loved one experience mental health challenges, our COPE Mental Health service offers support to cope with depression, stress, and anxiety, and other mental health illnesses,” read a press release from Community Care.
Ms. Howsam said last year’s walk was a big success.
“[It was] phenomenal. It was perfect. Great turnout, lots of support.” COPE program assistant Larissa Heayn said events like this are important.
“It's really important to have events like this to help raise awareness, and not just in North Durham, but all of the region. It's a nice way to get the community together to raise awareness for mental health,” she said.
Another COPE program assistant, Breanna Puhach, said through media coverage and events like this, people’s perceptions of mental health are changing.
“I think there's been a big change in the past couple decades. People are becoming more open,” she said.
Ms. Puhach explained, walking can help improve a person’s mental health.
People are encouraged to pre-register for the event. For more information on how to register, visit www.communitycaredurham.on.ca or call them at 905-430-8014. All money raised from the walk will support Community Care Durham’s services.

CLAUDIA SYTSMA The Standard

KAWARTHA LAKES: The Trish's Wish Foundation will be hosting its 16th Annual Walkathon, beginning at Victoria Park, in Lindsay, on Saturday, June 1st. Participants are encouraged to join the effort, and can walk, run or ride their bikes, on either the 12k or 5k courses. To date, the Foundation has provided over $350,000 to families with children, aged 17 to 25, who are facing a serious illness or who are dealing results of an injury and who could benefit from financial assistance for medical costs or for traveling expenses to medical facilities. 
The Trish's Wish Foundation first began fund raising in 2004, initiated by the family and friends of Trish Peter. Trish was just 17, in the year 2000, when she was diagnosed with Osteo Sarcoma, a form of cancer. In an effort to help Trish, the community rallied to her aid and held its first walkathon, in Little Britain, to help raise funds for her medical and traveling expenses. Sadly, Trish lost her battle to the disease in July of 2004. However the group remained committed to her and her memory and gained momentum with each passing year. 
Shirley Eagleson, President of the Trish's Wish Foundation said,“Trish Peter was an amazing young lady. Trish would never judge anyone, and she always said hi to you. If you needed help, she was always there. Trish enjoyed life, sports, music and fashion, even designing her own look. It became Trish's wish for us to help others - the same as we did for her.”
Shirley Eagleson credits the success of the Foundation to the many volunteers, and over 1000 community members who have walked in the Walkathon, and the many businesses who have made their contributions to the Trish's Wish Foundation, a priority over the last 15 years. Shirley continued, “many thanks to all our volunteers, and to the 100 business owners who have donated money and prizes for this year's event. We also, just recently, received a $1000 donation from the Little Britain Credit Union. All of the money we receive goes directly to our clients. There are no administrative fees. As of today, with everyone's support, we have helped over 79 families living in the City of Kawartha Lakes.” 
​As well as hosting the yearly walkathon, the Foundation volunteers have organized live concerts, dances, baseball and golf tournaments, and craft shows. This year, special guests, Mayor Andy Letham and Laurie Scott MPP will be showing their support for the Trish's Wish Foundation, by making opening statements at the Walkathon, at 9 a.m. 
Volunteers, who would like to register for this year's walkathon, can still do so by signing up at the event, on June 1st, in Victoria Park. To make a donation, volunteer for other events, or become a member of the committee, please go to their website, at www.trishswish.ca, or email them, at trishswish@hotmail.com. The walkathon officially begins at 10 a.m., and there will be a live band and a free barbeque on site.

DAN CEARNS The Standard

UXBRIDGE: A retired Uxbridge Secondary School (USS) teacher was honoured recently for the impact she had on students over her career. 
Margot Peck, who was the head of the guidance department at the school, was awarded a Teachers Building Leaders Award by the Loran Scholars Foundation early this month. 
According to the Loran Scholars Foundation website, the award “recognizes primary and secondary school teachers who provide early inspiration, guidance and growth opportunities for [Loran] scholars.” 
“I was humbled and really surprised. I’m very grateful,” Ms. Peck told The Standard, about receiving the award. 
Ms. Peck, who retired from the job in 2015, was nominated by Callen Hageman, a former student who had received a Loran Scholarship. 
“I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving than Ms. Peck,” Mr. Hageman said. “Ms. Peck was a huge part of my high school experience.” 
When Ms. Peck came to USS, she brought an annual student led leadership camp to the school. 
“Ms. Peck breathed character and leadership into the students she interacted with,” Mr. Hageman said. 
Ms. Peck explained what makes this camp so successful and unique. 
“It is student run and student led. The teachers aren’t the catalysts, the students are. It continues to go strong at USS.”
Ms. Peck said, from what she experienced, when students were given the opportunity to “take the lead”, she was always amazed at how “students often have answers to make change.” 
Ms. Peck received the award from Mr. Hageman, at Camp Kandalore, during the school’s annual leadership camp. 
“That was really fitting,” Ms. Peck said. “It was really lovely.” 
Mr. Hageman described the way Ms. Peck worked with students. 
“Ms. Peck was always there to provide assistance, but didn’t step in until that was the case,” he said. “It was important to her that students were doing what they wanted to be doing, to be focusing on things we really care about. She wasn’t going to tell you to do something. She would pick your brain.” 
Ms. Peck was very complimentary of the students she worked with over the years. 
“I will always say, students have always taught me more than I taught them,” she said.

LAURIE SCOTT MPP Kawartha Lakes

KAWARTHA LAKES: The province is taking a giant step towards improving mobile broadband and reliable cellular coverage across eastern Ontario by investing $71 million to the proposed Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN).
The project will help residents, visitors and businesses get the broadband and cellular connections they need, no matter where they are in the region.
About 10 percent  of rural  eastern Ontario has no mobile broadband connection, leading to dropped calls, missed emergency services and a lack of opportunity.
“Mobile broadband connectivity is essential to the public safety and economic prosperity of HKLB and our entire region. I am thrilled that our government has committed to this critical $71 million investment in our region,” said MPP Scott.
“I’m very excited that this project has been endorsed by the province. People in Eastern Ontario are counting on it,” said City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor and EOWC Chair Andy Letham. “This project will not only make us safer through enhanced emergency response communications, but it’s also a critical link for our business community in order to be competitive.”
The province is hopeful the federal government will commit to funding its share of the project cost. The public-private initiative requires contributions from the federal government, as well private sector and municipal partners. Total estimated value of the project is $213 million.
With the announced support for EORN, the provincial government is fulfilling a commitment to invest in cellular and broadband infrastructure.
QUICK FACTS
Cellular connectivity refers to wireless access to voice, text and data services through a mobile device (e.g. a smart phone).
The project involves all Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC)  members and 10 separate municipalities.
City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor Andy Letham is Chair of the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus
The goal of the project is to bring cell coverage to 99 per cent of the region where people live, work and travel. Unpopulated areas, including forests, swamps and protected lands are not included in that goal.
EORN  was created by the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus and has already completed a major project to build a high-capacity fibre-optic backbone network in Eastern Ontario.
In the  2019 Ontario Budget, the provincial government committed $315 million over the next five years to regional and shovel-ready projects.