by Pat Asling In church today, the candle of Joy was lit! It’s hard to be joyful when so many horrible things are happening around the world and suffering is so great. It is hard to be joyful when your friend had died, another is diagnosed with a stroke, or has only a short time to live as diagnosed by doctors, an unbelievable number of countries around the world are war-torn, hundreds driven from their home by war, floods and other catastrophic natural disasters, all created

by Faye Ashton We’ve been gifted with an old-fashioned winter. When it’s not snowing, it’s very cold. It takes many of us back to the day when snow banks along the road were as high as we were as we trudged along to school. Did it hurt us? I don’t think so. Just created more memories. Don't forget to give Elgin Park in Uxbridge a view. The creativeness of the many entries is well worth the drive; the lights are amazing. Checked out the Santas along Campbell Drive in Uxbridge

By Patricia Dawson Christmas open mic and sing-along. Come out to the Bobcaygeon Legion on December 20th, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., for the carol singing with free admission. Looking for something to do over the Christmas break that is fun? The Beaverton Lions Club is so happy to be sponsoring two free public skating dates! The days are December 22nd and 29th from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Foster Hewitt Memorial Center in Beaverton. As always, complimentary hot chocolate and trea

by Janet Van Camp Breakfast with Santa was a great success for the Blackstock Co-op Nursery School. Thank you to all the volunteers who spent so much time organizing, setting up, getting raffle prizes, cooking and cleaning up...well done! The Cantata was well-received on Sunday, December 14th. A wonderful choral service by the Church Choir, directed by Linda Kyte, was enjoyed by all. Souper Sundae was a tasty conclusion to the service. Scott Attfield, Marie Van Camp's son, wi

by Faye Ashton Looks like the Farmers Almanac had the real goods on the cold, snowy weather which came our way and will linger in our area for a few more days. Brrrrrr! The Canadian Foodgrains meeting at the church on December 1st was well attended by many of the growers and contributors from Markham, the Toronto area, east to Bridgnorth, and in between. Each had an amazing story to share of their work in helping to keep this volunteer gift to the world alive. Thanks to all t

by Pat Asling By the time you read this it will be getting close to the middle of the month. There is lots of excitement with buying presents, preparing food, listening to Christmas music and so many events happening. For sure nobody in our area can complain that it doesn’t look like Christmas because we certainly have plenty of the white stuff and it keeps coming! I am still working on that first big dump. Did you see the last, biggest closest full moon? It looked beautiful

By Patricia Dawson Guided hike in Uxbridge will take place Saturday, December 20th, from 9:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the Secord Forest parking lot, a kilometer south of Goodwood Road on Concession 3. Join the Oak Ridges Trail Association on their guided walks and hikes across the top end of the GTA. Enjoy fresh air, meet new friends, and energize your body. Bring the family to the Sunderland Santa Claus parade on December 13th, 2025. This is a free event and starts at 7 p.m.

by Faye Ashton Ole Man Winter really made his appearance known, piling the snow deep in our area. Strange how some areas got dumped on and others close by received very little. Sometimes we’re really blessed and not so, depending on how much we like winter activities. Jean West, formerly of Epsom, if you read this, Irma Podres (nee Janowski) of Chalk Lake would like to get in touch with you. I am wishing everyone a “Happy Birthday or Anniversary” this December. Take time to c

by Pat Asling The big news this week would have to be the amount of snow our area received over the past weekend. Yes, we have had some snow before, but this dump hit hard and fast for those hoping for Indian summer and a few more days to finish up outdoor work. Saturday morning was a winter wonderland to look at and photograph with snow like thick icing on all the fir trees and everything else capable of holding it. The birds were in a panic, fluttering around trying to get