Feds to demolish vacant Altona houses - The Uxbridge Cosmos

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Feds to demolish vacant Altona houses - The Uxbridge Cosmos
Volume 6 No. 35                          YOUR UNIVERSE                                            Thursday, September 9th 2010

                                                                                                                                       Feds to demolish
                                                                                                                                       vacant Altona
                                                                                                                                       houses
                                                                                                                                       by Conrad Boyce

                                                                                                                                       Despite the lack of any formal decision to proceed with
                                                                                                                                       the long-mothballed Pickering Airport, the federal
                                                                                                                                       government will go ahead with demolition of dozens of
                                                                                                                                       vacant structures that were expropriated with the proj-
                                                                                                                                       ect in mind, including eight houses in Uxbridge.
                                                                                                                                          In a July memo to Uxbridge CAO Ingrid Svelnis,
                                                                                                                                       Transport Canada’s Regional Manager Perry Papadatos
                                                                                                                                       said that the eight structures would come down in
                                                                                                                                       August or September. All eight, situated along the
                                                                                                                                       Pickering Townline or the Second Concession just
                                                                                                                                       north of Altona, were still standing last Friday.
                                                                                                                                         Many more structures, about 40, several with signifi-
                                                                                                                                       cant heritage value, are to be demolished in Pickering
                                                                                                                                       and Ajax. These include the recently-vacated
                                                                                                                                       Stouffville Christian School just east of Altona.
                                                                                                                                         At least some vacant Uxbridge structures, including
                                                                                                                                       the old Altona Hotel (pictured at bottom right), have
                                                                                                                                       been spared the wrecker’s ball for now.
                                                                                                                                        A spokesman for Transport Canada could not say why
                                                                                                                                       the demolition decision has been made at this time,
                                                                                                                                       although Mary Delaney of Land Over Landings, a
                                                                                                                                       group opposed to the Pickering Airport, says it’s prob-
                                                                                                                                       ably because the houses in Uxbridge, all about 40 to 50
                                                                                                                                       years old, have been allowed to deteriorate until they’re
                                                                                                                                       no longer safe. She said this was not the case with sev-
                                                                                                                                       eral of the Pickering structures.
                                                                                                                                         None of the eight Uxbridge houses (some of which
                                                                                                                                       are pictured below) is considered to be of any heritage
                                                                                                                                       value.

                                                                                                                                                   Maple, Victoria Drive by Lezley Woodhams

OFF TO CLASS - New Grade 1 student Andrew Worts, 6, gets some last words of encouragement from his mom Heather, before
heading into the hallowed halls of Uxbridge Public School on Tuesday. Andrew’s sister Mackenzie, 4, is all ears, because she herself
is starting Junior Kindergarten the next day.        Photo by Lezley Woodhams.
Feds to demolish vacant Altona houses - The Uxbridge Cosmos
The Uxbridge Cosmos                                      2                    T h u r s d a y, S e p t e m b e r 9 t h 2 0 1 0

                                Uxbridge's Fall Festival of the Arts - Sept. 16 - Oct 9
                                               These are just some of the programs
                                     Full program information: www.celebrationofthearts.ca

                                                                                                        BOOKS &
  Motley Theatre                                                                                        AUTHORS
 A live, professional playreading of Neil                                                                Three of Canada's acclaimed writers
 Simon's "Last of the Red-Hot Lovers" -                                                                    read from their work, and chat with
 drama where your mind creates the set                                                                    the audience - Ken Finkleman, Lisa
  Thursday, Sept. 16, 8 p.m.                                                                                          Moore and Trevor Cole.
  At the Music Hall, Uxbridge                                                                            Thurs. Sept. 23, 8 p.m. Uxbridge
  Tickets $20 (refreshments and cash bar)                                                          Music Hall Tickets $15 (with refreshments)
  from Presents Presents, Blue Heron Books,                                                               from Blue Heron Books or at the door.
  or at the door

                                     Ken Whiteley                                          Uxbridge Unplugged
                                     One World
                                     Dance Concert
                                                                                       Four accomplished singers . . . four different
                                                                                           styles . . . one evening of amazing music
                                     One of Canada's most respected                    Four Uxbridge singer/songwriters who are making
                                     "roots" musicians - already a                  music their career - Tamara Williamson, Leah Daniels,
                                     legend - with a full band.
                                                                                                   Carlie Laidlaw and Whitney Ross-Barris
                                     Saturday, Sept. 18, 8 p.m
                                                                                      Friday, Sept. 24, 8.00 p.m. Uxbridge Music Hall
Uxbridge Music Hall
                                                                                      Tickets $15 (cash bar) from Presents, Presents and
Tickets $25 with refreshments                                                               Blue Heron Books, or at the door if available
(cash bar). Tickets
from Presents,
                                 e
Presents and           h e n th
                     W              e
                        s  h i t th
Blue Heron           Art eet
Books, or at             str                                                               To celebrate the 25th Anniversary . . . an evening
the door if                                                                                of surprises (eight short works created entirely in
available                                                                                    the preceding 25 hours) . . . recognition of those
                                                                                                 who founded and nurtured the Celebration
And check the                                                                                      over 25 years . . . performances by two of
three Saturday                                                                                 the perennial favourites, Tom Baker & Carol
lunch-hour concerts,                                                                                                   Gibson . . . and a party.
featuring some of the                                                                                       Saturday, Sept. 25, 7.30 p.m.
best in local talent.                                                                                                 Uxbridge Music Hall
                                                                                            .
                                                                              e  senses . .        Tickets $25 (gourmet refreshments, cash
                                                                           fiv
The Celebration of the Arts is
                                                                 brate the           p t . 25
                                                             cele              , S  e                  bar) and dancing into the evening to
                                                                   day o 5 p.m.
partially funded by the Government
of Canada through the Department             more info:
                                                               atur
                                                              S 30 a.m. t                            Tom Baker and friends. Tickets from
                                      flyfree@sympatico.ca                          ?
of Canadian Heritage.
                                                                      9.     e sixth
                                           or Blue Heron
                                                                             discover th                   Presents, Presents & Blue Heron
                                               Books             .   . . and                               Books, or at the door if available
Feds to demolish vacant Altona houses - The Uxbridge Cosmos
The Uxbridge Cosmos                                                     3                            T h u r s d a y, S e p t e m b e r 9 t h 2 0 1 0

 A Cup of Coffee... with Kevin Alcock                                                                                            by Lisha Cassibo
Kevin Alcock is a local farrier,            them, but I get them so they're not      mistakes first. I wasn't smart           been doing it for two years, so what     Horsemen's Association, which is
horse trainer, and is vice-president        going to hurt you, and they're not       enough to go look for the people         are they going to teach me? So I car-    another hat I wear, that was part of
of the Uxbridge Fall Fair Board. In         going to do crazy things to them-        who knew what to do, I just liked        ried on. I apprenticed with that guy     the goal, was to raise awareness
the time leading up to a busy week-         selves. Then I show them. So that's      being in the barn playing with the       for five years, then went out on my      within the equine community here
end, Kevin managed to sit for a few         my hobby. And because I've been          horses. You learn how to fall off,       own. Then I started to learn the         in Uxbridge, and to try and get the
minutes with the Cosmos and tell            doing that for quite a few years,        then you start to figure out why you     hard way! Along the way, though,         horse people to get together.
us about himself.                           people have started asking me to         might be falling off! Why is this        you pick up books and learn... to        Doesn't matter if they ride Western
                                            show them how to do what I do.           horse bucking on me all the time,        this day I still go to school, I go to   or English, or whether they all breed
Where to begin? Well, how did you           I've seen a few different people work    and how can I stay on better? That       the States, to clinics and seminars,     and work with different types of
begin?                                      with horses, now, and I'm wonder-        was a very long and slow learning        conventions. Sometimes I'll just         horses, the purpose of the Uxbridge
Well, it started when I was about 12        ing, are there different methods to      process. Now people are a lot fur-       meet somebody at a convention, I'll      Horsemen's Association was to get
years old; I grew up in the Jane and        how people work with the animals?        ther ahead because there are better      be talking to them and I'll like their   everyone working together. It's a
Finch area, we were on a family hol-        I think people see things differently,   coaches and information is readily       ideas, so I'll go back and visit them,   tough job, and we're still working
iday to the Grand Canyon, and my            I think humans see things different-                                              right there, to see how they do this     on it!
dad said “Here's $30. You can go on         ly, but horses all see things the same                                            thing. Sitting in the bar talking        How long has that been around?
a horseback ride for an hour, or a          way. Humans speak English,                                                        about how you do things is a lot dif-    For about 30 years. We built the
helicopter ride for a half an hour. I       French, Spanish, and Japanese, and                                                ferent than actually going to do it!     ring in Elgin Park, I think, 25 years
went on a horseback ride because it         whatever kind of language - horses                                                So I learn from everybody. And as        ago, and it started as a horse show
was longer! Came home, started rid-         speak horse. It doesn't matter if that                                            far as everything else, when it comes    club. A bunch of people had horses,
ing lessons, got a job with horses,         horse came from China, or South                                                   to the horses, that just comes from      and they wanted to do something
became a farrier, moved to                  America or Canada - horses speak                                                  spending time with the horses.           with them, so they created the asso-
Uxbridge, and that was it.                  horse. It's a universal language. So,                                             You pretty much sound like a self-       ciation. There've been big changes
So out of all this, what is your full-      there are different methodologies of                                              made man!                                in the type of people that are
time job?                                   teaching, to teach to people, that                                                I guess you could say that.              involved, so the club, due to lack of
My full-time job is, I'm a farrier. I       have been brought about. One, it's                                                Is there a lot of competition in the     volunteers, backed off on the show-
shoe horses.                                not new, it's hundreds of years old,                                              farrier world?                           ing. But the big goal of the associa-
Where?                                      but the name behind it is natural                                                 There is a lot, but there's more hors-   tion is to make the equine commu-
In Uxbridge, a lot of work in King          horsemanship, and there's a lot of                                                es than the farriers can handle. In      nity stronger. How I got involved
City, Newmarket area, and then I            people that will do natural horse-                                                one square kilometre of here             with it was... Durham Region owns
do a lot of layman's cases, specialty       manship, but they might do it a dif-     accessible.                              (Uxbridge) there are over 200 hors-      the regional forest, of course, and I
work, horses with bad feet and that,        ferent way from somebody else. It's      So did you go to school for any kind     es. And it would take 300 horses to      guess seven or eight years ago the
so it takes me all over.                    all about how to work with the           of training then?                        make a farrier a comfortable living.     council decided it would be a good
And you were giving a lesson just           horses, teaching them the nuances        No. I discovered it in high school,      So technically you could work with-      idea to ban horses from the regional
now, or is that just a casual thing?        of body language, teaching them          met a blacksmith, and I would            in one kilometre of your farm?!          forest. 400 people showed up at
Yeah, kind of, it's a bit of a hobby        how to think about how a horse           rather be in the barn than in school,    If I could convince all the people       Town Hall at 9 o'clock on a Friday
thing, as well. Horses are my busi-         thinks. You have to learn how a          so I got into the co-op program in       around here to hire me, yeah! And        night saying “hey, we like to ride
ness, horses are my life, so I do           horse thinks before you can speak        high school, got four credits, work-     that's right here in the town of         there.” So, it got changed. So I got
make my money as a farrier, horse-          with them.                               ing with the farrier as an apprentice.   Uxbridge. I think there are eight or     involved because it was through the
shoeing, but, part of the lifestyle of      Do you have a particular method          And when I graduated grade 12 I          nine guys in the township of             association that the word of mouth
horses is just like that. I like to ride,   you follow?                              started to look at colleges for          Uxbridge doing the same job as me,       spread the news. That's what got
I wanted a career in horses, I want-        No. I could name 20 or more              becoming a farrier, farrier school,      and we're not enough to cover all        400 people in the council chambers
ed a career as a farrier, but... even       famous people that have put pen to       most of them were in the States,         the horses in the township. So,          to wake them up. We've created
though I work with them, I still like       paper and actually written down          there was Alberta and BC. Ontario        working with the Uxbridge                the...              continued page 13
to ride. I don't have time to com-          how they do things, and I'll learn       had two, they're both closed now.
pete in shows, but I really enjoy           from all those people. I won't sub-      I'd already spent two years working
working with the young ones. So             scribe to any one method. You see,       as a farrier full time, so I was 18,
we'll have young horses, I get them         they're all speaking the same lan-       looking to go to college, but the
so that they're easy to ride - I may        guage. What I did, I actually learned    only thing I wanted to do was shoe
not get all the finishing touches on        the hard way, I did all the dumb         horses. I thought, well, I've already

                                                            TOWNSHIP OF UXBRIDGE
                                                           MUNICIPAL ELECTION 2010
                                                            ALL-CANDIDATE FORUMS                                                      NEW ONTARIO AUTO REGULATIONS
                                                                Mark these dates on your calendar
                                                                   (this is the final schedule!)                                  RON NOBLE INSURANCE LTD. together with rep-
                                                                                                                                    resentatives from the INSURANCE BROKERS
                                                           • Mon, Sept. 27 - CANDIDATES FOR
                                                      WARD 4 COUNCILLOR & WARD 5 COUNCILLOR -                                      ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO (IBAO) invite you
                                                               Uxbridge Seniors’ Centre                                                      to learn more about the new
                                                            • Mon., Oct. 4 - CANDIDATES FOR                                              legislation which becomes effective
                                                      WARD 1 COUNCILLOR & WARD 3 COUNCILLOR -                                                  on September 1st, 2010.
                                                                Royal Canadian Legion                                                  As these changes affect every Ontario
                                                            • Wed., Oct. 6 - CANDIDATES FOR                                            automobile insurance policyholder, this
                                                           MAYOR & REGIONAL COUNCILLOR -                                               invitation is open to everyone that has
                                                          Uxbridge Arena Community Centre                                          automobile insurance and would like to learn
                                                          Moderated by Ted Barris or Conrad Boyce                                         how the new changes affect them.
                                                              ALL FORUMS BEGIN AT 7:00 P.M.                                           Please join us on September 28th, 2010
                                                     * There will also be a forum Wed., Sept. 29 at the Zephyr Hall                                at 7:00 pm at the
                                                        for Ward 2 Councillor, Mayor and Regional Councillor                             Uxbridge Arena Community Centre.
                                                         Candidates, sponsored by the Zephyr Women’s Institute
Feds to demolish vacant Altona houses - The Uxbridge Cosmos
The Uxbridge Cosmos                                                                           4                                   T h u r s d a y, S e p t e m b e r 9 t h 2 0 1 0

                                              our two cents
                                                                 Malignant neglect
Mary Delaney is probably best known in Uxbridge as an actress, justly applauded for her
star turns in such vehicles as Steel Magnolias and The Importance of Being Earnest. But
down in her chosen home of Brougham (about 15 minutes south of Uxbridge on Brock
Road), she is better known for her impassioned leadership of Land Over Landings, a
group dedicated to the ultimate scrapping of the Pickering Airport project, which has tied
up hundreds of acres of property, and dozens of habitable dwellings, for decades now, in
Pickering, Ajax and neighbouring municipalities, including Uxbridge. We fumed in this
space a few weeks ago about the need for Ottawa to finally give itself a deadline on the
project, to either go full steam ahead or drop the idea altogether.
  What has Ms. Delaney hopping mad these days is the decision of Transport Canada to
go ahead this fall with the demolition of many of these buildings, including eight in
Uxbridge (see our cover story). It’s not that she disagrees that many of the houses need
to come down, including the Uxbridge ones (although she disputes the inclusion of sever-
al on the Pickering list). But, she says, it didn’t need to come to this.
   “Most of these places were only built 40 or 50 years ago,” she says. “They were
designed to be good, solid homes for much longer than this. But it’s malignant neglect.
They rented them to people who didn’t maintain them, and when those people left, they
continued to allow them to fall into disrepair. They would do things like shut off the power,
but not the water, so the pipes would burst in winter and render the homes inhabitable                          Letters to the Editor
without a lot of repairs they weren’t prepared to do. So over the years they just got worse
                                                                                                               I have just read Harry Stemp's 'Stew' col-         whether special consideration should be
and worse, and now of course they have to come down.”                                                          umn in your excellent publication via the          made for this small local business. This        Ted Barris's words struck a deep chord in
  “It’s criminal,” she growls. “In the GTA, we need housing at a reasonable cost, housing                      internet (Aug. 26) and would like to com-          gallery not only brings culture and style to    me last week when he wisely noted that
which these buildings could have provided. Now they’re gone forever; it’s uncon-                               ment.                                              our town, but attracts the kind of visitors     without a "local food supply we could find
                                                                                                                 This was the second visit that Harry has         that will spend their tourists dollars in the   ourselves grovelling to import from
scionable.”                                                                                                    paid to the Hazon Yeshaya Humanitarian             local restaurants and shops and then            California or China what was once the
  What’s ironic is that these ruined buildings are often surrounded by nicely manicured                        Network in Jerusalem. His visits are               spread the word to like-minded friends. If      bounty in our backyard." This is a vital
lawns (“so they can justify their maintenance budget,” says Mary Delaney). It is often                         always welcome as he is so positive and            we allow that there is a place for              and timely reminder because our elected
                                                                                                               enthusiastic in helping us carry out this          McDonalds and WalMart in our heritage           municipal officials play a very important
also common to see a totally derelict structure next to a beautifully-kept one. They both                      important work.                                    village, surely we can save this small but      role in whether our precious food-produc-
have the same landlord - the federal government - but the difference is that in the latter                       On both visits, Harry brought a team of          unique and remarkable venue representing        ing lands are turned into parking lots and
                                                                                                               young people to help out, and guided               our local artists.                              subdivisions.
case, someone cared to maintain the property. The government won’t bother.                                     them through the peeling and chopping of                                                            One of the most important things to find
  Another irony is the most beautiful building in Brougham, a heritage building on the                         vegetables for lunch. With no missing fin-                                Sandra Dandurand         out from candidates running for the
southwest corner of Brock Road and Highway 7. You can’t miss it on your way to the 407.                        gers, I should add.                                                                Uxbridge        upcoming municipal election is whether
                                                                                                                 Most importantly, he impressed on these                                                          they will protect our remaining food-pro-
A few years back, the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) spent a lot of time, and                        young people the importance of helping             I guess I am one of the people who ran for      ducing lands to the best of their abilities.
a lot of money, restoring it to its former glory, and then occupied it as its primary office                   Israel's poor children, elderly refugees and       election in 2006 and hasn't attended a          Sadly, nearly every principality in southern
building. Then, suddenly last summer, the agency vacated the building, probably because                        Holocaust survivors. Hazon Yeshaya pre-            Council meeting since (Our Two Cents,           Ontario is addicted to new development.
                                                                                                               pares meals for thousands of destitute peo-        Sept. 2). I certainly found it to be a won-     Indeed growth is just about the only yard-
the Pickering Airport is not a high priority with this government.                                             ple throughout Israel, each and every day.         derful learning experience running a cam-       stick municipal officials seem to use to
  There are two things that get your head to shaking about this situation. First is that this                  Our budget runs to US$1 million per                paign in 2006 and learned a lot about how       measure their success. There are other
beautifully-restored building, if precedent is any indicator, will now fall back into neglect.                 month to pay for this and our other sup-           Council is set up and the meetings han-         measures as found in the Canadian Index
                                                                                                               port services.                                     dled. Any dealings that I had with staff        of Wellbeing and the Genuine Progress
The second is that the hundreds of thousands of dollars dedicated to its restoration could                       One thing that Harry did not mention             were very positive and they certainly made      Index from Nova Scotia.
have gone a long way toward maintaining the houses and other structures now under                              was how anyone reading his column could            the procedure easy.                              In the 2006 election, winners in the 905
                                                                                                               help us with this important work. If you             Life changes and people move on; I have       Region including Uxbridge received 54.3
threat from the wrecker’s ball. So it’s money doubly wasted. That’s what gives govern-                         are so inclined, please send donations,            served on the Zephyr Hall Board, and            per cent of their funding from developers,
ment a bad name.                                                                                               large or small to Hazon Yeshaya Canada at          been involved with the Zephyr Shelter and       a York University study revealed. In
                                                                                                               4850 Keele St., Toronto, ON M3J 3K1,               improvements to the hall. The Zephyr            Toronto, with no greenfields to pave over,
                                                                                                               or          via        our          website:       Library has also been a main concern and        only 12 per cent of donations came from
                                                                                                               www.hazonyeshaya.org.                              running book sales has helped to raise          the development industry.
                                                                                                                  Please accept my congratulations on a           needed funds for the library.                     In addition to a commitment to protect
                                                                                                               wonderful community newspaper. I am                   Just because someone does not attend         food lands, candidates looking for our
                                                                                                               sure the residents of Uxbridge appreciate          Council meetings, does not mean that            votes ought to agree to take no money
                                                                                                               the effort you that and your excellent writ-       they are not busy and involved in commu-        from developers to avoid the appearance
                                                                                                               ers expend to keep them informed.                  nity events.                                    of a conflict of interest.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Thank you, Ted, for the important
                                                                                                                                           Abraham Israel                                     June Archibald      reminder.
8,900 copies of the Cosmos are published each Thursday in the Township of                                                              Founder & Director,                                           Zephyr
Uxbridge: 8,200 delivered by mail, 700 available in stores and boxes.                                                                      Hazon Yeshaya                                                                                      Stephen Leahy
                                                                                                                                                                  On behalf of the Durham Region Branch,                                           Uxbridge
Publisher/Editor                        Conrad Boyce                            905.852.1900                   As a longtime Uxbridge resident, I have            Canadian Red Cross, it is my privilege to
                                                                                                               come to accept the demise of the small             again thank the people of Uxbridge and          A trip to a Jays game was just the ticket to
                                                                                                               town feeling that attracted me to settle in        the staff at the Walmart store here for the     raise funds for the Uxbridge Educational
38 Toronto Street North, Unit One, Uxbridge Ontario L9P 1E6                                                    this area over 20 years ago. I understand          generosity with which they responded to         Trust Fund. The event, which was ora-
                                                                                                               that the proliferation of franchised               our recently concluded campaign. All            ganized by Grant and Sandi Oliver, raised
                                                                                                               American retail and fast food strip malls,         funds donated help the Durham Region            $780 for the fund. Thanks you all those
e-mail: cosmosboyce@powergate.ca                                                                               the demise of the vibrant downtown, the            Branch assist families who are experienc-       who supported this cause. A good time
web site: www.thecosmos.ca                                                                                     suburban sprawl are all part of what our           ing a disaster. It is good to know caring       was had by all, and Jays also won the
                                                                                                               town officials see as progress. There are          people are willing to respond to assist oth-    game!
Office Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.                                                  still great things about living in Uxbridge:       ers, even in these hard economic times.           This fund is in memory of Ryan Waters
                                                                                                               the remaining farmlands, our heritage rail-            Anyone interested in becoming a             and Rodney Ashenhurst. Over $35,000
EDITORIAL POLICY: Opinions expressed by columnists, contributors and in letters to the editor are not nec-     way, country trails, equestrian stables and        Disaster Management volunteer should            has been returned to local schools since its
essarily those of the The Cosmos. Letters must be signed and the telephone number provided (number             especially our thriving artist community. I        contact Terra Sayer at the Branch office in     inception.     The support of the local
will not be published). Requests that a name be withheld will be honoured only if there is a compelling        am alarmed to hear that our neighbour's            Oshawa at 1-866-723-2933. Thanks                community is greatly appreciated!
reason. Errors brought to our attention will be corrected. The Cosmos reserves the right to edit or refuse     beautiful ranch gallery -Buckingham Fine           again!
to publish unsolicited material. ADVERTISING POLICY: The Cosmos reserves the right to refuse any adver-        Art is under threat of closing due to bylaw                                                                                       John Cavers
tisement. The Cosmos is not liable for slight changes or typographical errors in advertisements or any         conflict. I urge all our town decision mak-                                    Joy Freemantle                                        Uxbridge
other errors or omissions in advertisements. All material herein, including advertising design is copyright-   ers to visit this tasteful, quiet facility. Only                              Durham Region
ed, and may not be reproduced in any form without permission.                                                  then can they decide for themselves                                          Branch President
Feds to demolish vacant Altona houses - The Uxbridge Cosmos
The Uxbridge Cosmos                                                                   5                              T h u r s d a y, S e p t e m b e r 9 t h 2 0 1 0

                                                            a blonde moment                                                                                                                  the barris beat
                                                                                      column by Lisha Cassibo                                                                                                     column by Ted Barris

                                                                                  Lice is Nice!                                                                 Just follow the instructions
                                  I've ranted before about how much I despise the idea of “balance” occuring in                                            Generally, I've never had any phobias associated with the last holiday
one's life, and about how I firmly believe the notion is absurd. Trying to fit everything in - work, kids, house,         weekend of the summer. Oh, years of commuting to Toronto have made me dread that first Tuesday back
social life, health, self, etc., etc., in equal proportions is just not possible. And we all know that responsibil-       on the DVP when it turns into a parking lot again. But nothing ever really bothered me about returning
ities other than the ones our heart knows to be the most important often creep up to the top of the to-do                 to the fall schedule the day after Labour Day, except (back in school) that first-day-back exercise ritual
list, leaving little time for the good stuff. In my world, the “good stuff” consists of hanging out with the gals.        most teachers imposed on us. You know the one - writing or telling the class: “How I Spent My Summer
Meaning the ones I gave birth to. Now I know we just ended a glorious summer, filled with sunny after-                    Holiday.”
noons outside in the garden frolicking in the pool, and great adventures at various attractions around the                  Well, in my case this year the dread of that phrase turned out to be twofold. First, I finished teaching last
province. I'm thinking the “balance” in my spend-time-with-the-kids account must be pretty full. So, if you               spring (it turned out) just in time to go teach in Saskatchewan. And because I ended up fulfilling a num-
need to up your ante a little, I've found the perfect way to spend quality time with your kids.                           ber of speaking obligations through July and August, the truth was that I had very little time I could actu-
  Treat them for head lice.                                                                                               ally unwind at home this past summer. Second, the one stretch I did get to spend just puttering around
  Seriously. There is nothing better than discovering on Labour Day Monday, at about 1:30 in the afternoon,               home, turned out to be a holiday of about three days - the last three days of the summer break - last
that your middle child's head, which has been itchy for a couple of weeks but showed no signs of the dread-               Saturday, Sunday and Labour Day Monday. They were - quite literally - my only vacation days of the sum-
ed critters on other checks, is now a happy dwelling place for teeny tiny bugs.                                           mer. Here's how I spent them.
   What better way to call all other activities off and just hole up in the house for a few hours? Shops are                Some of you may remember that last spring that I knocked down our dilapidated, old garage. While that
closed, so you can't race off to find some miracle chemical that will rid your child's head of the beasties.              eliminated the problem of the derelict building falling down on some unsuspecting visitor, it didn't solve
School starts the next day, and you really don't want to be the cause of the already overwrought secretary                the problem of how I would store those tools, winter tires, lawn mower and assorted other garage para-
now having to photocopy those lovely form letters that come home announcing someone in your child's                       phernalia in the off season. However, the same weekend I hauled down the garage, I bought some patio
class....                                                                                                                 stones for a foundation and one of those you-build-it aluminum sheds - with a gazillion screws, nuts, bolts,
  So you pick a sunny, well-lit spot, grab a few hairclips, some snacks, some books, and you start picking.               panels and, of course, pages of instructions. You know, the ones that say right there on page two:
  I know I sound ridiculous, but, aside from the four hours on my feet and the eyestrain, it really was a good              “It might look complicated when you first unpack your building … but it really isn't.”
time. I did the worst first, so my middle daughter climbed back into her pyjamas and housecoat and hun-                     My first problem was that I didn't get to building the tin shed all summer long. And that put the pres-
kered down in front of me. We had a great time! We talked about the summer we'd had, some fun activi-                     sure on me to do it quickly on the last weekend off during the summer. It turned out to be the worst pos-
ties that were coming up, whether I'd done this with my mummy when I was a girl (no, I'd never had the                    sible construction plan. First, everybody disappeared at the start of the weekend - my wife went riding,
pleasure), and just lots of blah blah. She asked questions, and because I really had nowhere else to go or                my daughter and son-in-law went to a cottage, and even my able - if elderly - next-door neighbour was
anything to do, I answered them. Not on the run, not a brief explanation, as is sometimes the norm, but                   busy.
really answered them. She read to me, and I marvelled again over how much her reading has improved.                         I now refer you to two more warnings also on page two: “You will need assistance. You will find that
  I sometimes feel a little disconnected from my second-born. She just marches to such a different drummer                another person will speed the job and make assembly easier,” it said. And, oh yes, last but not least, it
that I worry she'll slip right through my fingers someday and I'll hate myself for not having done things                 said (this time in bolded, uppercase lettering): “WARNING! DO NOT ERECT YOUR BUILDING … ON A
differently. But for these few hours at least, we were on the same page. She's a funny girl. I don't mean                 WINDY DAY.”
odd, I mean she has her father's knack for one-liners that can slay a crowd. We had some good laughs,                       I'm sure most of you noticed - even those who left town on the Labour Day weekend - ALL of southern
cleaned up her head, and just reveled in the whole experience.                                                            Ontario was inordinately windy, incessantly rainy and bloody freezing last weekend! I was already three
  For whatever reason, her two sisters weren't nearly as bad, so their picking time was greatly reduced, but              strikes down. And yet I continued to negotiate my way through the “simple” instructions in hopes I could
we still had some decent chats. As decent as a chat can get with a four-year old, anyway. There were                      at least get the shell up. Then, a new problem. The manufacturers had tucked a nifty little package into
moments when I wondered if she'd been sniffing the play glue from earlier in the day, so I just nodded a                  the kit - something called a Foundation Unit. It consisted of a metal frame as large as the base of the shed,
lot then and kept on picking.                                                                                             but all the instructions seemed to indicate was that it might be optional as the foundation for the shed.
  I doused all of them with olive oil and wrapped their heads in saran wrap to suffocate the lice, and we all               Turned out it was optional. I had just wasted day one of the Labour Day weekend. Then, as I managed
had a good laugh at the thought of just adding some tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinagrette and we'd have                 to assemble the base frame, a couple of the corner uprights and even a couple of the corner wall pieces,
hair salad! We hurt our tummies laughing at the absurd fashion show that featured see-through turbans.                    the wind and rain really picked up. I spent most of my time chasing the walls of my shed as they rattled
  It's kind of comforting to know that, over the next few days, with life being so back-to-school hectic, we'll           and danced across my backyard.
all have a few moments (or hours, depending on how things have gone) to sit down and really be intimate                     Finally, my neighbour Dave took pity on me. He saw the state of my walls, my limited tool selection and
with each other, chat, and set things up for a really super school year. Who knows, a new tradition could                 the level of my frustration. In a matter of an hour or so, with four hands not two, we had the frame erect-
spring out of this somehow!                                                                                               ed and enough of the walls attached to keep it from blowing to Scugog that night. I took Sunday off,
  Although I wanted to cry when my husband pulled the first wee bug off the special little comb, and raised               because it rained all day. Then, on Monday, I managed to toss the roof together and anchor the whole
my eyes heavenward to demand “why me?”, I really am not all that miffed that this has happened. I can't                   mess with some screws drilled into the patio stones (again courtesy of my neighbour Dave).
do a darn thing about it, so I may as well embrace the opportunity for what it can offer, and live my way                   So now I have my shed mostly done. (I still have the door to install and sealing tape to attach to the roof,
through it.                                                                                                               but I can't do that, until the temperature rises above 13 degrees for more than a day). And the only thing
  Now, if you asked me about my mental state when I approached the 14 loads of laundry that accompa-                      this has really accomplished is to reinforce my lifelong phobia of having to describe: “How I spent my sum-
nied this little adventure...                                                                                             mer holiday.”

                                                                                                                                         When was the last time you had your dentures checked?
                                                                                                                                         We have a denturist on-site and she would be happy to
                                                                                                                                                 accommodate all your denture needs.
                                                                                                                                                                      Other locations to serve you:
  25
  29Church
     TorontoStreet,
              StreetSunderland
                     Uxbridge                                                                                                         STOUFFVILLE                        NORTH PORT                        SUNDERLAND
       705-357-3161
      905-852-7382
   info@thedentalcentre.ca
    info@thedentalcentre.ca                                                                                                         15 Ringwood Dr., Stouffville 15930 Old Simcoe Rd., Port Perry 25 Church Street, Sunderland
   www.thedentalcentre.ca
    www.thedentalcentre.ca                                                                                                               905-642-5777                      905-985-7777                       705-357-3161
Feds to demolish vacant Altona houses - The Uxbridge Cosmos
The Uxbridge Cosmos                                                    6                             T h u r s d a y, S e p t e m b e r 9 t h 2 0 1 0

Pineridge Chorus celebrates                                                                              Moraine workshop at Wyndance Sat.
harmonic milestone                                                                                       by Tom Fowle                                       uses.
                                                                                                                                                              Two multi-stakeholder activities, Check Your
                                                                                                         On Saturday September 11, environmental            Watershed Day (previously hosted in
by Cynthia Nidd                                      showcase the barbershop art form.
                                                                                                         groups Ecospark and Save the Oak Ridges            Uxbridge) to assess stream water quality, and
                                                     • Organizing and performing a Remembrance                                                              Moraine Watch, a policy undertaking, have
                                                                                                         Moraine (STORM) will be holding a day-long
The year 2010 is a landmark year for Pineridge       Tribute in Elgin Park following the     events of                                                      previously been completed. Both of these
                                                                                                         workshop at the Wyndance Golf Club, near
Chorus as it celebrates the 25th Anniversary since   911.                                                                                                   activities have brought together conservation
                                                                                                         Coppin's Corner.
it was granted a charter as a chapter of Sweet       • Fridays at the Foster Memorial                                                                       authorities, non-government organizations
                                                                                                           In the morning sessions, attendees will learn
Adelines International in 1985. In 1982, a num-      • Hosting Comedy Quartet Competitions                                                                  and community groups to share their knowl-
                                                                                                         about the geological history and geographical
ber of Uxbridge women got together to explore          Every year, Pineridge Chorus competes in the                                                         edge, experience and goals.
                                                                                                         extent of the Moraine and its relationship to
the possibility of forming a barbershop chorus for   Region 16 Annual Convention and Competition.                                                               The forthcoming workshop is a further
                                                     Our Region comprises chorus from both Canada
                                                                                                         the Greenbelt. After lunch there will be an his-
women. Three years later they received their                                                             torical overview of pre-Oak Ridges Moraine         example of this endeavour that will allow par-
charter and their musical adventure began.           and Upper New York State.                                                                              ticipants to exchange information, and help
                                                       The Chorus has had several directors over the     Protection Plan events and preparation for the
Currently, two of the founding members are still                                                         review of the Plan in 2015.                        develop policies that will foster a culture of
active participants in the chorus.                   years, and our current director is Melodie Guy.
                                                                                                           Ecospark and STORM believe that the best         conservation. This will address a vitally impor-
   Since those early days, Pineridge Chorus has      Melodie has been involved in the barbershop art
                                                                                                         way to save the Moraine is to engage multiple      tant objective, which is to ensure that the Oak
participated and entertained in many events and      form for more than 20 years as a singer, quartet
                                                                                                         stakeholders, to share and transfer their          Ridges Moraine Protection Plan is being effec-
happenings in the Uxbridge community. For            member, coach, director and judge. She has been
                                                                                                         knowledge, and actively take responsibility for    tively implemented.
example:                                             a certified judge for 13 years and holds a Vocal
                                                                                                         the conservation of this important component          Please mark your diaries, and join us this
• The first formal performance was from the          Honours Specialist Certificate from the
                                                                                                         of our natural heritage, for both present and      Saturday to share your knowledge and experi-
Cornell floating raft in Elgin Pond as part of the   University of Toronto. Her love and enthusiasm
                                                                                                         future generations. As partners, over the past     ence with other like-minded people. Coffee
Spring Water Days celebrations.                      of our art form make rehearsals a very energizing
                                                                                                         five years they have engaged over 2500 pas-        will be served at 9.45 and a light lunch will be
• Selling cookies and serenading the visitors from   positive time for the membership.
                                                       Rehearsals are open to women of all ages who      sionate supporters who are interested in           provided.
a tent at Art in the Park.
• Many performances at senior's homes, church        are interested in learning how to sing 4-part a     Moraine-related sciences, policies and land
fundraisers and Christmas Caroling for local         cappella harmony in barbershop style. No previ-
businesses                                           ous musical training is necessary. The Sweet
• Participating in the Santa Clause Parade.          Adelines Organization has a very strong educa-
• Presenting Chorus Shows at the Music hall to       tional component as part of its philosophy.
                                                     Rehearsals are held in the Uxbridge Music Hall
                                                     on Monday Evenings from 7:15 pm - 9:45 pm.
                                                     COMING EVENTS
                                                     Friday September 10 at 7:30 pm. at the Foster
                                                     Memorial
                                                     We will be sharing the evening with Nancy Hall,
                                                     a very talented singer /musician.
                                                     Monday September 13 Guest Night at the
                                                     Uxbridge Music Hall 16 Main Street. Women of
                                                     all ages are welcome. Come and check us out at
                                                     our regular Rehearsal 7:15 to 9:45.
Feds to demolish vacant Altona houses - The Uxbridge Cosmos
The Uxbridge Cosmos                                                             7                            T h u r s d a y, S e p t e m b e r 9 t h 2 0 1 0

                                                                                                                                     more locally, sustainably and
 The Township Diet                                                           by Fly Freeman                                          re-establish the old links
                                                                                                                                     between what is grown
                                                                                                                                     around us and what we eat,
The largest Dinner Plate around…                     addressing the subject of Local Food, so your              thus also addressing the issue of food security. It
                                                     township diet correspondent met her recently               was significant that as we stood in the High
At last - my two great passions (my Beloved          on the site where all this will happen on the              Perspective's field on Highway 7 just west of
Spouse excepted of course) combined in one           19th September.                                            Brock Road, that we were surrounded by fields
project - Art and Food! The Township Diet is            Heather Rigby is an artist who has a great              of corn, which very few of us will be likely to
going to veer sideways for one article as we dis-    range in her practice, from direct landscape               consume, and if we do, we will be completely
cuss an interesting art project that is being cre-   painting to the more conceptual side of art. Her           unconscious of the fact, as it will probably be
ated by local artist Heather Rigby. She is organ-    profound interest in living a more sustainable             corn oil or corn syrup mixed into some other
izing a huge participatory art installation          life has directed her move from making art that            dish.
                                                                would be shown in galleries, to a dis-             To create this
                                                                cipline that is more inclusive. This            work, she has                   Please note change of date
                                                                involves bringing people into her               gathered together
                                                                works as participants. With a more
                                                                communal approach to making art,
                                                                                                                many         varied
                                                                                                                groups, from the     T         U
                                                                                                                                             HE XBRIDGE COTT        -S
                                                                she hopes to empower those who join             farmers         and
                                                                in to recognize the creativity involved         F a r m e r s ’      H        ISTORICAL OCIETY S
                                                                in large-scale group acts.                      Markets, Food
                                                                  We walked together to the middle of           Share, a large           invites you to hear
                                                                a large grassy field that normally is the
                                                                launch area for High Perspectives
                                                                                                                organisation con-
                                                                                                                cerned         with
                                                                                                                                     Uxbridge Historian
                                                                Hang Gliding School, but on Sunday,
                                                                September 19th, Heather is inviting
                                                                                                                growing
                                                                                                                food, also the
                                                                                                                               local Allan McGillivray
                                                                us all to come and participate in a             Slow          Food
                                                                huge 'People Drawing' of a Dinner               groups around             "From Forest to Farms to Forest."
                                                                Plate - created by arranging the                and about - those
                                                                assembled humans into the shape of a            involved in the
                                                                knife, fork and plate with the words            political issues of
                                                                                                                                                        Monday September 20, 7 PM
                                                                'Eat Local' spelled out in its centre.          food and those                           in the Museum Schoolhouse
                                                                This will then be photographed from             involved in the
                                                                above, and she hopes that the result-           pleasure issues of       Learn some of the history of Uxbridge Township specifically lots 1-
                                                                ing image will be a powerful message            food.                    5, Conc. 6 south, and the Glen Major area, with emphasis on the
                                                                that can be disseminated all over the             And though the         George Hopkins homestead, starting with the original survey, clear-
                                                                country and further.                            purpose is seri-         ing the land, uncovering the sand, reforesting, etc.
                                                                   She is keen that we should all eat           ous, to my mind
                                                                                                                it sounds like it
                                                                                                                could be a really
                                                                                                                fun event. We are
                                                                                                                invited to dress
                                                                                                                colourfully, and
                                                                                                                bring          some
                                                                                                                lunch. Heather
                                                                                                                invites you to
                                                                                                                come at 10 am on
                                                                                                                Sunday         19th
                                                                                                                September and be
                                                                                                                part of a work of
                                                                                                                art with a pur-
                                                                                                                pose: The Dinner
                                                                                                                Plate. Making us
                                                                                                                think         about
                                                                                                                where and how
                                                                                                                we get the food
                                                                                                                on our plates
                                                                                                                each day.
                                                                                                                   More details at
                                                                                                                www.thedinner-
                                                                                                                plateproject.ca -
                                                                                                                all welcome!
Feds to demolish vacant Altona houses - The Uxbridge Cosmos
The Uxbridge Cosmos                                                                                 8                                       T h u r s d a y, S e p t e m b e r 9 t h 2 0 1 0
                                                                                                                                                                              Sat., Sept. 18 Ken Whiteley Roots concert at             $5.00 per year at meetings - Full list of activities avail-

                                                                  Coming Up                                                                                                   Music Hall. Details on pages 2 and 14.

                                                                                                                                                                              Sept. 18-19 Uxbridge Studio Tour 25th annual
                                                                                                                                                                              celebration of Uxbridge area’s visual artists. 24 stu-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       able at 75 Marietta Street.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Thurs., Sept. 23 Post Secondary Information
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Night - 7pm at USS for parents of Gr. 12 students
This Weekend...                                           Sept. 10, 11, 12 - Uxbridge Fall Fair pres-                                                                         dios. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. each day. See www.uxbridges-      and Gr. 12 students.
                                                          ents "Horsing Around the 'Neigh'borhood" in               Thurs., Sept. 16 Uxbridge Genealogy Group                 tudiotour.com for map and full details.
Thurs., Sept. 9 Living Water Cruise-In On                 Elgin Park starting at 5 pm Fri. Sept 10th until 5 pm     7pm at the Uxbridge Library. Guest Speaker: Paul                                                                   Thurs., Sept. 23 Books and Authors Night
Reach Street opposite Reachview Village. Live enter-      Sun. Sept 12th. See page 16 for a full schedule of        Arculus Topic: Edwin Campbell, founder of                 Sun., Sept. 19 Terry Fox Run for Cancer                  See pages 2 and 6 for details.
tainment by Chris Johnston and the Dance Time             events.                                                   Chevrolet. New members always welcome. $2.00              Research, early detection & innovative treatment.
Roadshow, food and dozens of cars! Last cruise of the                                                               admission.                                                Join the 30th Anniversary at Elgin Park, the             Fri., Sept. 24 Friday at the Foster 7:30-8:30
season!                                                   Sun., Sept. 12 Grandparents’ Day on the                                                                             'Bandshell', Registration 8:15am; Start 9:00 am.         Now & Then Duo and Tudor Consort Choir
                                                          YDHR                                                      Thurs., Sept. 16 - 1st Udora Scouting registra-           Walk, run, bike, strollers 10km, 5km or 2km. Pledge      9449 Concession 7. Admission by donation.
Fri., Sept. 10 Friday at the Foster 7:30-8:30                                                                       tion for Beaver, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers and Leaders,     sheets online or at local businesses. Call Maggie 905-
Pineridge Chorus & Singer Nancy Hall 9449                 Sept. 12, 13, 16 - Auditions for Kiss Me Kate             7PM, Udora Community Hall. For more information,          852-2169 or Julie 905-852-6318.                          Sat., Sept. 25, 7:00 a.m. The Oak Ridges Trail
Concession 7. Admission by donation.                      See page 9 for details.                                   contact Toni @ (905) 852-0733.                                                                                     Association is hosting a hike on the Al Shaw side
                                                                                                                                                                              Sun., Sept. 19 Okami Kai Karate and Aikido will          Trail. This is a 1.5 hr. 4.5 km moderate pace hike.
Fri. Sept. 10, 9:30 a.m. The Oak Ridges Trail             Next Week...                                              Thurs., Sept. 16 Motley Theatre Last of the               be showing the 1984 version of the Karate Kid            Meet at the trail entrance on the west side of Conc. 6,
Association is hosting a 2 hr., 10 km hike on the Al                                                                Red Hot Lovers Opening event of Celebration of            starring Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio on                 1.5 km south of Durham Rd. 21. No dogs please.
Shaw side trail. This is a moderate to fast paced hike    Mon., Sept. 13 Pineridge Chorus/Sweet                     the Arts. See page 2 and 14 for more.                     Sun. Sept.19 at 4pm (doors open at 3:30) at the Roxy     Russ Burton 905-830-2862.
on hilly terrain. Meet in the parking area on the east    Adelines welcomes women who like to sing to a                                                                       Theatres in Uxbridge. There will be martial arts
side of Conc. 6, 2 km south of Durham 21 at Albright      guest rehearsal .If you like to sing, we've got a place   Fri., Sept. 17 Friday at the Foster 7:30-8:30             demonstrations, giveaways, and much more. Tickets        Sat., Sept. 25 Free Karaoke Downstairs at
Rd. Russ Burton 905-830-2862.                             for you. 7:15 p.m. Uxbridge Music Hall. For info,         Macullin - Guitar Duo 9449 Concession 7.                  are $8 per person with all the proceeds going to the     Uxbridge Legion Branch 170 located at 109 Franklin
                                                          905-852-6327. See page 6 for more.                        Admission by donation.                                    Gorgon Foundation. Tickets can be purchased at the       Street 8-12 p.m. Must be 19 years or older! Come
Fri., Sept. 10 Community Steak Supper                                                                                                                                         front desk of Body Fit Health Club and Okami Kai         Celebrate the end of Legion Week!!!
Sponsored by Zephyr United Church. Adults – $18,          Monday, September 13 - Monday Morning                     Fri. Sept. 17 9:30 a.m. The Oak Ridges Trail              located at 141 Reach St. in Uxbridge.
Children 6-12       $6, Children 5 & under – Free.        Singers, a choir for women who love to sing, are          Association is hosting a 2 hr., 10 km hike in the                                                                  Sept. 25 Celebration Street Party and Silver
5:00 p.m. til 7:30, Zephyr Community Hall. Tickets at     having their first rehearsal at 9:30 a.m. at              Walker Woods. This is a moderate to fast paced hike       Sun., Sept. 19 Uxbridge Spiritual Society                Gala Details on page 2.
the door.                                                 Goodwood United Church. New members are most              on hilly terrain. Meet in the parking area on the east    Pagan Coffee Moot Do you follow a "different"
                                                          welcome. For info, www.mmsingers.org   905 852            side of Conc. 6, 2 km south of Durham 21 at Albright      Spiritual path?, Do you want to meet other likemind-     Ongoing....
Sat., Sept. 11, 7:00 a.m. The Oak Ridges Trail            7507.                                                     Rd. No dogs please. Joan Taylor 905-477-2161              ed people?. Please join USS at the Tin Cup, located
Association is hosting a hike on the Al Shaw side                                                                                                                             at 86 Brock St. West Uxbridge @ 11:00am for cof-         Join in the fun and fitness of Line Dancing every
Trail. This is a 1.5 hr. 4.5 km moderate pace hike.       Tues., Sept. 14 Autism Support Group in                   Sat., Sept. 18, 7:00 a.m. The Oak Ridges Trail            fee or tea. All are welcome, no nay-sayers please.       Thursday evening at Trinity united Church from 6:30-
Meet at the trail entrance on the west side of Conc. 6,   North Durham 7:30 p.m. Precious Minds, 21980              Association is hosting a hike on the Al Shaw side                                                                  8 p.m. Call 905-852-4655 for info.
1.5 km south of Durham Rd. 21. No dogs please.            Hwy 12.                                                   Trail. This is a 1.5 hr. 4.5 km moderate pace hike.       Sun., Sept. 19 Udora United Church 160th
Russ Burton 905-830-2862.                                                                                           Meet at the trail entrance on the west side of Conc. 6,   Anniversary Service          11 a.m. with Freedom        Uxbridge Youth Centre Summer Hours Mon-
                                                          Wed., Sept. 15 OnStage Uxbridge AGM See                   1.5 km south of Durham Rd. 21. No dogs please.            Bound, luncheon to follow, all welcome.                  Wed 1 - 8, Thurs-Fri 1 - 9 Sat. 12 - 6, Sunday -
Sat., Sept. 11          Know Your Moraine                 below for details.                                        Joan Taylor 905-477-2161.                                                                                          closed.
Workshop 10-2, Wyndance Golf Club, lunch pro-                                                                                                                                 Upcoming...
vided. To register or for info, 647-258-3280, ext.        Thurs., Sept. 16 Diabetes Education Session               Sat., Sept. 18 Uxbridge Community                                                                                  Hospital Auxiliary “Chances Are” Store on
2008. See page 6 for more.                                Uxbridge Cottage Hospital Diabetes Education              Midwives Picnic: 12 noon-3 pm. in Elgin Park.             Monday Sept. 20 – 7 pm Museum Schoolhouse.               Bascom Street accepting good summer and fall cloth-
                                                          Centre hosts Free Session with our Physiotherapists,      Come meet your local midwives to get more informa-        Historian Allan McGillivray on the changes in the        ing. Proceeds to Cottage Hospital.
Sat., Sept. 11 Windreach Farm Annual Barn                 845-1000am and Pharmacist- Pills, Pills, Pills? What      tion on midwifery care... for past and new clients..      south part of our township: “From Forest to
Dance Great night of fiddle music, line dancing,          are they all for? 10am-1200 pm, for adults with dia-      Bring a potluck dish..we will supply drinks and           Farms to Forest”.                                        If you have a community event you’d like us to men-
great cook-out food and the get up and dance music        betes, at Uxbridge Cottage Hospital Boardroom in          snacks. Bellybutton the Clown will be present from 1-                                                              tion,       please         contact        us     at
of the Brian Rose Band. Tickets at Woods & Woods.         Testa Building at 2 Campbell Drive. Call to register      2 pm.                                                     Tues., Sept. 21 1 P.M. - Uxbridge Senior                 cosmosboyce@powergate.ca or 905-852-1900. The
                                                          905-852-9771 ext 5260.                                                                                              Citizen's Club meeting & tea - New Members               deadline for our next issue is 6 p.m. Sunday.
                                                                                                                                                                              always welcome - 2011 Memberships Available for

                                                                                                                                             This      past                                                   will be holding a joint service, along with Zephyr, on the lawn
Uxbridge Street Art Party:                                                                                                 Sandford News     weekend was
                                                                                                                                             neither      a
                                                                                                                                                                                                              of Sandford church, followed by a potluck lunch. Please come
                                                                                                                                                                                                              and join with us, inside or out...

the Sense of Taste                                                                                                         with Pat Asling   good ending
                                                                                                                                             to the sum-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 On Friday, September 10 the Zephyr congregation will be
                                                                                                                                                                                                              holding their annual steak supper at the Zephyr Hall. Serving
                                                                                                                                             mer, nor a                                                       begins at 5PM and ends at 7:30 PM. The cost is $18.00 for
by Fly Freeman                                                                          great  way to  start the new school year, but predictions are for a                                                   adults, $6.00 for children; younger than 5, free...
                                                                                        lovely September. We can only hope the forecasters are right as                                                        Sandford choir begins practices again on Wednesday, Sept.15.
When I write in this fine newspaper, normally it is on                                  the month is crammed with special activities across the town-                                                         New members are always welcome. Sandford Council meets on
the subject of the Township Diet – the excellent local produce we grow and har- ship...                                                                                                                       Sept.14 and Zephyr on Sept 16. That same day the UCW hold
vest right here in the Township. I am delighted that one of the main themes of Sheila Richardson's family, the Van Nostrands, held their 4th                                                                  their luncheon...
the Taste events for the Street party on Saturday the 25th September is local food decade reunion at Norland's Farm, Vandorf, celebrating the                                                                    We are sorry to learn that Rowena Howse is back on our
in all its glory, and it will be Gourmet Glory.                                         anniversary of the family settling at lot15, Conc.4 in 1855,                                                          prayer list, accompanying Morley Bain, Bud Doucette and
                                                                                        now owned by Dr. Peter and wife Janet. The family came from                                                           Janet Smith. Our best wishes to all these members and others
 I’m sure you are all aware that recently a food revolution has taken place in Netherlands settled in New Amsterdam (NY) in 1638, coming                                                                      not feeling so great...
Uxbridge, and we now have a plethora of really good eating places. We have to Canada as UELs. The 285 in attendance represented descen-                                                                         Also, we want to wish those students starting a new school
teamed up five of the culinary artists from Uxbridge with five of our local farm- dants of the six children of the original family, arriving from                                                             year, at whatever level, the very best of luck - of course that
ers, and each team will produce one dish which will be their take on the season’s Nld., Que., B.C., N.S., Ont., France and USA...                                                                             comes with hard work and dedication, which we know you are
bounty. Jeremy Buckingham of Buckingham Catering is working with                           Marilyn Dobie travelled to the Rockies, stopping first in                                                          all capable of!
Willo’wind farm; Brian Cassibo of the Wild Onion restaurant is teaming up Saskatchewan to celebrate her sister's
                                                                                        birthday and this event was also a great
with Twinkleberry farm; Dave Howe of Tin Mill Restaurant with Coopers CSA family gathering. Jim and Nancy Wolfe
farm; Lisa Hutchinson proprietor of The Passionate Cook’s Essentials is work- hosted the Brown family...
ing with Siloam Orchards, and Nicholas Tims of Frankie’s Ristorante is combin-            Community members assisted at the
ing with a group of women who run small organic farms in the Township. An Museum Heritage Days, as exhibitors,
example of the delights on offer will be Lisa showcasing Siloam Orchards’ apples volunteers in the various buildings,
                                                                                        entertainers or the food booth. Bruce
but with a Dutch flavour – a spiced apple beignet cooked on the street. These
                                                                                        Smith arrived home from a dealers’
gourmet delights are bound to be popular and are yours to taste for a monetary show in Cincinnati, Ohio, just in time
donation of your choice to The Loaves and Fishes Food Bank. A superb Taste of to add his MC comments for the car
Uxbridge!                                                                               and tractor parade finale. This year the
 Also promoting local food will be Larry Albright, our esteemed local Meat fantastic weather made for a great week-
Merchant who sources much of his meat from nearby. He will have his BBQ rig end of fun and entertainment. Thanks
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Annual
                                                                                        to Carol for all your work and to all
fired up for your delectation, and he will be joined by Sarafino’s -- letting you those many others behind the scenes...
sample the finest of oils and vinegars – OK not local, but really good!                  My sorority sisters travelled to Wilmot
                                                                                                                                                                                 • Preview of the                                           General
 Bascom Street should really be renamed Sweet Street for this Party as Sugar FX Creek for our latest meeting, first stop-                                                         2010-2011 Season
will be offering samples of life’s sweet delights as well as all kinds of Sweet Edible ping for lunch at our favourite restau-
Sculptures to make, admire and devour.                                                  rant at Darlington harbour. It was a
                                                                      continued page 14 great day for lunching by the water! We
                                                                                                                                                                                 • Election of Officers                                     Meeting
                                                                                        will be assisting the Lions Club at their                                                • Excellent
                                                                                        food booth at Uxbridge Fair...
                                                                                          On Sunday, September 5 church was
                                                                                                                                                                                   Financial News
                                                                                        reopened after a lapse during August.
                                                                                        Rev. Diane returned from her vacation
                                                                                                                                                                                 • Fun & Frivolity
                                                                                        eager to move on. She and her husband
                                                                                        Chris, along with sons Kai and Adan,
                                                                                        visited New York City while on holi-
                                                                                        day...
                                                                                                                                                                                      Wednesday, Sept. 15, 7:30 p.m.
                                                                                          Weather permitting, on the 12th we
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Arts41
                                                                                                                         The Thursday evening Living Water                             41 Maple St., downtown at the
                                                                                                                         Community Church "Cruise In" featured
                                                                                                                         this 1955 Pontiac Laurentian owned by                        corner of Ash and Maple behind
                                                                                                                         George Lester of Beaverton.                                   Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
                                                                                                                                            Photo by Rob Holtby.
Feds to demolish vacant Altona houses - The Uxbridge Cosmos
The Uxbridge Cosmos                                                      9                             T h u r s d a y, S e p t e m b e r 9 t h 2 0 1 0

 Stemp’s Stew                                        column by Harry Stemp
The end of October will see our           with the sincerity and warmth that       they were the most important               touch mine’ which, I should add, is       yet you will
Governor-General Michaelle Jean           she demonstrated during the very         Canadian at that moment.                   fine with me in most cases.               be           as
leave her post and return to civilian     important award ceremonies.                  Later, at the reception on the            But nothing like this happened,        impressed as
life. Normally this is something I          As each recipient was announced,       grounds, she mingled in a most casu-       and I soon discovered another reason      I with all the
would not comment on, but this            the G-G greeted him or her in a          al manner and made herself available       to be more fond of Quebec when I          activities
past summer I was privileged to           most welcoming manner and spent          for many photos without complaint.         asked the price of a case of 24 bot-      that       run
attend at Rideau Hall the inaugura-       several moments in private conversa-       Many Canadians often criticize the       tles.                                     f r o m
tion of a large number of Canadians       tion before moving on. There was no      office of the Governor-General but,          “That will be $21.95”, he said.         September 16 to October 9.
into the Order of Canada.                 indication on her part that this was     after being exposed to this presti-           “No, you misunderstood me”, I           As I distributed the booklets among
  It was the first time I had seen this   just another ho-hum duty of her          gious ceremony, I am no longer one         replied. “I don’t want a 12 pack. I       friends, I was pleased with the
lady in action, and I was impressed       office as she made each recipient feel   of them. Michaelle Jean is a very gra-     want a case of 24”.                       response as they marvelled that a
                                                                                   cious and warm lady, and I wish her          Well, you could have picked me up       community the size of Uxbridge
                         Audition Notice                                           and her family well in the future
                                                                                   and, at the same time, express the
                                                                                                                              off the floor when he said that was
                                                                                                                              for a case of 24. So as I loaded three
                                                                                                                                                                        could organize and support an event
                                                                                                                                                                        of this size on an annual basis for the
                 OnStage Uxbridge's production of                                  wish that her successor carries on the     cases in the car (I love a bargain) and   last 25 years.

                KISS ME KATE                                                       tradition of using the office to hon-
                                                                                   our Canadians who make a positive
                                                                                   difference in the lives of Canadians.
                                                                                                                              as I drove away I thought to myself
                                                                                                                              that maybe Quebec isn’t quite as bad
                                                                                                                              as I have been led to believe.
                                                                                                                                                                          We have so much going for us in
                                                                                                                                                                        our hometown, that it is not hard to
                                                                                                                                                                        become a goodwill ambassador. And,
                       Music & lyrics by Cole Porter                               ----------------------------               -------------------------                 the nice part, you don’t have to be
                                                                                   Quebec is one of our most beautiful        I’m sure my friends in Ottawa get         appointed to the position. Just take
  Audition Sunday, September 12 2 - 5 pm & 7 - 10 pm                               provinces. I am sure most Canadians        bored with me continually bragging        pride in your community and go
  Audition Monday, September 13 7 - 10 pm                                          would agree with that statement.           about my hometown of Uxbridge.            about telling it the way it is and, like
                                                                                       Setting that aside, this same          But it is so easy to boast when we        me, you will soon enjoy seeing the
  Callbacks Thursday, September 16 7 - 10 pm                                       province can give a lot of Canadians,      have so much going on throughout          positive response.
                41 Maple St., Uxbridge                                             and visitors, a real pain in the butt as   the year.
  (corner of Ash & Maple Sts, behind Sacred Heart Catholic Church)                 Quebecois are coddled by politicians         This trip I carried with me a few of
                                                                                   who cherish the large number of            the program booklets that cover the
               Director & Choreographer: Carey Nicholson                           votes they can cast in federal elec-       25th Anniversary of the Celebration
                        Vocal Director: Ann Gage
                   Orchestra Director: Steffan Brunette
                                                                                   tions.
                                                                                     For instance, it irks me that the rest
                                                                                                                              of the Arts. If you haven’t seen one      Tom Doherty
                                                                                   of Canada has to be bilingual in                                                     BA, MDiv
        Performances January 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22 (Uxbridge),                    order to appease our Quebec neigh-                                                   Counselling and Psychotherapy
                  Rehearsals to start in early October                             bours but the same doesn’t apply to
                                                                                   them. A visit to that province and
                                                                                                                                                                        Individual, Couples and Family
    Required: Young Adults & Adults able to play ages 20's to 60's.                bilingualism is rarely seen. Most                                                    tom@dohertycounselling.com
  All auditioners will be asked to perform a 1 minute (approx.) comedic            signs are in French only which, I am                                                 www.dohertycounselling.com
  monologue, a song in the style of the show and learn a short dance               sure, can make driving dangerous for
  sequence. Audition material must be memorized and sheet music pro-               visitors who do not understand the                                                   905.640.4839
  vided (no CD's). Some dance experience/ability an asset for most                 language.
  roles and recommended for ensemble.                                                 This is maybe a small thing, but                                                  416.910.7284
                 AUDITIONS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY                                     one that irks, is that you can’t make
                                                                                   a right turn on a red light like the
     For a detailed list of cast requirements and roles available, visit
     www.onstageuxbridge.com. To book an audition time, contact                    rest of Canada. Of course there are
                                                                                   no signs to warn of this unusual law
                                                                                                                                         Uxbridge
       Nancy Melcher at 905 852-5514, melcher@sympatico.ca
                                                                                   and, again, first time visitors often
                                                                                   find themselves in confusing and                        Street
                                                                                   dangerous situations.
                                                                                       And, worst of all, like most
                                                                                                                                     STREET ART!                    SEE IT.... HEAR IT.... TASTE IT...
                                                                                   Canadians, the fact that they contin-          TOUCH IT... AND MAKE IT! ALL YOUR SENSES DELIGHTED AT THE
                                                                                   ue to support the Bloc Quebecois, a               Uxbridge 25 on the 25th Street Art Party
                                                                                   party whose sole aim is to divide our                     Downtown Brock St. 25th September All Day
                                                                                   great country, is very upsetting to say                     Details at www.celebrationofthearts.ca
                                                                                   the least.                                                      or www.blueheronbooks.com
                                                                                     But a visit to Mont Tremblant over
                                                                                   the holiday weekend gave a whole
                                                                                   new appreciation for that part of
                                                                                   Canada. Walking into the supermar-
                                                                                   ket in St. Jovite, I noticed a young
                                                                                                                                Uxbridge Farmers' Market                                     Ourout
                                                                                                                                                                                            Come    ninth
                                                                                                                                                                                            andseason
                                                                                                                                                                                                 enjoy of
                                                                                                                                                                                            our 5th year
                                                                                                                                                                                                bringing
                                                                                   man surrounded by a large pile of
                                                                                   full Molson beer cases, and he was
                                                                                   standing behind one of those sample
                                                                                                                                Opening
                                                                                                                                O  PEN
                                                                                                                                        Day Sunday June
                                                                                                                                    SUNDAYS             4th
                                                                                                                                                    O . 10  THROUGH         CT              of the
                                                                                                                                                                                             Uxbridge’s
                                                                                                                                                                                            Uxbridge
                                                                                                                                                                                                  best to
                                                                                   tables quite evident in most super-
                                                                                   markets.
                                                                                     This sure caught my interest, so I
                                                                                                                                Uxbridge Arena 9am-1pm                                      Farmers’
                                                                                                                                                                                            Market! you!

                                                                                   walked over and, sure enough, it was
                                                                                   a new product and I was offered a              Crafts,Fruit
                                                                                                                                  Fresh   Baked  Goods, Artisans,
                                                                                                                                               & Vegetables,  Baked Preserves,
                                                                                                                                                                    Goods,
                                                                                   half glass as a taste test. For one who        Frozen Meat,
                                                                                                                                  Preserves,     Plants,
                                                                                                                                             Honey,      Vegetables,
                                                                                                                                                     Maple           Fruit, Meat,
                                                                                                                                                             Syrup, Frozen
                                                                                   lives in staid Ontario, it was hard to         and  much    more.
                                                                                                                                  Crafts, Artisans, Plants and much more...
                                                                                   believe I wasn’t dreaming.
                                                                                                                                   We are always looking to expand the market
                                                                                      As I put the nectar to my lips, I
                                                                                                                                   if you Make it, Bake it, or Grow it, you might
                                                                                   fully expected that any moment my
                                                                                                                                   be a perfect fit. Call Lisa Cooper 905-473-9867
                                                                                   enjoyment would be spoiled by a                 for information.
                                                                                   police officer putting me in cuffs and
                                                                                   whisking me off to nearest jail cell
                                                                                   for drinking in public. Or, at the
                                                                                   least, I would become the victim of
                                                                                   dirty looks from some of my reli-
                                                                                   gious friends who live by the adage
                                                                                   that ‘lips that touch liquor will never
Feds to demolish vacant Altona houses - The Uxbridge Cosmos
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