Volume 8 | Issue 1 | February 2016
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uxbridge town talk
willow springs winery | one step at a time | sugar cookies | the second wedge brewing co. 1
The Uxbridge BIA invite you to become home-town proud! explore the shops in Uxbridge. discover globally sourced products. shop locally for brand names & unique gifts! dine out at a local restaurant or relax at a spa. THINK UXBRIDGE FIRST! t o y s , c l o t h i n g a n d a c c e s s o r i e s f o r t h e t re n d y a n d t i n y
off
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We are MOVING February 22nd, come visit us at our new location! Same plaza, different unit!
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Contact
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(905) 862-3747
Uxbridge Town Talk
uxbridgetowntalk.com
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Town Talk Tidbits February Facts
Art in Uxbridge A Fun February in Uxbridge
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Faces of Uxbridge Jack Ballinger
7 Agricultural News Willow Springs Winery
8 Community Calendar February 2016
9 Community Calendar Cont’d February 2016
10 Peacefully Productive One Step at a Time
Youthful Yammerings Exams
13 UTT Kitchen Bredin’s Bakery Sugar Cookie
14 Guest Column The Second Wedge Brewing Co
15 My Environment The Best Time to Plant a Tree is Today
The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new ~ Soclats Change, how do we handle it in our small quaint town? I believe without change we cannot grow, but how much change is a good thing? Change forces us to grow ie: new job, new business, moving in or out, or any new relationship. People and their lives are always changing. In the end, will it be for the good or will it just be different. Everything happens for a reason. Undoubtedly, Uxbridge is an incredible place to live and grow. Now, do we love it for what it is now or do we allow change? I wonder how the founders of Uxbridge felt about changes. History would suggest that the town had to change to grow and sustain the businesses. But where do you stop and should you? It is the age old question of every municipal government. As the town grows so do the needs of the residents. My 85 year old mom always said “you cannot stop change,” to which I agree, but you can control it. I guess our local councillors have the difficult task of finding that balance. As a resident I like Uxbridge the way it is, a quiet, safe and friendly community that has everything we need. As a business, zero growth is frightening. How do businesses stay afloat with ever increasing competition in brick and mortar and online sales. Yet, we have little increase in the population. Simple math says that will not work. So do we keep our quaint friendly town as is and support our local businesses, or do we allow faster growth. This is a question asked by many, I don’t have the answers, but only know when I travel, my favorite places to visit are quaint towns with lots of variety, shops, events and attractions. I have great faith in the powers that be and suspect the residents and councillors of Uxbridge will find the balance we need to sustain the beauty, keep or add to the shopping variety and encourage visitors to our town. These visitors will help to keep our businesses growing by walking the trails, eating at our unique restaurants and shopping at our unique stores. Our larger chain stores have friendly staff that actually want to assist with your shopping experience, making Uxbridge’s big box stores a civilized experience that you will not get in the larger cities. Change or no change, only time will tell. Change is inevitable so let’s be thoughtful about building the new in Uxbridge.
-town talk STAFF Managing Editor: Elaine Leigh Graphic Designer: Sandi Leigh Sales Manager: Sandi Leigh
CONTACT US Phone: 905 862 3747 Email: info@uxbridgetowntalk.com www.uxbridgetowntalk.com
CONTRIBUTORS Darrin Davis Mackenzie Bradshaw Dorothea Helms Joanne Richter Samantha Smith
MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 1035, Uxbridge ON L9P 1N3 OFFICE ADDRESS 24 Toronto St. N., Unit 3 Uxbridge, ON L9P 1E6
EDITORIAL MESSAGE Unless otherwise stated, all product reviews, articles and other features are chosen by us at our discretion. If you would like to be featured please contact us. Uxbridge Town Talk is a monthly publication by Sweet World Media. The publisher assumes no responsibility or liability for the claims, views, opinions, comments or advertisement herein. The Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement. Uxbridge Town Talk does not endorse any advertised product, service or event. The Publisher is not responsible for any typographical errors. Advertisers are responsible for any copyright issues. Uxbridge Town Talk will not be held responsible for errors, print or otherwise, in submitted ads. No part of this publication, including advertisements, may be reproduced without the written permission of the Publisher.
Copyright © Sweet World Media 2009-2016
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The font used in “Uxbridge Town Talk” is the Gibson Family Font designed by Rod McDonald to honor my father in law John Gibson. It is available for sale at www.canadatype.net/fonts/ gibson. All proceeds are donated by Canada Type to various programs to help improve creative arts and to elevate design programs in Canada.
COVER PHOTO John Cavers | Local Photographer | Photo taken at Bredin’s Bakery facebook.com/uxbridgetowntalk
Pick up copies at: Zehrs,Vinces, Blue Heron Books, Township Office,Uxbridge and Zephyr libraries, NRG4Life and more.
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contents
volume 8 | issue 1 | february 2016
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town talk tidbits
| february facts |
SOURCED FROM: TODAYSPARENT.COM | TIMEANDDATE.COM | GONE-TA-POTT.COM | HY-VEE.COM
Canada officially
February
got its own national flag on February 15, 1965 — almost 100 years after it became a country (in 1867)
February starts on the same day of the week as both March and November in common years, and August in leap years.
Groundhog Day
February Patterns Having only 28 days in common years,
2nd, 2016 Many Canadians take the time to observe Groundhog Day on February 2 each year, which is also Candlemas. Groundhog Day in Canada focuses on the concept of a groundhog coming out of its home in mid-winter to “predict” if spring is on its way in the northern hemisphere.
EVENTS
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Black History Month - Canada & USA Parent Leadership Month Groundhog Day - February 2nd Valentines Day - February 14thItalian LGBT History Month - United Kingdom Month of Language - for the Bangladeshis Leap Day - February 29th (every 4 years)
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Chocolate Lovers Month
Is it any surprise that February is National Chocolate Lovers’ Month? Boxes of chocolates and truffles are turning up on everyone’s’ desks these days and maybe we’ve got more reasons than ever to hoard the chocolate for ourselves. In moderation, it’s healthy! No, really. Chocolate contains iron, potassium, fiber and some of our favorite antioxidants, flavonoids. The flavonoids found in chocolate may be able to do things like relax blood vessels and promote healthy circulation, both of which may lead to healthier blood pressure levels. Chocolate also contains polyphenols, antioxidants that protect the body from free radical damage. Of course, the darker the chocolate, the healthier it is. Start with 57% cacao dark chocolate, or even semi-sweet, and work your way up until you find the perfect dark chocolate fit for you.
it is the only month of the year that can pass without a single full moon. It is also the only month of the calendar that once every six years and twice every 11 years, will have only four full 7-day weeks. In countries that start their week on a Monday, it occurs as part of a common year starting on Friday, when February 1st is a Monday and the 28th is a Sunday, this was observed in 2010 and can be traced back 11 years to 1999, 6 years back to 1993, 11 years back to 1982, 11 years back to 1971 and 6 years back to 1965; and so on twice 11 years consecutively and once six years either forward into the future or back into the past. In countries that have the week start on a Sunday, it occurs with a common year starting on Thursday, with the next occurrence in 2015, and previous occurrences in 2009 (6 years earlier than 2015), 1998 (11 years earlier than 1998, and 1987 (11 years earlier than 1998). This works unless the pattern is broken by a skipped leap year, but no leap year has been skipped since 1900 and no others will be skipped until 2100. (Years that are evenly divisible by 100 are not leap years, unless they are also evenly divisible by 400, in which case they are leap years.) For any system, it cannot happen in a leap year.
February is the third month of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, February is the seasonal equivalent of August in the Northern Hemisphere (which is the third month of summer).
We a r e e x c i t e d t o a n n o u n c e t h e g r a n d opening of our NEW STORE located at 2 4 To r o n t o S t r e e t o n F E B R U A R Y 1 3 t h
apparel
gifts
905.852.0031 artlife905@gmail.com 170 Reach Street, Unit 4, Uxbridge
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yarn
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faces of uxbridge
| jack ballinger |
BY ELAINE LEIGH
Faces!!!! Over the past few years we have had many, and of course each month I have the opportunity to meet the most incredible people. This month’s faces is no exception, our conversation was fun, informative and fascinating. I learned not only about his adventures but also about his dedication, loyalty, but most importantly I re-affirmed his love of Uxbridge. I am not sure any introduction is necessary as I am certain most of you know him, but let me introduce Jack Ballinger, Regional Councillor, Husband, Proud father and unconditional friend to Uxbridge.
This was actually a difficult article to write. The fact that Jack is so well known, along with the long list of stories and accomplishments he has, is there anything else that can be said. So as a writer I am going to try and share some facts that you may not know.
he has helped raise thousands for the many causes that make Uxbridge what it is today. Jack is sincerely proud to have contributed so much to our small community has certainly left his mark on this community for years to come. Politically, Jack is a constant advocate for our town, representing Uxbridge in the region, a job that I am sure is a constant challenge, but one that with Jack’s power of persuasion consistently benefits Uxbridge. Jack latest goal is his dream for Uxbridge’s participation in Canada’s Sesquicentennial ( 2017- Canada’s 150th birthday) celebrations. A dream that will not only have families enjoying the outdoors, but also, if plans work out, it will have Uxbridge as the hub for celebrations in Durham Region. After my discussion with Jack I suspect we will all be an integral part of these celebrations. For all of you that have had the opportunity to talk with Jack, you will agree he has a strong power of persuasion. Stay tuned…………
As a resident of Uxbridge Elaine has taken the helm of Sweet World Media, publisher of Uxbridge Town Talk. Elaine has three passions, family, photography and her Golden Retriever Jake. With a new business, four grandchildren and plenty of photo opportunities in Uxbridge, life’s been busy but fun!
for over
Family run
25 years
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Jack was born on Groundhog day, I will deem this a fun fact, next time you see him check out his tie, yes it has groundhogs on it. Happy Birthday Jack.
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Jack is a hockey player from way back. After playing for many years, he became President and Coach of the Uxbridge Blackhawks Old-timer’s for 30 years. During his tenure they raised over $ 40,000.00 toward the second ice pad at the Uxbridge Arena. His passion for hockey shines with the honour of being inducted into the Old-timer hockey hall of fame in Ottawa, something he speaks proudly of. Jack also enjoyed skiing and he raced the most difficult races in the world. “Cour de Bois” is the longest cross-country skiing race in the world and Jack completed it. He continues to be a passionate member of our local Legion. He was a long time Recreational Director and Assistant Director of the St. John’s School and frankly the list continues... I could write pages about Jack’s accomplishments, but as a writer I think I should share a bit about who Jack is and what he stands for, from my perspective. First he is absolutely a friend to Uxbridge, strongly advocating for causes that need a boost. Over the years,
Uxbridge Renovation Showroom | 905-852-7722 | 17991 Lakeridge Road
Recently I came across Willow Springs Winery, a family established vineyard founded on the old world winemaking traditions from Italy, passed on for generations to the Winemaker today, Mario Testa. Located only a short drive from Uxbridge, Willow Springs Winery offers beautiful views and a variety of local, award winning wines. The Testa family purchased land on the Oak Ridges Moraine and planted the vineyard in the early 60s. The soil and environment are conducive to the four varieties of grapes that Willow Springs harvests, which consist of two red grapes: Baco Noir, Marechal Foch, and two white varieties: Vidal and Seyval Blanc. The white wines will age in stainless steel tanks while the reds will age in French oak barrels. The eleven acres of vineyard will yield, depending on the year, between 5,000-10,000 liters of wine per year; which is around 6,650 – 13,350 bottles of wine, coming in last year at approximately 8,000 bottles. Their most popular bottle of the current selection is the Vidal Icewine. Most recently the 2012 won the National Gold Medal at the 2015 All Canadian Wine Championships. Willow Springs Icewines have done well not only in Canada but internationally as well, taking home medals from the Finger Lakes International Wine Championships. The local favourite however is their Moraine Red, a blend of their local Marechal Foch and Baco Noir grapes. Thanks to being located atop the Oak Ridges Moraine and having a natural spring on the property, the vines here receive an adequate amount of hydration to thrive without additional artificial sources being brought in. The vines will however require maintenance throughout the year, from pruning and trimming (which takes place in late fall and then again mid-spring), to mid season inspections of the vines, leaves and grapes as well as keeping watch over the vineyard for animals that like to sneak tastes of the product such as birds, which are scared off using an air gun.
If you have yet to experience this hidden gem, take an afternoon drive and check out what Willow Springs Winery has to offer. They welcome walk-ins and will be pleased to set you up with a tasting. If you have a little more time on your hands, they are happy to have you bring some snacks or a picnic lunch and enjoy the views of their vineyard over a bottle of wine. They also offer more formal services from private events to unique and rustic weddings.
agricultural news
BY SAMANTHA SMITH
F UN FAC TS:
1. Did you know that white wine could be produced from red grapes? 2. The pigment in the wine comes from the skin of
the grapes coming into contact with the pressed juices. Skins may be removed soon after the grapes are pressed or prevented from coming into contact with the juice at all to lessen or eliminate the red pigments from colouring the wine.
3. Did you know that a standard barrel of wine contains 60 gallons of aging wine, which is near 295 bottles of wine? 4. Each vineyard will yield a different amount of
grapes per acre dependent on the density and age of their vines, soil and environmental conditions unique to their location.
5. Did you know that to call a wine “Icewine”, as one word it must be from Canada? Similar to the way in which to be called “Champagne” it must come from the Champagne region in France? 6. Ontario provides somewhere in the ballpark of 90% of all of Canada’s Icewine. After spending the last year traveling abroad Samantha has come home to discover the hidden gems in and surrounding Uxbridge. Local to Goodwood, Samantha splits her time between managing her family’s Alpaca farm, photography and traveling - so naturally exploring local farms seemed like a perfect fit!
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| willow springs winery |
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community calendar
| february community calendar |
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$16.00 per person - family rate $55 (family tea. Musicians who want to jam for 1/2hr or so should contact admin@northhouse. rate for parents and siblings under 20) ca or Anne at kewleyanne@gmail.com. St Paul’s Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Time: 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm Bring your own instruments. Choirs also Supper Enjoy a delicious hot pancakes Where: Sandford Hall encouraged. and sausage dinner with butter, real maple Contact: 905-852-3827 or scottw@vianet.ca syrup, fruit salad and more. Continuous Time: 3:00 pm serving in the lower hall. This annual Where: Uxbridge Arena, 291 Brock St. W. “Shrove/Fat Tuesday” event is always Contact: admin@northhouse.ca or 705-432-8654 popular, so get your tickets early. $8 adults, $5 kids 5-12, pre-schoolers free, family $20. Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Night. Udora Proceeds to church and outreach programs. Community Hall Board presents a Yuk Tickets available at the door, or phone 905Yuk’s Comedy Night in support of the Hall 852-7016. www.stpauls-uxbridge.ca and on Saturday, February 20th. Doors and on Facebook. licensed bar open at 7pm, Comedy Show starts at 8:30 pm. Tickets $25 per person Time: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm (tax included) available at the Udora Where: St Paul’s Anglican Church, 65 Toronto St. S. General Store and UPI Gas Bar or call 705Contact: 905-852-7016 228-8102. Come out to enjoy the best stand-up comedy around and support our WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 10TH MONDAY FEBRUARY 15TH local community hall. Registration Fair The Registration Fair Maplebrook Dental Family Day Public Time: 7:00 pm (doors open) 8:30pm (show starts) will be held at the Uxbridge Arena and Skate Day. Maplebrook Dental is hosting Where: Udora Community Hall, 24 Victoria Rd. Community Centre, 291 Brock Street West, a public free skate on Family Day at the Contact: 705-228-8102 on February 10th, 2016 from 6:30p.m. to Uxbridge Arena and Recreation Centre. 8:00p.m. Book the family on one evening Come by for a skate and free hot chocolate Emory Lester & Jill Jones Band Stars at under one roof for all activities/sports etc. from 1 pm- 3 pm! Greenbank. World renowned mandolin If you want to book a table please call Bev Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm player, Emory Lester, will perform with the Northeast at 905-640-3966 or by email at Where: Uxbridge Arena, 291 Brock St. W. captivating Jill Jones and their band at the bnortheast@powergate.ca Greenbank Folk Music Society on Saturday, February 20th, 2016. The opening act for Time: 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20TH this show will be Chris Saunders and Abby Where: Uxbridge Arena, 291 Brock St. W. The Coldest Night of The Year. February Zotz from Uxbridge. Tickets $25 each at Contact: 905-640-3966 20th is the 3rd annual North House walk Blue Heron Books, 62 Brock St West, in for the homeless and hungry. Cities, towns Uxbridge, 905-852-4282 or POE Design, FRIDAY FEBRUARY 12TH and villages all across Canada will be out 146 Queen St, in Port Perry, 905-985-0060 The Durham West 4-H Exchange Club walking in their community to raise money - or Phone 905-985-8351 for reserved Fundraiser. The Durham West 4-H for their local charities to support their tickets. Visit our website for more info Exchange Club has been accepted to go homeless and hungry. All the money raised www.greenbankfolkmusic.ca on a provincial exchange to Strathcona stays in the community for the community. Time: 8:00 pm Alberta - east of Edmonton. This will be Walk start and finish at the Uxbridge Arena Where: Greenbank Centennial Hall, Hwy 12, happening in July and August. They have 10 Community Room. Registration is from Greenbank kids between the ages of 14 and 17. Each 3-4pm. Opening Ceremonies and Walk Contact: 905-985-0060 club is responsible to raise funds to cover start at 4pm-5pm. Registration closes and the expenses of touring our local areas. route closes at 7pm. Walk route is straight THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25TH They have a fundraiser planned for Friday down Brock Street 2kms - from the Arena to Feb 12th , 2016, it is a delicious Roast the CIBC and back or 5kms- from the Arena Barrymore by William Luce at the Beef Dinner and an Assortment of Desserts to the High School and back or 10kms- do Uxbridge Music Hall. Spend an evening at Sandford Hall in Sandford. Continuous the 5kms twice if you dare! After the walk with John Barrymore as he shares his supper from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm, cost is join us for chili, hot chocolate, coffee or thoughts and reflections on his meteoric TUESDAY FEBRUARY 9TH
WE HOPE YOUR
DAY
LOVE IS FILLED WITH
Customizing your Interior and Exterior Finishes
Uxbridge Stouffville Midwives
Please Contact Jeremy at 289.231.1319 www.jmtcustomcarpentry.ca
2 Campbell Drive, Unit 207
905 862 3535
www.uxbridgemidwives.com
Time: 8:00 pm Where: Uxbridge Music Hall, 16 Main St. S. Contact: Lisha @ thecosmos@powergate.ca
REGULAR EVENTS
your whole body. Every Thursday. Time: 9:00am - 11:30am Where: 75 Marietta Street, Uxbridge Contact: 905-852-7792
Taoist Tai Chi at the Uxbridge Seniors Centre. Includes a gentle set of movements that promote well-being for people of all ages and in all conditions. Beginner class: every Friday 9-10am. Continuous class: every Friday 10-11:30am. Where: 75 Marietta Street, Uxbridge Contact: 905 852 2587
Baby Cafe is a non-fee drop in program offered Mondays, all pregnant women, parents & caregivers with infants are welcome. Each session is facilitated by a Lactation Consultant, and a healthy snack is provided. For more information families can contact us. Time: 9:00 am - 11:00 am Where: Uxbridge Public School, 64 Victoria Dr Contact: 905-862-3131 or office@ durhamfamilyresources.org
Friday Morning Music w/ Marg Time: 9:30 am - 11:30 am Where: Uxbridge Public School, 64 Victoria Dr Contact: 905-862-3131 or office@ durhamfamilyresources.org
Monday Morning Singers. Beat the ‘Winter Blahs’ by singing with the women’s choir, directed by Anne Mizen. The group’s preparing a spring concert on April 29th. Practices are Monday Mornings from 9:15-11:30 am. Begins January 18th. No auditions. Visit www.mmsingers.org Where: St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 65 Toronto Street S Contact: 905-852-3693
Wanna Dance? Line Dancing. “You can dance, have fun and exercise all at the same time!” says Dianne Wiseman, the instructor for the line dancing classes being held at the Seniors Centre in Uxbridge. For ages 55 plus Line dancing is great exercise for virtually
Royal Canadian Legion Every Friday night we play euchre, so if you are interested please come out at 7:00 to sign up and play starts at 7:30 PM. It is a great night of fun for all in the downstairs clubroom. Where: Royal Canadian Legion, Uxbridge
Royal Canadian Legion We have Bingo every Thursday night at 7:30 P.M. until spring. Come on by the upstairs hall with your friends, it could be your lucky night. Time: 7:30pm Where: Royal Canadian Legion, Uxbridge.
Royal Canadian Legion Darts runs every Wednesday night at 7:30 P.M. until spring. Teams are all set but someone is always looking for a spare. Cost for a spare is $3. It’s a great night of fun for all in the upstairs hall. Time: 7:30pm Where: Royal Canadian Legion, Uxbridge
Royal Canadian Legion Meat rolls run every Saturday afternoon from 4–5 PM until Spring. It has been a Canadian Legion tradition for years. Come on out and support your local legion and maybe take home dinner.. Time: 4:00pm - 5:00pm Where: Royal Canadian Legion, Uxbridge
Royal Canadian Legion On the 3rd Monday of every month we hold a veterans afternoon from 2-4 P.M. This is open to all
2016 Township of Uxbridge Spring and Summer
Community Guide
veterans and their spouse/guest in the area not just Uxbridge members. They enjoy food, beverages, entertainment and door prizes compliments of the Uxbridge Legion. So come out and enjoy an afternoon with old friends and acquaintances or meet some new ones. Night of fun for all in the upstairs hall. Where: Royal Canadian Legion, Uxbridge
Open Mic Thursdays. Open Mic Thursdays are every Thursday at Wixan’s Bridge Presented by Beau’s All Natural Beer and Wixan’s Bridge! Watch awesome local talent, and sing a few songs if you feel up to it! It’s always a great time! The first Thursday of every month there’s a free sampling of Beau’s Lug Tread beer. There’s raffles every Thursday for the performers and the audience! Starts at 9pm. Hosted by Bodan. 2 mics, an acoustic, a bass, a cajon and a foot tambourine are provided for general use! Time: 9:00pm - 11:45pm Where: Wixan’s Bridge 65 Brock Street West Contact: 416-587-4572
Karaoke Wednesday. Karaoke is now every Wednesday Night at Wixan’s Bridge in Uxbridge! It’s All Ages on the main floor. Time: 8:00pm Where: Wixan’s Bridge 65 Brock Street West Uxbridge. Contact: 416-587-4572
Friends of the Uxbridge Public Library The Friends of the Uxbridge Public Library meet on the second Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Uxbridge Library lower meeting room. The Friends of the Library bring awareness to the library by organizing book sales and other events. All proceeds go to the library to help in various expenditures including adding to their extensive DVD collection. New members always welcome. Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Where: 9 Toronto Street South
Watch for it in the February 25th edition of the Uxbridge Cosmos newspaper! published by
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career in old Hollywood. “John Barrymore was Icarus who flew so close to the sun that the wax on his wings melted, and he plunged back to earth – from the peak of classical acting to the banalities of show business.” – Brooks Atkinson. This event runs from February 25th - March 5th.
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peacefully productive
| one step at a time |
BY DARRIN DAVIS
January is a time when many of us attempt to make major changes in our lives. A fresh new year, a fresh new ‘us.’ Whether it’s losing weight, getting our finances in order, developing our business, or completing that artistic project we’ve been working on, January brings with it lots of determination and hope. We rush out of the gates and sprint with reckless abandon, full of zest and zeal (and perhaps a fair amount of Christmas turkey and candied yams.) Then February comes, and with it some stark realizations, a few harsh realities. Maybe the plan to write for 2 hours every morning before work was a little too ambitious? Maybe dropping eight pounds a week until the spring was a slight overshot? Maybe your (my) album isn’t going to be mixed and mastered and ready to launch by February? I was getting my hair cut in town last week, and a young personal trainer from a local gym came in for his bi-weekly trim. When asked how things were going, he complained that the gym was currently “full of ‘resolutioners,’ “ but by February things would be “back to normal.” (By which I think he meant: Empty.)
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But friends, it doesn’t have to be this way!
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Yeah, I’ll take the patient measured master over the flash-in-thepan burn-out, any day, thank you very muchly. If you want to wake up earlier each morning to have some sacred ‘you-time’ to work on your art and your self, don’t try to start getting up at 5:45am this coming Monday, if your usual wake up time is 8:30am. It will be painful, awful, catastrophic, stinky and just plain no good. Instead, apply kaizen. Monday, get up at 8:20am. Try that for a few days. It’s such a small change that you won’t notice. I promise. Then try 8:10am for a few days. Still working for you? Soon you’re getting up at 8:00am, easily. And after a month or so, you’ve added an hour each morning to working on whatever project holds the key to your perfect little heart. See? Awesome. Incremental. Consistent.
Lasting, meaningful changes in life are rarely the product of dramatic, massive turnabouts. Yes, occasionally a person may walk into the ocean as Cat Stevens, nearly drown, and suddenly emerge ashore as Yusuf Joseph. But don’t count on it, folks.
This same principle is super-effective for increasing your daily exercise, practicing an instrument, learning a cool new art technique or medium, etc. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
What you can count on is yourself, and your ability to be an agent of change by making slight, incremental adjustments which will gradually right the ship which has gone off course. By taking stock of what the issue is you’d like to work on, pin-pointing what is within your power to change, and acknowledging what is beyond your control, you’ve made the vital first step. Your next move is to employ a process which was first developed by a Japanese automotive company.
Johnny Cash had his final #1 hit with a funny song called ‘1 Piece at a Time,’ a classic country novelty tune about a GM worker who can’t afford to buy one of the Cadillacs he works on each day, but decides a little patience and consistent ingenuity may get him what he wants. He sneaks out small car parts gradually from the plant, and over the course of decades, eventually builds a sweet ride for himself- a real one-of-a-kind gem. Now, I’m not advocating stealing from your workplace. But I think you get the point.
The process is called ‘kaizen,’ and if you can start to apply it to your creative projects, personal health and business practices, you will reap some pretty wonderful rewards. Simply put, kaizen is the principle of continual, gradual improvement through incremental but consistent change. Incremental and consistent. Two kind-ofboring, certifiably unsexy words if I’ve ever seen them. But what is sexier- going like gangbusters for a few weeks at an unsustainable pace, then burning out and returning to the comfortable palace of your well-insulated living room and cozy couch, or making daily micro-adjustments to your habits and rituals, slowly refining your daily practices with achievable, measurable goals, until one dayboom! you’re a master?
So folks, I encourage you to dream big, in small steps. Break huge plans down into tiny tasks, and get started. Make small adjustments to your routine as you go, and keep on refining your workflow. Soon you’ll find yourself just where you want to be. And there is absolute nothing boring about that.
Darrin Davis is a professional musician, singer/songwriter, painter and photographer. His bi-weekly live music video series ‘Songs On A Pink Couch’ can be subscribed to at www.youtube.com/user/thedarrindavisband. Darrin hosts a weekly Sunday night Acoustic Open Mic at Colonel McGrady’s Pub, 44 Brock St. W. He lives in the wildwood splendour of Uxbridge, Ontario, with his lovely wife Amy, his darling newborn daughter Sadie, and his incorrigible pup, Dublin. All 4 are relentless Blue Jays fans.
BY DOROTHEA HELMS
The ever-imaginative Kathy and Mike Bridgeman of Ryleepuss Productions are bringing a classic to life, with “The Music Man” on February 11-14 and 18-20. A fun experience for the whole family, this musical centres around the outrageous confidence man, Professor Harold Hill, who sells instruments and band uniforms to the naïve townsfolk of River City, Iowa on the premise that he will start and train a band. He has a hidden agenda, however, which is complicated when he falls in love. This show has dancing, quirky characters and memorable songs such as “76 Trombones ” and “Til There Was You.” Tickets are $15 for youth (16 and under) and $22 for adults and seniors. Prices include fees. Visit StarTicketing.com, Ryleepussproductions.com or to ask about group rates, call Mike at 416-702-6604. Later in the month, from February 25 through March 5, Cosmos Productions presents “Barrymore By William Luce.” This remarkable one-man show stars Paul Francies as John Barrymore, the infamous black sheep of the beloved American Barrymore acting family. “John” will recount much of his event-filled life and dazzling career in old Hollywood as a romantic leading man. Admired for his roguish handsomeness, the iconic actor will share the ups and downs of his intriguing legacy, which ended in tragic despair. This sounds like a dramatic performance you won’t want to miss. Tickets are $20 (including all fees) and are available at StarTicketing.com. Rehearsals started in earnest in January for “uxperience,” the annual musical-variety show that raises money for local charities. Can you believe that this is uxperience’s 25th year anniversary? This year’s show will take place May 5, 6, and 7 at the Uxbridge Music Hall, and it’s called “Alice’s Adventures in Uxland.” You can only imagine how much fun we’re having coming up with Alice-related skits to complement iconic songs from the past. You will see some familiar faces from the past as well, as former friends join us for this anniversary production. Three years ago, my husband and I joined this group of community-minded residents, and we are having a blast. Belonging to an arts organization brings creative satisfaction and friendship that can only come from the magic of like-minded people getting together for a common purpose. To move an audience to laughter, tears and creative thinking is a unique feeling shared by visual artists, musicians, sculptors, writers … you get the artistic picture. Folks, Uxbridge has it all, and you can be part of it. Whatever your preferred artistic genre, now is the time of year to think about getting involved in local arts-related events and organizations. Here is the contact information for just a few of the local groups that may appeal to your unique brand of artistry.
Dorothea Helms, a.k.a. The Writing Fairy, is an award-winning writer and popular creative writing instructor who also owns the freelance business Write Stuff Writing Services. She makes her living connecting people and ideas, and can be reached at writer@ wsws.ca
Uxbridge Studio Tour UxbridgeStudioTour.com Celebration of the Arts CelebrationoftheArts.ca Uxbridge Arts Association UxbridgeArts.ca Artists of Uxbridge ArtistsofUxbridge.ca Uxbridge Lions Art in the Park Uxbridge.com/LionsArt/ uxperience uxperience.ca Uxbridge Historical Centre UxbridgeHistoricalCentre.com Lucy Maud Montgomery Society of Ontario LucyMaudMontgomery.ca The Thomas Foster Memorial FosterMemorial.com Uxbridge Horticultural Society UxbridgeHorticulturalSociety.com Uxbridge Writers’ Circle authorsherry@rogers.com Monday Morning Singers MMSingers.org Pineridge Chorus Uxbridge PineridgeChorusUxbridge.ca
art in uxbridge
The weather may be chilly, but things are heating up in Uxbridge when it comes to culture and the arts — especially live theatre at the Uxbridge Music Hall. After an invigorating run of On Stage Uxbridge’s “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” in January (wouldn’t you love to own that amazing car?), the Music Hall is being morphed into new imaginary worlds for two fantastic offerings this month.
Naturopathic Doctor, Valerie James, will help you with the following:
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Call (905) 852-1009 ext 1013 to book your appointment www.uxbridgend.com
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| a fun february in uxbridge |
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youthful yammerings
| exams |
BY: MACKENZIE BRADSHAW
The will to succeed is important, but what’s more important is the will to prepare.
-Bobby Knight
Hi, I’m Mackenzie a student at U.S.S. and I am hoping that I am remembered for my last two articles in the Uxbridge Town Talk magazine where I wrote about Remembrance Day and our school’s play “ The Election.” Well I’m back for February’s issue and writing about exams and how they affect us! Exams are always a stressful time for a high school student, but at Uxbridge Secondary School the staff will try their hardest to make studying for the exams the least stressful possible. Most teachers give us a week of review in class and also the opportunity to study in class. Plus, on the days where there isn’t an exam you can use the time to study or just relax. It is helpful too when our teachers hand out a sheet with all the major points that could be on the exam. Now we have a study buddy for the next couple of days! Everyone studies differently, but I take this approach: when I get home from school, I sit down, grab all my notes, put on some music and start writing everything I’ve learned over and over and over again for a good 3 hours everyday. When exam time comes, I sit down for about an hour depending on the type of exam I am writing that day. Sometimes though when I’m thinking about a question on my exam, I’ll lose focus and drift off into my own little world for a bit until I figure out the answer.
for the best grades, but do we really have to stress about it. I understand that studying can be stressful, but do we really have to have mental break downs all the time? Even when we don’t have all the things that we need to study , we don’t have to get frustrated. If you think about it we could easily solve all of these problems. Instead we choose to stress. The best feeling ever is walking out of that class room and realizing that you have just finished writing your last exam of the semester! We can sleep in, lie around in pyjamas and do absolutely nothing. Actually, that is kind of what we do already, but we have a reason this time! Also over the last few days of relaxation and freedom we can throw away all the work that we did in the first semester or we keep some of it for friends that are going into that same subject. Maybe it will help relieve their stress if they have extra notes. Once we head back to school for the beginning of second semester it’s like a fresh start, but then you realize that in just a couple more months you’re going to have to relive all of that stress and all of those emotions all over again.
Mackenzie Bradshaw is a grade 11 co-op student here at Sweet World Media. In her spare time Mackenzie likes to do a lot of drawing and says art therapy is the greatest stress reliever. She also likes to listen to music and watch movies. Her goals for the future include Art College and possibly becoming a Graphic Designer, a Tattoo artist or an Interior Designer.
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When exam time rolls around, it can make anyone very stressful, emotional and sometimes a little frustrated. We study for hours on end just to make sure that we get the best grades because we know that they are going to affect us when we go to apply for college or university. Because we are studying hours on end we don’t get enough sleep and we start to worry and we can get quite emotional. Then there’s the occasional sheet that is missing from your notes that you don’t have or your teacher still hasn’t given you your exams study sheet when there’s only less then a week to your exam! So of course we get very frustrated. It’s weird how we get like this over exams. I understand that colleges and universities are looking
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PROVIDED BY : BREDIN’S BAKERY, 12 BROCK STREET WEST, UXBRIDGE
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Yield: Serves 8-10 dozen Ingredients 1.5 lbs. White Sugar 1 lb. Regular Shortening 3 Large Whole Eggs 1 Cup Of Milk 2.5 lbs. Pastry Flour 1 oz. Baking Powder 1/2 oz. Salt 1/2 tea Spoon Of Vanilla
utt kitchen
| sugar cookies |
Directions 1. Cream together sugar & shortening. 2. Mix Dry Ingredients In a seperate bowl. 3. Combine all ingredients & mix until it’s a solid piece of dough. 4. Bake for approximately 10 minutes at 320 degrees fahrenheit (baking time can depend on thickness of cookie so keep an eye on them) 5. Cool and decorate as desired.
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** Recipe can easily be cut in half for a smaller amount of cookies.
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guest column
| the second wedge brewing co |
BY: JOANNE RICHTER
flavour and body. It makes beer as enjoyable as a delicious meal, and definitely as enjoyable as wine. It takes a great craftsman to accomplish this. We’d like to introduce you to The Second Wedge’s brewmaster, Doug Warren, whose years of brewing experience make our beers stand out in a crowd.
On December 28, 2015, we opened our doors at The Second Wedge Brewing Co. and began pouring beer crafted right here in Uxbridge to a crowd of thirsty locals. This day marked the culmination of three years of research, planning, negotiating and building - and the start, we hope, of a bright new spot on the Ontario beer map. Many people ask Rob and me, “What made you want to open a brewery in Uxbridge?” Well, the answer is threefold. We’re madly in love with beer, for starters. We wanted to start a business where we live, that would enhance what’s already here. And we wanted to create one that had appeal beyond our town’s borders, to draw in people from all over, who may use the nearby trails every weekend but never stop in to our main street. So let’s talk about each of these in turn.
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Beer! Yes, it’s that pale stuff you drank out of red plastic cups in university, and maybe never got much out of other than an inexpensive buzz (and subsequent hangover). But it’s also something completely different, when made in small batches, with attention to ingredients and the brewing and fermentation processes. That care and skill brings complexity to a beer’s aroma,
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Contributing to our local business culture, and working together with other small businesses, is incredibly important to us. Besides having our beers on tap in local bars and restaurants (as I write this we’re about to celebrate our first restaurant launch, with more to come), we’re partnering in many small ways with local shops, artisans and even a nearby farm (keep an eye out for Willo’Wind pork, now being fed a luxury diet of spent brewing grain!). We feel these small exchanges add up to a big whole: strong community relationships and lots of creative ways to engage with customers. The same goes for our participation in the wider small-brewery community - we’re all working together to uphold the craft beer culture, so we share ideas, collaborate and cheer one another on. F i n a l l y, our local pride and love for the incredible landscape that makes Uxbridge such an trail hotspot: we came up here 12 years ago with our young kids for the natural b e a u t y, and never get tired of “getting out there” into the forest and town trails. Rolling hills? We’ve got them in spades. People who come up here to ride their bike, hike, run, ski or snowmobile — they get that. But they might not be coming into downtown afterwards, to enjoy our shops, bars and restaurants. There’s also a growing number of people looking to explore breweries across Ontario, who may not have visited Uxbridge before. We named ourselves after the second wedge of the Oak Ridges Moraine (the Uxbridge Wedge), to help give people an idea of what we consider to be Uxbridge’s best feature. All these reasons guided us as we developed our company and designed our space. You might say that our company tag line speaks to our own journey to opening a brewery: All Trails Lead Here. So, we hope you’ll come in and enjoy some of beers in our tasting room, or grab a few bottles or a growler to go. You can bring in your bike, roll in your stroller and carry in (or order in) some food. We’re even dog friendly, and you might just be greeted by our friendly black Lab, Sadie. Cheers!
Joanne Richter is one of the co-founders of The Second Wedge Brewing Co. She came to Uxbridge by way of Montreal and Toronto. Joanne is a certified beer judge and published author, and has worked in production management for most of her career.
The best time to a plant a tree was twenty years ago. The next best time is today
~chinese proverb
I thought this month I would do a bit of writing about our environment. Our children’s future depends on how we treat the environment today. Like many of you, we do our best. We recycle, don’t use plastic water bottles and purchase local whenever possible helping to reduce our carbon footprint. We endeavor to purchase from those that manufacture responsibly. I deem myself a ‘wanna-be’ environmentalist. I am not fantastic at it, but I am constantly trying. This leads me to our most recent environmental adventure. I am a city girl, but recently our family purchased 13 acres of paradise that we are dedicated to keeping as an environment oasis for years to come. I thought I would share with you our journey, one that is fun, educational, exhausting and absolutely amazing, but how we treat these 13 acres will be so critical to our environment. Yes, it’s only 13 acres, but every acre matters and we intend to do what it takes to make our little piece of paradise environmentally healthy. Since we came from the city we were green. That is, not knowledgeable with forests or pond management. We knew enough that we would have to find someone with expertise in the area and that proved to be our most valuable resource! The experts walked our property and prepared the most extensive report on recommendations to keep our property as natural as possible. The report also contained information on what our property consists of, by basically dividing our property into quadrants. This approach gave us an overview of trees and bushes, etc. We felt that this information was truly valuable in that we can plant and maintain the tree population with native trees that allow for the natural progression of a forest. Our first order of business was to post “no hunting” signs. We are not hunters nor do we want hunters on our property. I must say that this decision was not because we are opposed to hunters, but that for us wildlife on the property excites us. We have no opinion on the pros and cons of hunting, just simply our thoughts on how it affects our property. Next we identified the invasive species on the property. In our case it is Buckthorn trees and bushes. This has proven to be a challenge, as they are not eradicated easily. We have taken on the task of identifying them, marking them and then coming up with a plan to remove them one at a time if necessary. Our team of arborists recommended leaving them if they are not blocking our walking trails, but control them as much as possible. So our next plan is to find the seedlings which are the easiest to control. We are lucky that we have a large meadow area that has many Buckthorn seedlings, so our plan is to cut them back and cover with a large black tarp hoping to kill them off completely. We are not keen on using chemicals, so this seems like the most environmentally friendly process; although I confess we are not certain if it will work. Next step is to cut down the Buckthorn’s that are close to our trails as they have been allowed to flourish for many years. Some
trees are quite large! It was suggested we mulch, then use the wood chips to mark our walking trail, an idea we like. We will also burn some as is legally allowed. Eventually the trees will be replaced with a suitable tree that is native to the area to minimize the effect on our forest.
my environment
BY: ELAINE LEIGH
This environmental journey is an extensive, exciting one for us! I hope to keep you updated on our progression. We are definite novices but are having a great time not only enjoying being outside but also learning how important it is to sustain trees, wetlands and ponds. After all, the best time to plant trees is today. As a resident of Uxbridge Elaine has taken the helm of Sweet World Media, publisher of Uxbridge Town Talk. Elaine has three passions, family, photography and her Golden Retriever Jake. With a new business, four grandchildren and plenty of photo opportunities in Uxbridge, life’s been busy but fun!
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| the best time to plant a tree is today |
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