UTT - March 2015

Volume 7 | Issue 2 | March 2015

uxbridge town talk

mental health | why leadership matters | maple-pecan cake | recycle reuse resell

The Uxbridge BIA invite you to become a 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 during a hair or spa treatment. Be a home-town tourist & THINK LOCAL FIRST!

ADVERTISE HERE Do you want to be a featured business on the BIA merchant page?

And be seen in a premium spot inside front cover!

Contact

Uxbridge Town Talk

(905) 862-3747

uxbridgetowntalk.com

Experience new flavours. Explore new dishes. Our Spring menu is coming soon!

Spring Cleaning Is just around the corner, are you ready?

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CLEANING SUPPLY STORE 73 Brock Street W. Uxbridge | 905-852-9419 | www. communitycleaning.ca

Check off your shopping list!

You can find

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at

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www.littleacorn.ca | 77 Brock St. W | 905 862 3524

$5 off Regal Select interior gallons only

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contents

volume 7 | issue 2 | march 2015

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Town Talk Tidbits March Fun Facts

Peacefully Productive 5 Tips For Taking Better Photos With Your Smartphone

5 Youthful Yammerings Mental Health

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Spotlight on you Kelsey O’Connor

Faces of Uxbridge The Face of Uxbridge “with sole”

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7 Historically Speaking The Uxbridge Public Library – Not Just For Mechanics

8 Community Calendar March 2015

9 Community Calendar Cont’d March 2015

Guest Column Why Leadership Matters

13 Your Community Local Living

14 UTT Kitchen Maple-Pecan Chiffon Cake

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- Bayard Taylor February has left us now with the memories of so many fun family day activities. What a wonderful town we live in that has so many service clubs and businesses participating in events that keep our residents living, playing and shopping locally!

While some of you snowbirds sneak away for a bit to hasten spring, why not take advantage of the great things that Uxbridge has to offer over March break. We have a world class trail system for walking, cross country skiing and snowshoeing. Getting tired of the cold? Why not cozy up in the Uxbridge library with a good book? Did you know that our Township runs many March break camps to engage our young people? Many retailers too are offering fun events designed just for families. And March wouldn’t be complete without the many maple syrup festivals in our area. Don’t worry, spring is just around the corner and let’s encourage this month to March on out…

Agricultural News Canada’s Sweetest Sauce

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 Bob Prince Hayden Prince Roger Prince

MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 1035, Uxbridge ON L9P 1N3 OFFICE ADDRESS 24 Toronto St. N., Unit 3 Uxbridge, ON LNP 1E6

COVER PHOTO laurentiu iordache | 123rf.com facebook.com/uxbridgetowntalk

“With rushing winds and gloomy skies, the dark and stubborn Winter dies.”

twitter.com/uxtowntalk

-town talk Pick up copies at: Zehrs,Vinces, Blue Heron Books, Township Office,Uxbridge and Zephyr libraries, NRG4Life and more.

EDITORIAL MESSAGE Unless otherwise stated, all product reviews, articles and other features are chosen by us and are unpaid. 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 2009-2015

www.sweetworldmedia.com

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.

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town talk tidbits

| march fun facts |

SOURCED FROM: WWW.DUCKSTERS.COM | WWW.FAMOUSBIRTHDAYS.COM | WWW.NWHP.ORG | WWW.LOLLYSMITH.COM

BIRTHDAYS

Chuck Norris & Carrie Underwood Celebrate their birthday March 10th.

Along with Elton John March 25th.

On St Patrick’s Day

13MILLION Pints of Guinness are drunk worldwide.

Shamrocks are usually included in an Irish bride’s bouquet as well the boutonnière of the groom for good luck.

Not Irish?

St. Patrick wasn’t Irish, and he wasn’t born in Ireland. Patrick’s parents were Roman citizens living in modern-day England.

WORLDWIDE March in Other Languages Chinese (Mandarin) - Sanyuè Danish - Marts French - Mars Italian - Marzo Latin - Martius Spanish - Marzo

National Women History Month

A DRY HOLIDAY

2015 is also the 35th anniversary of the Women’s History Movement and the National Women’s History Project.

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St. Patrick’s was a dry holiday in Ireland until 1970.

Aside from the color green, the activity most associated with St. Patrick’s Day is drinking. However, Irish law, from 1903 to 1970, declared St. Patrick’s Day a religious observance for the entire country meaning that all pubs were shut down for the day.

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SHAMROCKS

The word Shamrock comes from the Irish word meaning “little clover.”The tradition of wearing Shamrock on St. Patrick’s Day can be traced back to 1700’s.

Are 4-leaf clovers shamrocks?

By definition, for a clover to represent the Trinity, it would have to bear 3 leaves. 4-leaf clovers have 4 leaves and therefore can’t be considered shamrocks. The odds of finding a 4-Leaf clover are estimated at 10,000 to 1.

This year’s theme presents the opportunity to weave women’s stories – individually and collectively – into the essential fabric of our nation’s history.

MARCH

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Accounts of the lives of individual women are critically important because they reveal exceptionally strong role models who share a more expansive vision of what a woman can do. The stories of women’s lives, and the choices they made, encourage girls and young women to think larger and bolder, and give boys and men a fuller understanding of the female experience. Knowing women’s achievements challenges stereotypes and upends social assumptions about who women are and what women can accomplish today.

, 2015

Is ST. Patrick Day

March’s birthstone is the aquamarine stone as well the birth flower is the daffodil.

“We need to have an understanding and give/advocate support for people with mental illness” Every day 3,000 people commit suicide and another 60,000 attempt it worldwide. Out of those people who attempt and commit suicide, 90% of them have a mental disorder. People with mental disorders should be treated equally and deserve all the help they can get. Ask yourself, “Do I have mental health?” yes or no? The answer will always stay the same, yes. Whether or not you believe it, we all have mental health and sometime in your life you will be affected by poor mental health. Whether it is you personally or your friends/family.

A big myth is that only adults are affected by mental disorders, but kids/teens are too. This is a bad problem because less than 20% of kids/teens get the help they need. And the biggest myth out there is that people with mental disorders are slow learners, violent and aggressive, and quiet/shy. Before your read any further you need to get it through your head that these are all myths! A few famous people with mental disorders are Ludwig von Beethoven, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey and even Abraham Lincoln. Thus proving that we are all truly affected by mental health.

Mental health is a huge problem, and as stated earlier, it affects us all. First off we will be talking about youth. What many people don’t understand is that kids can have bad mental health too. While the brain is in its early stages of development, children are vulnerable to traumatic mental health disorders. Did you know 1 in 5 adolescents have a mental health disorder, and only 1/6 will get the help they need! We need to stop this! If caught in its early stages we can stop further development of the disorder. Here is a list of what to watch for in youth: Talking about suicide or feelings of hopelessness, constant mood problems like rage, anger and sadness, poor grades or missing school, marked changes in sleeping or eating habits, many physical complaints like headaches or stomach aches that the doctor can’t find a cause for, withdrawal from regular activities and relationships, and any other behaviors or symptoms that prevent a child from his/her normal every day activities. If you notice any of these symptoms get help before it is too late! You should schedule an appointment with one of these professionals, a Psychologist, Social worker or Psychiatrist. But if that’s too much for you right away, you can call this helpline 1-866-531-2600. Don’t give it a second thought act now!

Now you may think that this only affects said person with a mental illness, but that is not true. Mental health affects you, those around you and has a huge impact on our economy. Don’t believe it? Well then it may surprise you that poor mental health cost America alone over $193.2 Billion dollars in lost earnings every year! This is because of poor work habits, poor work efficiency and the biggest cause, absenteeism (missing work + being late). But if that’s not bad enough, it is also affecting our education, for the same reasons! Now not only does this affect our economy but also our everyday social skills. Mental disorders commonly cause social isolation/difficulties which in-turn causes even more mental health issues and even suicidal thoughts. Solving issues like these are key to a sustainable and happy world. The way to think about it is simple…. mental health is just like physical health! Except even more important! If you watched someone fall and break they’re legs, would you do anything about it? Would you help them or just walk away? Because that is what it’s like, but they’re is one big difference… You can tell if someone has broken limbs, but it is a lot harder to tell if someone has a broken mind. But all in all, a broken leg can be fixed, just like poor mental health can be fixed.

Now after the first three paragraphs I hope you’ve realized that our mental health is way more serious than most people think. And if you’re only worried about your physical health then you might want to think again, because poor mental health also leads to extreme emotional, behavioral and physical health problems. To delve deeper into these problems, mental health can lead to: Unhappiness, a weakened immune system, family conflicts and fights, problems

with tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, poverty or homelessness, self-harm including suicide, increased risks of motor vehicle accidents and heart disease and other medical conditions.

A great way to think about it is that our mind is like the sun… If the sun slowly dies than so do we on earth. So if your mind is slowly “dying” then so are you. But this entire time I have been talking about the down sides of mental health, if we all had good mental health life would be incredible. Happier people equal less poverty, less drug abuse/alcohol abuse and just a generally happier world.

So let’s make this a happier world! We need to help others seek treatment, because over 80% of people who do indeed seek treatment are treated successfully.

You have a 50% chance of getting a mental disorder. You have a 101% chance of being affected by mental disorders. 2,700 people every day commit suicide because of mental health issues. So what are you going to do about it? You know it’s a huge problem, it has a huge impact on our economy and it’s clearly way more serious than everyone thinks. You now have two choices you can watch it or you can act on it. Just remember to treat those who have mental illness with respect, and if they haven’t asked for help than help them get the help they need. Here is a national mental health line, call- 1 (800) 950-NAMI (6264), Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Society has been in the shadows with mental health problems for too long, let’s put an end to that.

youthful yammerings

BY HAYDEN PRINCE - WORK CITED FROM CHEO.CA, NAMI.ORG, MHAH.ORG, CAMH.CA, MENTALHEALTHHELPLINE.CA

Hayden is the Founder of Shooting4Food which raises awareness and funds for local food banks in Durham Region.

As an intermediate (Grade 8) at Joseph Gould Public School Hayden is an active member of the Executive Leadership and cross country teams and mentors younger kids as a reading and lunch buddy. He is working on his Brown Belt with Okami Kai and also makes time to pursue Photography, Canoeing, Cottaging and other outdoor sports.

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| mental health |

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| the “face of uxbridge” with sole |

BY ELAINE LEIGH

faces of uxbridge

Diamond” event to support our local hospital. Also a big supporter of the Mount Albert Sports Day 5km/run/walk in East Gwillimbury, John has again partnered with one of his suppliers Saucony to assist in this amazing run.

As we acknowledge that John is the “heart and sole” of one of our businesses, he was quick to point out that many of the other merchants in Uxbridge are ‘icons’ here. Collectively they make up the “heart of this town”. He has inspired me to continue with our many faces of Uxbridge that make this town a great place to own a business and to shop. So stay tuned as I continue to share with you the history and stories of some of the long time merchants in Uxbridge that we have grown to admire.

It is safe to say that Uxbridge has some pretty terrific people amongst us. Whether a newcomer to town or long time resident whose family has been here for generations, we appreciate those residents with heart. That our featured “Faces of Uxbridge” is well known to most of us is a tribute to the many people in this town who contribute to the community with a genuine love for business. If you have ever bought shoes in Uxbridge, you surely bought them from John Rodych, owner of Uxbridge Shoes.

Uxbridge Shoes and Repairs originated 40 years ago with John’s father who for many years filled the needs of the community for footwear and shoe repair. Yet, this thriving business was halted for a time with the unexpected death of John’s dad. It was John’s mom who approached John with the thought of running the store. Although hesitant at first, John will tell you now that it was one of his best decisions in life. What a bonus for Uxbridge! John loves what he does, and for those who have shopped at Uxbridge Shoes his passion shines through. And now it is 22 years later and John still loves his job. I learned a lot about the shoe industry after my conversation with John. There is not a shoe, or a shoe manufacturer that John does not know about. The personalized service, the ability to order what you want and all done with a smile makes his business stand out.

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, three grandchildren and plenty of photo opportunities in Uxbridge, life’s been busy but fun!

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“ This is the kind of service we can only find in a small but very full shoe store.”

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Top it off with a dedicated owner like John.

Growing up in Uxbridge and attending Joseph Gould P.S. and Uxbridge Secondary School set the scene for an understanding of the Uxbridge community. John went on to pursue his education at York University where he graduated with a degree in Economics. After marrying his wife Jennifer, they initially settled and bought a house in Ajax. As with many Uxbridge residents, John and his wife found their way back to Uxbridge in 1995. Their family grew to include three children; Rileigh 19, Reece 14 and Hunter 12. As active parents of three kids, they still manage to find time to not only pursue their passion of running but support running in their community.

John is quite shy about his community contributions. With some prodding, I learned that John approached one of his suppliers New Balance to partner with him to contribute to his community. This partnership resulted in the support of the annual Uxbridge “Run for the

Uxbridge Renovation Showroom | 905-852-7722 | 17991 Lakeridge Road

speeches at the Ontario Hall on Main Street, which burned down in 1893 and was replaced by the Uxbridge Music Hall. There then followed a collection of $308 to apply to the existing library debt and a musical concert back at the Mechanics’ Institute.

The Town Clock was made in 1884 Seth Thomas, a famous US manufacturer of clocks until about 1980. The mechanism is connected by a vertical shaft to the clock faces above in the tower and can be viewed in what was then the actual library and is now the Genealogy Room. Originally, this clock activated a 1500lb bell housed in a separate tower to the south used as a fire tower but torn down around 1953. How this feat was accomplished was quite ingenious, namely by means of a connecting system of cables and pulleys anchored by a cradle of rocks below the clock!

The bell is now at the fire hall on Bascom Street. Currently, the chimes are electronically generated.

The original “Rules and Regulations” are framed and on display. $1 per year allowed one book per week, $2 for two books and so on. Extra books were 5 cents per week. Books could be retained for one month, after which a fine of 10 cents per month was levied. Those patrons who lived more than one mile away were allowed extra time to read the book. Books lost, of course, were to be paid for. Numerous bills and receipts remain on file. For example the Daily Globe in 1900 billed at $4 per year, the same cost as that of the Daily Mail, (merged as the Globe and Mail in 1936), a subscription to Cosmopolitan Magazine (NY) in 1898 was $1, and in 1899 $64.65 was paid for 10 tons coal. A genteel reminder from the Howell Book Company was received in October 1899: “we are somewhat short of funds this month and if you could conveniently arrange for the payment of our account we would esteem it a favor.”

If a library is the foundation of knowledge, then the MI certainly has a firm foundation.

On the Toronto Street side in the basement can be seen the pyramidal support for the tower, 6 foot thick at the base tapering to a 2 foot wall. Whole trees used for joists (3inx18in) run east to west to support pine and maple flooring. Artistic features were not omitted: the classical maiden in the main reading room was carved by hand from one tree by physician and board member Dr. John Nation stands in main area. My thanks to Cassandra Jasinski, historical intern, for her assistance.

Note: a copy of “A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Uxbridge” printed under the auspices of Heritage Uxbridge can be obtained from the Town Offices, or downloaded at www.town.uxbridge.on.ca by clicking on “About Uxbridge” and then “Heritage”. Uxbridge-Scugog Historic Homes & Heritage (2005), a beautifully written and illustrated book written by Paul Arculus and J. Peter Hvidsten provides very extensive information on homes in the area.

Bob Prince is a retired engineer and scientist living in Uxbridge and a member of Heritage Uxbridge, a committee advisory to Council on the preservation of heritage properties in the Township.

historically speaking

Toronto Street and Brock Street is undoubtedly the heart of the town and at its corner stands our most iconic building the Mechanics’ Institute, preserved under the Ontario Heritage Act. Before the automobile, “mechanic” referred to a skilled worker, particularly one able to operate and maintain machines arising from the Industrial Revolution. Enterprising industrialists worldwide such as Joseph Gould established Mechanics’ Institutes on the basis their businesses would benefit from a more educated workforce through such adult education and (perhaps?) less time carousing in public houses.

The MI was first established in 1859 as the “Joseph Gould Institute” in the Temperance Hall at the corner of Albert and Spruce Streets, but changed to the “Uxbridge Public Library” in 1895. The first library board included Joseph Gould as chairman, while later boards (e.g. 1881) list his son Isaac Gould and familiar local names such as Mssrs. Hamilton and Bascom. Money was left in the will of Joseph Gould to build the present library, though he did not live to see it, and the building and land was deeded to town in 1884. However, between 1859 and that date it had hard times. The Uxbridge Journal on Dec 8, 1881 cites that the original library was maintained well enough for four years from 1859 to 1863, when it had about 143 books, but with the death of its librarian H.D. Hetherington in 1862, who also operated the Apothecaries Hall, a chemist shop near the Uxbridge Music Hall, a period of neglect existed for about 10 years. A committee undertook to accumulate remaining books along with those in the office of Joseph Dickie, Secretary of the Library Association, who was designated as interim librarian. Records show that the committee agreed to forward the balance of Hetherington’s salary to his wife, who returned to her native Scotland with their four sons.

Little appeared to happen until around 1872 when Dr. Joseph Bascom, Mr. W. Dale of the high school and others tried to revive the institute and to offer evening classes in areas such as mechanical drawing and business subjects such as the new Pitman shorthand.

Space for these classes was problematic since it appears they were held in numerous locations such as the high school, above a bakery, a drug store and other businesses on Brock Street. The Minutes of the Annual Meeting of 1884 show that fees from these evening classes had doubled over the previous year, but attendance at general lectures had fallen off, prompting the need “for a competent person who will give us a course of 4 or 5 lectures at moderate cost on some branch of natural science, well illustrated by specimens or experiments.”

By the meeting of directors of the Mechanics’ Institute in July 1886, the sum of $200 was raised plus ongoing government grants of $400 per year to found a new permanent building; in addition, Joseph Gould’s will directed earlier that year that $3500 be allocated from his will for the building plus a town clock if it could be included within this overall cost. Construction was delayed until spring 1887 to allow tenders in fall 1886 and to allow builders to accumulate materials and do preparatory work “during the dull season” (Uxbridge Journal July 22 1886). Official opening took place on December 9, 1987, starting with a meal in the basement followed by

BY BOB PRINCE

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| the uxbridge public library – not just for mechanics |

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community calendar

| march community calendar | SUNDAY MARCH 1ST New Animal Shelter for Uxbridge-Scugog Snow White Family Fun Theatre. An interactive AGM. The New Animal Shelter Committee for theatre experience for the entire family. Come Uxbridge-Scugog will be hosting their Annual join us at Uxbridge Public School as Dufflebag General Meeting , All are welcome.

Theatre Company presents “Snow White”. Time: March 17th at 7:00 pm.

Family and individual passes available. Tickets Where: Uxbridge, Town Hall, 51 Toronto Street South can be purchased at Blue Heron Books, Little Acorn and all DFRFR Early Learning Centres.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 18TH

Superhero Day. Please pre-register for all March Break programs in the Children’s Department.

Registration begins Wed, February 18th. Grades 1 - 3.

Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm

SATURDAY MARCH 28TH

Where: 64 Victoria Drive Uxbridge, ON Contact: 905-862-3131

An Evening of Jazz & Blues. This is going to be a great night of Jazz and Blues featuring 2X Juno Winner and 7X Maple Blues Winner, blues guitarist, singer/song writer Jack de Keyzer! Also, Johnny Cox, Howard Ross and Richard Thornton. For Advance Tickets call: 647-532-4050

Time: 1:30pm - 2:300pm

Where: Uxbridge Public Libary Cost: $2.00/child

The Party Magician & The Puppet Tamer.

Please pre-register for all March Break programs in the Children’s Department. Registration begins Wed, February 18th. Come see the big show!

2nd Ultimate Women’s Show. Enjoy a night out with your friends. Shopping, Fashion Show, Mini Spa Treatments and more! More info @ http://ultimatewomensshow2.eventbrite.ca

Time:1:45pm & 3:00pm

Time: March 28, 2015 6:30pm - 10:00pm

Where: Community Center/ Arena

Where: Mill Run Golf 1269 Durham Road 8 Uxbridge.

Cost: $5.00/child

THURSDAY MARCH 19TH

Time: March 1, 2015 6:00pm - 10:00pm Cost: $10.00 Where: Wixan’s Bridge 65 Brock Street West Uxbridge.

Contact: 416-587-4572

FRIDAY MARCH 6TH

Princess Etiquette Party. Please pre-register for all March Break programs in the Children’s Department. Registration begins Wed, February 18th. Grades 1 - 3.

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Time: 3:00pm - 4:00pm

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Royal Canadian Legion Free ball room danc- Where: Uxbridge Public Libary ing. It’s a great night of fun for all in the upstairs Cost: $5.00/child hall.

Time: 8:00pm Uxbridge Genealogy Group. The Uxbridge Where: Royal Canadian Legion, Uxbridge Genealogy Group was founded by local genealogists to share a common interest and to assist those that are trying to trace their roots. The aim MONDAY MARCH 16TH & TUESDAY 17TH of the Group is to provide genealogy expertise Babysitting Course. Please pre-register for and, in partnership with the Uxbridge Public all March Break programs in the Children’s Library, support to the public in the Uxbridge, Department. Registration begins Wed, February Ontario, Canada area. The Group welcomes 18th. You must attend both Monday and those that are new to genealogy and seasoned Tuesday of the babysitting course. 11+ years old. veterans to our monthly meetings. Please check our website www.uxgen.net/calendar for topTime: 9:00am - 12:30pm ics and speakers for meetings.

Where: Uxbridge Public Libary Time: 7:00pm

Cost: $70.00

Contact: www.uxgen.net/calendar

TUESDAY MARCH 17TH

IS IT E TO TIMW? RENE

FRIDAY MARCH 20TH

NO COST.

SUNDAY MARCH 29TH Spring Fling Bazaar. Catch a great deal Declutter for spring cleaning. Prizes – Sampling – Contests. Easter Bunny Visit (1-2pm) Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Where: Uxbridge Arena Hall

Contact: jenstiles@powergate.ca

Cost:$1.00 donated to Sunrise Pregnancy Center

TUESDAY MARCH 31TH

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‘Strengthening Uxbridge One Person At A Time’

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 your whole body. Every Thursday.

Time: 9:00am - 11:30am

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

Where: 75 Marietta Street, 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 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.

Contact: 905 852 2587

Where: Royal Canadian Legion, Uxbridge

Where: 34 Brock Street West Uxbridge, ON

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.

REGULAR EVENTS

Where: Royal Canadian Legion, Uxbridge

Monday Morning Singers. Anne Mizen Baker directs this women’s choir in a variety of music from folk to classical. No auditions Where: St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 65 Toronto Street S

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.

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!

Contact: 905-852-3693

Time: 7:30pm

Time: 9:00pm - 11:45pm

Where: Royal Canadian Legion, Uxbridge.

Where: Wixan’s Bridge 65 Brock Street West Uxbridge.

Where: 75 Marietta Street, Uxbridge Contact: 905-852-7792

Time: March 31, 2015 7:30am - 9:00am Where: Wooden Sticks 40 Elgin Park Dr. Uxbridge Contact: amanda@cldn.ca

Mind Matters. Join Laura Briel on the last Tuesday of every month for “Mind Matters” a workshop geared towards understanding mental health, discovering leadership potential and reducing stigma surrounding mental illness. For future dates and topics, check out our website www/facebook.com/ uxbridgeyouthcentre. Ages 11 and up.

Time: 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm Cost: Free

Uxbridge BIA Seniors Day. Seniors are encouraged to come shop, dine & explore Uxbridge each Tuesday. On Tuesday, participating businesses will display an orange ‘Keep Calm Seniors Day Here’ sign. Stop by to discover special Seniors promotions, sale items, in-store guests, a demonstration, a free activity or a Seniors discount.

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 1011:30am.

Contact: 416-587-4572

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.

Karaoke Wednesday. Karaoke is now every Wednesday Night at Wixan’s Bridge in Uxbridge! It’s All Ages on the main floor.

Time: 7:30pm

Where: Wixan’s Bridge 65 Brock Street West Uxbridge.

Where: Royal Canadian Legion, Uxbridge

Contact: 416-587-4572

Where: Uxbridge Contact: 905 852 9181 x 406

Uxbridge

Wanna Dance? Line Dancing. “You can Community

Royal Canadian Legion Meat rolls run every

Midwives

Kiss me…

I’m adorable!

Tiffany Haidon RM Mahnaz Najafian RM Mitra Razi RM Testa Professional Building 2 Campbell Drive, Suite 100A, Uxbridge, ON, L9P 1H6

905 904.0688 uxbridgemidwives@gmail.com

always accepting new patients

Uxbridge Community Midwives

2 Campbell Drive, Unit 207 | 905 862 3535 | www.uxbridgemidwives.com

Time: 8:00pm

w w w. u x b r i d g e t o w n t a l k . c o m | m a r c h 2 0 1 5

Monthly Breakfast Meeting. Come and join the Uxbridge Chamber of Commerce at our monthly Breakfast networking meeting. Come out and hear about what’s going on in our community, have a great breakfast, and meet some new people. This is a great networking opportunity!

9

peacefully productive

| 5 tips for taking better photos with your smartphone | Photography is ‘the people’s art’- an undeniably democratic medium.

The best camera is the one you have on you, and with the ubiquity of smartphones capable of taking high-quality photos today, the number of pictures being taken worldwide each hour is staggering.

In the small (yet immensely pleasurable) amount of time it takes you to read this article, there will be as many photos snapped as were taken in the ENTIRE 19TH CENTURY. That’s a heck of a lot of pictures, and they’re not just being stuffed under dear aunt Doris’ bed in shoe boxes, gathering dust. Social media sharing sites enable our indulgent selfies, awfully cute dog-eating-snow shots and ‘look-what-my-perfectpartner-surprised-me-with-this-morning-I’m-so-lucky-and-grateful #trulyblessed’ humble-brag photos to be potentially seen by millions.

Facebook alone now holds 10,000 times the amount of photos as the Library of Congress. Crazy.

I went to university for photography, and at that time, film was still king. Digital was in its infancy, and mostly seen as a gimmick, a trend that would die out quickly. Clearly, we film snobs were wrong. 5 years ago, when I got my first iPhone, I was blown away by the potential this phone offered to photographers. It’s been said that the best camera is the one that you have on you, and these days, it seems everyone, everywhere is taking a picture of something. Let’s make yours stand out from the crowd.

actually notifies me each morning and evening when golden hour has begun. Trust me, this can take your skills from zero to hero in, well, an hour. :)

5. Take. Lots. Of. Pictures.

Here’s some simple math: The more photos you take, the better your chances become of getting ‘the shot.’ Each photo you take makes you an incrementally better photographer. They don’t all have to be good.

As a matter of fact, we actually learn more from our bad shots. Take the time to look over some recent shots you’ve taken on your phone, and try to figure out why they didn’t turn out, or why they really did.

And remember, even the pros take tons of bad photos. The difference is, they only display the best ones, so we start to think that each shot they take is perfect. This is not at all the case. If I go out today and shoot in the countryside preserve for an hour, I may come back with 100 photos. Of those 100, maybe 8 of them will be decent. Of those 8, maybe 3 are good. And you know what? If I pick the best one of those 3, edit it nicely, and post it on Facebook, I’ll get loads of compliments.

People will tell me how great all my photos are. 99 junkers and one really great shot, and I go to bed a hero. Keep that in mind, friends.

Good hunting...

With Gratitude, Darrin Davis Peacefully Productive Studios

I present to you my top 5 tips for taking better smartphone photos...

1. Ignore the self-help books. Don’t be centered.

Darrin Davis is professional musician, singer/songwriter, painter and photographer. His weekly live music video series ‘Songs on a Pink Couch’ can be followed atwww.youtube. com/user/thedarrindavisband. Darrin hosts a weekly Sunday night Acoustic Open Mic at Colonel McGrady’s Pub. He lives in the wildwood splendor of Uxbridge, Ontario with his lovely wife Amy, and his incorrigible pup, Dublin. All three are relentless Blue Jays fans.

Photos with the subject in the centre? Pretty darn boring. Instead, picture a ‘hashtag’ (or a tic-tac-toe board, for the zoomers out there) across your viewfinder/screen. Place the most important element of your photo (the eyes of your portrait subject, the haunting tree in a landscape, etc.) on one of the intersecting points of that grid. This is called the ‘rule of thirds’, and will instantly improve your shots tenfold.

2. Let’s get close and horizontal, baby.

Nothing screams ’I’m socially awkward and rather terrified of technology’ louder than a vertical shot of 3 people taken from twenty feet away, with loads of blank space above their heads. Ignore your phones crappy digital zoom feature (which just causes loads of unwanted digital ‘noise’ in your photo) and use God’s perfect zooming device: your feet. Move closer. And although true portraits are supposed to be shot vertically (aka ‘portrait’ orientation) social media platforms are optimized to display horizontal (aka ’landscape’) shots, because of the dimensions of modern computer monitors. Simply, up close shots taken horizontally look better on Facebook news feeds.

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3. Don’t be a hater. Filters are your friend.

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Lately, the amazing filters available in photo apps like Instagram and Camera+ have been under attack by self-proclaimed purists, who wish to harken back to the glorious days of yore, when photography was ‘real.’ This is buffoonery. Filters have been a part of photography since the very beginning. Coloured flash gels, softening ‘portrait’ filters, and polarizing filters have been gently augmenting and improving pictures since the days of the tintype. Rather than treating these potentially wonderful software filters (available for free!) in the same way 1920’s prohibitionists treated whiskey, I suggest you learn to ‘Use Them Responsibly.’ Like a fine dram of Bushmills, a subtle filter can add a beautiful warm glow to a photo. Likewise, if over-used, a filter can spell wreck and ruin. Most photo editing apps now allow you to control the amount of filter being applied. I suggest you take the slider down to zero, then slowly slide it up until it reaches that special spot. You’ll know when you get there. I have faith in you.

BY DARRIN DAVIS

Published by:

www.sweetworldmedia.com

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•Artists •Photos •Writers •Business •Recipes •Events If you’d like to be featured please contact us.

4. Golden hour is... Um... Golden.

There is a magical time for taking photos. This is the time when unicorns drink from the free flowing nectar of the gods in rolling fields of glory and Justin Beiber songs are banned from all terrestrial radio stations. This time is the hour surrounding sunrise each day, and the hour surrounding sunset each night. This is the absolute best time to take outdoor shots. The light is spectacular. The harsh shadows of noon-time are abolished, and a soft, warm light gives a hug to all things captured on your camera. I use a free app called ‘Magic Hour’ which

www.uxbridgetowntalk.com

My passion for photography began when my dad bought a professional camera for my mom. I decided to take the camera to a fair so that I could capture a few pictures of my uncle and father tractor pulling. I began taking more and more photos. The challenge of trying to capture the vehicle in the frame of my camera as it went flying down the track was enticing.

As time went by, I began to upload the pictures onto the internet so family and friends could view them. Other pullers saw the photos and requested that I take some of them as well. The members of the pulling club are like family to me, so I happily accepted. As the years went by my skill and client list continued to grow. I was even hired to take professional photos for the Embro Truck and Tractor pull 2013 and 2014.

Photography has had a positive impact on my life. It has made my bonds and friendships with fellow pullers stronger and the fact that it is something I love makes it even more special.

spotlight on you

| kelsey o’connor|

Photography has had a positive impact on my life‌

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Kelsey O’Connor

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| why leadership matters |

BY ROGER PRINCE

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guest column

In today’s frenetic work place, with a relentless drive for better performance, growth, faster results and greater market share, Leadership is either the problem or the solution.

If you recognize that Leadership is a solution than you are likely investing in effective coaching for you and your leadership team. If growth is anemic, below expectations and revenue has flat lined, consider setting a course of action to conduct a review of ‘current and desired’ states including leadership.

Like a computer virus poor Leadership at any level within your organization will eventually infect everything. It spreads to other teams, departments, divisions and can be difficult to remove if allowed to fester unchecked. The higher the level of poor leadership the greater the negative impact to the organization. Symptoms of poor Leadership are manifested in morale problems, absenteeism, high turnover, theft, mediocre performance, lack of passion, creativity and excitement. But you say, we can point to the employee being the problem. A closer look may reveal that they are a symptom of what is often a bigger root problem……a Leadership problem.

Let me share two personal stories which exemplify the impact of Leadership. The first company was micro-managed by a tyrannical leader with little regard for employees, suppliers (and yes customers). The company was on a mission to double the business from $250 million. Absenteeism was rampart, employee morale was at its lowest, substance abuse was evident and yet despite this climate, the company did reach their growth goal. Fast forward to another organization in the same industry……I was attracted to the quality of the senior leadership team, all of whom were high energy, positive, respectful leaders with integrity and ethics. The company was number two in the marketplace with a mission to be number one in three years while doubling the business to over one billion in a highly competitive marketplace. Every employee including the receptionist knew what the mission was. All leaders from the CEO to line Managers were continually trained in Leadership development. Every employee (800), customer (14,000) and supplier (500) was treated with respect, integrity and as equal business partners. The company had several locations across the country and in each office the morale was positive and upbeat with everyone being an active part of the mission.

The second company achieved their goal in a record two years. Where are the two companies today? The first organization no longer exists (despite being highly profitable and debt free at the time)….the second is a multi-billion firm and continues to be an exceptional performer. Regardless of whether your organization is in the SMB, mid-market or the large corporate space….. Leadership matters.

A recent study by Success factors of more than 5,500 executives across 27 countries found that 42% of executives say their companies growth plans are slowed by lack of access to the right leadership. Additionally 34% say lack of adequate leadership is among the major impediments to achieving workforce goals.

The problems of ineffective leadership can slip into companies through a myriad of ways. Organizations with stable teams often believe that the Senior Leadership team are experienced and training would be a waste (ask them how to relate to Gen Y or Millennials). In many organizations today, Boomers are retiring and young high Potentials often with several degrees are stepping into the void. These new young executives have plenty of theory, but little hands on experience. Effective leadership skills are demonstrated through a keyboard (That’s their world). This ‘Gap’ can be disruptive to employees resulting in miscommunication and significant disconnect, giving rise to problems mentioned earlier.

12 Over time ‘disconnects’ can result in flat or negative growth.

The Value of Effective Leadership is increased sales, profits, market share, ‘engaged’ happy employees, customers and suppliers coupled with executive satisfaction.

“What does leadership and effective coaching look like?”

First it should recognize the unique potential of the leader. The program must provide a structure and process for development, a mechanism for assessment, action plans and proper, regular feedback. The coach needs to have the depth of experience to provide insight sufficient for the Leader to overcome their own preconditioning, perceptions and belief (get out of their own head and way). Additionally they need to understand the people they lead and their peers/colleagues. It is critical that the coach is able to trigger personal self-discovery and new approaches for problem solving. The focus for both the coach and the leader is on enhancing performance, communication and developing leadership skills. The leadership coach has to be effective in being both a mirror and accountability partner.

Leadership and Leadership coaching does matter…..Good leaders can be reasonably effective Managers; Great Leaders are true visionaries and builders of sustainable high growth cultures and businesses.

Roger Prince is the Founder of Prince Leadership Group. He is a Certified Coach Practitioner, Speaker and Author helping Companies and Executives ignite their growth and explode their full potential.

His area of expertise is Onboarding New Executives. His 35 years of hands on with Fortune 500 companies has enabled him to gain a deep understanding of why leadership matters.

Roger is available for individual or team coaching, speaking engagements, leadership development, sales training and workshops.

GR APHI C DESIGN | P RI NTIN G | WE B DEVE LO PM EN T

“YOUR

SUCCESS IS OUR

GREATEST

COMPLIMENT!”

Home Of

Contact us: 905 862 3747

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| recycle, reuse, resell |

Uxbridge has some amazing youth and these two young men were honoured for their hard work and dedication. Both Hayden Prince and Josh Morrison were recipients of the Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year awards. If you have not had the opportunity to meet either of these young men I will share with you their accomplisments. Josh started a program called Penny House, his goal to collect enough pennies to build a house in his two year effort he has collected over 15,000 dollars. Hayden started an event called Shooting 4 Food a fundraiser in support of Loaves and Fishes Food Bank in Uxbridge, Hayden is also planning on running another fundraiser Shooting4MentalHealth. In both cases these young men are certainly worthy recipients of this award and incredibley chosen out a 130 nominations. Congratulations to both of you!!!!

I think all of us want to do our part to help the environment but I thought I would remind you that there are many ways to accomplish this, not just in our garbage. We are lucky enough in Uxbridge to have some gently used options you can donate or purchase. Remember a three month old wears their outfit for a very short time, and the desk you purchased not longer fits the décor, or you need a new light fixture or one small piece of trim. Does your cottage need windows or are you a talented individual that is great at repurposing furniture. We have three great locations you can donate or purchase. Chances Are is located at 20 Bascom Street, Uxbridge you will find clothes, jewellery, kitchen items etc. donations are always appreciated with funds going to Uxbridge Cottage Hospital. The Restore, 141 Reach Street, Unit 7, Uxbridge.

You will find used doors, windows, tables, furniture, light fixtures, locks etc. Are you talented at repurposing? Check out the Restore, I am sure you will find what you need. The Restore is always grateful for donations, give them a call to find out what they need.

905 852 5888. And then there is Consign This, a new store in Uxbridge, but well worth the visit. You will find clothes of all sizes, some small kitchen items, baby items etc. children’s toys etc. They are located at 24 Brock St. W.

your community

| local living |

If you are interested in reselling or buying gently used products don’t forget to check out the many “Facebook” swap groups.

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13

| maple-pecan chiffon cake |

utt kitchen

Ingredients - 2 cups all-purpise flour* or 2 1/4 cups cake flour - 1 1/2 cups sugar - 3 teaspoons baking powder

RECIPE SOURCED FROM BETTY CROCKER’S COOKBOOK NEW AND REVISED EDITION (1956)

- 1/2 cup vegetable oil - 7 egg yolks (with all-purpose flour) or 5 egg yolks (with cake flour) -3/4cup cold water - 2 tablespoons grated orange peel - 1 cup egg whites (about 8)

- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted - 1 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325º. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat in oil, egg yolks, water, chopped pecans , and orange peel with spoon until smooth.

2. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large mixer bowl until stiff peaks form 3. Pour egg yolk mixture gradually over beaten egg whites, folding with rubber spatula just until blended. Pour into ungreased tube pan, 10x4 inches.

4. Bake until top springs back when touched lightly, about 1 1/4 hours. Invert pan in funnel; let hang until cake is cold. remove from pan. * If using self-rising flour. omit baking powder and salt.

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| maple-pecan satiny beige icing recipe |

14

RECIPE SOURCED FROM BETTY CROCKER’S COOKBOOK (1956)

Ingredients

Directions

2/3 cup brown sugar (packed) 1/3 cup egg whites (2 large) 3 tbsp. water 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/3 cup light corn syrup 1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Combine sugar, water, syrup in saucepan. Boil rapidly until syrup spins a 6 to 8” thread or to 242 F. While syrup is cooking, beat egg whites until stiff enough to hold a point. Pour hot syrup slowly in a thin stream into egg whites, beating constantly. Add vanilla, Then stir in maple flavouring and chopped pecans, Beat until icing holds its shape.

March is the sappy month of maple syrup production! This Canadian food stuff is a source of jobs, pleasure, visits to sugar shacks and our sense of national history and identity. According to Statistics Canada 2012, maple syrup is a 305 Million Dollar industry in Canada with 2.86 % from Ontario and 92% from Quebec making us a world leader in the Maple Syrup Industry, with over 10,000 Maple Syrup farms in Canada and over 2,673 in Ontario alone.

Records from our early settlers who witnessed First Nation People processing the sap of sugar maple trees, adopted the practice of making maple syrup. Their process was not much different to how we capture the sap today. They began by cutting a slanted gash in the tree, putting in a chip of wood in the bark below the gash and collecting the sap from these wounds in a bucket.

The sap was then boiled to evaporate the water. Maple sugar was the first sweetener in eastern North America until approximately 1875 until sugar cane became available.

Nowadays, the process of sugar maple tree tapping begins with a change in temperature typically in March. The temperature must be above freezing for a few days to trigger the sap flow and there must be a frost at night. Ideal temperatures are plus 5 degrees Celsius in the daytime and minus 5 in the night time. The sugar maple trees are typically 8 inches in diameter and average 40 years in age.

“It is not harmful to tap the tree providing it is done correctly”

agricultural news

BY ELAINE LEIGH

A typical maple syrup season lasts around six weeks from late February to early April. Did you know that you need 40 liters of sap to produce just one liter of syrup! It sure is worth it! Maple syrup is high in calcium, iron and potassium giving it the potential of a super food.

Sweet!

“So enjoy the many Maple Syrup festivals in Durham and around the Uxbridge Area. Try out new recipes using pure maple syrup instead of sugar. Savour life with Canada’s sweetest sauce!”

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, three grandchildren and plenty of photo opportunities in Uxbridge, life’s been busy but fun!

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| canada’s sweetest sauce |

15

NEW LISTINGS 52 LONG STAN, STOUFFVILLE

201-220 MAIN STREET, UXBRIDGE

$624,900 | N3099088 Bright, spacious floor plan with hardwood floors & 5 inch baseboards throughout.

Master bedroom with walk in closet, 4 piece ensuite, and pretty view. Peaceful and private backyard with covered deck and patio overlooking forest.

the spring

$254,900 | N3115987 Lovely light filled 2 bedroom condo with pretty decor, move in ready. Open concept kitchen with backsplash and ceramic floors, breakfast counter, open to living area.

Master en-suite features tub and a walk-in shower with glass door and double closets.

market is here!

Thinking of selling your house? Call me for proven results.

thank you

for joining us at the

FAMILY

DAY SKATE!

always giving back to Uxbridge! stay up-to-date with my social media

905 852 6143 | 47 Brock St. W. Uxbridge Re/Max All-Stars Realty Inc., Brokerage Each office independently owned and operated.

cindy@cindywood.ca www.cindywood.ca