by Amy Hurlburt

Saturday, February 22 is predicted by the

Weather Network to have a low of -4

degrees here in Uxbridge, but regardless of

the actual temperature, it will still be the

Coldest Night of the Year; a fundraising

walk of two, five, or ten kilometres to raise

money for disadvantaged persons in the

community. The annual walk began in

2011 and is now hosted in sixty-five com-

munities across Canada. This year marks

North House's first time hosting the event,

and their goal is to raise $25,000 to put

towards transitional housing in North

Durham.

For those who are not acquainted with

this local organization, North House offers

case-by-case assistance to support individu-

als and families facing housing challenges

in the Townships of Brock, Scugog, and

Uxbridge. They help stabilize housing and

employment and finances, with a thorough

support team for each family or individual,

and they are having trouble keeping up

with the demand.

The problem of homelessness is much

greater than most people are aware of, pri-

marily due to a misunderstanding of the

issue.

“Many people think of homelessness as an

urban problem, where people are sitting

out on the street with cups,” states Anne

Kewley, Chair of North House. “We don't

have homelessness like that here, so we

don't acknowledge that it exists, but it

does. For many of us, we know people who

are experiencing it. The people who are

couch surfing, trekking back and forth to

youth shelters, and looking for ways to

hide it.” Kewley herself became involved

with North House after realizing how

many young people are faced with home-

lessness and remaining under the radar.

So, just how many people are homeless in

this area? “It's tough to quantify the prob-

lem,” explains Kewley. “Part of the prob-

lem is that there's such a stigma attached to

homelessness, and nobody wants to admit

to their need. North House generally has

about eight WrapAround teams working at

a time: a mix of family, friends, and profes-

sionals supporting the individuals who

come to them for assistance. Kewley esti-

mates that the past ten years has allowed

them to support about two hundred indi-

viduals to permanently step away from

homelessness and start

new lives. However,

North House has found

their ability to help to

be limited slightly by

their lack of resources:

“It's a bit of a double

problem,” explains

Kewley. “The people we

work with don't have

the money for rent, and

we don't have access to secure, affordable

housing for them. Housing is the only

place where you don't have much choice:

you can pick and choose what you can

afford in a supermarket, but in housing,

you're limited by what's available, and

there's just not enough affordable housing

in this area… there are too many single

family homes and not enough apartment

buildings.”

This two, five, or ten kilometre walk is an

opportunity for the community to support

the people who are struggling for afford-

able housing. Kewley emphasizes the need

for an informed and involved community,

as well: “Because we live in a fairly affluent

community, we assume everyone is living

at the same level. Because we don't see peo-

ple on the street, we assume everyone is as

comfortable as we are. That's not the case.”

By long-term weather trends, the coldest

night of the year generally falls in the final

weekend in February, so part of the point

of the walk is to encourage empathy and

understanding amongst participants for

the people who are regularly out on the

cold nights.

Kewley is hopeful that the family-friend-

ly event will bring out a community of

supporters for the North House and its

clients. “We would love to see everyone

come out and participate for however

much they can to show that as a communi-

ty, we've decided to stand up and do some-

thing about housing in our area… we want

to get a conversation going about housing

in general, and how much more inclusive

our community could be if we had more

housing choice. We need more safe, afford-

able housing options that are within the

means of the many people who are finding

it to be a challenge.”

For more information on North House or

to register for the walk, check out north-

house.ca and coldestnightoftheyear.org.

Rough woodpecker, Munro Crescent.by Renee Leahy

Volume 10 No. 7 YOUR UNIVERSE Thursday, February 13th 2014

GO,CANADA, GO! - Despite Canada’s early Olympic success in sports like snowboard, moguls and short-track speed skating, Cosmos photographer John Cavers, resplendent in the nation’s official hockey jer-sey while shinnying on Barton Farms Pond, will be glued to the screen for every contest with Crosby and Co. Photo by John Cavers.

Inside This Week’s CosmosHot pants and the demise of the doorknob . . . 7Build your retirement nest egg . . . 9 Ten reasons for getting married . . . 9Lessions from the mission . . . 11Are the Bruins ready for the playoffs? . . . 12

Walking for the homeless on the Coldest Night of the Year

Thur sday, Februar y 13 th 20142The Uxbr idge Cosmos

Uxpool / Summer Camps .905-852-7831Arena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .905-852-3081Historical Centre . . . . . . .905-852-5854Animal Shelter . . . . . . . . .905-985-9547Chamber of Commerce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .info@uxcc.ca/www.uxcc.ca

Uxbridge Public Library 905-852-9747Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat. 10 am - 5 pm, Tues., Thurs. 10 am - 9 pm Sundays after Thanksgiving to May 24 weekend 1 pm - 5 pm

www.uxlib.com

Zephyr Library905-473-2375

HOURS Tues., Thurs., 3 pm - 8 pmSat 10 am - 3 pm

51 Toronto Street SouthP.O. Box 190, Uxbridge L9P 1T1

Tel: 905-852-9181Fax: 905-852-9674

The Corporation of

The Township of Uxbridgewww.town.uxbridge.on.ca

Council & Committee Meeting Schedule

for February

Monday, Feb. 17thFamily Day - No Meeting ofthe General Purpose andAdministration Committee

Wednesday, Feb. 19thCOMMITTEE OFADJUSTMENT MEETING

7:00 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 24thCOUNCIL 7:00 p.m.

Township of Uxbridge documents are available in alternate formats uponrequest. Please fill out the Request for Alternate Formats Form atwww.town.uxbridge.on.ca or contact the Accessibility Coordinator at 905-852-9181 ext. 209 or at accessibility@town.uxbridge.on.ca.

Ux. BIA 905-852-9181ext. 406

FROM THE TAXOFFICE...

2014 Interim Tax Bills

All 2014 Interim Tax Bills havenow been mailed. Payments aredue on the due dates. Paymentsmust be received or paid on orbefore the due dates.

The FIRST Tax Installment isdue on February 25, 2014.The SECOND Tax Installmentis due on April 25, 2014.

Please pay promptly to avoidpenalty.

For non-payment of the interimtax levy on or before the respec-tive due dates of each install-ment, a penalty of 1.25% shall beimposed on the first day of eachcalendar month and thereafter inwhich the default continues.Failure to receive a tax bill doesnot excuse the taxpayer fromresponsibility for payment oftaxes nor liability for any penaltyor interest due to late payments.The penalty/interest charges can-not be waived or reduced by theTax Department or Council forany reason.

Tax payments can be made bythe following: in person byInterac, cheque or cash; by mail(post-dated cheques are accept-ed), telephone & Internet bank-ing, drop box, or at most banks.

If you did not receive your 2014Interim Tax Bill, please call theTax Department at 905-852-9181Ext. 211.

PLEASE RETAIN YOUR 2013FINAL TAX BILL FOR INCOMETAX PURPOSES. If a reprintedtax bill or receipt is required forany previous year's taxes, a feeof $10.00 plus HST will apply.

Follow theTownship Online

Job OpportunitiesUxPool is now accepting resumes for the following positions:

Instructor/Lifeguards: Must have: Current Red Cross WSI, LSSInstructors, NLS, SFAAssistant Instructors: Must have: Current Red Cross AWSI andBronze CrossYou must be available for training in the evenings of: February 28thand March 7th. Please forward all resumes with a covering letter to:UxPool, 1 Parkside Dr. Uxbridge, ON, L9P 1K7 Attention: CarolynClementson or email: pool@town.uxbridge.on.ca

PUBLIC NOTICEPUBLIC NOTICEBIDS AND TENDERS

TOWNSHIP OF UXBRIDGE

NOW 100% LIVE ON-LINE WITH

FULL FUNCTIONALITY

The Township of Uxbridge isimplementing an “ElectronicBidding Process” on theTownship of Uxbridge Websitefor all bids and tenders.

Utilizing electronic biddingopportunity software improvesall aspects of the biddingprocess for both the Townshipand the bidder. Specifically forthe bidder, the process isimproved, as the bidder caninstantly access the biddingopportunity documents, the bid-ding opportunity taker list,addendums and bidding oppor-tunity results from anywherewith an internet connection.

The Township welcomes bid-ders to visit the new “Bids andTenders” webpage(http://www.town.uxbridge.on.ca/bids_and_tenders) to registeras a bidder, become familiarwith the new process and toview the “Current BidOpportunities” for Township ofUxbridge bids and tenders.

The bidding opportunity sub-mission will continue to remainthe same, whereby a sealedenvelope will be hand deliveredto the Clerk's Department.For further information on thenew electronic bidding process,please contact the Clerk'sDepartment at 905-852-9181.

TO THE RESIDENTS OF THEHAMLET OF ZEPHYR

AND SURROUNDING AREAWHO RECEIVE FIRE

PROTECTION SERVICESFROM EAST GWILLIMBURY

FIRE & EMERGENCYSERVICES

The Township of Uxbridge current-ly has a Fire Services Agreementwith the Town of East Gwillimburyin order to provide adequate andtimely fire protection services tothe residents of the Hamlet ofZephyr and surrounding area.This Fire and Emergency Serviceis provided from the EastGwillimbury/Mount Albert FireStation. As a result of the fire thatoccurred at the EastGwillimbury/Mount Albert FireStation on Sunday, February 2,2014, fire protection services forthe Hamlet of Zephyr and sur-rounding area will now be provid-ed by the Township of UxbridgeFire Services. Residents will benotified when East GwillimburyFire & Emergency Servicesresumes fire protection coveragein this area.

The Uxbridge Fire Servicerequests you test both yourSmoke Alarms and CarbonMonoxide detectors to ensurethey are operating properly andreplace the defectivealarms/detectors immediately.

“It is the Law” in Ontario thatSmoke Alarms must be installedon all levels of your home. Failureto provide functioning SmokeAlarms in your home could resultin the Owner being fined $235.00per alarm.In addition, families should devel-

op and practice their homeescape plan.If you have any questions please

contact the Uxbridge FireDepartment at 905-852-3393.

DIAL 9 1 1 FOR ALLFIRE EMERGENCIES

MPMPAC PRESENTAC PRESENTAATIONTION

Wednesday, February 26, 7:00p.m. at the Goodwood CommunityCenter, 268 Highway 47.

MPAC (Municipal PropertyAssessment Corporation) willexplain their property valuationprocess and will provide a demon-stration of 'About My Property'

TOWNSHIP BIDS AND TENDERS

Lowest or any bid not necessarily accepted.

These Bid and Tender Documents are posted on theTownship of Uxbridge's website athttp://www.town.uxbridge.on.ca/bids_and_tenders underCurrent Bid Opportunities and are available for downloadingin Adobe Acrobat Version 6.0 or higher at no charge by fol-lowing the registration instructions on that page. Pleaseensure that when you download the document, you add yourcompany's name to the Document Takers List in order toreceive any addenda that may be issued. For questionsregarding downloading of documents, contact the Clerk'sDepartment at 905-852-9181, Ext. 220.

The bidder is solely responsible for ensuring receipt of alladdenda posted on the Township's website and that theyhave been taken into account in the formation of their bid. Insubmitting a Bid, the Bidder acknowledges, understands andaccepts the conditions noted in this article. To receiveaddenda by email, bidders must register on the Township'swebsite at http://www.town.uxbridge.on.ca/bids_and_tenderson the Current Bid Opportunities page.

Delivery of Tender Documents by Mail: Where document tak-ers request delivery of any competitive bid documents bymail, the Township accepts no liability or responsibility, and isnot under any obligation, to ensure the document is receivedby the requestor within a time frame sufficient to allow therequestor to submit a bid. The request to use the mail, couri-er services or any third party for delivery of any competitivebid documents to the document taker will be entirely at therisk of the requestor and the Township will be under no obli-gation to extend any competitive bid closing dates in theevent of a claim of a delay in receipt of the documents mailedby the Township.

TENDER U14-04

ONE (1) 2015 MODEL YEAR TANDEM TRUCK COMPLETE WITH SNOW PLOW EQUIPMENT

Sealed Tenders will be received until Thursday,February 20, 2014 by: Debbie Leroux, Clerk,

Township of Uxbridge

QUOTE Q14-03

REQUEST FOR QUOTESHORSE AND WAGON RIDES IN

DOWNTOWN UXBRIDGE

Sealed Bids will be received until 2:00 p.m., Tuesday,March 4th, 2014 by: Debbie Leroux, Clerk,

Township of Uxbridge

INTERNATIONAL

WOMEN'S DAYMarch 8

1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.Goodwood Community Centre

Speaker Aruna PappAuthor of Unworthy Creature

will speak on Violence against Women

A growing problem inCanada's Immigrant

Communities

Call 905-640-3966 or bnortheast@powergate.ca

to register.Bring a gift for our baskets for

women - Kitchen Item orPersonal Item.

ROADS AND OPERATIONSDEPARTMENT

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

We are looking for two (2) studentlabourers to perform a variety oftasks related to road maintenanceand construction. Applicants must have a valid “G2”

driver's licence accompanied by adriver's abstract. Applicantsshould submit a cover letter togeth-er with a detailed resume contain-ing experience, background, pastemployment, references and workrelated skills, experience and train-ing. Students in aUniversity/College CivilEngineering co-operative educa-tion program may apply. All appli-cants must be returning to school(high school, university or college)in the fall of 2014.Direct resumes to the attention of

Ben Kester, C.E.T., CRS-S,Director of Public Works &Operations no later than February21, 2014.

UXBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARYSUMMER PROGRAM

COORDINATOR

Term: 35 hours per week fromJune 2 to August 22, 2014Deadline for Submissions: March31, 2014Summary: The student will provide excitingand enjoyable educational pro-gramming for pre-school childrenthrough to Young Adults at both theUxbridge Public Library and theZephyr Public Library. She/he willcoordinate and conduct all chil-dren's programming. This includesleading, creation of activities,maintaining materials supplies,maintaining all records (including abudget), marketing and promotionstrategy, and evaluation of the pro-gram. The student will conduct 2week-long camps. Full job descrip-tion available at the Library and atwww.uxlib.com.

Please submit your cover letterand resume to:

Alexandra Hartmann, CEO/Chief LibrarianTownship of Uxbridge Public Library9 Toronto Street SouthPO Box 279Uxbridge, ON L9P 1P7Fax: 905-852-9849

Email: ahartmann@uxlib.com

ROADS AND OPERATIONSDEPARTMENT -

PARKS DEPARTMENT

The Township of Uxbridge is seek-ing mature part-time students to fillpositions at the Parks Department.

Students interested in applyingcan drop off an application or mailit to the Uxbridge Arena at 291Brock St West, P.O. Box L9P 1G1.

Please direct resumes to theattention of Bob Ferguson,Facilities Manager no later thanApril 1st, 2014. The rate of pay will be determined

by experience, and applicantsmust be willing to work weekends.

UXPOOLAny questions please call theUxpool @ (905) 852-7831 or EmailAquatic Coordinator CarolynC l e m e n t s o n :cclementson@town.uxbridge.on.ca

Swimming Instructor/Lifeguard - 35hrs/wk for 9 weeksMust have: current WSI, NLS,SFA, CPR-HCP. LSI and examin-ers considered an asset.

Responsibilities include:• Lesson planning• Swimming Instruction of allages/levels• Prevention of incidents throughscanning/guarding techniques• Some maintenance• Must be available to work week-ends• Shifts determined weekly anddependant upon registration

Swimming Instructor/Lifeguard -approx 15 hrs/wk for 9 weeksMust have: current WSI, NLS,SFA, CPR-HCP.

Responsibilities include: • Lesson planning• Swimming Instruction of allages/levels• Prevention of incidents throughscanning/guarding techniques• Some maintenance• Must be available to work week-ends• Shifts determined weekly anddependant upon registration

Please direct your resume withcovering letter to the attention ofCarolyn Clementson, AquaticCoordinator no later than March31, 2014.

UXBRIDGE HISTORICALCENTRE

2 student positions:1) Historical Interpreter2) Collections ManagementAssistant

Term: May 14 - August 27, 35hours/week. The positions andwork terms are dependent on theavailability of federal governmentsummer student funding.Duties: Students will be conductingtours of the facility and assistingwith museum operations such ascollections management, exhibitdevelopment, programming, pro-motion, and assisting at specialevents.Qualifications for both positions:• Must be mature, responsible,enthusiastic and interested in his-tory• Excellent computer skills andexperience working with the public • Research and writing skills anasset• Previous museum experienceand knowledge of Uxbridge historyan asset• Must be post-secondary studentsreturning to school full-time in thefall.

Collections Management Assistant

- previous collections managementexperience and knowledge of col-lections management software arean asset. This position is depend-ent on funding from the federalYoung Canada Works programand applicants must fit the criteriaof the Young Canada WorksProgram. Please see their websitefor detailed eligibility criteria(www.youngcanadaworks.ca).For both positions, please applywith a resume and covering letterdescribing your experience andqualifications to: Summer StudentEmployment, Uxbridge HistoricalCentre, P.O. Box 1301, UxbridgeON L9P 1N5 ormuseum@town.uxbridge.on.ca byMarch 31, 2014.We thank all applicants, however,please be advised that only thoseapplicants selected to proceedthrough the hiring process will becontacted by e-mail or phone.

SUMMER CAMPCOUNSELLORS & ASSISTANT

COUNSELLORS

* ALL resumés must have a coverletter stating the camps you areinterested in and be addressed toCamp Coordinator RebeccaHarman.Uxbridge Summer Camps hiresthe “best of the best” every year!We are looking for potential staffthat are versatile, organized, a car-ing adult, friendly, punctual, flexibleand creative! Working with childrenand sharing their experiences foran entire summer is something youwill never forget!

Any questions please call theUxpool @ (905) 852-7831 or emailCamp Coordinator RebeccaH a r m a ncamps@town.uxbridge.on.ca

Camp Counsellor ( 16 Years + ):• Assist in daily activities and rou-tines for a variety of camp pro-grams for ages 3-15. Must alsodevelop versatile lesson plans for avariety of summer camps.• Assist Camp Supervisor with set-up, take down, and problem solv-ing situations.• Be able to accept feedback fromsupervisory staff and makechanges accordingly. • Must be strong at communicatingwith supervisory staff.• Must be a strong mentor forAssistant Counsellors. • Must be independent and a self-starter.• Must be mature, responsible,enthusiastic, versatile, and havean interest in working with a varietyof people and as a team member.• All staff are required to have cur-rent Standard First Aid and CPR“C”• Prefer CIT, Leadership Camp, orLeadership Fitness Certification. • Prefer prior experience workingwith children in a recreational,camp, babysitting, or coachingenvironment. • Prefer experience with communi-

ty volunteering. • ActiveInterview: Ifselected for aninterview, youmust attend theActive Interviewon May 14 from6:00-8:00 p.m.• Working weeksare dependent onregistration num-bers.

Assistant Camp Counsellor ( 15Years + ):• Applicants must be mature,responsible, enthusiastic, and ableto adapt to many new AssistantCamp Counsellor Roles. • Must be able to assist in lessonplanning, daily activities and rou-tines. • Prefer CIT, Leadership Camp, orLeadership Fitness Certification. • Be able to accept feedback fromsupervisory staff and makechanges accordingly. • Prefer prior experience workingwith children in a recreational,camp, babysitting, or coachingenvironment. • Prefer experience with communi-ty volunteering. • Active Interview: If selected foran interview, you must attend theActive Interview on May 14 from6:00-8:00 p.m.• Working weeks are dependent onregistration numbers. • All Staff are required to haveStandard First Aid and CPR “C”

Counsellor and AssistantCounsellor application due date isMarch 31, 2014. Please Drop offYour Resume off at: UXPOOL1 Parkside Dr., Uxbridge Ontario.

TREASURY DEPARTMENTSUMMER STUDENT

EMPLOYMENT

We are looking for an accountingstudent for our TreasuryDepartment to help out withAccounts Payable, AccountReceivable and our Property Taxareas from May 1 - August 29,2014.

Applicants should be currentlyenrolled in a post-secondary edu-cational institution and returning tocontinue their education inSeptember. Preference will begiven to those studying in relatedfields. Please ensure that the posi-tion being applied for is clearlymarked on the application. Pleasedirect resumés to the attention ofGayle Gregor, Supervisor ofAccounting, no later thanThursday, March 28, 2014.

DEVELOPMENT SERVICESDEPARTMENT ASSISTANT

The Township of Uxbridge isaccepting applications for aSummer Student placement withinthe Development ServicesDepartment. An applicant shouldbe currently enrolled in a post-sec-

ondary education program and bereturning to continue their educa-tion in September, 2014.

Position Summary:• Assists with file maintenance,including laser fiche scanning &index up-dating.• Under supervision, archiveDevelopment Services documentsand assist with the transition to anelectronic filing system.• Document business processesand create forms and proceduresto assist with the same.• Complete various tasks asassigned by the Clerk, DeputyClerk and Development ServicesDepartment.

Minimum Qualifications:• Excellent oral, written and com-munication skills• Superior customer service skills &ability to deal with the public & staffin a courteous & tactful manner• Proficient in the use of computers& current related software• Self-starter with demonstratedstrong time-management andorganizational skills• Must possess valid Driver'sLicence• An interest in Planning, PublicAdministration and/orLibrary/Archival Studies

Interested candidates are invited tosubmit a cover letter together witha detailed resumé outlining experi-ence and detailing how the mini-mum qualifications are met, identi-fying the position being applied forand marked “Confidential” to theattention of: Township of UxbridgeATTN: Paul Shipway, Deputy ClerkP.O. Box 190, Uxbridge, ONL9P 1T1, or emailpshipway@town.uxbridge.on.cano later than 4:30 p.m., Thursday,March 18, 2014.

We thank all applicants for theirinterest, however only those beingconsidered for an interview will becontacted.

The Township of Uxbridge is an EqualOpportunity Employer. If you requireaccommodation at any time throughoutthe employment activities process,please contact us at: 905-852-9181 ext.2 0 9 ,accessibility@town.uxbridge.on.ca orby visiting www.town.uxbridge.on.caand we will make every effort to provideappropriate assistance pursuant to theTownship of Uxbridge EmploymentActivities Accommodation policy.

Please ensure that the positionbeing applied for is clearly markedon all applications.

Thur sday, Februar y 13 th 20143The Uxbr idge Cosmos

TOWNSHIP OF UXBRIDGESummer Student Job Opportunitites

If you believe in the ground hog fore-telling the future weather, then we havesix more weeks of winter, so stock up onthe sale of bird food and you will berewarded with songs to welcome thespring.

Mark your calendars for three specialdates this month at the GoodwoodCommunity Centre. On Feb 19 3:00-8:00pm have your say on a Betterapproach to Ontario's Pits andQuarries; there will be 20 minute pre-sentations every hour on the hour from3:00 -7:00pmOn Feb 26 7:00pm MPAC will explain

their property valuation process andanswer your questions on taxes.

On Feb 21 6:00pm is the Lions’ annu-al skating party at the ice rink in theNorth Park with free hot dogs and hotchocolate. Come out and meet yourneighbors, friends and have a good timeand support our Lions Club.The United Church will be holdingtheir Valentine Dinner on the 14th at

6:30 and if you don't have aticket call immediately as notickets will be sold at thedoor. Call 905-640-3347.

For those of you who are tired of thecold weather visit the United Churchluncheon on Feb 27 11:00-am-1:00pmto warm up with soup, homemadebread, dessert and beverage, and fellow-ship with neighbors and friends.

The Goodwood Baptist Church holdstheir Sunday service at 11:00am, musicon Feb 16 with Margaret Weir, Feb 23with the Harmony, March 2 with KimPapizzo, March 9 with Laura Fockler,March 16 Joan Allen. Tues. night 6:45 isKids Club for boys and girls ages K-8and 7:00pm is Church Bible Study andPrayer meeting. Saturday Feb 227:00pm is Men's Fellowship at theChurch. Everyone is welcome to attendall programs. More infom at www.good-woodbaptistchurch.com.The Gospel Hall holds Sunday Service

at 11:00am with Sunday school & Biblereading. Everyone is welcome to attendor visit www.goodwood.gospelhall.com.

Don't forget International Women'sDay on March 8 1:00-3:00; admission

is a donation to the kitchen or personalbaskets being prepared for the abusedwomen's shelters.Also our Annual Talent show is May 21

and all forms of talent are accepted. Thisis a talent show not a competition, so letus know what your talent will b, andcome out for your big debut. For boththe International Women’s Day and thetalent show, please be sure and registerwith me at bnortheast@powergate.ca or905-640-3966.The Great Canadian Race is coming toUxbridge on June 21 and the FosterMemorial is putting this on starting inCentennial Park. Don't miss this excit-ing day and a chance to assist the Fosterwith repairs. Go to www.fostermemori-al.com/Race.html to download anapplication or call 416-409-4485 formore info. Early bird prize will bedrawn on May 1 so register early. If youwould like to volunteer to assist usplease give me a call at 905-640-3966 orbnortheast@powergate.ca

Thank you to everyone who obeys thespeed limit on our local roads; we doappreciate your respect for the safety ofothers.

Thur sday, Februar y 13 th 20144The Uxbr idge Cosmos

our two cents

9,000 copies of the Cosmos are published each Thursday in the Township ofUxbridge: 8,300 delivered by mail, 700 available in stores and boxes.

Publisher/Editor Lisha Van Nieuwenhove 905.852.1900Sales Manager Sara Finlay 905.852.1900

38 Toronto Street North, Unit One, Uxbridge Ontario L9P 1E6e-mail: thecosmos@powergate.ca web site: www.thecosmos.ca

Office Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

EDITORIAL POLICY: Opinions expressed by columnists, contributors and in letters to the editor are not nec-essarily those of The Cosmos. Letters must be signed and the telephone number provided (number willnot be published). Requests that a name be withheld will be honoured only if there is a compelling rea-son. Errors brought to our attention will be corrected. The Cosmos reserves the right to edit and/or refuseto publish unsolicited material. ADVERTISING POLICY: The Cosmos reserves the right to refuse any adver-tisement. The Cosmos is not liable for slight changes or typographical errors in advertisements or anyother errors or omissions in advertisements. All material herein, including advertising design is copyright-ed, and may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

Putting it in perspective

Letters to the Editor

When I was in grade six, I got my first pair of glasses. Up to that point, I was complete-ly unaware that I was fairly vision impaired, and those glasses rocked my world. As mymother drove me home from the eye doctor after obtaining my new spectacles, I gazedout the windows with an inordinate measure of rapture. The clarity with which I saw thehorizon, the backs of my hands, and the trees out the window was incredible. I readevery road sign out loud and made a general nuisance of myself, marvelling at all thethings I saw now that I was only vaguely aware of before. The world hadn't actuallychanged, but the way I viewed it was drastically different.

Visiting Ghana (see page 11) gave me this sort of experience once more, albeit on agrander scale. My perspective has become broader, my world became bigger, and allthe things that were familiar now feel quite incredible to me. My motivation in goingwas to help empower the teachers and help educate the students, and while I believethose efforts succeeded, I also found that they taught me a great deal as well.

If nothing else, becoming involved with a project of this nature teaches us gratitudefor what we have. We have an incredible abundance of resources, and at the very least,we should appreciate that. As a society, we complain far too much about the most pettyof things. The people I worked with in Ghana don't expect their material possessions tomake them happy, mostly because they have very few. They know how to make theirown happiness, and appreciate what they have, which is an ability we are sorely lack-ing. This sort of project also teaches perspective. In Ghana, poverty is inescapable. You can-

not walk the street and avert your eyes, you cannot change the channel, and you can-not turn the page. It is constantly present, and the contrast between the lives many ofus lead in Uxbridge and those lived in the village of Babator is staggering. None of ushave any control over the situations we are born into, but I cannot sit back and believethat the place I have been born means I don't have any responsibility for the peoplewhose everyday realities are so different from my own. Every person deserves accessto education, clean drinking water, healthcare, and shelter. To see places where this islacking, in comparison to our unappreciated excess, is challenging. The world is vast butincreasingly interconnected, and our neighbours aren't just the people who live besideus, but also those who share this planet.I expect that if you ever choose to participate in this sort of venture, you may see that

the key to happiness is choice, not possessions. I expect you would find that the valuesof community, togetherness, and especially faith are much more powerful than we tendto give them credit for in our society. The comparative material poverty of most peopleI met in Ghana is obvious, but our poverty is in our sense of entitlement, lack of appre-ciation, and the luxury of our ignorance.

For any who are considering short-term international projects, I would advise findingan organization that fits your skill set and passions, works to empower local popula-tions, and doesn't take potential jobs away from locals in the process. To truly help, weneed to empower, not create a cycle of dependency, which is something NEA/GRID doesincredibly well. I would also recommend looking for local opportunities as well: afterall, you don't HAVE to travel overseas to see things differently, and do something aboutit. - Amy Hurlburt

I would like to add and answer to EdJackson's complaint about taxincrease (letters, Feb. 6). Mr. Jackson,when you have a small communitylike Uxbridge that discourages busi-ness growth, why it is it then put onthe residents of the town to pay for it?

Since Uxbridge is slow and fightingexpansion like this, you and I have topay-pay-pay for what businesses usu-ally do to support a community. Ifyou have not figured it out, thecliques in Uxbridge compete withrather than empower each other, andfeel new business will take away fromthe already established ones. In myopinion and that of many others Iknow, it is a fear of competition and awarped idea a town can survive with-out new business to support the grow-ing community.

The rationalization to justify this isthat there are not enough residents tosupport more business, an outlandish

excuse but one that council sticks to.This logic is flawed, since it will takea growing community of residents toafford to pay for services throughtaxes so others are not taxed right outof their homes.Unless Uxbridge really gets with thetimes, our town will become one ofthe most expensive places to live, orbecome a ghost town since no onewill be able to afford taxes. Some whohave lived here more than 30 yearsmade this call back when about thefuture of this town and taxes, and arehere to see their predictions cometrue.

As for Council, you can only blamethose who voted them in.

Kairen Jamieson 3rd Concession Uxbridge

Have you noticed the lovely shovelledwalkways which extend from the side-

walk to the road on both sides ofBrock St W? This is the work of goodsamaritan, Marty Valleau. Marty wassipping his tea one day and noticedmany people struggled to climb thesnowbanks to get to the shoppes andpost office. He was quite concernedwhen an elderly couple had to parkand walk down the road to get aroundthe snowbank and then walk downthe sidewalk to get to the Post OfficeFrom that point on, Marty has shov-

elled the little walkways on both sidesof Brock W as well as the stairs lead-ing to the parking lot beside Wixan'sBridge. I know how much I appreci-ate it, and my customers are alwaysmentioning it, so I think a big shoutout of thanks should go out to ourown Marty Valleau!

Lisa HutchinsonThe Passionate Cook

Uxbridge

Goodwood Newswith Bev Northeast

It seems as we come to a certain age we become somewhat nostalgic. Thethings of the past, once old and outdated, become interesting and desired. As I have come to this cer-tain age, I have become nostalgic for a bit of my past. I have become a collector.

It began when my husband and I purchased our little postage stamp of a cottage. It is a tiny buildingthat suffered the indignity of being dressed in a series of hand-me-downs spanning the last fifty years.The cupboards are a menagerie of bad taste. The wood panelling hides myriad framing sins that mockthe laws of physics. And perhaps in homage to the previous owner's German heritage was a ceilingmade of 4' by 8' sheets of Styrofoam crisscrossed with 1” by 3” dark wood strapping. I say was,because despite the multiple fire extinguishers mounted on every wall in the place, it still screamed firehazard. What we found underneath had us checking the fire extinguishers to make sure they were stillfunctional.

The electrical wires are a rainbow flag of colours - orange, yellow, blue, red, white, etc. - all strungand stretched across, over and under the rafters, joined by scraps of electrical tape with nary a junctionbox in sight. Even with my limited knowledge of all things electrical, I know electrical tape is not a sub-stitute for Marrettes and wires should be threaded through drilled holes in joists not left on top wherethey present a nasty game of Russian roulette for the person nailing down an attic floor.

Another fully fledged renovation is therefore in our future, if only to bring the building up to code.But I still want a cottage, with a cottage feel and this is where I have got a bit nostalgic. A cottage, tomy way of thinking, should be a gateway to the past. But we don't have a history with this cottage; ithasn't been in the family for years. So I have to find my own way into the past. As a result, I havebegun to troll second hand stores looking for the china of my childhood. It was a popular pattern bythe English company Broadhurst's head designer, Kathie Winkle, called Rushstone. I have been fairlysuccessful in my gathering. My collection has expanded to a variety of Kathie Winkle's designs and afew select pieces of what is now being called mid-century modern kitchen paraphernalia. What a hootit was to find a pair of avocado green ceramic handled salad servers.

As I let my little secret out about my collection I was amazed at how many people have jumped onthe bandwagon. Photos were posted on Facebook, plates have been retrieved out of cupboards andValue Villages across Ontario have been scoured all on my behalf. It seems people enjoy the hunt asmuch as I do and are most willing to help.

People's desire to help is an extraordinary thing. In my own world, a dear friend recently suffered aserious car accident that has left her in hospital recovering. Moved now into a rehabilitation facility, shehas a long road ahead of her but she is on the right path and getting the help that she needs to makea full recovery. Throughout this ordeal I have been struck by the outpouring of kindness from so manypeople. You see, my friend is a collector too! She is a collector of friends. And she has amassed quitethe collection. Even before the accident I was amazed at how many friendships from her childhood shemanaged to maintain. To see this group of, mostly but not exclusively, women come together to helphas been inspiring. In her business relationships, she has a wonderful circle of friends who have beendrawn in by her genuine spirit. The show of support from what, in business terms, could only bedescribed as competitors would have industry gurus shaking their heads. In the community she is knownand respected and loved. There has been a steady stream of offers to help, cards to deliver, andrequests for updates. My friend, her family and those touched most closely by the accident are grate-ful for the support. And, at the end of the day, I am struck by the thought that my friend's collection isthe most valuable one of all.

Thur sday, Februar y 13 th 20145The Uxbr idge Cosmos

the barris beatcolumn by Ted Barris

First world problemsNot so long ago, the talk in our oldtimers' hockey dressing room turned to the usualgrousing. The Leafs likely won't make the playoffs, one guy moaned. Somebody else

complained that township roads weren't being ploughed quickly or thoroughly enough this winter. Then, Pearson air-port became the target. In the recent ice storm, weren't the delays horrendous? Wasn't it criminal that travellers wereforced to remain on the tarmac for hours? And, just for good measure, aren't those sunshine destination airfares out-rageous? And I thought about something one of our daughters had said, when I complained about a similar problem,delay or cost.

“It's a First World problem, Dad,” she pointed out quietly.“Yes, but…” and I stopped myself. She was absolutely right.This week, I caught both the federal budget unveiling in the House of Commons and the political and public response.

Minister Flaherty announced that he would run the country's business for about $250 billion, running a $2.9 billiondeficit with an additional $3 billion contingency just in case the economy goes south. He suggested he would stay thecourse “to weather any future global economic storms,” in his speech in the Commons. I'm sure Flaherty's done themath, but Canada's deficit and contingency alone would cover much of the assets of many Third World countries suchas Bangladesh, Congo, Liberia, Eritrea and Afghanistan combined. In other words, deficits and contingencies and eco-nomic storms are all relative.

I watched Global TV's coverage of Opposition leader Tom Mulcair assessing the budget. The NDP leader complainedthat there are 300,000 more Canadians looking for work than during the economic crisis of 2008; in particular, heworried that 260,000 young Canadians are still looking for work. Down the hall, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau wor-ried the budget didn't offer any hope of growth or a vision for the future; he scoffed that it was an electoral budget,promising to balance the books just in time for next year's federal election.

“We're not seeing any vision,” Trudeau scolded, but then, that's what Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition's job is - tocomplain.

This week, I conducted a bit of a state-of-the-union survey among my journalism students at the college where Iteach. They decried tuition fees. They wished cell phone rates weren't so high. They hated the cafeteria food. Andwhen I asked why some of them hadn't arrived on time for their news reporting class, they said it was scheduled tooearly in the day. It was just after 11:30 a.m. and - to some - that was an ungodly hour to be expected to performthinking, reasoning or any other creative skills. When I informed them that I had originally intended to schedule theclass for 8:30 a.m., they responded with such indignation, you'd have thought I'd insulted their family name.

“That's ridiculous,” one of them said. “How could anybody function under those conditions?” The reaction gave me pause. I remembered a personal experience that had profoundly affected my sense of per-

spective. In the summer of 2010, I travelled to Krakow, Poland. I met a guide, who had offered to assist me as Iplanned a subsequent trip leading a tour of Canadians through that part of Eastern Europe. I asked him if he wouldget me to a small town just outside Krakow, called Oswiecim, where during the Second World War, the Nazis construct-ed a prison (Auschwitz) and concentration camp (Birkenau) to systematically exterminate political prisoners and theJews of Europe.

“The tour will last three hours,” the on-site guide told us at the Auschwitz interpretive centre. “And I hope youbrought umbrellas.”

I hadn't. But it didn't matter. The rain was pouring down with such intensity and volume as we began the tour ofAuschwitz prison, that most of the people in our group were drenched within the first 10 minutes of the visit. Andbecause the content of the tour was so severe and depressing, only a handful of us remained by the time the three-hour tour had concluded.

Much of what the former prison contained haunted me. The cells in which the condemned spent their last hoursdepressed me for days. The photographs of the men and women tortured and killed stick in my head even now. Andwhen I got to Birkenau and realized how many thousands of Jews the Nazis had crammed inside those former horsebarns, I cried. But what stays with me most of all, was the sight inside one of the prison barns of a lone faucet andbasin, the sole washing facility for hundreds and hundreds of prisoners there.

To this day, I cannot turn on a tap, brush my teeth, take a shower or pour a glass of water without flashing back tothat solitary faucet and basin. I guess it's the mental equivalent of reminding myself - anytime I complain - that mineare “are just First World problems”.

For more Barris Beat columns go to www.tedbarris.com

writing fitzcolumn by Shelagh Damus

Collection

Thur sday, Februar y 13 th 20146The Uxbr idge Cosmos

For a book about the Foster Memorial,to be published in the spring of 2014

Do you have:• Family photos, memoirs, diaries or letters relating to the construction

of the Memorial in 1935 and 1936?• Photographs, paintings or drawings of the Memorial, either interior or exterior?

If you would be willing to have these used for research,or reproduced in thebook, please call author

Conrad Boyce at 905-852-4969

WANTED

SLIDIN’ - Curtis Jack takes the easy way downthe hill east of his school, Quaker Village Public. Photo by John Cavers.

HAPPY BIRTHDAYMARY!

The Ball family wishes toextend an invitation to jointhem to celebrate Mary’s birth-day. Drop by the UxbridgeSeniors’ Centre on Sunday,Feb. 23 between 1-5 p.m. Bestwishes only, please.

As I recall

It appears everything is being recalledthese days; even the once solid Senateappointments are on shaky ground.The Government of Canada publish-es a comprehensive list of recalleditems on its website “Advisories,Warnings and Recalls” and it makesme wonder whether it's safe to buyanything anymore. I can't rememberever hearing about so many defectiveproducts, but my memory is not as

sharp as it once was. My wife says Ihave selective mental recall, which I'dlike to take as a compliment, eventhough I don't fully understand theimplications of the remark. Uponreflection, she may have said I haveselective listening, I'm not sure,which casts an entirely different lighton things. But, regardless of the talentI have, it's all good, I'll assume, untilI'm told otherwise.

Why the increase in the number ofrecalled items? Shoddy workmanship

comes first to mind, caused by dis-tracted, disinterested and despondentemployees, unless of course you hap-pen to be an OPG senior executive.

Consumers are also more likely tosue for pain, suffering and moneybecause there are now more lawyersavailable per capita than ever before,which in turn is linked to the numberof bored baristas who are switchingcareers to become barristers.Companies are being extra cautiousand at the slightest hint that some-thing's not kosher with their prod-ucts, they will issue a recall noticerather than risk a slip and fall into alegal quagmire.

In a related story, Vancouver has

issued a ban on the noble doorknoband I'm afraid the rest of the countrywill soon follow suit. After centuriesof dedicated service, it's only nowbeen discovered that the knob is use-less. The holy trinity of doorbell,doormat and doorknob, so effectiveas a team, has been rendered asunder.

Our house is crammed with somany gadgets, I live in fear somethingwill fall apart when needed most. Imake it my duty to scour internetnews items, seeking evidence that all'snot well in the manufacturing sector.I routinely visit the websites of the 15remotes and three breadmakers wehave, to watch for postings ofimpending doom. In preparation forthe first sign that the new Smart TVis acting stupid, I've bookmarked themanufacturer's website. Usually, inmy searches, I unearth news items tofuel my pessimism: a dead mouse in abag of potato chips, in Warsaw,Poland; a microwave oven inSaginaw, Michigan that tuned in thelocal rock music station instead ofheating things up and an explodingtoilet in Come-By-Chance,Newfoundland. Each case involvedlawsuits, massive product recalls andin Newfoundland, shards of toiletpaper that blanketed Come-By-Chance for days.

I also came across a story that hasleft me shaking my head in disbelief.It involved a young Port Perrywoman, Henrietta Hopsack, who suf-fered a touch of caveat emptor whileputting on her pants. Henrietta wasgetting ready for work one morningwhen she heard a radio news reportthat her pants had been recalled by

the manufacturer after several inci-dents of spontaneous combustionhad come to light. At that veryinstant, Ms Hopsack was struggling,jumping up and down, writhing thisway and that, in an effort to get intothe pants with limited success. Thiswas her normal morning ritual andwas no cause for alarm. However,upon hearing the newsflash, she pan-icked, unsure whether to rip the pantsoff or keep fighting to get them on.Unfortunately, she was able to do nei-ther, and it was in this state of abjectdesperation that Henrietta Hopsackhopped over to the phone and dialledthe Fire Department for assistance,but was too embarrassed to explainthe real reason. While awaiting theirarrival, Henrietta decided to douseherself with water from a nearbyflower vase to avoid burns shouldspontaneous combustion occur. Toher disappointment, the wet pantsshrunk to what would later be meas-ured a size zero on the wardrobe mal-function scale. Henrietta admittedafterwards to the paparazzi who mag-ically appeared outside her house,that she happened to catch a glimpseof herself in the mirror, thus clad, andwas quite happy at how well the pantsturned out but it was too late to stopthe fire department, who, uponarrival, kicked in the front door, look-ing for a fire but had to be satisfiedwith hot pants instead. If the foregoing sounds odd, I'd have

to blame it on my defective memorybecause I don't always remember thedetails of what I read on the internet.

Thur sday, Februar y 13 th 20147The Uxbr idge Cosmos

Appropriate for ages 8 to 14

Day #1 Make and Take

Wed., March 12th, 9am to 3pm

Your own original Floor Cloth!

Learn how to create a great design, with your favorites,

in an unusual but traditional medium!

All supplies included: Maximum 4

Day #2 Make and (not quite)Take

Thurs. March 13th, 9am to 3pm

Explore through transition -2D mediums!

A fun (and fast) 4 mediums in one great plan!

All supplies included: Maximum 4

Judy Bear OCT

judybear.art@gmail.com

76 Chalk Lake Rd., Port Perry, L9L 2C4

905 649-8956Enquire

about our summerprograms now!

Appropriate for ages 8 and up Day 1: Monday March 10th, 9am to 3pmDay 2: Tuesday March 11th 9am to 3pmDay 3: Wednesday March 12th 9am to 3pmCome play with clay! Do some handbuilding, ceramic painting and try yourhands at the potter's wheel.All supplies included.

Cynthia Cupples AOCA8319 Concession 3, Uxbridge L9P 1R1905-852-5615cynthia.cupples@sympatico.cawww.cynthiacupples.com

Busy During March

Break?

$1700

We also do catering and group reservations 44 Brock Street West, Uxbridge 905-852-6003 colmcgradyspubandgrill.comA big thank you to all our supporters of our 2nd annual Movember fundraiser! We raised $730 for the Uxbridge Cottage Hospital! Thanks for supporting Uxbridge!

Breakfast8am to 12pm

Open Mic7pm

Let Col. McGrady’s Make Your Valentine’s Day SpecialFebruary 14th, 2014

Hosted by Tania Joy

All DayNo TakeoutMin 10 per order

Served with garlicbread or house salad

Full Back Ribswith Fries

Breakfast9am to 12pm

+tax$1700

Prime Ribwith Mash

and Vegetables

+tax$1400

New York Steakwith Mash

and Vegetables

Two Course Meal(five entrees to choose from)

andComplimentary Coffee or Tea

Only

+tax

$1900per person+tax

Reservations required905-852-6003

Served with Fries

$900

Fajita Night

Chicken orShrimp

+tax$1000

Pasta NightAll pastas

on menu are

+tax 59¢

Wing Night

+tax$1400

Ribs & Wingswith Fries

+tax

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

Free Rosesfor your

Loved One!

$399

Domestic TallboySpecial

11am to 6pm7 days a week

+tax$599

+tax

Try our Homemade BurgersBEST IN TOWN!

11am to 4pm7 days a week

One Way of Looking At Itwith Jai Darshanand

The Need to Lead

by Michelle McNally

“One in a million”: the odds soundstaggering. Even the phrase, “one in ahundred thousand”, or simply, “onein a thousand”, is enough to seemlike somewhat of a challengingprospect. Yet, despite the dauntingprobabilities, small winning margins,a slim chances, some of us are notintimidated by the numbers we areconfronted with, even if we are upagainst thousands of others. Forgrade 12 student, Callen Hageman,this is surely the case. A finalist for

the Loran Scholar Program, Callen issimply steps away from becoming apossible recipient of one of the mostprestigious and competitive scholar-ships in the country. If the name Callen Hageman rings abell in your head, you've likely beeninvolved in at least one of the numer-ous school events Callen has partak-en in or organized. Throughout hisfour years here at USS, Callen hastaken full advantage of what theschool has to offer. His interests covera wide variety from sports, like rugby,hockey, and football, to the musicdepartment's jazz band, for which heis leader and saxophonist. Callen'sattraction to leadership and involve-ment has also earned him the posi-tion of president of the student coun-

cil, as well as Student Chair of theLeadership Camp, which is heldevery year at Camp Kandalore.

As Callen explains, “I like that wetake students from our school toexperience a place like LeadershipCamp, to join people together as aschool, a community, as well asteaching them skills they can usethroughout high school and laterinto life. I really like that I can makea difference at our school throughthese leadership things.”

His sense of school spirit and diver-sity has not gone unnoticed by ourteachers, nor the members of the TheCanadian Merit ScholarshipFoundation.

2014 marks the CMSF's 25th yearof investment into Canadian youthand education. Every year, theCanadian Merit ScholarshipFoundation selects 30 students fromacross Canada as Loran Scholars in

part of the Loran ScholarshipProgram. Each candidate is awarded$80,000 over four years in theirundergraduate studies, as well assummer internship and a mentorshipprogram with a previous LoranScholar who assists in the transitionbetween high school and post-sec-ondary education.

The program is highly competitive,with 3,500 applicants alone this year.Callen is one of the 73 finalists whohas applied and is preparing fornational interviews as part of thefinal round of judging this Friday. Hewill be conferencing with notablemembers of the regional and nation-al community in business, educationand other fields of leadership.Together, they will be assessingCallen on his character, integrity andleadership potential to decidewhether he belongs in the top thirty.

This is a big moment for him, “It's

very exciting, a little scary, but most-ly exciting. It's a really cool opportu-nity to meet other people who havesimilar interests to me.”

Even in his post-secondary educa-tion, Callen is still seeking to carryon his need to lead. He has settled onan engineering program withQueen's University in Kingston,which he describes to having a simi-lar sense of spirit and opportunitycompared to our little coven ofUxbridge.“When I was looking at universities,

I was looking for schools with tons ofinvolvement, and Queen’s andWestern definitely filled those crite-ria.”Until the final day of his senior year,

Callen can continue to soak up thebest of USS tiger spirit. On behalf ofUSS, we wish you he best of luck,Callen!

Thurs., Feb.13 & 20, 9:15to 10:15 a.m. ,ScienceRocks at the Uxbridge EarlyYears Centre, located inUxbridge Public School. Comeexplode volcanos, colour milkand learn about science.Appropriate for children threeyears and older, call 905-862-3131 to register or d i rec tor@durhamfami lyre -sources.org, no fees. Fri., Feb. 14: LasagnaDinner with the DurhamWest 4-H Association.Utica Hall. 4:30, 6 or 7:30p.m. Tickets: Adults-$12; chil-dren 12 & under 12 - $8; chil-dren under 3 - Free. Tickets:705-357-3917 or 705-228-1105Fri., Feb. 14: Valentine’sDinner, Goodwood UnitedChurch. 6:30 p.m. Lasagnadinner, includes bread, dessertand beverage. Advance ticketsonly, 905-640-3347

Mon., Feb. 17: Family DaySkating Party on ElginPond, hosted by The Uxbridge

Kinsmen Club.11:00 - 3:00.Free barbecue and hot drinks tokeep you warm. For those whowish to contribute there will bea donation box with proceedsgoing to the Uxbridge YouthCenter.Mon., Feb. 17: FreeBowling Event hosted byLiving Water CommunityChurch at Parish Lanes, 69Brock St. W, Uxbridge from9:30 -11:30 a.m.Tues., Feb.18,12:00 noon.Uxbridge Senior Citizen'sClub Ham and ScallopedPotatoes LunchBring a friend! $12 pp. Pleaseobtain tickets ahead of time

at 905-852- 7401 or 905-852- 6494. New MembersWelcome! $10 pp.per yearThurs., Feb. 20: TheUxbridge Genealogy Groupmeeting, Uxbridge PublicLibrary, Lower Hall, 7 p.m.Admission $2.00, 50/50draw. Speaker Bruce Taylortells a story about a youngAfrican Canadian who foughtin Virginia during the CivilWar, before returning toOntario. Celebrate BlackHistory Month!Sat., Feb. 22, 7:00 a.m.

Oak Ridges TrailAssociation Hike: Al ShawSide Trail. 1+ hr., 4 km moder-ate pace hike or snowshoe;Join us for breakfast after thehike. Meet at the trial entranceon the west side of Conc. 6,1.5 km south of Durham Rd.21. Contact: Joan Taylor 905477 2161Sat., Feb. 22: ColdestNight of the Year. JoinNorth House for this walk foraffordable housing. 4 - 8 p.m.at the Uxbridge Arena. Registerat coldestnightoftheyear.com orsee our website www.north-house.ca or call 705-432-8654. Seniors and childrenwelcome!

Wed., Feb. 26, 9:30 a.m.Oak Ridges TrailAssociation Hike:Secord/Goodwood/Glasgow.12-16 km; Moderate to fastpace, 4+ hr. hike or snowshoewith hills. Meet at Secord park-ing lot 2 km south ofGoodwood Rd., on Conc. 3and east on Secord Rd.Contact: Bob Comfort 905 4732669Wed., Feb. 26, FreeDiabetes Focused Grocery

Store tour with a RegisteredDietitian and Pharmacy Tourwith a Registered Nurse. 7p.m. at Vince's Market; 8 p.m.at Shoppers Drug Mart.Contact: 905-852-9771 ext5260 (Markham StouffvilleHospital, Uxbridge Site,Diabetes Education Clinic).Drop- in WelcomeWed., Feb. 26, SoccerRegistration 2014 for play-ers and coaches, 6:30 - 8 p.m.at Uxbridge Arena hall.Enquiries: admin@uxbridgesoc-cerclub.com or 905-862-0083.Registration for Players &Coaches also available onlinea twww.uxbridgesoccerclub.comFri., Feb. 28, 9:30 a.m.Oak Ridges TrailAssociation Hike: EastWalker Woods. 9+ km, 2.5 hr.loop hike with hills. Icers orsnowshoes are required. Nodogs please. Meet at parkinglot off Uxbridge Conc. 7, 6 kmsouth of Durham Rd. 21.Contact: Kevin Lowe 416 6552256 (hike day only)Fri., Feb. 28, 9:30 a.m.Oak Ridges TrailAssociation Hike: BrockTract. 8+ km moderate to fastpace 2+ hr. loop hike or snow-

shoe with some hills. Meet atthe parking lot on the east sideof Conc. 6, 5.5 km south ofDurham Rd. 21. Contact: RussBurton 605 830 2862

Goodwood Baptist Church -Kids Club for boys & girls ageK--8 each Tuesday at 6:45pm.& Sunday School for all ages at10 a.m. 905- 640-3111.

The Loaves & Fishes Food BankLoaves & Fishes Food Bank isopen Wednesdays 1-4 p.m. forthose requiring assistance. Alldonations are always appreci-ated. Tax receipts are issued forFinancial Donations. Donationsmay be dropped in the FoodBank Box at Zehrs or at St.Andrew's Presbyterian ChurchMonday to Thursday 9 a.m.-noon.

Hospital Auxiliary “ChancesAre” Store on Bascom Streetaccepting good spring cloth-ing. Proceeds to UxbridgeCottage Hospital.

If you have a community event for acharity or non-profit organization thatyou’d like us to mention, please contactus at thecosmos@powergate.ca or 905-852-1900. The deadline for our nextissue is 6 p.m. Sunday.

Thur sday, Februar y 13 th 20148The Uxbr idge Cosmos

THIS WEEKEND

UPCOMING

NEXT WEEK

Coming Up

ONGOING

Dinner MenuFebruary 14 & 15

after 5:00 p.m.

Sunday throughThursday

7 a.m. - 3 p.m.Friday and Saturday

7 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Tiger Talk

by Michelle McNally

With Earth so densely populated, our influence as humans playsa significant role in environmental health, and any negative effectwe impose, can greatly sway the condition of our big blue plan-et. As studies have demonstrated, we are witness to the sufferingof our oceans from our impact. The reality that in a matter ofdecades our coral reefs could cease to exist, or our water reser-voirs so tarnished with waste that fresh water is no longer avail-able, proves we are not responsible with our aquatic resources.Scientists and environmentalists are pushing for a voice andmeans to reverse damage so we can avoid natural catastrophe.Yet, this task is daunting, slow, and is easily lost in politicalunrest, poverty and other problems we face. Nevertheless, thishas not discouraged conservationists from still fighting on forMother Earth. The challenge is certainly no quam for senior USSstudent, Victoria Belbin.In her early childhood years, Victoria was introduced to the love

of her life: the ocean. On a family vacation with her avid scuba-diving parents to the Bahamas, Victoria quickly became enticedby the exotic marine habitats and wildlife during a visit to IslandParadise Resort's aquarium, Atlantis. The encounter got herthinking about the contrast between the fish in the tanks to thefish in the sea, launching her young mind into investigative workto discover why these differences exist.

“I saw the ocean for the first time, and it was incredible,” sherecalls, “You don't see the issues with wildlife at an aquarium. Idecided to dig deeper and figure out what was going on, and Iuncovered so many things that people don't know about.”

Victoria's studious ambition and quest for environmentalchange is now starting to shine, as proven by her recently pub-lished book, Sea Change. The hefty educational volume, com-plete with statistics, pictures and informational text, addresses awide range of issues that are threating the oceans, to name a few,off-shore drilling, shark finning, and sedation slaughter. Victoriahas also gone the extra mile to suggest a few solutions readers canadapt into their everyday lives to better the ocean. “Every day, since I was thirteen, I've worked at it. A lot of sleep-

less nights, but it's working towards a goal, and it's paid off sofar.”To support the research of Sea Change, Victoria has reached out

to other environmentalists. Among her base of supporters,Oceanic, and United Conservationists, as well as Rob Stewart, aCanadian film maker who is best known for his ecologicalmovies Sharkwater, and most recently, Revolution. Victoria alsotakes pride in her large twitter fan base, who have encouraged herevery step of the way.

While Sea Change remains a self-published rough draft untilVictoria finalizes a contract with a couple of interested publish-ers, she is already planning to release a sequence of other books.She plans to spread her series along various generations in hopesof appealing to the widest audience possible.

“This [Sea Change] is my first one, on oceanic issues. The nextone will be terrestrial. The third one is a children's book on seda-tion captivity,” she explains, “I really want my audience to bepeople in my generation because we are going to be the peoplemaking the really hard decisions in the future. I think I want topublish it as an ebook so that it would defiantly grab our atten-tion.”

Writing aside, Victoria hopes to make her mark in the politicalworld as well. By furthering her education, she aims to make adifference by studying environmental law, helping to imposechanges legally. In the meantime, Victoria can continue to wal-low in the glory of her success and dream big.“The book, to me, represents change. It represents a revolution.

A single book can start a revolution and that's what I intend todo.”

10 GOOD REASONS TO GET MARRIED... AND STAY MARRIED

Celebrating Family Day and Valentine’s Day this weekend is a goodtime to be reminded of the importance of family. In a vast array ofscientific studies, over and over again a heterosexual marriage hasbeen shown to benefit virtually every system of the body.

Research data has consistently shown the importance of marriageand keeping the family intact. The traditional family of a father andmother, married and living together with their biological children,is still by far the best for all concerned:

Here are 10 good reasons to get married and stay married:1. A study in 2011 done in Shanghai found marriage to be associ-ated with decreased mortality rate from any cause and in particularcardiovascular disease. ( “Macleans,” Jan 13, 2014)2. "The family is God's basic unit for health, education and wel-fare." (“A Dance With Deception,” Charles Colson)3. "When people make choices that weaken the family, it threatensthe health, the education and the welfare of our entire society."There is nothing that can take the place of strong families in con-tributing to a strong healthy community.4. Pastor Rick Warren, from Saddleback Church in California says,“God wired the universe in such a way that we need each other. Ineed you, and you need me..” Family is the most important placeto care for one another and be cared for.5. David Frum, in an article in Reader's Digest some years ago said,"Because of the decline of the family, we are bringing into theworld children who will learn less in school, earn less at work, com-

mit more crimes and suffer more sexual troubles than theirparents and grandparents." 6. Married couples were the most physically pleased andemotionally satisfied. Physical and emotional satisfaction

declined when people had more than one sexual partner.7. Heterosexual married people lived longer than those who werecohabiting.8. Marriages preceded by cohabitation are 50 to 100 per cent morelikely to break up.9. Abuse is at least twice as common among cohabiters as amongmarried partners10. Children living with one biological parent are worse off, onaverage, than those living with both biological parents and childrenin remarriages often fare even worse.

There is a very interesting exception to those last figures (item #10)- about children and single parents and that is when the single par-ent family was created by death. It seems “a dead father is moreeffective than a missing father.” I would assume the same is true fora mother. From the above, it is obviously best to get married anddo everything possible to keep your marriage intact.The reality, however, for about one in four households, is that you

are a single parent trying your best to raise your family in a diffi-cult situation. So what can you do?

Remember, there are always exceptions to the rule. There aremany outstanding examples of children from single parent familieswho have risen to success despite the odds against them. Don't losehope. Despite a more difficult situation facing you, you can suc-ceed. A healthy family, whether intact, single parent or remarriage,is that safe place where children learn and experience that they areimportant, special, loved and appreciated.

Thur sday, Februar y 13 th 20149The Uxbr idge Cosmos

This Way by Vince Winder Dollars &$ense

Last minute RRSP tips to save on taxes and build your retirement nest eggIt's nearing deadline time once again. The deadline formaking your 2013 contribution to investments held inyour Registered Retirement Savings Program (RRSP), thatis. And, even though it is only a few days away, you havechoices to make that can enhance your retirement nest eggand save on taxes. Here are a few last-minute RRSP tips. RRSP deadline details:• March 3, 2014 at 11:59 PM is the deadline for con-tributing to investments in your RRSP for the 2013 taxyear. • You may make a maximum contribution of up to$23,820, depending on your earned income in 2013 (andminus your pension adjustment if applicable). • You'll find your personal maximum allowable contribu-tion on your most recent notice of assessment from theCanada Revenue Agency (on line (A) of the RRSPDeduction Limit Statement). • You can carry forward unused contribution room fromprior years. • You can fill your unused contribution room in a singleyear or over a number of years until the end of the year inwhich you reach age 71(or the end of the year yourspouse/common-law partner turns 71). RRSP tax-saving, tax-deferring, income-building tips:• Maximize this year’s RRSP contribution: Making yourmaximum allowable contribution each taxation year is thebest strategy for tax savings and to maximize potentiallong-term growth. • Maximize last year’s RRSP contribution: Catch up onyour unused contribution room as quickly as possible foradditional tax savings and enhanced long-term growth. • Borrow to gain: You could maximize this year's contribu-tion or catch up on past contribution room with an RRSPloan. The money you borrow will generate a tax break andadd to your tax-deferred RRSP growth potential. The keyis to get a loan at a low interest rate and pay it back quick-ly. Use your extra tax savings to help pay off the loan. • Split to gain: If your spouse's income will be lower thanyours over the next few years or in retirement, a spousalRRSP can generate retirement income that is subject toless tax. The plan is in your spouse's name but you con-tribute to it. Your total can't exceed your personal yearlycontribution room but your spouse’s limit is unaffected byyour contribution.

The right RRSP strategies will save taxes and help youretire with more - but your RRSP alone is usually notenough to fund the retirement of your dreams. By addingin a well-balanced non-registered investment portfolio,you can get there comfortably. Your professional advisorcan help make it happen for you.

This column, written and published by Investors GroupFinancial Services Inc., presents general information only andis not a solicitation to buy or sell any investments. Contactyour own advisor for specific advice about your circumstances.For more information on this topic please contact one of ourlocal Investors Group Consultants, Alan, Dave, Don, Glen orTerry at 905 852-3201 ext 100.

Student wants to sea change in the world

New fire hall begunin Mount AlbertFurther to last week’s cover story about the loss of the fire station inMount Albert, which served a large portion of the northwesternpart of Uxbridge Township, a new temporary facility is being estab-lished on Doane Road, just north of the town.

“Space was found in a York Region building,” says Uxbridge firechief Scott Richardson, “and there were several offers of vehiclesand other equipment. But for now, Zephyr and the surroundingarea will continue to be served from Uxbridge.”

The Uxbridge department has, as of press time, received no callsto the area ordinarily served by Mount Albert.

Services

INSTALLATIONS: Flat screen tvs, home theatres.Free estimates. Call 647-895-4005 2/20

TEMP AVAILABLE for short notice reception, fil-ing and organization work. Experienced in cus-tomer service and office assistance. Availablehourly, daily, weekly or monthly. Call MelissaCarroll, 905-852-9344 2/27

ACCOUNTING, bookkeeping. Professionalaccountant’s office. Get organized for 2014income taxes. Best rates for winter. 905-852-76342/13

THE HOME INSPECTOR: Infrared Imaging inthe dead of winter can give insights into yourhome’s insulation and ventilation situation. Visit www.thehomeinspector.ca for IR info. 2/27

ALEXANDER COMPUTER SERVICES: Qualityrepair and sales from a local, experienced profes-sional. Call 416-629-6626 (ask for Kevin) or visitwww.alexandercs.com 2/27

HOME IMPROVEMENTS ANDRENOVATIONS. SPECIALIZING IN CUSTOMDESIGN SOLUTIONS: Quality customcarpentry. Custom Decks and Yard Structures,Porches, Screen Rooms, Cabanas, Sheds, Pergolas,Gazebos & Privacy Walls. Top Quality Wood Fences& Gates. Call Steve at Northwood Home Services905-852-1750 2/27

DOG WALKING, HOME CARE FOR PETS.Happy Trails, Happy Tails. Walks and home visits.Loving care as if you were there. Call 905-862-0522 2/27

PET CARE Day and overnight care, no crates orkennels, reasonable rates. Uxbridge only. 905-852-4454 2/27

ACCOUNTING, BOOKKEEPING: Freelance.Over 25 years experience. Reasonable rates. Self-employed to corporate clients. Lynn Catherwood-Eldridge 905-852-7281. 6/26

TUTORING: Physics, calculus, mathematics. Byretired science department head. 31 years teach-ing experience. Call David at 905-862-2812. 3/6

Help Wanted

HAY CUTTER/BALER and EXPERIENCEDBASEMENT REPAIRMAN. 905-852-76342/13

For Rent

CONDO: newly renovated two bedroom condo, 4appliances, central air. $1,050/mo. + utilities.905-904-1071 2/13

SHARE PORTION OF HOUSE: Room for rentin house, own entrance, own bathroom & smallsitting area, shared kitchen, quite private. Non-smoking. Pets are negotiable. Newly painted,Parking area. $650.00 1st and last monthrequired. Available immediately. Contact 905-852-5422. References required. 2/13

SHARE WHOLE HOUSE: Large furnished bed-room for single, working male. No smoking orpets. TV, small car parking, internet available.Utilities included. Basement bedroom $475/mo.Upper rooms, $525/mo. Immediate occupancy.905-852-4454 2/27

LARGE FURNISHED BEDROOM in a privatehome for a single working male. Share kitchen,washroom, laundry, car parking, all inc., internetavail. No smoking/pets. $525/mo. 905-852-4454. 2/13

For Sale

2012 HYUNDAI ELANTRA LIMITED - 2012Car of the year! Private sale - Like new - Only42,000 km - Desert sand exterior - Tan leatherinterior - heated seats - bluetooth - moonroof - E-mail: diane@bydesignmedia.ca or call Morgan416-948-9400 2/13

BAG YOUR OWN HAY and save money 905-852-7634 2/13

FOR SALE: Skids, antiques 905-852-7634 2/13

FOR SALE: Private sale. Mossbank condo, 2 bed-room, new bathroom, balcony, 3rd floor.$196,900. 647-637-3529 Leave message forviewing. 2/6

Events

ANNOUNCING! A Carlie Laidlaw project:William’s Lullaby www.williamslullaby.ca AlliTunes downloads support Toronto’s Hospital forSickKids. Ad sponsored by www.Fraser-Education.com

IN QUEST OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN - A tour ofthe Yukon with Sourdough Conrad Boyce - June17-27, 2014. Contact Uxbridge Travel Centre for afull itinerary, 905-852-6163, ext. 1. 2/27

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY! The Ball familywishes to extend an invitation to join them to cel-ebrate Mary’s birthday. Drop by the UxbridgeSeniors’ Centre on Sunday, Feb. 23 between 1-5p.m. Best wishes only, please. 2/20

Thur sday, Februar y 13 th 201410The Uxbr idge Cosmos

Garage Doors

LIGHT FOR YOUR PATH

UXBRIDGE

BRANCH

“Like a lily amongthorns is my darlingamong the maidens.”

Song of Solomon 2:2

Cosmos Business Bulletin Board

ARE YOU CELEBRATING:• the birth of a child?

• a wedding?• a landmark anniversary?

• coming to a new home in Uxbridge?

Your local businesses/professionals are offering a beautiful personalized

keepsake gift free of charge.

For more details, please call

Agnes Lobbezoo at 905-852-5067.

COSMOS CLASSIFIEDSClassifieds are $5 plus HST per week for

up to 20 words, $10 plus HST for up to 40 words.

Payable in advance by cash, cheque or credit card. Contact: thecosmos@powergate.ca or 905-852-1900

Deadline: Monday 5:30 p.m.

STAN - Your LocalHandyman

Give me a call - No job too small

905.852.6970 or (cell) 416-705-6970

L. MARTINS

PAINTINGInterior & Exterior

Wallpapering, drywall & plaster repairs

Crown moulding - Home renovations

905-852-7129

ISA Certified ArboristsEstablished 1981 - Fully Insured

• Bucket Truck & Crane, Professional Climbers

• Pruning, Removals, Stump GrindingDavid Watts, B.Sc. (Agr.)

www.uxbridgetreeservice.com

Tree Service

RON BROWN AUTO

We will not be undersold.We service all

makes and models.We fix it right the first time!

170 Main Street North

905-852-5981

More Bible help at:www.biblesociety.ca/the_word_and_you

Classified

WE’VE BEEN

RECYCLINGVINTAGE

LUMBER FOR OVER

30 YEARS

ISN’T IT TIME YOU OWNED

A GILLDERCROFT

9269 3rd Concession

Early Style CanadianHandcrafted Pine Furniture

905-852-2275www.gilldercroft.com

Windcrestelectrical contracting ltd

Paul FraserCell 416.527.0878windcrestelectrical@gmail.com

esa #7007893

UXBRIDGE MEMORIAL COMPANY108 Brock Street West, Uxbridge L9P 1P4

Dave & Lori Tomkinson

Tel: 905-852.3472 • 1-888-672-4364 • Fax: 905-852-0085uxmemco@interhop.net

905-852-5313

Helping you be ready for life! Best 5 year GIC rate

����������������� �������

����������������������

Your 2014 TFSA contribution - $5,500

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2013 RSP deadline - March 3, 2014

EVANS FINANCIAL SERVICES 38 TORONTO STREET NORTH, UNIT #2,

(905) 852-3184 www.investsmart.ca

Inc.

Garage Doors & Openers

905-852-1981uprightdoorservice.com

ASK ABOUT OURWINTER TUNE UP SPECIAL

PROMOTE your business HERE!Best deal going! ONLY $25/week

Call 905 852 1900 for details

Sara Penttilä FinlayAdvertising/Sales Manager

Building on the 30 years of service and experience ofLisa Boyce in the print industry, Sara looks forward to continuing to serve our current and future clients.

Call us to help with all aspects of your printing requirements.

38 Toronto St. N., Unit 1Uxbridge, ON L9P 1E6

Tel 905.852.1900Cell 905.852.2976

cosmossara@powergate.ca

A Division of Cosmos Publishing Inc.

905-852-9369

Bill’s Handyman Services• Painting• Flooring• Caulking• Windows• Doors• Roof Repairs

• Fence Repairs• Sheds• Small Tree

Removal

email: wford000@primus.cacell: 416-317-8314

WSIB Registered

My brother warned me that the first thing I wouldfeel when stepping off the plane in Accra was theheat. “It's like stepping out into an oven,” he toldme. This was the first of many predictions to turnout to be extremely accurate. The culture, the geog-raphy, the sun, the music, and the food were alloverwhelming. Ghana is a beautiful country.Granted, this time of year, it is exceptionally dusty,and the fine red powder coats everything, includingthe trees along the road.

While it wasn't a trip that involved a great deal ofsightseeing, the ten hour bus ride from Accra toCarpenter offered ample opportunity for observa-tion. From Southern Ghana to the NorthernRegion, the vegetation changed drastically fromlush greenery to sparse trees. The people we passedwere obviously from very different economic back-grounds: from the homeless to the businessman, itwas similar to looking around Toronto. The cloth-ing caught my attention as well: the eclectic mish-mash of typical western garb like jeans and t-shirtsand brightly patterned traditional dresses and head-scarves. The road conditions are poor, more oftenthan not, and the general driving style is decidedlyaggressive. Horns are constantly in use for commu-nication, and driving on a main road seems a littlebit like being in a surprise race. Incredibly, streetvendors will also peddle wares on their heads in themidst of slower traffic, walking directly beside thebus to sell bananas, dried mangos, cassava, or evenmore western treats like gum, bandanas, or SIMcards. Women carry almost anything on theirheads: piles of firewood, huge bowls of water, giantbunches of bananas, even a full-size table.

There are few to no garbage cans, so litter linesmany of the streets, with deep trenches along thesides of the roadway for waste. The smell of fire isalmost everywhere: trash is heaped up and burnt,and the bush area is also burnt to prevent forest fires(counterintuitive, but it works). In the city, partial-ly-complete concrete buildings are everywhere.Semi-domesticated animals roam freely: goats, pigs,chickens and sheep all wander down the road atwill. There are concrete homes and thereare those made out of mud bricks or tin.The sun is huge when it rises and sets, andat midday it seems impossibly high in thesky.There is also a lot of poverty, and it is an

inescapable, incredibly gut-wrenchingreality. Many of the children we worked

with wore threadbare uniforms that had obviouslybeen worn by many others before. There were hugerips in their clothing that they didn't have the mate-rials to fix or the money to replace. Many of thechildren had obvious physical problems: hernias,worms, twisted limbs, eye disease…while I'm cer-tainly not a doctor, it was clear that many sufferedthe effects of malnutrition, poor quality drinkingwater, and lack of proper/any real healthcare. In theshort time frame I was there, one of my grade sixstudents lost his mother and missed a few days of

class to travel to the funeral, which was taking placein another village. One of my grade five girls very nearly lost her own

life when she stepped into her home at night andwas bitten by a viper. After travelling approximate-ly 45 minutes on the back of a motorbike toBamboi, where the closest medical centre is, theywere distressed to find that they did not have thenecessary anti-venom injection. The vials are expen-sive and many medical centres simply can't affordthem. Thankfully, the organization we workedwith, the Northern Empowerment Association, hadnine vials, and sent one from Carpenter to Bamboi,thus saving this little girl's life.

I taught basic English and Hygiene in my time inBabator. I worked on basic grammar and those of uswho worked with the local school also worked with

the teachers to develop a slightly more dynamic cur-riculum, and the kids seemed to really thrive withthe enhancement to their regular curriculum.Hopefully, the long-term effect will benefit both thelocal teachers and the students. We talked aboutbasic disease prevention, hand washing, teethbrushing, and the role of personal hygiene in stay-ing healthy, all of which turned out to be sorelyneeded.

I'm left feeling like I was a very small drop in avery big bucket. Even as I write this, I feel as thoughI'm only covering a small portion of a very big pic-ture, and no words are sufficient. We worked along-side and for people who have many serious issuesfacing them on a daily basis. The transition fromworking with children who treasure an empty waterbottle to working in Canada…well, it's not easy.They live without electricity, running water, health-care, or most of the amenities we can easily take forgranted. I got to know my nineteen students byname, and I wasincredibly blessedto get to knowthem more over thetwo weeks weworked with them.Everything I wantto say seems trite,but it was very diffi-cult to leave…uponmy departure, I hadno regrets, but I didfeel as though therewas much more tobe done. I can onlyhope that my briefamount of timethere will havemade a differencein a positive way; Iknow that my lifehas been perma-nently impacted.

Thur sday, Februar y 13 th 201411The Uxbr idge Cosmos

V I E W P O I N T S

How well do you know the highwaysand byways of Uxbridge Township?The first person each week to call into

our office number, 905-852-1900, and cor-rectly identify the location of our photo, willreceive a prize; this week, it’s two tickets to theUxbridge Bruins! Last week’s location hasn’tbeen guessed. Hint: it’s not in town!

• Free Range Poultry• Farm Fresh Beef• Ontario Lamb• Preservative-Free Deli Meats• Hormone-Free Meats

3 Brock Street WestOPEN SUNDAYS 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

www.themeatmerchant.ca

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR THIS WEEK’S SPECIALS!

905-852-9892

A picture from the past....

It could be you tomorrow.

Join us

Trinity UnitedChurch

20 First AvenueUxbridge

905.852.6213

10:00 a.m.

Sunday morningservice

Sunday school (ages 4-12)

A Memorial Tribute

Murray J. Prentice

May 25, 1943 - Feb. 15, 1994

In loving memory of a wonderful husband and father

Twenty years ago you left us,But memories keep you nearTo help us when we’re troubledAnd to fight that silent tear.You touched so many people In a special kind of way -Family, friends and othersEach and every day.Your memory is our keepsakeWith which we’ll never part.God has you in His keeping;We have you in our hearts.

Lovingly remembered by wife Joyce and Richard

Specializing inVolkswagenAudiHybrid, Electric & DieselPorscheEuropean & Asian

(by appointment)

Available

138 Sandiford Dr.,Unit 5, Stouffville

Rick Callaghan

905-642-2886 or 1-877-410-2886(AUTO)www.410auto.ca

ARE YOU PREPARED FOR THE NEW EMISSIONS TESTING?We are ready to assist you.

IT’SUNDERCOATING SEASON!HAVE YOU GOT YOURS?

Gone from Ghana: Reflections by Amy Hurlburt

Thur sday, Februar y 13 th 201412The Uxbr idge Cosmos

Bruins not quite playoff-ready as first round nearsby Roger Varley

With the OHA Junior C CentralDivision playoffs just around the cor-ner, the Uxbridge Bruins didn't showany signs of being ready with theirperformances on the weekend.

The local squad was crushed 9-5 atthe arena on Friday night by theLakefield Chiefs and then went on todefeat the lowly Georgina Ice 4-3 inKeswick on Saturday, but they had togo to a shoot-out to do it.

Given that the Chiefs have only lostfour games all season and have scoredan average of five goals a game, Fridaynight's score showed the Bruins' for-wards are doing their job, but thedefence is making far too many mis-takes. While the Chiefs put on a pass-

ing clinic, the Bruins rarely demon-strated any orchestrated plays tobring the puck out of their own zoneand too many times had difficulty injust clearing the puck.

Nevertheless, the first period wasfast and furious, one of the best peri-ods of hockey of the season, withgoalie Cody Northover handlingsome tough shots. Justin Dube putthe Bruins on the scoreboard fiveminutes into the game with a rocketshot from the blue line. He was assist-ed by Tim Bierema and MarcoMastrangelo. Ten minutes later,Mastrangelo put the Bruins up 2-0with an unassisted goal on a partialbreakaway. The Chiefs scored theirfirst, a power-play goal, on a deflec-tion with about three minutes left inthe period.

Lakefield tied it up early in the sec-ond period with another power-playmarker, only to see the Bruins comeback with a power-play goal of theirown from Jarret Smith, assisted byMatt Allen and Matt Trudel. ThenLakefield lowered the boom, scoringa short-handed goal and a regularstrength goal before the periodended.

The third period opened with twomore Lakefield goals before Trudelnetted a wrist shot from the blue line,assisted by Smith. The Chiefs thenscored another goal while enjoying atwo-man advantage and followedwith another regular goal just aminute later, leading to Northoverbeing pulled in favour of Max Tjin.Allen managed to score one more forthe Bruins late in the period, assisted

by Connor Miller and Matt Pollardbefore the Chiefs wrapped it up withone more goal.In Keswick's Ice Palace the following

night, Georgina, who had only wonseven games so far in the season, puttwo goals past Tjin in the first periodbefore Carter Vahey answered for theBruins, assisted by Trudel.

The teams traded power-play goalsin the second, with Smith scoring forthe Bruins, assisted by Connor Beckand Korey Brand.

Brand then tied the game in thethird with another power-play mark-er, assisted by Trudel.After a scoreless overtime period, the

shoot-out went to four players each asboth teams scored only once withtheir first three shooters. KeeganMcCarthy and Mastrangelo both

missed on their attempts, leaving it toSmith to score on his shot. Finally,Vahey scored the winning shot toearn the win.

The Bruins will have had a wholeweek to prepare for their final gameof the regular season on Sunday,when they travel to Bowmanville toface the Clarington Eagles in whatshould be a preview of their upcom-ing playoff series. In the other series,Lakefield will face off against fourth-place Port Perry MoJacks, whileGeorgina and the Little BritainMerchants will have to watch fromthe sidelines. Note: There is no game at theArena this coming Friday, Feb. 14.Sorry if you were planning to bringyour Valentine...

The Optimists of Uxbridge would like

to Thank ALL of the Participants in

the 2014 Fantasy of Lights.

The Optimist Fantasy of Lights has become a

community tradition!

We

www.uxbridgeoptimist.com

1st Uxbridge Pathfinders

1st Uxbridge Scouts

Bendell Family

Beta Sigma Phi

Bonner Boys

Community Living

Durham North

Creekside Wellness

Durham Farm and Rural

Family Resources

Frankie's Ristorante

Joy Whalen - Keller

Williams Energy

Ken MacDonald

& Bob Trelford

Lunn Family

Main Street Pool & Spa

Nature's Accolade Salon &Spa

Reachview Village

Riley & Friends

Rotary Club

Roxy Kids in Action

St Paul's Anglican Church

St. Andrews Chalmers Church

St. Joseph Catholic School

The Wee Wilsons

Treehouse Business Centres

Trinity United Church

Uxbridge Natural Healing Centre

Uxbridge Horsemen's Assoc.

Uxbridge Legion Br 170

Uxbridge Masonic Lodge

Uxbridge Montessori School

Uxbridge Parkinson's Support Group

Uxbridge Scott Agricultural Society

Beware the coywolf...by Nancy Melcher

What happens when an award-winning documentary film-maker teams up with the Head of Biology and Genetics atTrent University? It's an amazing film about a new creature,part wolf and part coyote, called the coywolf. North DurhamNature Club will show “Meet the Coywolf” at their Februarymeeting at the Uxbridge Seniors Centre on Marietta Street onWed., Feb. 26.

Susan Fleming is an independent Canadian filmmaker whomade this film. She has been producing and directing filmsfor 25 years. Her life quest is “to explore this weird world ofours - a place where the familiar, if truly examined, is oftenrevealed to be strangely alien”.

Fleming's award-winning documentaries and televisionseries (The Secret Life of Gardens) about science and naturetake viewers inside the secret lives of animals and plants. Herfilms have been broadcast on television stations around theglobe, including CBC, Discovery, National Geographic, andPBS Nature. She lives near Uxbridge.

Fleming will be joined by Prof. Bradley White from TrentUniversity. White was one of the first scientists to study thisnew hybrid animal. He has done extensive DNA testing oncoywolves, and has worked closely with scientists from theOntario Ministry of Natural Resources.

North Durham Nature is pleased to bring this interestingand informative film to Uxbridge. The meeting is open to thepublic, and will start at 7 PM. Light refreshments will beserved.