Highland Games set to return to Uxbridge

FIRST LADY OF THE NORTH POLE - Mrs. Claus joined Santa on the York-Durham Heritage Train on Saturday to visit with children and start spreading someChristmas cheer. Leo Colangelo spent a moment with Mrs. Claus, basking in a moment of magic. Photo by John Cavers

Foster Memorialwins for smallperformancevenue

by Roger Varley

The highland games will return to Uxbridgenext year, with a new name, new pricing and ashorter program.

Appearing before council Monday night, IanGiffen, who was piped into the chambers by19 members of the Uxbridge Legion Pipes andDrums, pitched the new format and asked forcouncil's support.The games, formerly known as the Highlands

of Durham Games, will be renamed theUxbridge Highland Games.

Scheduled for July 29, 2017, the games willagain be held in Elgin Park, but just for oneday.

"We'd like to start afresh and make some

changes," Mr. Giffen told council.He said the core of the group hoping to re-

store the games is made up of himself, LewGregor of the Pipe and Drums, and StewartBennett, one of the original founders of theHighlands of Durham Games.Among the major changes planned will be free

parking and admission by donation to the not-for-profit event. Mr. Giffen said proceeds willbe donated to charity.

Part of the reason for the cessation of theHighlands of Durham Games a couple of yearsago was attributed to the high cost of attend-ing. Mr. Giffen said it is hoped most of themoney for the event can be raised from spon-sorships.He said the games will still have the highland

dancers, pipe bands, vendors and food, a dogshow, a beer and alcohol tent and entertain-ment. There will also be a craft centre and aMaypole. He indicated the traditional Scottishheavy games such as tossing the caber mightnot be included in 2017 as it is too late to bookthe events.

Part of his pitch to council was to seek freeuse of the park for the games, which councilgranted."I think you're on the right road," said Mayor

Gerri Lynn O'Connor. "I think it's great whatyou're suggesting."

Mr. Giffen said the event will rely heavily onvolunteers and his group is actively looking forvolunteers now.

by Lisha Van Nieuwenhove

e omas Foster Memorial was recentlynamed “Top Small Performing Arts” locationby Attractions Ontario.Last week, at the Ontario Tourism Summit

in Ottawa, the winners of AttractionsOntario’s First Annual Ontario’s ChoiceAwards were announced. e winners ofeach category earned the most votes in theirdesignated category, which was voted on andchosen by consumers. Other categoriesincluded Top Attraction, Top TouringExperience, Top Festival & Event, and TopOutdoor Attraction.

“Congratulations to the nominees andespecially to the winners of each category.ese awards are unique because they werechosen exclusively by the consumers that visitthese sites.” says Troy Young, Chief ExecutiveOffice of Attractions Ontario.

e Foster Memorial is a populardestination for both locals and out-of-townvisitors. Its Byzantine-era-like architectureand intricately designed interior are worththe drive towards Leaskdale. e Foster alsoboasts superb acoustics, making it an ideallocation for concerts and play readings.Fridays at the Foster is a program that bringshigh-end talent from all over the region tothe mausoleum every Friday evening fromMay through to October. A jazz festival andan annual reading of Charles Dickens’ AChristmas Carol round out the year’s events.

Attractions Ontario is a non-profitassociation, dedicated solely to optimizingattendance for their member attractions. Aprovince-wide trade association, it isdedicated exclusively to the attractions sectorof the tourism industry. Attractions Ontariomembers include both public and privatelyowned attractions.

Highland Games set to return to Uxbridge

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Volume 12 No. 47 YOUR UNIVERSE Thursday, December 1, 2016

Inside Your CosmosSurvey says . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 2Shop local guide . . . . . . . . . . . . .pages 8 & 9

Thursday, December 1, 20162The Uxbridge Cosmos

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What should downtown Uxbridge offer?With all thoughts on Christmas shopping, it seems timely for a

survey on what type of shopping and businesses residents of theTownship of Uxbridge would like to see in the downtown area.The Cosmos, in conjunction with several concerned citizens, wantsto learn what it would take to entice budding entrepreneurs to thedowntown core of Uxbridge. For example, it wouldn't do a newretailer much good opening a store of military memorabilia, forexample, if there was no demand for it.If the downtown shopping area is to be a vibrant town centre, it

must offer a wide variety of shopping and business opportunities. Toencourage more variety - or even competition - we ask you to take acouple of minutes to fill in the following survey. The results will bepublished in The Cosmos, and may even be sent along to theTownship of Uxbridge to help with its economic developmentstrategies. The survey is also available at www.thecosmos.ca to take online.

1. How often do you shop in downtown Uxbridge?

Every day Once a week OccasionallyWhen there is a sale Never

2. What businesses in downtown Uxbridge do youmost frequently visit?Shop ___________________________________________________Restaurant ______________________________________________ Other ___________________________________________________

3. What types of shops or businesses would you like to see in downtown Uxbridge?

Stores ___________________________________________________Restaurants _______________________________________________Other ___________________________________________________

4. Do parking issues ever deter you from doing business/shopping in downtown Uxbridge?

Yes No

5. What could downtown Uxbridge businesses and retailers do to attract you to their business/store?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Do current downtown Uxbridge business/store hours meet your needs?

Yes No

7. Would you like to see the downtown Uxbridge business/shopping area expanded?

Yes No No opinion

8. Would you like to see more special events held in the downtown Uxbridge area?

Yes No No opinion

9. Do you think the township should offer incentives to attract new businesses/retailers to the downtown Uxbridge area?

Yes No No opinion

Comments and Suggestions ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Drop off completed surveys at The Uxbridge Cosmos office, 38 Toronto St. N., or complete survey online at www.thecosmos.ca

Downtown Business Survey


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Goodbye Tom and Barb: Councilhas often recognized residents fortheir volunteer work, but perhapsnot quite the way they lauded Tomand Barbara Rance on Monday.With the couple leaving their long-

time home in Uxbridge to movecloser to their daughters in Kingston,the mayor praised them at length forthe work they have done in thecommunity over the last threedecades.

"is is a happy time, but a sadtime," Mayor O'Connor said. "Tomand Barb would be at the top of thelist of good volunteers."

In front of a packed gallery, shecited their work with CommunityCare, Meals on Wheels and Tom'swork with the Oak Ridges MoraineTrail and the Music Hall. She notedhe was also instrumental in theestablishment of the Uxbridge MusicScholarship Fund.She then presented the couple with

a certificate of appreciation andflowers and noted council had madea donation to the Trans Canada TrailFoundation in their name.

Normally, it would have endedthere, but Frank Chown, a memberof the Music Hall board, also rose tosing the couple's praises.

"Tom inherited a hall that wantedto be a theatre," he said.

He noted that Tom used Trilliumgrants to install lighting and soundsystems and bring the hall up to firestandards. He also wrote the "RedBook", the operations manualprovided to everyone who rents thehall. He also created the Music HallImprovement Fund, which fundedthe renovation of the Music Halllobby.

Mr. Chown said a plaque will beplaced in the Music Hall torecognize Tom's efforts.

en it was John McCutcheon'sturn, who ended by saying Tom andBarb Rance "have left Uxbridge witha tremendously important legacy".

Normally, such presentations takeabout five minutes. It was 35minutes later that the Rance's leftthe chambers.

TOWN HALLby Roger VarleyNotes from the November 28Council Meeting

Council supports rejection of Bill 7:Council agreed to support theTownship of Madawaska Valley in itsrejection of the province's Bill 7 afterreceiving that municipality'sresolution on the matter.Madawaska Valley pointed out that

the provincial government intends todownload to the municipalities thetask of handling complaints fromresidential tenants regardingmaintenance standards. Currently, allsuch complaints are handled byprovincial inspectors, who inspectproperties to ensure provincialstandards are complied with, issuework orders where necessary,

monitor compliance and/or failureto comply and prosecute landlordsfor non-compliance.

e Madawaska Valley resolutionsaid downloading theseresponsibilities onto municipalitieswould present many with fiscalchallenges.

In agreeing with the resolution,Mayor O'Connor said Uxbridge hasneither the finances, the staff or theexpertise to take over thoseresponsibilities. Council agreed tolend its support to Madawaska Valleyand agreed to send letters to thateffect to local MPs and MPPs.

Mayor Gerri Lynn O’Connor, right, presented long-time residents Tom and Barbara Rance with acertificate of appreciation and flowers at Monday night’s Council meeting. The couple is movingto Kingston to be closer to family. Photo by John Cavers

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I was at Toronto Pearson Airport theother day walking through Terminal3 while waiting to pick someone up.It was a Sunday, and the interna-tional flights reception area had agood number of people waiting togreet their arrivals. One might con-sider the airport busy if one was justto stand in that spot. But I decidedto walk through to the other end,and what I saw astounded me. I sawnumerous baggage carousels entirelyempty. I saw airport employees sit-ting around on benches provided forairport visitors doing absolutelynothing. I saw virtually no activityonce I exited the main internationalarrival area. Simply put, it was like adead zone for four fifths of the verylong floor leading away from the in-ternational arrivals.

I picked up a sandwich and beganwalking back, only to find the inter-national reception area now almostempty, too. It brought back memo-ries of my days living near DorvalAirport in Montreal, since renamedTrudeau International Airport afterthe prime minister who built the

giant white elephant called Mirabel. Mirabel was built on prime farm-

land too and was doomed to fail justlike the White Elephant PickeringAirport is doomed to fail. The hypocrisy of our governing par-

ties at both the federal and provinciallevels who support carbon taxes (nowrenamed CAP AND TRADE) as ameasure supposedly designed to re-duce global warming while destroy-ing farmland to build unnecessaryairports never ceases to astound me.

We don’t need a white elephant inPickering anymore than we neededTrudeau’s White Elephant inMirabel. We don’t need more heatabsorbing pavement and rooftops.We need GREEN farmland and treeswhich feed people and provide oxy-gen. Farmers, not airports, providefood and breathable air while main-taining the dark nights and relativequiet that we need for healthy sleep.

Henry ZaczekUxbridge

Congratulations to the council onturning down the bylaw to install

anti-idling signs in the township,which would be impossible to regu-late so would be useless on the books. The Energy Conservation commit-

tee’s presentation to Council in Junerequested “No Idling” signs at the en-trances to the township and to imple-ment a program to educate thepublic on the pollution that comesfrom from idling vehicles.

The Environment Watchdog hasstated, “with transportation the‘highest and fastest growing source ofemissions’, this must be the govern-ment’s priority”.We also requested “yield signs” that

can safely replace stop signs, whichcreate more idling of cars and brakedust every time you have to stop andstart, so if you live close to a stop signrequest a yield sign to keep the airbreathable.

The Energy Committee looks for-ward to assisting with the “Anti-Idling” educational program.

Bev NortheastChair

Energy Conservation Committee

Letters to the Editor

The fact that we here at The Cosmos live and work here in Uxbridge meansthat commuting to the city on a daily, or even weekly basis doesn’t affect usmuch. It does, however, affect a great many people who read The Cosmos.We’ve been thinking a lot about those commuters since Toronto Mayor JohnTory announced last week that he plans to propose tolls for both the DonValley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway, two of the city’s major and fre-quently congested highways. Mayor Tory says that the proposal could raise$300 million a year for road and transit projects. We say we need a bit moreinformation before this comes close to even being proposed.

Road and transit projects where, exactly? If we in the 905 area code aregoing to be footing the bill for construction on a residential side street inCabbagetown, we say no. If we are going to be contributing to a transit proj-ect that will benefit Etobicoke, we say I don’t think so. If we are tossing ourtoonies into a mesh basket so that better transit will include Durham Region,and more specifically Uxbridge, then we say we’ll think about it.We also wonder what it will cost, if implemented, to install and run. Surely

some of the money raised from the toll will go towards operations, no? Can’tbe cheap to build and operate something like that. It wouldn’t be at all amus-ing to know we just paid $2 to ride the DVP and only 25 cents is actuallygoing toward our promised transit.Will there be any concession made for daily commuters? Like a transponder,

say, similar to the one the 407 offers? Will it be the flat $2 fee, no matterwhere you get on or off? It seems that one would feel better having spent $2going from the 401 to the Lakeshore, rather than from Bayview to theLakeshore.Some say that it isn’t fair, drivers having to pay again for a road that’s already

paid for. They have to remember that they wouldn’t be paying for what al-ready is, they’d be paying for what is to come. One hopes.

It isn’t small potatoes Mayor Tory is talking here. If you have to take theDVP to downtown Toronto every day of the week, 48 weeks a year (we’regiving you generous holidays, here), that’s $960 a year you’ll have to add toyour budget. If you are unfortunate enough to have to take both the DVPand the Gardiner every day of the week, 48 weeks a year, add $1,920 a year.That’s a big chunk of cash to take from people who have likely chosen to livein the suburbs because they can’t afford to live in the city. Durham Regionalready has higher property taxes than Toronto does, so asking us 905ers topay for their roads doesn’t make sense.

If the planned proposed toll - and it is just a plan for a proposal, it’s notcarved in stone - goes ahead, then it makes sense to Uxbridge only if we getefficiently integrated into the public transit system so that we can leave ourcars at home, not take the Don Valley Parking Lot, and still not spend themajority of our waking hours on a train or bus. The money needs to comefrom somewhere, on that we can all agree. But the average Joe tends to thinkabout how it’s going to hit his own pocketbook first. Joe is tired of other peo-ple reaching for the cash he earned at his job in the centre of the city, far awayfrom his home and family.

It’s all taking a toll, it is.

Our two centsTransit taking a toll

9,500 copies of The Cosmos are published each Thursday in the Township ofUxbridge: 8,700 delivered by mail, 800 available in stores and boxes.

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OnStage Uxbridge invites you to audition for our 2017 spring musical

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORSDirected by Michael Winn Johnson

A deviously delicious Broadway and Hollywood sci-fi smash musical, Little Shop Of Horrors has devoured the hearts of theatre goers forover 30 years. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (Disney's The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast, and Aladdin) are the creative geniusesbehind what has become one of the most popular shows in the world!

AUDITIONS: Tuesday, December 6 and Thursday, December 8, from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m Goodwood Community Centre, 268 Highway 47, Goodwood (Highway 47 and Regional Road 21).

DETAILS: Auditions are FIRST-COME-FIRST-SERVED, so plan to be there for an hour or so. Everyone should come prepared with a musical soloin the style of the show (upbeat rock/contemporary) to perform. Those auditioning for the lead roles, Seymour or Audrey may also be askedto do a cold read from the scripts. CALLBACKS: Sunday, December 11, 2 - 5 p.m., also at Goodwood Community Centre (not everyone willbe called for callbacks). We will also be trying you on a bit of choreography, so wear comfortable clothes. SHOW DATES: (there will be a total of 9 performances) are: March 30, 31, April 1 and April 6, 7, 8 at 7:30 p.m., and April 1, 2, & 8 at 2pm. All performances are at the Uxbridge Music Hall (16 Main Street South, Uxbridge). FOR MORE INFORMATION, please visit www.onstageuxbridge.com/auditions or contact the director at [email protected].


A couple of days ago, I had a long chat overa cup of coffee with Councillor Pat Mol-loy.Just like the walrus and the carpenter, we

talked of many things and wondered at theinsanity (my word) of some of the rulesand regulations in place that bedevil coun-cillors as much as regular citizens.

For example, he told me of going for anafter-work drink with three of his fellowcouncillors at a local watering hole. Threesat at one table and the fourth sat at an-other, because four of them at the sametable would be breaking the rules.He talked of the fact that so-called granny

flats are allowed in the urban area, but notin rural Uxbridge. Go figure!The main reason we met, however, was to

discuss a point he raised in council thenight before. In discussing a report bydeputy clerk Michael De Rond regardinga proposed appointment to the BIA (Busi-ness Improvement Area), Mr. Molloy saidhe could not vote in favour of the recom-mended candidate because he knew noth-ing about the person named. That starteda go-round with clerk Debbie Leroux, whocited the Privacy Act. She said even if can-didates for various township committeesand boards supplied resumés with their ap-plications, staff is not allowed to makethose resumés public. She added thatsometimes applications don't even includea resumé. Mr. Molloy wondered howcouncillors are supposed to approve ap-pointments if such information is notavailable to them.

But shouldn't the residents also have theright to know who is being appointed tocommittees, especially when some of them(not all) receive payment for their services?That would serve the god of transparency,but apparently the Privacy Act is a biggergod.And not just the Privacy Act. The Munic-

ipal Act allows councils to hold "in cam-era" sessions to discuss certain items awayfrom the public. So far this year, there havebeen 37 Uxbridge council meeting and, bymy count, on 21 of those occasions, coun-cil has gone in camera. Obviously, there is

already a lot going on to which the taxpay-ers are not privy.In this age of information and technology,

where you can learn about almost any sub-ject you can think of, it appears that road-blocks are being set up continually to stiflesuch information. How many times do wehear some official say "we can't commentbecause it's before the courts"? How oftendo we hear officials say information can'tbe released because of the Privacy Act? Orthe old standby: "We can't discuss individ-ual cases." I once went to the courthouse in Oshawa

to hear the trial of a young offendercharged with vandalism in Uxbridge. Of-ficials at the courthouse were not even al-lowed to tell me what courtroom theaccused would appear in. I realize thatpublicly naming or otherwise identifying ayoung offender is forbidden, but thatseemed to be taking privacy to the extreme.

Government agencies of all stripes andlevels frequently require the filing of an Ac-cess to Information request before releasingeven the most innocuous information and,as we have seen in the recent past, the in-formation eventually released is often heav-ily redacted.

It has been said that knowledge is powerand it seems that those in power are deter-mined to keep their stranglehold onknowledge.

There has been much written of lateabout so-called "post-truth", a term usedto define fake news posted on social mediasites which is taken as gospel by many whoread these items. But if government offi-cials continue to make it difficult for JoeAverage to find out about things which af-fect him directly - such as appointments tolocal boards and committees which he paysfor through his taxes - Joe is likely to tryother sources, such as the fake news items.With the Internet, we are now able to surf

the world of information. The problemwith surfing, however, is that you only seethe tops of the waves: you don't see what'sunderneath.Tell me, am I wrong?

The media came out in droves. They gatheredto hear an important pronouncement about lawand the use of a controversial hallucinogenicsubstance in Canadian society. Then, threesober-looking legal figures proceeded to offertheir findings. J. Peter Stein, Heinz Lehmannand the man after whom the report was named,Gerald Le Dain, unveiled their findings.“The cultivation of cannabis should be subject

to the same penalties as trafficking,” Judge LeDain said, “but it should not be a punishable of-fence…”

If you thought those pronouncements were arecent dress rehearsal for the current TrudeauLiberal government’s plan to decriminalize themedicinal or recreational use of marijuana nextspring, well, you’d almost be right. In fact, Stein,Lehmann and Le Dain made those recommen-dations during the time of another Liberal ad-ministration, that of Pierre Elliott Trudeau in1972. After 55 months of exhaustive research,public briefings, deliberations and writing, LeDain and his two colleagues recommended intheir Royal Commission report that cannabis beremoved from the federal narcotic control act –decriminalized – and regulated provincially. Yes,that was 44 years ago!

Then, last spring, to fulfil a promise made inthe 2015 election campaign, Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau promised to draft regulationswith respect to production, distribution, retailand consumption of marijuana. Trudeau madevirtually the same pronouncement as Le Dainhad.

“We believe in legalization and regulation ofmarijuana because it protects our kids and keepsmoney out of the pockets of criminal organiza-tions and street gangs,” Trudeau said.In other words, it’s taken all that time and an-

other Trudeau administration to reach the sameconclusion that Le Dain and his fellow RoyalCommissioners did, that decriminalizing pos-session and drastically reducing charges for traf-ficking would free up the courts, take control ofpot away from organized crime, and prevent thedamaging effects of Canadian youth stuck withlife-long criminal records for simple pot posses-sion.

In fact, the Le Dain initiative between 1969and 1972 attracted the endorsement of formerBeatle, John Lennon. As reported by Kate Allenin a Toronto Star story three years ago, several ofLe Dain Commission officials sat in a railwaycar in Montreal, in December 1969, whenLennon praised the Canadian initiative.

“This commission,” Lennon said, “I don’tknow what’s going on in the rest of the world

… towards drugs, but this seems to be the onlyone that is trying to find out what it’s about withany kind of sanity.”

Of course, there’s another form of sanity thatmight help police, judges and politicians regu-late the problem – it’s called common sense. Ioffer one of my own experiences with pot as ex-ample. When I was on my own, in my early 20sand freelance writing in Saskatoon, I sought arelatively inexpensive place to live. I found aroom in a house occupied by a number of Uni-versity of Saskatchewan students – in nursing,med school and philosophy, as I recall. Indeed,the day I chose to move in, the house was raidedby the police. It turned out my new cheap apart-ment was located in the clearing house for softdrugs in the City of Saskatoon.And I should have seen that as an omen. Some

months later, during the late spring, I attendeda rock concert at the university, wrote my reviewof it at our notorious house, and then trippedacross the University Bridge to the downtownoffices of the Star Phoenix newspaper for editand publication. Well, it was such a balmyspring night, that en route back across thebridge, I paused, looked up and witnessed oneof the most dazzling displays of Aurora BorealisI’d ever seen. The lights fairly danced across theheavens from North Star to earth and from easthorizon to west. I was mesmerized for the betterpart of 30 minutes. But then it was time to getback to my house – party central – to try to getsome sleep.

As I approached the three-story Tudor-stylehouse, I suddenly became aware of loud voices,not inside but outside the house. Everybody –the U of S students and all their pals – weresprawled all over the lawn. Each was nearly ob-scured by his/her own cloud of pot smoke. Andall of them were gazing skyward, their eyes likesaucers viewing the same northern lights I’d seenfrom the bridge. That’s when the stuff ’s potency(or lack of it) suddenly became clear. One of myroommates spotted me coming up the street andran to me with hand extended to share his joint.

“Man, you’ve got to try this stuff,” he saidpointing to the heavens. “You won’t believewhat’s going on up there!”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him Aurora Bo-realis, not THC, was putting on the show. Butthe incident did illustrate to a certain extent theplace of recreational marijuana in Canadian life.I just wish I had presented a brief of my experi-ence to Commissioner Le Dain. I might havebeen as famous as John Lennon.

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

The Barris Beatcolumn by Ted Barris

Lucy in the sky...

Am I Wrong?column by Roger Varley

Of cabbages and kings

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Show OpensSunday, Dec. 4, 2016, 1:00 - 3:30 pm

Featuring a collection of original workby the group of seven and their

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Over 50 paintings and works of art on display.

Village of Arden 1937 | AJ Casson RCA | oil on panel sketch

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Untitled | Don Cavin | oil on canvas | 36 X 40"

Birch Fantasy | Douglas Edwards | oil on canvas | 48 X 48"

e Holiday Season is officially upon us! As wecountdown to Christmas day and the New Year,I’d like to thank Bernice and Chris Brown, theUxbridge Legion Ladies Auxillary, and all thevolunteers who made Uxbridge’s 56th annualSanta Claus parade such a resounding success!It was a pleasure to participate in the paradewith my team and so many other fantastic or-ganizations and businesses in our community. Earlier this month, I also attended Remem-brance Day services at Uxbridge SecondarySchool. It was a tremendous service that hon-oured the bravery of the men and women whomade the ultimate sacrifice in defence of ourcountry. e service also recognized the uniquecontribution of Uxbridge veterans in conflictsthroughout our nation’s history. ank you tothe students and teachers who do such a fantas-tic job honouring our veterans. I also want tothank Sherrill Hodgson and Branch 170 for or-ganizing a beautiful ceremony at the Cenotaphand a lunch reception at the Legion.

Before the House of Commons rises for theholidays, your government has been hard atwork introducing and passing legislation that ishelping all Canadians. Last month, FinanceMinister Bill Morneau gave a Fall EconomicStatement in the House of Commons, where heannounced new measures that will help growour economy and ensure middle class progress.

e Government of Canada will be creating

the Invest in Canada Hub, and staffing it witha dedicated high-impact sales force to promoteCanada. We’ll also be strengthening the inde-pendence of Statistics Canada and the Parlia-mentary Budget Officer so that they can providefair and unbiased evidence and analysis, andmake government more open and transparent.ese were core elements of our election plat-form commitments, and I’m proud to announcethat we are following through on the promiseswe made to Canadians.As the Finance Minister works towards tabling

Budget 2017, I have been hearing from wit-nesses from across the country about their pri-orities for our government’s next budget as partof my role as a member of the House of Com-mons Standing Committee on Finance. It wasa pleasure to host my own Pre-Budget Consul-tation event at the Dr. Nelson F. TomlinsonCommunity Centre in Claremont, where myteam and I heard from Uxbridge and Pickeringresidents about their thoughts on how we canbest grow our economy and protect our envi-ronment.It is such an honour to represent Pickering and

Uxbridge in the House of Commons. As always,my community office, located at Unit 4 – 1154Kingston Road in Pickering, is available to assistyou in your dealings with federal departments.Please don’t hesitate to visit or to call us at 905-839-2878 or 1-855-275-2860.

From the MP’s deskcolumn by Jennifer O’Connell, MP

Finance a priority before the holidays

by Roger Varley

Roger Anderson, the chair of Durham Region,has announced he is undergoing treatment forstomach cancer.

Mr. Anderson told regional council that he willbe treated at the R.S. McLaughlin Regional Can-cer Centre and plans to continue working as thechair, but will reduce his attendance at publicevents.

Mayor Gerri Lynn O'Connor told Uxbridgecouncil this week that the mayors of Durham'seight municipalities "will be picking up the slack".Mr. Anderson has served as chair of Durham Re-

gion since he was first appointed in 1997. e po-sition became an elected position in the lastmunicipal elections, which Mr. Anderson won

easily.A former Durham Regional Police officer, he

started his political career as a councillor in Ajaxin 1985, later becoming that municipality's re-gional councillor and deputy mayor. As chair ofthe region, he also serves as chair of the transitcommission and the police services board.

He is a staunch advocate of the proposed Pick-ering airport and expanded transit service in theregion, but strongly opposed to the proposed roadtolls for the Don Valley Parkway and GardinerExpressway in Toronto, which he calls a tax on905 residents. He recently oversaw the redistrib-ution of some seats on regional council, but failedin his attempts to see an amalgamation of munic-ipal fire departments into one regional service.


Monday, December 19&

Tuesday, December 20

TheMessiah

is Coming

Conducted by THOMAS BAKER100-Voice Chorus

Professional Orchestra

An Offering to Defray ExpensesWill Be Received at the Door(Suggested Donation $25.00)

Tickets Are Limited In Number.It Is Suggested You Obtain Them

In Advance From A Chorus Member or From:BLUE HERON BOOKS

PRESENTS, PRESENTS, PRESENTSBRIAN J. EVANS FINANCIAL SERVICES

G. F. Handel’s Masterpiece

The Rotary Club of Uxbridge would like to express our sincere thanks to those who contributed to the success of our sold out 2016 Uxbridge Rotary Christmas Home Tour!

First, thank you to our gracious homeowners for opening their lovely homes in support of this event.

To our corporate sponsors: BDO, Canadian Tire Uxbridge, Jones Pools, Lawson Home Improvements, Ron Noble Insurance, Rutledge Jewelers and Williamson Chrysler.

To our realtor sponsors: Stacy Kearley, Kelly Meek, Ian Morrison, Fran Taylor, Graham Wilson, Angela Wood and Cindy Wood

Gorgons, The Roxy Theatre, Uxbridge Family Dentistry, Uxbridge Ford, Wilson Associates, Dr Vi Tu Banh

To our talented interior designers & decorators: Belle Maison Staging, deGrace & Associates, Design Your Space, Jill Hempen, Keith’s Flowers with homeowner Gill Powers, LifeStage and Nadine Lauder

To the staff at Canadian Tire Uxbridge, Blue Heron Books & Presents, Presents for your help in selling our 1,000 tickets

Branching Out, John’s Garden, Lucy Maud Montgomery Society Wooden Sticks, and the many local businesses who advertised in our passport ticket.

Lastly, thank you to our home tour guests for their continued support. We truly hope you enjoyed our 2016 tour featuring eight incredible Uxbridge homes including the Lucy Maud Montgomery Manse. We look forward to seeing you next year at our 2017 Uxbridge Rotary Christmas Home Tour. Happy Holidays!

Note: If you’re interested in more information on how your home can be on one of our upcoming tours please contact [email protected]

Thank You

Roger Anderson undergoing cancer treatment

Meet at parking lot on the east side ofConc. 6, 2 km south of Durham Rd. 21atAlbright Rd. Contact: Brian & WilmaMillage 905 853 2407Tues., Dec. 6: Pine Grove PioneerChurch Christmas Carol Service, 7p.m. Music led by Jennifer Neveu, aswell as readings and beloved carols.Collection will be shared with theSalvation Army Christmas Kettle.Everyone Welcome.Fri., Dec. 9: Oak Ridges Trail As-sociation Hike, 9:30 a.m. WalkerWoods East. 10+ km, Fast, 2+ hr. loophike with some hills. Meet at parking loton west side of Uxbridge Conc. 7, 2 kmsouth of Durham Rd. 21. Contact: RussBurton 905 830 2862Fri., Dec. 9: One Voice ChristmasDreams Concert, St. Paul’s AnglicanChurch, 7:30 p.m. Tickets $20, availableat “Presents, Presents, Presents” or at thedoor. Children 10 & under no charge. Sat., Dec. 10: Oak Ridges Trail As-sociation Hike. 7 a.m. Al Shaw. 1 hr.,4 km moderate pace loop hike with somehills. No dogs please. Meet at road sideparking on the west side of Conc. 6, 1.5km south of Durham Rd. 21. Contact:Russ Burton 905 830 2862Sat., Dec. 10: Breakfast withSanta, Zephyr Community Centre, 8:30a.m. Sponsored by the Jarvis Family. Sat., Dec. 10: One Voice ChristmasDreams Concert, St. Paul’s AnglicanChurch, 3 p.m. Tickets $20, available at“Presents, Presents, Presents” or at the

door. Children 10 & under no charge. Sat., Dec. 10: 9th Annual Fantasyof Lights, hosted by the Optimist Clubof Uxbridge. Elgin Park. Runs from Dec.10 nightly through Jan. 1 inclusive.

UPCOMINGSat., Dec. 17: Oak Ridges Trail As-sociation Hike. 7 a.m. Al Shaw. 1 hr.,4+ km moderate pace hike; Join us forbreakfast after the hike. Might need icers.Meet at the roadside parking on the westside of Conc. 6, 1.5 km south of DurhamRd. 21. Contact: Joan Taylor 905 4772161Sat, Dec. 31: New Year's EveGames Night - Fun For All Ages. Dropin for a short time or ring in the NewYear. St. Paul's Anglican's Church, lowerhall. Board games, card games or bringyour own game to share. Non-alcoholicrefreshments will be served. FREE. Info:905-852-7016 or www.stpauls-uxbridge.ca.

ONGOINGCommunity Soup Lunch at St. An-drew's Chalmers Presbyterian ChurchHall. Every Wednesday, 12 - 1 p.m. Paywhat you can to support Loaves andFishes Food Bank. Delicious soups &desserts supplied by various churches &service groups. For information contact905-852-4753.

Open Mic Sundays, 2 - 5 p.m.,Uxbridge Legion. Everyone welcome.Heart to Heart Healing Centre. 26Brock St. W. Open Wednesdays 2 - 4p.m. and Thursday evenings, 7 - 9 p.m.905-862-9014Pineridge Chorus - Mondays, 7:15p.m. at the Music Hall - call 905 852-6327. A friendly place for women wholike to sing.Shuffleboard & Cribbage atUxbridge Seniors’ Center, Mondays &Wednesdays, 9 a.m. Seniors' cribbage,7:30 p.m.Uxbridge Legion: Bingo every Thurs-day, 7:30 p.m., doors open at 6:30. Eu-chre every Friday, 7 p.m. Meat Rollsevery Saturday, 4 p.m. Everyone wel-come.Handicapable FRIENDS Ministrymeet on Wednesdays 7 - 8 p.m. at TrinityUnited Church, for an evening of biblereadings, drama, music, games &refreshments. All special needs womenand men of all ages most welcome. Formore info please call jo 905-852-6487.

COMING UP is a FREE community bul-letin board. If you have a communityevent for a charity or non-profit organiza-tion that you’d like us to mention (ASSPACE PERMITS), please contact us [email protected] or 905-852-1900. The deadline for our next issue is12 noon Tuesday.


THIS WEEKENDFri., Dec. 2: Oak Ridges TrailAssociation Hike. 9:30 a.m. WalkerWoods East. This is a fast, 2 hr, 10 km,

loop hike with hills. Meet at parking loton west side of Uxbridge Conc. 7, 2 kmsouth of Durham Rd. 21. Contact: JoanTaylor 905 477 2161 Sat., Dec. 3: Oak Ridges TrailAssociation Hike. 7 a.m. Al Shaw. 1hr., 4+ km moderate pace hike; Join usfor breakfast after the hike. Might needicers. Meet at the roadside parking onthe west side of Conc. 6, 1.5 km southof Durham Rd. 21. Contact: Joan Taylor905 477 2161Sat., Dec. 3: Optimist Club ofUxbridge Christmas Tree Sale,Canadian Tire.Sat., Dec. 3: 3rd Annual CraftShow & Sale, 736 Ball Rd.,12 - 4 p.m.Eight vendors this year with anassortment of handcrafted gifts. Showingand selling local work. Stop in for somefree hot cider and warm vibes. Sun., Dec. 4: Authentic Scratch &Friends Christmas Music Fest,Reachview Village. 10 - 11:15 am. Allmost welcome. For more info please calljo at 905-852-6487.

NEXT WEEKMon., Dec. 5: Oak Ridges TrailAssociation Hike. 9:30 a.m. WalkerWoods West. This is a 5-km slow tomoderate Wedding Anniversary hike.

COMING UP

We are currently looking forexperienced personnel to assist with2016/2017 Snow clearing operation:

Sidewalk Clearing SubcontractorsSidewalk PersonnelSkidsteer OperatorsLoader Operators

Salt Truck OperatorsPlow Tractor OperatorsPlow Truck Operators

All successful candidates must be ableto work flexible hours and have owntransportation to reach Kennedy &Steeles area. Punctuality and great

attitudes are an asset.

Forward your resume [email protected] Fax 416-291-6792

38 Toronto Street North, Unit 1, Uxbridge, Ontario, L9P 1E6Tel: 905.852.1900 Cell: 647.220.9173 Email: [email protected]

The Uxbridge Cosmos Online.No subscription necessary.

www.thecosmos.ca

Direct links to advertisers

Read your favouritecolumnists

Catch up on township news

Contact us directlyfrom website

The Messiah

is Coming


The Uxbridge Bruins play

North KawarthaUxbridge Arena, December 2

7:45 p.m.The third annual Bruins bear toss will take place this Friday at the arena. Fans are asked to bring anew, wrapped Teddy Bear to the arena to throw onto

the ice when the Bruins score their first goal.

by Roger Varley

Watching the Uxbridge Bruins losetwo games last week was almost likewatching to different teams.

Although the Bruins lost 1-0 tothe Clarington Eagles in Bow-manville last ursday, they playedan outstanding game, performing asa team. In a 3-2 loss to the LittleBritain Merchants at the Uxbridgearena the following night, the Bru-ins played a non-descript game andshowed little of the effort they haddisplayed in Clarington.e first period at Clarington was

well-played affair, with the Bruinshanding out a number of solid,legal body checks and holding anadvantage on offence, even thoughno goals were scored.

e second period saw the onlygoal of the game, which came on apower play as the Bruins sat twomen in the penalty box, giving theEagles a two-man advantage for 47seconds. Nevertheless, the actionwas still entertaining.Midway through the third period,

as the officials prepared for a face-off in the Bruins' zone, players onthe Bruins bench tried to warnthem that Clarington's goalie, Cur-tis Laviolette, was not ready as hehad his back to the play while hefixed his equipment.

at show of sportsmanship andthe Bruins' play throughout thegame was the good part.e bad part came at the arena the

next night. Despite the non-de-script action, the Bruins took a one-

goal lead less than four minutes intothe first period when Ryan Dunlopsent a long shot between the Mer-chants' goalie's knees. Assists wentto Cristian Georgio and AdamBartholomew.e Bruins then allowed the Mer-

chants to score two unansweredgoals in the second, including apower-play goal.Another power-play marker at the

midway point of the third gave theMerchants a 3-1 lead, which AidenReilly cut into three minutes later,assisted by Nick Sribny. However,the Bruins were unable to scoreagain despite the fact they had atwo-man advantage for a full twominutes with five minutes remain-ing. Nor could they tie the scorewith Jake Joosten pulled from the

net in favour of an extra attacker inthe last minute.

As for the ugly part, that came inthe second period against LittleBritain when Bruins captain BradyBaker started whaling on the Mer-chants' Max Field at centre ice.Brady continually punched Field inthe head while the officials stoodwatching. While officials are reluc-tant to break up a fight before theplayers tumble to the ice, it was ap-parent there was not going to be atumble, but the linesmen waitedmore than was reasonable beforestepping in. And, in the grand tra-dition of the game, Field also re-ceived a penalty for fighting, eventhough he never landed a punch.

e two losses mire the Bruinseven deeper into fifth place in the

seven-team PJHL Orr Division,with sixth-place Little Britainbreathing down their necks. eBruins have a record of eight wins,13 losses and one tie and once againlead the division in penalty minuteswith 606 so far.

e local squad sees action againtomorrow night when they host theNorth Kawartha Knights at 7:45p.m. en it's off to Little Britainfor a rematch against the Merchantson Sunday at 7:20 p.m.

Bear pause: A reminder that tomor-row night is the Bruins' Teddy BearToss. Fans are asked to bring a new,wrapped teddy bear to toss onto the icefollowing the Bruins' first goal.

Bruins demonstrate the good, the bad and the ugly

12The Uxbridge Cosmos Thursday, December 1, 2016

SERVICESPROFESSIONAL PERSONAL SHOPPER. Toobusy? Let me do your Christmas shopping for you!Also available for house or pet sitting over theholidays. References. Call 647-882-1920 12/1PET CARE in my home. Daytime or overnight.Reasonable rates. Uxbridge area. 905-862-242012/22THE HOME INSPECTOR TM. Time to sweep thechimney, hang the lights, and decorate for theholidays? Take care when working at heights. Besafe this holiday. James Buren, RHI 416-567-42812/22 INCOME TAX TIME - Not Yet. Let me update yourrecords for year end capital gains, T4’s, etc. CertifiedQuickBooks ProAdvisor. Accounting, bookkeepingand tax services in downtown Uxbridge & GTA. Over25 years experience. Call Eric [email protected] 1/5COMPUTER REPAIR SERVICES: Over 15 YearsOn-site or Carry-in Home & Offices. Uxbridge,Stouffville, Aurora, NewMarket, Gormley.Reasonable, Reliable & Timely. 647-885-1569,[email protected] 12/1BALANCED BODY OSTEOPATHY Providestreatment for pain and dysfunction by correctingstructural misalignments. Are you experiencing anytype of body pain? Head, TMJ, Neck, Back, Rib,Shoulder, Scapula, Clavicle, Elbow, Wrist, Hand,Sacrum, Pelvic, Hip, Knee, Ankle or Foot. TrevorCragg, DOMP. www.balancedbodyosteopathy.combalancedbodyosteopathy@gmail.com416-854-7028 12/1ALEXANDER COMPUTER SERVICES: Qualityrepair and sales from a local, experiencedprofessional. Call 416-629-6626 (ask for Kevin) orvisit www.alexandercs.com 12/22HOME-WATCH HOUSE/PET SITTINGSERVICES: www.home-watch.ca. CustomizedChristmas Gift Certificates Available Now! Great forCat Sitting/Dog Walking. Heather Stewart905.852.8525, [email protected] 12/22ENGLISH LANGUAGE TUTOR - Elementary,Secondary, College, University, and Adult Learners;Reading, Writing, Grammar, Proof-reading,Assignments, Masters/Doctoral Theses coach.Experienced Educator 905-852-1145. 12/8COR-BLIMEY! MOBILE COMPUTER

SERVICES: PC & Mac friendly - local & awardwinning - we get to you quickly and fix yourproblems fast. Call Mick @ 905-715-3080 orcheckout www.corblimey.ca 12/22EXPERIENCE THE COMFORT OF A GREATBRA. The Girls Bra Boutique, 6316 Main St.,Stouffville. 905-642-3339. An uplifting experience!12/22PET CARE - Day & overnight care, no crates orkennels, reasonable rates. Uxbridge only. 905-852-4454 12/22

WANTEDWANTED: ART STUDENTS! March Break &summer lessons are great Christmas gifts for theyoung artist in your family. More info? Judy Bear905-649-8956 12/1

DOG DAYCARE ATTENDANT/DOG WALKERImmediate Opening. Must be bondable (18+ yearsold) & possess own transportation. 15-25 hours perweek. Email for more information about the positionor submit covering letter and resumé to K9'S inKAHOOTS, Stouffville. [email protected]. Nophone calls please. 12/1MATURE WOMAN seeking employment as seniorcaregiver / driver / companion / lighthousekeeping. Uxbridge area. Please call 416-779-4272. 12/1DIGITAL MARKETER Full time position with localmarketing company. [email protected] for job details andapplication information. 12/1

FOR SALEFUR COAT. Black muskrat. Like new. Stylish.$1,000 or best offer. 905-852-1795. 12/8BELLY DANCING CLASSES: Looking for that“unique gift” item? Purchase Belly Dance Classes for2017 sessions with the Uxbridge Shimmy Sisters!Local, Fun Work Out and a Great Social night out!Contact Rania: [email protected]. 12/8

WESTERN BOOTS. Men’s size 8/8.5. Four pair.Women’s size 6. One pair. Like new. $60/pair. 905-852-6853. 12/1

NIKON COOLPIX L320. 16.1 megapixels. 26 x200m lens. Rechargeable batteries and chargerincluded. Original packaging. Great Christmas gift.

$125 ($250 value). 905-852-6853 12/1

POPLAR FIREWOOD. Long, straight logs. Cut andsplit yourself. $15 for a pick-up truckload. West ofUxbridge. 905-904-1207 12/8SNOW TIRES: 4- Size 195/65R15 on rims, NewFeb., 2016. SAVE $300. Suit Kia/Hyundai. 905-852-7466. 12/1FRIDGE:White Kenmore. Spotless. $150 OBO. Call905-852-4482 12/1RECLINER. Electric power with stand-up feature.Works A1. Burgundy material. $200. 416-994-2628. 12/1

FOR RENTAPARTMENT: Completely renovated, small, 1bedroom, 2 flights of stairs. Good, quiet location inUxbridge. $900 + hydro. References [email protected]. 647-339-4566. 12/8

HOUSE: 5 bdrm, 2 storey house, on Reg. Rd. 30(2 1/4 miles north of Davis Dr.).Wood & oil heat,bath & shower. Avail. Dec. 1, 2016. Contact D.Walker, 905-473-6833. 12/1

EVENTSMINDFULNESS/INSIGHT MEDITATION - Apractice to bring clarity, calm and compassion intoyour life. 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month atBlue Heron Studio: 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Experiencedand those new to meditation are welcome. Contactus at: [email protected]. 12/15

CYNTHIA CUPPLES & FRIENDS CHRISTMASSTUDIO SHOW. Dec. 3 & 4, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.Pottery, art, leather, baking, preserves, etc. 8319Conc. 3, Uxbridge, in between Sandford Sideroad &Davis Dr. Lots to do in Sandford. Synergy Arts isopen Saturday and Jeff Baker (woodworker) is openSunday. Gilldercroft Furniture open all weekend. Allwithin minutes of Cynthia’s studio. 12/1

13TH ANNUAL PET PHOTOS WITH SANTA -Sun., Dec. 4, 12 - 4 p.m. By Appointment, Walk-inswelcome.Proceeds to the Uxbridge-Scugog AnimalShelter. K9'S in KAHOOTS, Stouffville. 905-642-8289. www.k9sinkahoots.com 12/1

FOUNDLAST OPPORTUNITY to claim the children’s taxcredit. Sign up for art classes now, join us in March!Great gift! Contact Judy Bear, 905-649-8956 12/1

CLASSIFIED

COSMOS BUSINESS BULLETIN BOARD

Classifieds are $10/week up to 25 words; $0.10 per additional word (plus HST). Payable in advance by cash, cheque, debit or credit card. Contact [email protected] or 905-852-1900 Deadline: Tuesday, 12 noon. Ask about online link possibilities, too.

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“For the grace of God thatbrings salvation has appeared to all men.”

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

LIGHT FOR YOUR PATH

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Although the amended CPP willenhance CPP retirement benefitsfor many Canadians, the newbenefits will undoubtedly fall farshort of your pre-retirementincome. at’s why it’s stillimportant that you have acomprehensive retirement savingsplan in place. Talk to yourprofessional advisor today to getthe best answers to yourquestions about how much youwill need in retirement and howto make the most of what you

have.is column, written and

published by Investors GroupFinancial Services Inc. (in Québec– a Financial Services Firm), andInvestors Group Securities Inc. (inQuébec, a firm in FinancialPlanning) presents generalinformation only and is not asolicitation to buy or sell anyinvestments. Contact your ownadvisor for specific advice aboutyour circumstances. For moreinformation on this topic please

contact Uxbridge Investors GroupConsultant Dave Boulton at 905-862-0227.


Across1 Washing substance5 Globe8 Madcap12 One side of a debate13 The night before a holiday14 Symphony member15 Behavior17 Black birds18 Huge wave20 Horses of a certain color23 Civil rights org.26 Gobble month, for short27 Grand style29 Taro root dish30 Jute fiber31 Bat wood33 Paving material35 Enemy36 Hair tangle37 They provide coverage39 Set apart from the rest42 Farm soil45 Small rounded boats49 Halo50 Lucky fish51 Wood used in boat build-

ing52 Songbird53 Getaway54 Gumbo

Down1 Dejected

2 Together3 Kind of card4 Saintly quality5 Online option provider6 Shakespeare, the Bard of ?7 By the year (2 words)8 It has 12 constellations9 Attorney org., for short10 At this moment11 ___, we have no bananas16 Long-eared beast19 Yes ___!20 Econ. figure, for short21 Quarters22 Characteristic of birds24 Abrade by rubbing25 Mexican moolah27 Security items28 Another name intro30 Equipment for the boat32 "___ a real nowhere man"34 Creature like an alligator37 Org. for kid welfare, for

short38 Right-hand page40 Encircle41 Solo song42 ___ of averages43 Lord's Prayer starter44 "___ we having fun yet?"46 Albanian money47 Musician's asset48 Jamaican pop

The Messiah

is Coming

CORRECTIONIn last week’s edition of The Cosmos, an announcementon page 7 from Ron Noble Insurance identified CaitlinChristoff as the winner of a $250 gas card. Thewinner’s full name is Caitlin Christoff Taillon.

by Darryl Knight

Coming up this weekend, a pairof Uxbridge players will be partof a five-player contingent fromthe Central Ontario WolvesMidget team have had the hon-our of being selected to play inthe OMHA Midget All-StarGame, which takes place at theAurora Community Centre onSaturday, December 3, at 2 p.m.Uxbridge's Defenceman Ben Ad-dison and Forward TroyBowditch will join teammatesGoalie Creed Jones, ForwardOwen Smith and Forward JamesWhite in competing in the game.As well, the Wolves will be repre-sented behind the bench with As-sistant Coach Clair Cornish andTrainer/Equipment ManagerKirk Bricknell named to the ETAstaff.

e event is very highly-re-garded, with more than 100scouts and talent evaluators in at-tendance over the course of theweekend. Players from past sea-sons have moved on to the OHL,QMJHL, Tier II Junior ‘A’, theUSHL and NAHL, as well as theNCAA ranks.

e Wolves have been on a re-markable run as of late, with aneight-game unbeaten streak inETA play, as well as a tournamenttitle in Barrie over RemembranceDay weekend.

Last week, the Wolves pulledout a last-minute 2-1 win onhome ice at Scugog Arena againstthe West Division leadingMarkham Waxers before down-ing the North Central Predators5-1 in Rama on ursday. Addi-son was credited with a pair of as-sists in the victory over the

Predators, with Bennett Brittonand Bowditch each chipping inwith single helpers.

Next Tuesday, December 6, theWolves will entertain theKingston Jr. Frontenacs at ScugogArena in Port Perry, with the ac-tion getting underway at 7 p.m.en, starting on ursdayevening, and running throughthe weekend, the Wolves willlook for back-to-back tourna-ment championships when theytake on some of the top teamsfrom across the province at theprestigious Waterloo GoldenPuck Tournament.

Follow along with all of the lat-est news and information fromthe Wolves’ Den, including thepopular new COWboy TV seg-ments by following Central On-tario on Twitter, @cowmidgetaaa.

Wolves send five players to All-Star Game

Last June, the federal and mostprovincial and territorialgovernments reached a tentativeagreement to amend theCanadian Pension Plan (CPP)scheduled to be phased in startingin 2019. (Québec, has its ownpension plan, and BritishColumbia has not yet signed theagreement.)

For most Canadian employees,the proposed amendments meanreceiving higher CPP benefitswhen they retire, compared to thebenefits they would receive underCPP as it is now structured.

Currently, the CPP retirementbenefit is 25 per cent of averageadjusted earnings. e proposedamendment will increase thisbenefit to 33 per cent and will bephased in over a six-year periodstarting in 2019. e currentlimit on insured earnings coveredby CPP is $54,900 rising to amaximum amount of $82,700 by2025.

Starting in 2019, contributionsfrom employees and employerswill increase by 1 per cent to 5.95per cent of wages, phased in from

2019 to 2025. To somewhatoffset the increase incontributions, there will be afederal tax deduction foremployee contributions.Additionally, the CPPcontribution on income between$54,000 (2016 limit) and thenew maximum of $82,700 isexpected to be lowered to 4 percent rather than 5.95 per cent.

It will take 40 years ofcontributions to realize the fullenhancement of benefits. Seenbelow are some examples*:

Dollars and $enseProposed changes to the Canada Pension Plan - what you need to know

*Source: George and Bell Consulting Inc.

by Lisha Van Nieuwenhove

e Loaves & Fishes Food Bank is inpretty good shape for the holidays,thanks to generous donations re-cently made by a local business anda first-time fundraising event.

Curves Uxbridge recently gave theFood Bank $1,400, which it raisedduring a two and a half week “fooddrive” that didn’t want food, butcash.

e Farm To Train event, which oc-curred at the end of September, wasset up to experience local food andraise money for the Food Bank. eirevent was a success, giving the FoodBank $7,000.

“ere are no words to describehow this feels for us,” said Ron Lee-Wing, a coordinator at the FoodBank. “Uxbridge is a very, very, very,very giving community.”

Mr. Lee-Wing said that the money

received goes towards buying perish-able items like milk, meat, eggs andthe like.

“ere are at least 100 families in

Uxbridge who use our Food Bank,”said Mr. Lee-Wing. “We get lots ofdonations now, but they use it year-round.”

14The Uxbridge Cosmos Thursday,December 1, 2016

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Ron Lee-Wing, centre, from the Loaves & Fishes Food Bank, receives a big cheque from the organizers ofthe first Farm to Train event. From left: AnastasiaTakeda, Gloria Eng, Ron Lee-Wing, Councillor Pam Beach,Urban Pantry proprietor Niki Flintissis, and Elaine Leigh. The event, held in September, featured a ride onthe York-Durham Heritage Railway, which served a meal made entirely of locally grown and raised produce.The meal was prepared and served by Urban Pantry. Photo by John Cavers

Curves Uxbridge presents Ron Lee-Wing of Loaves& Fishes Food Bank with $1,400, raised by mem-bers during a 2 1/2-week long “food drive”.

Food Bank shelves fill up from healthy donations

talk to him. We watch him shrinkfrom the conversation because it re-minds him of what has been lost, ofwhat was taken from them both, ofthe immense pain he carries withhim. She tells him she forgives him,that she carries love for him, that sheworries for him, and he points to hisheart and tells her "ere is nothingthere...it's gone."Casey Affleck is riveting as Lee, cap-

turing the staggering weight of thegrief in every frame of the film, fromthe look on his face to the way hecarries his body. His face is a mask ofhurt, and when the subject of whathappened comes up, he retreats,barely able to speak, as though thewind has been knocked out of him.It is as though he has petrified emo-tionally, his body kept moving whilehis emotions shut down. Seeing himin the flashbacks, he is a fun guy, al-ways smiling, but in the present, heis shut down and sad. It is a perform-ance of absolute brilliance, one of thefinest I have ever seen. Brando good,Streep good, Nicholson good, just togive you an idea. ere are five nom-inees for Best Actor each year, butthey should do away with that andjust give the Oscar to Affleck rightnow, there will not be a better per-formance this year - Affleck is thatgood.

Michelle Williams, in a supportingrole, is equal to him in every way,devastated by their loss, but equallydevastated by what it did to him. Sheregrets what she said to him, she re-grets that her life is moving forwardwhile he is stuck, and most of all she

regrets losing what they together asman and wife. She loved him, shestill does, but is torn apart by theknowledge he can no longer loveanyone.

Young Lucas Hedges is terrific asPatrick, the confused nephewstunned by the loss of his father,aware of the tragedy Lee has sufferedand what it has done to him, and leftwondering what will happen to him?He captures all the nuances a youngman would have at his age, a teen,struggling with the enormity of theloss.

Kenneth Lonergan directed andwrote this superb film, and it is rawand visceral, digging deep into char-acters and life, showing that day today can be going fine and then sud-denly it is ripped apart by a tragedyfrom which we might never recover.Life can be beautiful, but life can bebrutal and hard and challenging. Hehas made a film that, while strokingour souls, slices into that same soullike a razor blade, clean and cruel.Some cuts never heal. e directorplunges us into the reality of the livesin this film, we can all but smell thesea air, feel the salty ocean breeze onour faces, understand the feel of the

small town where most people knowyour business. Lonnergan's eye fordetail is mere perfection, and hiswork with actors is astounding.

ough the heart is a tough littlemuscle, there are some things fromwhich we can never truly recover.


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Thank you to all the people who have donatedlarge sums of money in the past! We've hadlots of $365 donations, we've had a couple of$1,000 donations, a $2,000 donation, and weeven have a $3,000 donation coming in! I def-initely can't forget the $12,675 from 100Women Who Care! These donations really boostour total and are very exciting, especially whenit's not expected! I'm not saying that I don'tlike pennies, though! Every penny counts!Check under you couch, in you closet, and inyour car to find pennies, and give me a call forpickup! Thanks again for all the support thistown has given me!I'll be in the Port Perry Santa Claus Parade

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In my career as a film critic, in mylife as a film goer, I have not encoun-tered a film that captured and por-trayed grief with such all consumingdespair as this one. You feel the deepache in the soul of characters, theywear it on their faces, and feel itwithin their souls, and it never goesaway. eirs is a wound so deep, soimmense it has become a part ofthem, and will never be conquered.Time heals all wounds? Not all, be-lieve me, some are too deep and at-tach themselves to your soul, andlike a cancer, eat away at your lifeand any joy. Lee (Casey Affleck) is a local handy

man who fixes things in a series ofapartment buildings, and one day re-ceives a call that his older brother hassuddenly died. He goes back to hishometown, where there is nothingbut pain for him, to be told hisbrother wrote in his will that hewanted Lee to raise his teenaged son.Stunned by that bit of news, he staysin the town for awhile with hisnephew to get the boy settled andmake some decisions about his ownlife. A sad man, Lee never smiles, is

usually by himself and does notknow how to interact with otherswhen in their company.

Yet through flashbacks we see himand his brother, him and his wifeand kids, him and his nephew - he isoften smiling, joking around, in loveand adoring his children. We as-sume, because his ex-wife has remar-ried, that they were divorced and thismight be the reason for his pain, butwhen we learn the real reason, weunderstand everything. Lee has suffered a loss, and the sub-

sequent trauma no human beingshould ever experience, and reelingin grief, pain, and guilt, he cannotshake it. He will never shake it, hislife, for all intents and purposes, isover and he knows it.

e crushing weight of what hap-pened to Lee is always on his mind,and while in his hometown, where itall happened, he is surrounded bymemory.

ere is a sequence on the film be-tween Casey Affleck and MichelleWilliams, cast as Randi, his ex-wife,when they encounter one another ona street corner. She has sought himout to speak with him because she isworried about him, and begins to


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Highland Games set to return to Uxbridge

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