YDHR on track for season despite CEO derailment
by Roger Varley
Just months after being hired, and only a couple of weeks after he made his first appearance before Uxbridge council, Randy Bird has been ousted as the York Durham Heritage Railway’s (YDHR) chief executive officer.
That came after an annual general meeting in late April at which there were rumblings of discontent among the membership over Bird’s handling of his new job.
New president Ron Layton said Bird was hired a few months ago “at a fairly steep rate. He tried to make it (YDHR) his own, not our vision.”
Much of Bird’s vision for YDHR was contained in his presentation to council on April 15, and included growing YDHR’s payroll to “exceed $500,000” this year, creating a “Disney-style” look for the rail yard, erecting a large work shed, putting in parking for up to 300 cars and fencing in all of the Uxbridge rail site, with the exception of the train station itself.…continue reading…

TOWN HALL
by Roger Varley
Notes from the June 17 Council Meeting
Possible new look for lower Brock?: In a report to council regarding the federal government’s one-time top-up of its gas tax funding, treasurer Donna Condon indicated township staff would like to see a new look for lower Brock Street.
In March, Uxbridge received a payment equal to the $650,000-plus it had received from the fund in 2018 in addition to the 2019 payment of $642,000. The township has five years to spend the money, but it must go to infrastructure.
Condon’s report said township staff has proposed that some of the money – $350,000 – be spent on improving the lower end of Brock Street, with changes to the sidewalks, accessibility improvements, new street lighting to provide better illumination, surveillance cameras and more over the next two years.
Her report recommended that council approve the Brock Street improvements.…continue reading…

Zephyr Road summer road closures
The Regional Municipality of Durham Works Department is advising residents of road closures and lane restrictions on Zephyr Road (Regional Road 13), from Concession 5 to 750 metres east of Concession 5.
These restrictions/closures will occur starting Monday, June 24 through to Monday, July 22. Some lane restrictions will occur intermittently from Monday, June 17 to Friday, August 30. Please be advised that unfavourable weather conditions may influence the work schedule.…continue reading…

A note from Dave’s desk
column by Mayor Dave Barton
Feeling community pride
As mayor, I get to participate in a lot of great events, but two recent events made me incredibly proud of our community and I felt humbled to live amongst such wonderful people.
The first was the amazing D-Day tribute to Uxbridge veteran Fred Barnard. Our community is second-to-none in terms of remembering our veterans, and the June 6 D-Day ceremony was no exception. Special thanks to Tish MacDonald for inspiring the community to come together to honour Fred and his fellow veterans.
The second event was our impromptu Toronto Raptor’s Game 5 viewing party. It was gratifying to see how many businesses and individuals came together to make Jurassic Park North happen on June 10. It was a great night and it wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing cooperation and “Raptor’s Spirit” in our community. Thank you to everyone who participated in either of these events.…continue reading…

Smaller jackpot is still a big community win
The jackpot may not yet be huge, but purchasing a Catch the Ace progressive lottery ticket is still a win for both the ticket holder and three local charitable organizations.
Many Uxbridge residents and families already purchase Catch the Ace tickets on a weekly basis because they know the money supports Uxbridge. And as was evidenced earlier this year, many, more jump in as the jackpot grows and the $5 ticket starts to look more attractive.
For those not “in the know,” 50 per cent of a $5 contribution goes toward the weekly prize payout and building of the progressive jackpot. The other 50 per cent – $56,000 from the first draw alone – was shared by Jumpstart Uxbridge, Uxbridge Legion Branch #170 and the Rotary Club of Uxbridge.…continue reading…

New coalition to probe poverty in Uxbridge
A new initiative is taking shape to address the needs of those living on the margins in poverty. The “Uxbridge Poverty Coalition” hosted a community information forum on Wednesday, June 19, at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, in Uxbridge.
According to Rev. Mark Kinghan of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, the idea stemmed from conversations between Bev Northeast of the Salvation Army, Mona Emond of North House, and himself about how “to do something that can make a difference for the poor of our community.”…continue reading…

Summertime is tea time with LMMSO
Any time is a good time for a good cup of tea. Some of the best summer teas are hosted by the Lucy Maud Montgomery Society of Ontario, and on July 10, the LMMSO begins its season with the first of six summer teas.
These teas are one of the LMMSO’s main fundraising events of the year, drawing patrons from a wide area. Tea includes a five-course meal, tea, a speaker and a tour of the Historic Leaskdale Church and Montgomery’s home, all for $25.…continue reading…