Created & Published by Observer Publishing of Port Perry
188 Mary Street - Unit 201, Port Perry, Ontario - L9L 1A2
Phone 905-985-8585 email: focus@observerpub.ca

SEPTEMBER 2009

banning cellphones, texting
A study released last month says that using a cellphone, particularly for sending or receiving text messages, puts a driver of a vehicle at 23 times more risk of getting into an accident. The study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) says text messaging forces the driver’s eyes away from the road for about 4.6 seconds over a six-second interval - the equivalent of traveling the length of a football field at 55 mph (approx. 90 km) without looking at the roadway.
The Ontario government is expected to pass legislation in the very near future that will ban text messaging and emailing while driving and force motorists to use hands-free, voice-activated equipment when making calls on their cellphones.

cost of doing business?
The ‘credit card’ was invented back in the 1950s although it didn’t become very popular until about 30 years later. But today the credit card is entrenched so deeply in our system it has become the most accepted way to pay for goods and services.
But not at the Scugog Township office where credit cards are not an accepted way of payment for anything. The reason being provided, is the cost to the credit card company. Federal and provincial government agencies, such as the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and the Port Perry Post Office both accept credit card payments for their services, so we have to ask, why not our local government?
Interesting that most small businesses see credit card fees as a “cost of doing business.” Scugog Township, with its much deeper pockets, should be able to provide the same convenient service for at least some of its services.

here we go again
Canada Post, in response to rising cost pressures has announced its intention to increase the domestic basic letter rate for letters weighing 30 grams or less to 57 cents beginning January 2010. But the proposal doesn’t stop there. In addition to the three cent increase this January, the cost of stamps would rise by an additional two cents per year from 2011 to 2014 bringing the cost to send a letter at the end of five years to 65 cents.
One of the reasons given for the increases is the declining use of “Lettermail” volume, which in 2008 alone declined by approximately 87 million pieces, according to Canada Post.

borelians theatre group
On stage since 1969, the Borelians Community Theatre was founded by a group of teachers with a commitment to staging quality amateur theatre by presenting
Canadian theatre work and contemporary classics. The name Borelians derives from the village of Borelia, now a part of Port Perry. The Borelians’ first play, “You Can’t Take it With You” by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, was performed at the Port Perry High School in 1970.
To mark the Borelians 40th anniversary season, they plan on presenting two or three One- Act Canadian plays in May 2010. Playwrights and directors are asked to submit proposals to Andrew Oxenham, 390 Elgin Street, Port Perry, L9L 1K1

AUGUST 2009
accessible parking permit
In Ontario, the Accessible Parking Permit (APP) is issued to individuals and entitles the vehicle in which it is displayed to be parked in a designated accessible parking space.
The individual to whom the permit is issued must be in the vehicle and the permit must be visibly displayed on the dashboard or sun visor when it is parked in the
designated accessible parking space. The permit holder may use the permit in any vehicle in which they are travelling.
The name “Accessible Parking Permit” was adopted to focus on the functionality and benefits of the permit to the holder, versus the holder’s disability. Holders of a valid
“Disabled Person Parking Permit” may continue to use their existing permit until it expires.

shallow, muddy lake
Lake Scugog is part of the Kawartha Lakes water system. It has a surface area of 63.5 sq. km. with an average depth of 1.4 metres and a maximum depth of 7.6 metres. Depth, area and volume are artificially maintained through the Lindsay Dam, which is under the jurisdiction of the Trent-Severn Waterway.
The shoreline is 172 km long including Scugog Island (30.6 km). The lake has two major tributaries, the Nonquon River and Blackstock Creek, as well as two smaller tributaries, Cawkers Creek and Fingerboard Creek.
Water level fluctuations on the lake are in excess of 40 cm. Due to the lake’s consistent shallowness, its temperature does not change significantly from surface to lake bottom.

scugog profile
Scugog Township is located along the shore of Lake Scugog and provides the closest access point to the Trent-Severn Waterway in the Greater Toronto Area. The township covers a land area of 474.63 sq. km. with a population density of 21,439.
Following is an employment breakdown for the township....
Agriculture 780
Construction 995
Manufacturing 1,550
Wholesale Trade 550
Retail Trade 1,445
Finance and Real Estate 655
Health Care/Social Services 985
Educational Services 1,000
Business Services 1,935
Other Services 2,160
(2006 Stats Canada)

JULY 2009
Did You Know? - Summer has arrived and once again it’s a great time for music lovers to enjoy sitting in Palmer Park overlooking Lake Scugog - listening to a variety of musical concerts. In addition to the Sunday night concerts organized by the township, again this summer residents will be treated to six Wednesday night concerts beginning on July 8. These free hour-long concerts, being performed at the popular Gazebo in Palmer Park, are hosted by Port Perry Villa. So if you’re a music lover, grab a lawn chair and saunter down to the park for one of the fabulous summer concerts.
A full listing of this summer’s concerts can be found on page 26 or on the Township of Scugog website at: www.township.scugog.on.ca – then look for calendar of events.

Did You Know? - Ontario drivers who are Canadian citizens can now apply for an “Enhanced Driver’s Licence”. . . the new alternative to a passport which can be used at Canada-U.S. land and water border crossings. The enhanced driver’s licence is optional and costs an additional $40. Commencing last month (June), the USA required Canadian citizens entering the United States by land or water, to present a valid passport or approved secure document that establishes the bearer’s identity and citizenship. A valid passport is still required to enter the U.S. by air.
If you’ve recently received a new Ontario driver’s license and think it could be ‘enhanced’, just remember the word ‘enhanced’ must show at the top of your license. It will read as follows “Enhanced Driver’s Licence.”

Did You Know? - Country Style Donuts, Port Perry, located at the corner of Simcoe St. and 7A Hwy for the past 20 years, closed its doors last month and has removed its familiar signs. The local Country Style store was opened during 1989 by Ken and Gary Carruthers, and was the first ‘franchise’ store to open in Port Perry. Ken and Gary later opened the Country Style store at Manchester.
And we’ll bet you didn’t know that the local Country Style Donuts was named the number one store in Canada in 1990, out of its 156 locations. The Port Perry shop at this time was the second biggest in Canada averaging 42,000 customers each month, second only to a store in downtown Toronto with 46,000 monthly.

JUNE 2009
Did You Know? - Geordie John Raymes of Port Perry were at one time known as the oldest twins in Canada and their pictures appeared in a daily newspaper with the story of their lives. George worked much of his life at the Carnegie Grist Mill on Lake Scugog’s waterfront (approx. library site) and John worked on boats that sailed Lake Scugog. The brothers were born on April 7, 1850 near Orangeville, Ont.
The Raymes twins moved to Port Perry with their family in 1858 when they were only eight years old. They lived here for their entire lives. Geordie dying in April 1946 at 94 years of age and John dying a year later.

Did You Know? - Effective April 22, 2009 Ontario banned the use of cosmetic pesticides. The ban prohibits the sale and use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes on lawns, gardens, parks and school yards, and includes many herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. More than 250 products have been banned for sale and more than 80 pesticide ingredients will be banned for cosmetic uses.
The ban takes the place of existing municipal pesticide bylaws, establishing one clear set of easy-to-understand rules, and providing certainty for businesses operating in different areas of the province.

Did You Know? - It’s been 90 years since women were given the right to participate in municipal politics. It was on April 24, 1919, ‘The Women’s Municipal Qualification Act’ received royal assent, making women eligible to serve as municipal councillors. Scugog Township has been served well by women politicians over the past four decades, especially since the formation of Durham Region in 1973.
Numerous women have held the position of councillor - some of those include Yvonne Christie, Marilyn Pearce, Joyce Kelly, Karen Puckrin, and more recently Georgia Brock and Bobbie Drew.
The first woman to have broken into the municipal ‘men’s club’ in the former Reach Township was Lucille Gray (left) who was elected to the position of councillor for the 1965 term.

Did You Know? - Little bugs, the size of a sesame seed, could be the long sought answer to help solve one of Lake Scugog’s biggest problems.... weeds! The bugs, or weevils as they are better known, have a diet consisting solely of milfoil weed - something Scugog has an abundance of. Unfortunately it takes tens of thousands of these little weevils to make a difference and they don’t come cheap.
Estimates range in excess of $250,000 to make a difference in Lake Scugog, but that might be a small price to pay to rid the lake of milfoil weeds and to keep our lake viable for tourism.

MAY 2009
Did You Know? - The Township of Scugog has an 18 page by-law document, outlining everything you need to know about the licensing of dogs within the township. Briefly, so we don’t bore you, here’s a few things you need to know if you own a mutt!
(1) Every owner is required to register their pooch and purchase a license and tag for each dog. (2) Each dog must be licensed and tagged on or before the 1st day of January in each year. (3) A dog license becomes effective on the date it is issued and expires on December 31 in the year in which it became effective.
If you really want to dig deeper, go to the Scugog website at: www.township.scugog.on.ca . Type ‘dog tags’ in the search engine and ‘presto’ there’s the dog tag by-law.

Did You Know? - Winter let go of its icy grip on Lake Scugog this year on April 1, two weeks earlier than in 2008 when it disappeared on April 15. This is only the fifth time, since 1872 when records started to be compiled, that the ice has disappeared on that exact date. And for those who keep track, it’s a full four weeks earlier than the latest date ever recorded, which was April 29, 1965.
April is by far the most likely month for the ice to melt away from Lake Scugog. Since recordings began, the ice has only left 16 times during the month of March, the earliest being 1983 when it went out on March 16.

Did You Know? - Staffers of your Focus on Scugog magazine were completely caught off-guard last month during the annual meeting of the Scugog Chamber of Commerce. It wasn’t until half way through the dinner when it was brought to our attention that Focus had been nominated for the 2008 Business of the Year Award. And you can’t imagine our surprise and pleasure, when it was announced Focus on Scugog had been selected as the Business of the Year for a company with under 15 employees.
We’d also like to point out that Jeff Hodgkinson, owner of Port Perry Canadian Tire store, was recognized for his great community work and was awarded the Business of the Year award for a company with over 15 employees. Congratulations Jeff.

Did You Know? - In a small community like ours we sometimes think we are not effected directly by the outside world, but nothing could be farther from the truth. The local food bank report seeing more and more new families apply for help each week, as people are laid off everywhere. Fortunately we have a very generous community - with individuals, businesses, schools and churches all helping out.
It was reported last month that on average, between 25 and 35 families take advantage of the community food bank each week, although those receiving assistance may only collect an arm load of groceries and goodies once a month.

APRIL 2009
Did You Know? - Effective March 31, residents of Scugog Township, along with their counterparts in Uxbridge, Brock and Clarington began receiving weekly “blue box” collection, rather than every other week. Another change is the reduction of regular household garbage pick up to every other week, with a four bag limit every two weeks. “Green bin” collection will continue on a weekly basis. The changes reflect Durham’s aim to achieve 70 per cent waste-diversion by 2010.
The new schedule brings the four municipalities in line with the remainder of the Region of Durham which is already on a similar schedule.

Did You Know? - Inside the foyer of the Township of Scugog municipal office there’s a small blue box just waiting to be filled. The box, there for the convenience of local residents, is the deposit site for used batteries, which should not be thrown into regular garbage. When filled, the contents are transported to the hazardous waste depot at the local transfer station to be stored until they are sent to a recycling plant in Port Colborne.
The next time you take batteries out of your converter, radio or other electronic device, save them, then take them to the township office so they can be disposed of safely and properly.

Did You Know? - Canadian Blood Services, operators of the local Blood Donor Clinic have announced they will begin holding monthly clinics in Port Perry beginning in April. Donors are able to give their gift of life every 56 days. Mobile blood donor clinics will be held at the Scugog Community Centre, 1655 Reach Street, between 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Appointments are preferred but not necessary, and it only takes about an hour of your time.
On average, every 60 seconds someone in Canada requires blood or blood components, and since they have a limited shelf life, demand is constant. One donation can improve or save up to three lives, and every usable part of your donation goes to a patient in need. Call 1-888-2-DONATE for an appointment.

Did You Know? - Cruising on Lake Scugog will continue for at least another five years. The owners of the popular Woodman cruise ship have struck a deal with Scugog Township to provide cruise services until 2013. The Woodman has exclusive docking privileges at the municipal dock in Palmer Park.
The Woodman, which is owned by Betty and Ed Penny, was first launched on Lake Scugog during the summer of 2003.

FEBRUARY 2009
Did You Know? - Scugog Township has a bylaw regulating the operation of motorized snow vehicles. Some of the provisions are as follows: No motorized snow vehicles are allowed on Queen St., Simcoe St., Kellett St., or Bigelow St., from Kellett St., northerly to Regional Road 8. Also no person shall ride along any sidewalk, except where crossing at a ninety degree angle... and no operation of vehicles in public park areas, highways within the town, or within a hamlet between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m.
These are condensed descriptions only. Snow vehicle operators should check the township’s entire bylaw for full details on how to avoid being charged with an offense.

Did You Know? - In Scugog there is a snow bylaw that stipulates that everyone is responsible for clearing snow in front of their property. The bylaw reads (in part) “that every owner and occupant of any building or vacant land within the boundaries of the municipality shall clear away and remove any snow or ice from such sidewalks on the highway in front of, along side or at the rear of such building or vacant land within twenty-four (24) hours after the accumulation of such snow or ice.”
In short this means if you don’t clear your sidewalks within 24 hours, the township can come along and do it for you and add the expense to your tax bill.

Did You Know? - The Port Perry Snowmobile Club was founded in 1970. Once grooming starts and the trails open; the clubhouse on Russell Road, south of Port Perry, is normally open to the public during the weekends. The large heated clubhouse has washrooms, meeting facilities and a snack bar. The PPSC maintains about 190 km. of trails using two grooming machines and members spend about 800 hours per year maintaining the system of trails.
Any snowmobile operating on our trails MUST properly display a valid OFSC Trail Permit. Full Season Permits are $230. (after Dec. 1st, 2008)

JANUARY 2009
Did You Know? - Ninety years ago this month, January 1918, a huge winter snow storm created the biggest blockade ever recorded in the area. Seven trains were held up at Burketon, leaving 150 people to shelter and feed. At Myrtle, the station master had to accommodate and feed 70 people. It was reported that there was 12 ft. of snow covering the tracks along the Port Perry to Lindsay line in one place.
Now that’s a snow storm. Seems today when we get six inches of snow we think we’re hard done by. Just think what it would have been like in 1918 without snowblowers and ploughs.

Did You Know? - The Brock Santa Claus is still part of the store’s Christmas window decorations each December. Since suggesting last month the jolly old elf had been missing for a number of years, we learned that he indeed does make his annual appearance. The confusion seems to have stemmed from his relocation a few years ago to the “Brock’s on Foot” window, instead of the ladies fashions window in which he used to make his showing.
Thanks to Julie Brock for clearing up the misconception. Next year, Julie hints, Santa may return to his window with a special list of names... keep tuned!

DECEMBER 2008
Did You Know? - Port Perry business organizations have been bringing Santa Claus to the children of the area for more than 70 years. While the exact date is undetermined, Santa’s arrival can be traced back to at least 1931. Originally under the auspicies of the Port Perry Businessmen’s Association, the parade was taken over by the Chamber of Commerce in 1958 and has been operated by them ever since.
It’s unfortunate that after more than 75 years, the directors of the Scugog Chamber of Commerce have decided to abandon this tradition of bringing Santa to town. Thank goodness the Lions Club stepped up!

Did You Know? - Christmas season is in full swing and gift cards will become a popular choice as shoppers try to finish up their shopping lists. But did you know that almost 25 per cent of all “gift cards” are never redeemed, for a variety of reasons, including loss, store closings and expiry dates. Consumer groups suggest you only purchase gift cards from reputable sources, and ask the retailer if the cards have an expiry date or activation fee.
Just remember, if you don’t know what gift to buy, you can always give cash... it’s something that never expires and is less likely to be lost than a gift card.

Did You Know? - A number of years ago, one of Port Perry’s most awaited Christmas window decorations was Brock’s Department Store. For many, many years Brock’s life-sized Santa Claus graced the store’s Queen St. window holding his long list of “who’s been bad and who’s been good.” The list stretched from his white gloved hands to his tip of his black boots. The arrival of Santa at Brock’s truly kicked off the Christmas season in town.
We wonder where “ole Santa” is today and hope one year he’ll be returned to his familiar spot in the corner of Brock’s window looking out over Port Perry.

NOVEMBER 2008
Did You Know? - The first Remembrance Day was conducted in 1919 throughout the Commonwealth. Originally called Armistice Day, it commemorated the end of the First World War on Monday, November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m.: the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Remembrance Day commemorates Canadians who died in the First and Second World Wars, and the Korean War.

Did You Know? - Almost 620,000 Canadian men and women served in the First World War at a time when the population of the country was only a few million. During the course of the war, Canada’s naval service grew from 350 men and two ships to a force of 9,000 men and 100 ships. Sixty eight young men from Scugog lost their lives during this war and they are memorialized on the communities cenotaph.

Did You Know? - By September 1939, more than 58,000 Canadian men and women had volunteered to serve in the Canadian Forces.
More than one million Canadians served in the World War II and approximately 45,000 gave their lives. Thirty one local soldiers were killed in action. By the end of the Second World War, Canada’s navy with more than 113,000 personnel, included approximately 7,000 women.

Did You Know? - The person who was responsible more than any other for the adoption of the Poppy as a symbol of Remembrance in Canada and the Commonwealth was Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian Medical Officer during the First World War.
Replica poppies are sold by the Royal Canadian Legion to raise money to assist veterans, ex-service members and their families who are in need.

OCTOBER 2008
Did You Know? - Durham Region Transit, established in January 2006, reached a milestone September 9 when the 20 millionth rider was chosen from each of the communities the transit system serves. The winner in Scugog was selected at 9:10 a.m. at the Curts and Water Street bus stop.
The 20 millionth rider representing Scugog was Sandra Egar, who received a DRT prize package including tickets.

Did You Know? - Scugog Township has a composite Fire Department, composed of both full-time and volunteer firefighters. There are currently three full-time firefighters who work out of the Port Perry station. A fourth full-time firefighter is scheduled to be hired in the near future. In addition there are more than 50 volunteer firefighters between its Caesarea and Port Perry stations. Fire services are available 24 hours a day by calling 911.
Scugog is indeed fortunate to have such a well trained and equipped fire department on which to call.

SEPTEMBER 2008
Did You Know? - The orginal Port Perry water tower, located on Silver St., near the top of Queen St. was built in 1904. The tower has been replaced many times including a new 63,800 gallon wood tank in 1938. This tank was replaced in Ocober 1952 with a new wood/concrete structure. Ten years later a new 300,000 gallon water tank was constructed. The tower we see standing high on the hill today is owned by the Region of Durham and was built in 1978.
Port Perry’s current water tower has a capacity of 470,000 imperial gallons of water when filled.

Did You Know? - Toilets prior to 1985 used 20+ litres per flush, while from 1985-1995 the volume had been reduced to 13 litres. While the Region of Durham encourages the newer 6 litre toilets to conserve water use, they caution people to do their homework before purchasing. A recent study conducted by the Region concluded that only half of the toilets (all were CSA certified) could clear a minimum of 250 grams of solid waste (the human average).
There are very large differences in performance in the marketplace, so do your home work before laying down the cash.

AUGUST 2008
Did You Know? - It was 50 years ago last month that dial telephones went into service in Port Perry. The changeover to dial phones took place at 3:01 a.m. Sunday, July 6, 1958. All the new telephone numbers began with prefix YUkon 5, (which is the same as 985). Port Perry Reeve J.J. Gibson made the first call on the new dial telephone system from the local municipal office, connecting with Ivan Kerry in Charlottetown, PEI.
Just over two months later, residents of Blackstock were introduced to dial telephone service. The changeover there took place September 17.

Did You Know? - For the past couple of summers, a family of loons has been making its home on Lake Scugog. Normally associated with northern lakes, the distinct and haunting call of the loon is unexpected and welcomed in Scugog. It’s usually late at night, when out of the dark of night, that chilling wail echoes across the water. It’s nice to see Lake Scugog has been adopted by these magestic birds.
Normally one pair of loons are found on a single lake, but with larger lakes (we’re not sure if Lake Scugog is considered larger) two or more pairs will take up residence.

Did You Know? - This summer we’ve had an unusual number of thunder storms throughout Scugog Township and southern Ontario. But, did you know you can use thunder to tell how far away a storm is. Next time you see a storm, count the number of seconds between when you see the lightning and hear the thunder. Take the number of seconds and divide by five and that will tell you how far away the storm is in miles.
For example: If you counted 10 seconds between the flash of lightning and when you hear the thunder, the storm is estimated to be about two miles away!

JULY 2008

Did You Know? - The cost of jumping into a taxi cab has increased by a ‘buck’ for the first full kilometer of a trip. Scugog council endorsed new taxi fares for the township’s four taxi companies last month, increasing the base price rise from $3.67 to $4.68. In addition they also approved a bump of six cents for each tenth of a kilometer, up from 14¢ to the new 20¢.
Those using taxis will no doubt be troubled by the increases, but it must be remembered that this is the first hike in fares in almost 20 years. And with gas increasing almost every day, there’s not much left for the cab owners.

Did You Know? - One of the largest birds to inhabit areas around Scugog Township and Lake Scugog is the Great Blue Heron. This majestic bird has a wingspan of about six feet and grows to about four feet tall. It is also able to swallow a fish many times wider than its narrow neck. While the Great Blue Heron feeds mainly on small fish, it also eats insects, crayfish, snakes and frogs.
Keep an eye out. “Old Cranky”, as this large heron is sometimes called, can be found wading in the shallow waters or skimming just feet above Lake Scugog throughout the summer months.

Did You Know? - Did you know that in the event of a major emergency within the Township of Scugog, it is the responsibility of each individual or family to ensure they are able to take care of their own basic needs for the first 72 hours of the emergency. The reasoning being, this allows municipal staff and officials the required time to concentrate on effectively responding to any emergency from the critical onset.
In other words... be prepared. Be ready to take care of yourself if any major emergency were to fall upon our township, at least for three days.

JUNE 2008

Did You Know? - Port Perry’s own Jayde Nicole is sitting on top of the world after being proclaimed “Playboy’s Playmate of the Year” for 2007. Nicole graced the pages of the popular magazine in January 2007 and her life as been a whirlwind ever since. For her accomplishment Nicole received $100,000 and a new Cadillac.
We expect most people already knew all this, but when a small town girl makes it big... it’s news, despite the fact some people may not agree with her career choice!

Did You Know? - Construction on Mary St. is just about complete. There’s sod on the wide boulevards and it’s now ready for the final layer of ashpalt. What a great improvement, but we wonder if maybe a little more thought should have gone into final the design.
With parking always at a premium in the dowtown area, maybe parking spaces should have been considered for both sides of the street. Local churches, businesses and the public could have benefitted from the additional parking.