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Kraft Hockeyville 2021
We are in the final 4 in the Kraft Hockeyville contest for a chance to win $250,000 in Arena upgrades and to host an NHL game.
Hello again from your Fenelon Falls Horticultural Society!
After this past week of wonderful, Spring weather, all gardeners and future gardeners are getting excited for the 2021 season to begin! Communities In Bloom has designated 2021 as a year to plant the seeds of Hope - Hope for a Covid-free future, for a return to “normal”, for good health and an end to all the isolation of the past year. Think YELLOW!
Fenelon Falls Horticultural Society First Member's Meeting with Presenter, Sylvia Keesmat
The Fenelon Falls Horticultural Society is proud to announce that our first members’ meeting since the pandemic was declared, will be happening next Monday, March 22nd, at 7:00 P.M. via Zoom.
A Taste of Spring!
Submission by Vicky Groves of the Fenelon Falls Horticultural Society. As the sun gets stronger, are you starting to think “Spring”? Is the idea of gardening beginning to enter your mind? Have you considered joining the Fenelon Falls Horticultural Society to get some new ideas or maybe to participate with other like-minded individuals to not only beautify Fenelon but also to learn new approaches to gardening in your own yard, to educate in the community and/or to contribute to environmental restoration and preservation? We welcome new members and hope you will consider joining us!
Is It Over Yet?
Submitted by Marina Hodson. Whilst I personally love winter for its beauty, its silence and the winter activities, even I have to admit that as we approach March, I am yearning for some green. But don’t despair – you can enjoy the beauty of winter and the benefits of plants at the same time.
Family fun in the "Sun"?
Submitted by Marina Hodson. In 2008, Ontario adopted a Statutory Holiday on the third Monday of February known as Family Day to provide residents the time to spend a day with their loved ones. This idea originated in Alberta in 1990 and has since been adopted by many of the Provinces, although not always under that same name.
Virtual Snowshoe Race 2021 & Kawartha Winter Festival on the Horizon for 2022
Snowshoe Canada President and local cottager Dave Robinson was recently successful in obtaining a resolution from the City Council to pursue the concept of developing an annual Winter Festival in the City of Kawartha Lakes beginning as early as the winter of 2022. Robinson, an avid natural athlete in many sports including the triathlon took over the operation of Snowshoe Canada in 2015 and has been building into an organization that supports and grows the sport across Canada with over a dozen events on the slate in 2020.
Six More Weeks of Winter: COVID Safe Activities to Pack in Before Spring
On February 2nd, Wiarton Willy forecasted an early spring. With warmer weather just around the corner, you may be thinking ‘where did the time go’. With only 6 weeks left of winter, you may just want to pack it all in as much as you can. Thankfully we live in a beautiful area where there is no shortage of winter activities, and they usually begin right out our front door. From skating to snowshoeing to snowmobiling, and much more. The list below should help you narrow down your COVID-friendly bucket list of winter activities to do before spring is sprung.
Do you know where your Vitamin D comes from?
Living in Canada, the shorter colder days and lack of sunshine mean that you are likely to be Vitamin D deficient this time of year, so keeping track of your intake is vital and right now, Vitamin D is proving more important than ever. Deficiencies have been linked to poor sleep, pain, muscle weakness and depression. Additionally, Vitamin D is linked to preventing skeletal issues such as rickets, improved immune function and cardiovascular health and while evidence remains spotty, there have also been preliminary studies linking it to improved outcomes related to acute respiratory issues, including COVID-19.
New Program Offers Free Counselling and Nicotine Patches to People Trying to Quit
If your New Year’s Resolution to quit tobacco has already gone up in smoke, this free program may be just what the doctor ordered to get you back on track in 2021. During National Non-Smoking Week (Jan. 17-23), the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit is promoting a new program for Ontarians (ages 18+) that offers phone counselling and a free six-week supply of nicotine patches/lozenges to help individuals become tobacco-free. Funded by the provincial government, the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation Community Program has been shown to reduce smoking rates and tobacco- related deaths. The program is based at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.
Update from Fenelon Falls Curling Club
Concerned you might not get to your sunny winter destination this year. Come join us at the Fenelon Falls Curling Club. It’s fun, it’s social and great exercise! We offer a 6 week learn to curl program for those interested in learning to curling. Sign up with 3 friends or neighbours and the 1st registration will be half price. A great opportunity to try a new sport this winter.
Sleepless in Kawartha...
Submitted by Marina Hodson
As if COVID-19 has not wreaked enough havoc with our mental and physical health, it may also be impacting our sleep! I have personally never been one to suffer from insomnia, however, the combination of added stress and disrupted routine appears to have taken a toll on our sleep. It really should not come as a surprise to any of us; after all, lacking routine, working from home and setting our own schedules may tempt us into staying up late for some additional screen time or taking that mid-afternoon nap. Obviously that alone can disrupt our sleep patterns sufficiently, but then add the extra stress and anxiety about our health, money or loved ones and it is little wonder that sleep neurologists have coined the term COVID-somnia.
A Note from the Fenelon Falls Curling Club
Submitted by Bruce Hooey
Summer won’t last forever, what are you doing this winter? Come join us at the Fenelon Falls Curling Club. It’s fun, it’s social and it’s great exercise too. We offer a 5 week learn to curl program for beginners as well as full season and half-season memberships.
What time is it?
Submitted by Marina Hodson
I have long ago stopped being able to tell you what day it is without seriously thinking, let alone what time. Apparently, I’m not the only one. Aristotle said that “time is the measure of change” and as one day melds into the next, nothing seems to change. Anthropologist Felix Ringel studies how humans relate to time, particularly during crises and COVID has apparently impacted more than just our daily interactions with each other; it has also changed how we perceive time. This is caused, at least in part, by our feeling of being stuck without being able to plan for the future. As humans, we have an innate need to know what comes next, and without this we feel out of control, but also lose our connection to time.
The New Normal?
Submitted by Marina Hodson
Month four and while the seasons move on, life feels a bit like it’s at a standstill. That being said, tomorrow the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge Health Unit, along with many others, will be moving into Phase II of the reopening. So whilst we are all looking forward to a haircut, what does this really mean??
Finding Happiness in Difficult Times...
Submitted by Marina Hodson
As we head into that all-important and significant May long weekend whilst facing week ten of a pandemic, how are you reconciling the two?
While the weather may belie the season, my gardens are telling me that summer is just around the corner; in fact my daylilies would be at an impressive height despite the recent snow had they not been taste-tested by the deer. So as we continue to practice social distancing and other precautions to protect others, we must also take care of our mental wellbeing and practice self-care. Think of the last time you flew on an airplane and listened to the safety instructions; in case of emergency, secure your own oxygen mask first to be able to assist others who may need it.
Balsam Lake Jump in the Lake Challenge
Submitted by Barb Young. Photo by Kathrine Potter.
There were some exciting things happening around Balsam Lake today despite this rotten virus. Dean Michel and his wife from Balsam's North Bay initiated a "jump in the lake challenge" to raise money for the Coboconk Food Bank which was experiencing shortages because of the virus. Barb Young from Rosedale took on the challenge and raised approx. $1500.00 for the food bank.
Scavenger Hunt
To celebrate Mother's Day this weekend, we wanted to share a safe, outdoor scavenger hunt you can enjoy as a family! Pro Tip: If you print it out and attach to a bag (as shown in the photo) you can collect your items to easily tow along with you as you go! Click Read More to download a checklist.
The Silver Lining
Submitted by Marina Hodson
Whilst these certainly continue to be difficult times for us all, I would like to take my own advice and practice some brief moments of gratitude, so let’s look at some of the silver linings.
Enjoying Winter?
Submitted by Marina Hodson
Regardless of whether you like winter or not, most of us agree that by the middle of February, spring would be welcomed. In fact, while January is considered the most depressing month of the year, I think it is not difficult to argue that February may be a close second. Snow has often lost its appeal, both literally and figuratively and no one is looking forward to another shortened gray day. The only welcome interruption prior to 2008 may have been Valentine’s Day, and that is, of course, dependent on having a special person or persons to share it with. So I for one welcome Family Day, not only as a day off but as a much-needed reminder of the beauty to be found and experienced in our wonderful and vast Province.