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Business Milestones
Submitted by Marylee Boston for the Fenelon Falls Chamber of Commerce
As 2020 comes to a close it’s the perfect time to celebrate our local businesses and their hard work, endurance and courage. For some it was also a milestone year which certainly deserves a hip hip hooray and congratulations! Join us in celebrating the following business anniversaries.
Early Bird Gets the Worm Passport to Christmas Edition
Submitted by Marylee Boston
Passport to Christmas is in full swing here in the winter wonderland of Fenelon Falls. Susan B. was randomly chosen from the 199 eligible entries as the Early Bird prize winner. Double passport weekend was such a success we’ve added another one. Shop or dine at any participating business from December 18 to 20th, 2020 and receive DOUBLE stamps! The contest closes on Dec. 31st so there’s still lots of time to fill your passport or start a new one.
Colborne Street Reconstruction
Submitted by Chris Appleton
At the Special Council Meeting on December 1, 2020, CKL Council voted unanimously to support Councillor Elmslie’s motion to include $2.7 million in the capital budget for reconstruction of Colborne Street in Fenelon Falls from Water Street to Bond Street, as well as $1.2 million for sewer and water reconstruction as part of the same project. Councillor Elmslie and Mayor Letham have worked hard to bring this long sought after project to fruition. It will be a major facelift for Fenelon.
Reminder to Eat, Shop and Be Merry this weekend!
Just a reminder that this weekend, November 19-22, is the Eat, Shop, and Be Merry weekend in Fenelon Falls! Lots of local shops will be open until 7:00 pm on Friday, and watch for special sales and promotions including double stamps for your Passport to Christmas all weekend long.
Time to start your holiday shopping this year - support your favourite local shops and restaurants to increase your chances of winning one of the Passport to Christmas prizes!
The Salvation Army in Kawartha Lakes Launches its 2020 Christmas Kettle Campaign
Submitted by Kathy Switzer
The Salvation Army is set to begin its annual Christmas Kettle campaign throughout Lindsay, Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon and Coboconk. Even during a pandemic, The Salvation Army marches on in support of those struggling with food insecurity, loneliness, and other practical realities that most of us take for granted. “We listen to people and work to care for their needs,” says Lt. Susan Roffel, Community Ministries Director in Lindsay. She and her husband, Lt. Bob Roffel, are both Pastors and arrived in Lindsay this summer to take over leadership of The Salvation Army’s work in Lindsay.
Announcing the Winners of the Legion's Seniors' Literary Contest
Submitted by Arlene Colman
This year’s contest saw a 100% increase in entries. The creativity and imagination was awesome. All winners will receive a modest monetary award, but the bragging rights are awesome!! A BIG thank you to our trio of volunteer judges who did a remarkable job. We greatly appreciate your expertise, experience and generosity of time. Thank you to all those who entered. Click Read More to see this year’s winners!
A Portrait of Small Town Life In Winter, In Two Parts
In early 2020 Cottage Life magazine reached out to the Chamber of Commerce about the opportunity for a feature story in their winter edition. It was an opportunity to showcase another great season in Fenelon Falls so of course, the answer was yes. In March, just before lockdown, the photographer arrived to capture photos and stories of local residents and business owners. You can find the results in the recently released Winter 2020 edition or on Apple News.
Passport to Christmas Returns
Passport to Christmas returns on November 13th and will be running until December 31st. There are 29 participating businesses around town and if you use your holiday shopping passport at any five participating locations, you’ll receive stamps to qualify for a grand prize. Simply fill our your password and submit to the Fenelon Falls & District Chamber of Commerce or any participating location.
An early bird prize will also be drawn on December 1st. To learn more about the participating businesses or download a Passport, click Read More to get started. With the hard work our businesses have done to implement & maintain safety during COVID-19, you will be sure to enjoy comfortable holiday shopping & dining. Thanks to all area businesses for their hard work & effort during this trying time.
Fenelon Library launches new programs
Submitted by Debbie Spivey
The Fenelon Falls Branch of the Kawartha Lakes Public Library is once again open to the public from Monday to Saturday, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. There are computers available for use, but please note that they must be booked in advance. The library and its staff are also pleased to launch two new programs: a monthly take-home craft kit, and an Outdoor Holiday Planter Workshop where you can build your own outdoor holiday planter with expert guidance.
The Grove Theatre Update: Landscaping, Planting and Beautification Efforts have Begun!
Submitted by Maddy Warlow on behalf of Kawartha Works Community Co-operative
Some exciting updates are happening with the new Grove Theatre in Fenelon Falls! Landscaping, planting and beautification has begun. We want to extend a huge thank you to the Fenelon Falls Horticultural Society who have volunteered their efforts with a contracting team to take on landscaping and planting at the outdoor amphitheatre. With the help of a $15,000 grant from the Fenelon Legacy CHEST Fund contributed by the City of Kawartha Lakes for the landscaping, the development of the Grove Theatre continues to progress throughout the fall season.
Soroptimist Awards Helps Women Facing Barriers to Education
Submitted by Susan Peirce
The Soroptimist Live Your Dream Awards are cash awards given to motivated women who are the primary financial supporters of their families. The recipients of the awards seek to improve their lives by gaining additional skills, training or education but do not have the resources to do so. These cash awards are meant to offset any costs associated with the recipient’s efforts to attain higher education, including tuition, books, supplies, child care or transportation costs.
Giving Thanks
Submitted by Marina Hodson
As another Thanksgiving has come to a close, what is that you were thankful for? For many of us, this year may challenge us to find the things to celebrate, but there is always something to be thankful for if we take the time and effort to actually think about it. Appreciation can be as simple as “thank goodness I am finally out of turkey sandwiches” or as profound as “I am blessed to have wonderful people in my life”. Any amount of gratitude has been shown to have direct benefits to our physical and mental health, improve our sleep and self-esteem and overall improve our relationships. So try to get into the habit of focusing on at least one thing you are grateful for each and every day and here is one of mine to give you food for thought.
Update: Small Business Virtual Event Has Been Cancelled
You're invited to the Fenelon Falls Chamber of Commerce Small Business Week Virtual Event on Monday, October 19th from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. COVID 19 and safety are key issues facing all businesses so we're looking forward to a discussion and Q & A with expert panelists from Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) and the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. Register here to reserve your ticket.
Call for Donors and Volunteers: The Grove Theatre in Fenelon Falls
Submitted by Maddy Warlow on behalf of Kawartha Works Community Co-operative
In case you haven’t heard, our lovely community of Fenelon Falls is getting its very own 450-seat outdoor amphitheatre. We have been overwhelmed with the positive response from the community and beyond – everyone is so excited about this project that will bring the arts to life in Fenelon Falls! It is a source of inspiration and happiness during these difficult times. In order to make it happen, we need your help! “All of our Co-op projects rely on community support for success,” said Jim Armstrong, President of Kawartha Works Community Co-operative. Want to donate to the project or lend your support as a volunteer? Read on!
The Rotary Club of Fenelon Falls will mark historic progress toward a polio-free world while urging the community to help end the paralyzing disease
Submitted by Christine Keenan on behalf of the Rotary Club of Fenelon Falls
When Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, there were 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries every year. We’ve made great progress against the disease since then. Today, polio cases have been reduced by 99.9 percent, and just two countries continue to report cases of wild poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan. We remain committed to the end.
The Caring and Connecting Kawartha Lakes Initiative
Submitted by Caleb Kim
Hello there! The arrival of the second wave of COVID-19 has led many retirement/long-term care homes to adopt stricter lockdown regulations to prevent infection of their residents. As a result, many residents haven't been able to have family and friends visit, which can make this an incredibly lonely and depressing time. As a word of kindness can go a long way, I am organizing The Caring and Connecting Kawartha Lakes initiative, which invites you to write letters to older residents in the City of Kawartha Lakes.
Giving Thanks... Safely
Submitted by Kendra Fleming
With the Thanksgiving holiday almost here, area residents are being reminded to serve up COVID-19 safety with the usual fall festive fare. The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit is encouraging everyone to reduce the spread of COVID-19 during the holiday long weekend. This includes staying close to home as much as possible and ideally only marking Thanksgiving with those in your immediate household.
Victory at the Maryboro Lodge
Article submitted by Judy Kennedy, Photos submitted by Carol Milroy
For the past four years, the Fenelon Falls Horticultural Society has partnered with the Fenelon Falls Museum to grow and provide fresh produce to our local food bank at the Salvation Army Citadel. We named it the “Victory Garden”, as our effort to take a lesson from history during the first and second world wars, when towns and cities and homeowners transformed parkland and their backyards into vegetable gardens, to support the war effort. So, on that note, here is some history of the Victory Garden.
Victoria County Studio tour opens this weekend
The Victoria County Studio Tour celebrates its 35th year this fall. Running September 26-27 and October 3-4, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, this self-guided tour lets you visit the studio spaces of all kinds of local artists, from painting to pottery. Check out the website at victoriacountystudiotour.com for more information about participating artists and for the map to their studios.
Christmas is Coming to Stay
Submitted by The Corral
Exciting new things are coming to The Corral! You may have noticed all the fabulous sales going on at The Corral over the past few months. Well, there is a method to our madness: The Corral will be reinventing itself in the weeks to come and we can’t wait to share our vision with you. The planning of this dream has been in the works for years but the real work began over a year ago - gathering inventory and ideas to create a unique shopping experience in Fenelon Falls.