Uxbridge Information & Events

Halloween Safety Tips

Uxbridge is having a Halloween Parade Saturday October 31st on Brock St starting at 8:00pm 

There will be Candy, Bands and Floats
A 60 ft hay maze and haunted house sponsored by Cadbury and Unicef
will be in the parking lot west of the CIBC on Brock St from 5:30

Help Keep Our Kids Safe

Watch Out For The Children On The Roads

 FULL SIZED IMAGE 

Halloween Safety Tips

• Warn children to not eat any of their treats before they get home.
• Examine all treats carefully before allowing children to eat them.
• use flame resistant costumes, masks, beards, and wigs.
• Avoid flimsy materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts to minimize the risk of contact with candles or other sources of ignition.
• Make or buy costumes that are light and bright enough to be clearly visible to motorists.
• Carry flashlights to see, and be seen, more easily.
• Costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling.
• Hats and scarfs should be tied securely to prevent them from slipping over children's eyes.
• Apply a natural mask of cosmetics rather than have a child wear a loose fitting mask.
• Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be of soft or flexible material.
• Smaller children should always be accompanied by an older responsible child or an adult.
• Children should be cautioned against running out from between parked cars, or across lawns and yards where ornaments, furniture, or clothes-lines present dangers.
• Do not enter homes or apartments unless accompanied by an adult.

 

 

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For Information About The Communities of Uxbridge,Port Perry/Scugog Whitchurch Stouffville, Balantrae, Georgina and Brock. Check Out myuxbridge.info or My Uxbridge Information Blog To learn more about what housing options Uxbridge has to offer; be it condominium or detached homes, in town or rural communities, country homes, estates or farms just give me a call THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT ME   I will respond ASAP However I do not answer when driving or when with Clients

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H1N1 Vaccinations

With clinics across the country opening up for the H1N1 flu shot Durham Region Health Department has opened 5 locations across the region where you can go to receive the H1N1 Vaccine.

Be prepared to wait 

This is what the lineup was like at about 5:30 pm today (it was much longer around 2:30pm) in Uxbridge.

The Uxbridge Clinic is Located at 2 Douglas Rd., Uxbridge
(formerly Williamson's)

With the vaccine shipments being delivered over time a priority list is being followed for those wishing to recieve the shots.

• People with chronic medical conditions
• Pregnant women with chronic medical conditions or who are over 20 weeks
• Healthy children ages 6 months to 5 years
• Persons living in remote or isolated communities
• Health care workers, and houshold contacts or care providers of persons of high risk who cannot be immunized.
• After the targeted groups have been immunized the clinics will be open to all Durham residents

Clinic hours are Oct 28th to November 28th Monday to Friday from  2 pm to 8 pm and Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm.

The following clinics are wheelchair accessible and are open for walk-ins as appointments are not necessary. 

• 2849 Hwy. 2 Bowmanville
  (formerly Veridian Connections Inc.)
• 850 King St. W, Unit 26, Oshawa
  (King and Thornton-lower entrance at back)
  (formerly social services)
• 3050 Garden St. Whitby
  (Garden and Rossland) (formerly TruestarFitness)
• Pickering Town Centre, Unit 14, 1355 Kingston Rd. Pickering
  (formerly Fabricland)
• 2 Douglas Rd., Uxbridge
  (Toronto and Douglas) (formerly Williamson's Auto)

You are asked to to bring your OHIP card or drivers licence for identification purposes.

UPDATE

Picture taken at 1:25pm today October 29th

Day 2 - And The Line Grows Longer

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For Information About The Communities of Uxbridge,Port Perry/Scugog Whitchurch Stouffville, Balantrae, Georgina and Brock. Check Out myuxbridge.info or My Uxbridge Information Blog To learn more about what housing options Uxbridge has to offer; be it condominium or detached homes, in town or rural communities, country homes, estates or farms just give me a call THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT ME   I will respond ASAP However I do not answer when driving or when with Clients

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Durham Region E-Waste Event

Free Residential Collection

As part of National Waste Reduction Week Durham Region has set up a free E-Waste  collection centre for this Saturday in Whitby.

Free of Charge For Durham Region Residents Only

Allowed Items

• Satellite Systems
• Computers, Monitors, Printers and accessories
• Fax Machines and Photocopiers
• Gamimg Systems
• Televisions
• Phones and PDAs
• Calculators and electronic cash registers
• Radios, Amplifiers, Turntables and Stereos
• VCR, DVD players and Projectors
• Cameras and Recorders

Free Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)

Part of National Waste Reduction Week - October 19th to the 25th

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)

Free Residential Collection

As part of National Waste Reduction Week Durham Region has set up a free Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection centre for this Saturday in Beverton

Saturday Oct 24th 9am to 1 pm
Township of Brock
Beverton Firehall
on Bay Street
Between Mill Street and Osborne Street

Free of Charge For Durham Region Residents Only

Allowed Items

• antifreeze
• batteries
• brake fluid
• motor oil and filters
• fluorescent light bulbs and tubes
• herbicides
• insecticides
• old prescriptions and over the counter medicines
• propane tanks
• pool chemicals
• paints and solvents

No Commercial, institutional, agricultural or industrial waste permitted

National Waste Reduction Week - October 19th to the 25th

Waste Reduction Week October 19th to 25th 2009

Does Your Mommy Still Pack Your Lunch?

To learn more, to participate, or to enter the video contest check out www.wrwcanada.com

• The site contains Links that will take you to information on waste reduction information, activities and more all across Canada.
• Follow Waste Reduction Week Canada on Twitter by clicking on the "follow" button on their profile
• Visit www.wrwcanada.com for suggestions on wastes reduction for your home.
• Frequently asked questions section "What Should I do with?" and links to a few other informative sites such as GreenerChoices.org

 

Burned At The Door -

Your sitting at home relaxing on the couch or perhaps watching TV when the door bell rings. Your not expecting someone and your doorbell seldom rings. You get up and go to the door to see if it is one of the neighbourhood children participating in a fund raiser selling cookies, raffle tickets or some other item.

We all try to help our neighbours children if we can but not everyone at the door has a sweet deal for you

Don't Get Burned at The Door

No matter how good or how time restrictive the offer seems to be it's your door and your decision.

Ontarians have learned, often to late, that the deal contains long term commitments or hidden penalties for early termination. One recent example here in Durham was some unscrupulous operators who stung homeowners who agreed to have their driveways paved by firms they had never heard of who seemed to be offering a very good deal.

A recent email forwarded by a family member contained a warning about how some door to door salemen operate.

While the Message was informative and appeard to be one of genuine concern.
I could not help but wonder who dreamed up this viral marketing scheme,
and how effective it could be.

Here is a copy of the email

Dear friends and family,

I've never been one for sending work-related emails to my friends and family, but I've just finished working on something that you might be interested in.  

As you probably know, I work for  xxxxxxxxx Home Comfort, which is one of Canada's largest home comfort and rental water heating companies.  Over the past few months we've been getting calls from customers about door-to-door sales people trying to get them to switch out their rental water heaters.  The problem is the deceptive approach we're hearing these doorknockers are using: 

•  
  • posing as the utility, the government or their own current rental water heating provider
  • telling them that the replacement is mandatory
  • misleading them with the promise of huge energy savings
  • telling them that their current provider has gone out of business

Many of these customers don't understand that they're being switched.  By the time the tank has been changed out, some of these customers are now locked in for up to 15 years, with huge penalties for early exit. And if the customers get upset about being misled and they switch back, they get charged hundreds of dollars.  I even saw one bill for $1,300!  The problem is that customers don't know what's going on in this industry, they're not asking many (or any) questions, they don't know their rights and they're not warning each other.

Enough is enough.  We've just launched a new website called burnedatthedoor.com.  We've created this online community so that people can get educated, learn about their rights and about their water heaters, post their own stories about doorknocking, register for email alerts, and warn family and friends (like I'm doing with you). 

If you've had these doorknockers at your door, or have heard about people who have, can I ask you to do 2 things? 

First, check out the website, and if you want to, go ahead and register for alerts and see if they've been spotted in your community.  And second, can you forward this email to everyone you think should know about this issue?  Our company has been doing a lot the past few months to warn people, and we're now finding that people are starting to ask the right questions of these companies!  This website is just one more way people can get information, because some customers are finding that ignorance can be expensive.

Hope all is well with you...drop us a line and tell us what's new!

Thanks,

Green Bin Tips

25,907 metric tonnes of compostable waste of completely compostable material was put out at the curb in Durham Region in 2008. That's the equivalent to the weight of 17,548 mid sized cars. Durham region only allows compostable bags to be used in the bin so that material was all converted to reusable compost

• ensure our liner bags are compostable
• store your kitchen container in an accessible location
• keep your green bin out of direct sunlight ... heat from the sun will start the decomposition of the liner bags
• don't help the animals gain access to the bin ... store it away from fences and deck rails
• place a fibre egg carton in the bottom of the bin to prevent other material from freezing to the bottom in winter
• keep odour down by placing paper towels or newsprint in the bottom of your kitchen containers
• in hot weather freeze meat and fish scraps until collection day
• clean your bins with baking soda vinegar or a mild detergent and warm water

Durham Region home owners are to be commended on their effortsto Recycle, Reduce, Reuse. Here are some handy tips for your Blue Box  

 

Some Blue Box Reminders for Durham Residents

• Remove lids from all bottles and jars before placing empty in the box
• Fatten all cardboard and tie larger flattened cardboard in bundles
• Use a standard sized blue box
• Maximum weight is 44 lbs or 20 kilograms
• Stack boxes to help prevent paper from blowing away
• Put you box out before 7 am on collection day
• On windy days do not put it out the night before
• In winter months do not place on top of snow banks or icy patches

Things that do not go in the Box

• clam shell or take out containers
• plastic or styrofoam egg cartons
• wodden or plastic food crates
• plastic bags
• styrofoam or paper coffee cups nursery plant pots or trays

National Waste Reduction Week

October 19th to the 25th

 

Lets all Pitch in, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse ... no longer are these just catchy phrases Homeowners are getting the message as demonstrated by the graph below.

Durham Region home owners are to be commended on their efforts to Recycle, Reduce, Reuse

They have successfully reduced the percentage amount of garbage going into land fill by 17% since 2005 while increasing the amount of food waste that is being recycled by 11%.

In addition they have increased the percentage of waste no longer going to land fill with their blue box contributions by 3%

Uxbridge Is Having A Street Party

Strawberry Threads and the Tin Cup are throwing a street party as part of their grand opening. A good portion of the downtown area was the subject of "The Big Dig" this past summer with the main street closed off for a good portion of that time. Now with the Big Dig almost completed the local merchants are throwing a street party on Saturday the 17th. There will be a fashion show 3:15 a cocktail reception at 4:00 and Lukas Rossi will perform from 5:30 to 6:30.

 

Lack of Common Sense = $490 Fine and 3 demerit points

Why is it we need to legislate what should be common sense. Why was it necessary to legislate that when approaching any emergency vehicle on the roadside with lights flashing, you must enter the left lane to pass. As a child drivers always drew over to the opposite lane when passing a stopped vehicle let alone an emergency vehicle. they would pull over to the curb and stop when they were approaching from behind or ahead unless on a divided highway. Out of respect you even pulled over to the side to let a funeral pass from the opposite direction and never tried to pass one going the same direction.

Fast forward to today and the right now generation and we need legislation to enforce what should be a common courtesy.

When taking a road trip or even out for a drive about town remember the hard lesson in common courtesy the fellow below was taught.

Here is an email I received showing that going halfway is not good enough

While driving on the 427 South at Burnamthorpe in broad daylight at 2 p.m., when I came upon two police cruisers who had pulled over a third vehicle. I slowed down to be cautious, and was surprised when the second cruiser pulled out and pulled me over. Approaching on the passenger side, the officer asked if I knew why I had been pulled over.. I honestly expressed that I had no idea.  He informed me that Ontario law now states that when approaching any emergency vehicle on the roadside with lights flashing, you must enter the left lane. He then proceeded to ticket me, taking three demerits and issuing a fine of, wait for it...$490! (Yes, I'm choking as I type that.) I realize I did not change lanes, but I do believe I was cautious.

My message is, be careful. He said that they are cracking down hard on this because of injured officers. I did not realize this was the law. Neither did any of my recently-licensed children. Or evidently not the 47 drivers pulled over.

Hefty fine if you don't change lanes!!!!!!! 3 demerit points on top of cash.

Is Your Well Water Safe

When Buying a rural property you will need to have the water tested, preferably with a history of good samples over a period of time but tested at least once prior to closing . Unlike properties serviced with treated city supplied water you are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep, it is up to you to ensure you continue to have a safe source of water.

 "As of 2006, waterborne diseases are estimated to cause 1.8 million deaths each year while about 1.1 billion people lack proper drinking water" wikipedia

Some of the things you should look for to ensure your well is not being contaminated

• any septic system is properly functioning
• ensure no leaking fuel or oil storage tanks (leaks from a vehicle could also be harmful)
• ensure pesticides and fertilizers are properly stored and used
• livestock and other animal feces/manure is well away from your well
• ensure that any run off from the above

Have It Tested Regularly

help to ensure the quality of the water you consume

• a minimum of three times a year
• more often if you suspect or know of potential problems
• more often if your well is vulnerable to outside influnces (see above) or if your well is a dug well
• after any major plumbing work

 

Understanding the water cycle Water for kids with activity pages

Are Mortgage Rates On The Rise?

Less than a week ago I mentioned a report in which 2 TD economists felt that Mortgage rates could rise soon. Tomorrow TD is increasing some Mortgage rates. With rising rates now may well be a very good time to examine your mortgage options and the effect of Floating Rate VS Fixed Rate Mortgages on your mortgage payments.  Examine the effect rising rates may have on your comfort level or your ability to pay.

According to an article put out today by Canwest News Service (October 12, 2009) they just might well be. While rates remain unchanged for some mortgages effective tomorrow Wed Oct 14th TD is raising rates on fixed mortgages with the 5 year posted rate increasing 0.29% to 5.84%.

Property Taxes - Are Yours Fair and Equitable

By now you have paid your final tax bill on your property here in Ontario for 2009.

Understanding how your assessment is calculated and the effect it has on your property tax bill begins with a very simple formula.

assessment x mill rate equal your tax bill

That is where the simplicity ends.

Due to the reassessment carried out for your 2009 tax bill yours may have gone down, but more than likely they went up even if your assessment did not go up more than the average. This was due to the increase in spending by your local city or municipal politicians and is reflected in the mill rate.

As property values fluctuate across a municipality your portion of the overall tax bite will change relative to your neighbours. Another factor that will affect your property taxes is how the assessment is calculated. Most taxpayers believe that the "Market Value" of their property is the driving force behind their tax bill but what they do not know or understand is that may not be the case.

The assessment folks use complicated formulas that are based on information that includes personal subjective opinion. This information is then massaged and manipulated by the formulas created by the assessment folks so that it resembles their version of the current value of your home. It is this current value or assessed value that is used in the calculation above.

Without making any changes to your home you may find that your assessment changed dramatically from what it had been relative to comparable properties in your area. Simple things like moving of a boundary line used in the calculation can have an effect. Other things that may affect it could be, environmental issues, proximity issues, wetlands, right of ways and the list goes on and on. If the assesor or the formula fails to reflect all the issues that also affect the value of your home the assessment will not be accurate and you may be paying more than your fair share.

Here are some links to a series of posts on assessment and mill rates that you may find informative.

You and "YOUR" Propertry Tax Bill -- Property Assessment Open House Sessions
You and "YOUR" Propertry Tax Bill -- Assessment Errors Can Be Costly
Understanding Residential Property Assessment in Ontario - #7 in a series on property taxes
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Is Your Assessment Fair and Equitable 
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- OUCH!!!!!
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Your Assessment Notice Is In The Mail
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Mill Rate Idiosyncrasy's
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Is Current Value Assessment (CVA) A Better Way? 
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- Who Takes The Biggest Bite?

Have A Happy Thanksgiving

Historic Port Sydney is a growing community located some 12 km south of Huntsville Just off Highway 11. This picturesque town is situated on the shores of beautiful Mary Lake and the upper North Muskoka River.

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WELCOME To Port Sydney "Home To 800 Happy Families and One Old Grouch" Have A Happy Thanksgiving Enjoy The Fall Colours Take A  Thanksgiving Road Trip To Muskoka THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT ME   I will respond ASAP However I do not answer when driving or when with Clients

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High Falls - Bracebridge - The Heart Of Muskoka, Ontario

High Falls Park is Unique with 5 separate waterfalls tumbling into Clear Lake. Sometimes refered to as the "Niagara of the North" the water flows over the falls at 300 cubic feet a second. It is 882 feet above sea level and has a 48-foot drop down the cliff. The Falls are located in a town owned park surrounded by old growth forests with access to the Trans Canada Trail system. The park is about 1 minute of Hyw 11

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Have A Happy Thanksgiving Fall Colours - Thanksgiving Road Trips - Muskoka If you are out this weekend enjoying a fall colour tour and want to check out Homes In The Communities of Uxbridge,Port Perry/Scugog Whitchurch Stouffville, Balantrae, Georgina and Brock. Just Give Me A Call OR Check Out The Listings On My Listing Web Site THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT ME   I will respond ASAP However I do not answer when driving or when with Clients

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Fall Colours - Road Trips -Uxbridge and Beyond If you are out this weekend enjoying a fall colour tour and want to check out Homes In The Communities of Uxbridge,Port Perry/Scugog Whitchurch Stouffville, Balantrae, Georgina and Brock. Just Give Me A Call OR Check Out The Listings On My Listing Web Site Let Me Find You A Home To learn more about what housing options Uxbridge has to offer; be it condominium or detached homes, in town or rural communities, country homes, estates or farms just give me a call or THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT ME   I will respond ASAP However I do not answer when driving or when with Clients

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Google Street level viewing is now available in Toronto and it is relatively easy to use.

Last summer the google crew were in Toronto taking street level photos. Now you can access them on Google maps. All you have to do is search for the address on google maps, zoom all the way in then click on the little man in the upper left hand corner of the map.

As a teenager I lived for some time with my grandmother in Toronto at 31 Simpson Ave so I tried it out and after a few minutes of orientating my self here is the result. You can send the link by email or add it to a web site

View Larger Map

Realtors Care Foundation provides support for shelter related charities. 

Each Year the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) supports various shelter related requests for grants from the Realtors Care Foundation. This year twenty shelter related charities were endorsed by TREB and were selected to receive grant awards.

One of the most rewarding things a REALTOR® can do is to help families find a home.  The Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) Foundation works on the same goal through its support of shelter related charities in Ontario.  Each year, they help families in need of emergency and permanent housing through charities like Habitat for Humanity, local shelters, and local hospices.

TREB Contributes

In addition to other means of individual member contributions TREB contributes $1.00 per member per month to the foundation on behalf of all TREB Members.

About Realtors Care Foundation

Since its original inception the Foundation has granted more than $2-million, on behalf of the Ontario Realtors® to shelter-based organizations across the province.

Originally founded as the Canadian Real Estate Board Foundation - Ontario Fund in 1967 as part of the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) Foundation. The foundation returned in 1978 as a provincial organization and for 21 years grants were made to a variety of charitable organizations across Ontario. In 1999 the decision was made to focus on shelter based charitable organizations.

In 2006 the name of the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) Foundation changed to the REALTORS Care Foundation.

 

Hints Of Rising Interest rates

Is now the best time to lock in your mortgage? Before jumping in with both feet one should look at, and compare, the effect an increase will have on your comfort level or your ability to pay. Locking in now will ensure your rate for a given period of time but it will be higher than your current floating rate resulting in an immediate increase in your mortgage payments.

While mortgage rates are at historicaly low levels two TD economists feel that Mortgage rates may soon rise if the real estate market does not cool off. August home sales were up more than 18% across Canada over last year and avergae home prices continued to rise. Continued surging home sales and rising prices may force the Bank to rethink its pledge to keep its interest rates at .025% till mid 2010. Should this happen we may soon see interest rates rise.

 National Post ---The possibility exists that the Bank of Canada may have to break its conditional pledge on interest rates should the housing market continue its red-hot performance, economists at Toronto-Dominion Bank said Tuesday.

Read Paul Vieira's full article "Hot housing market could trigger rate hikes: TD" in the National Post (October 6, 2009).

 

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For Homes In The Communities of Uxbridge,Port Perry/Scugog Whitchurch Stouffville, Balantrae, Georgina and Brock. Just Give Me A Call OR Check Out The Listings On My Listing Web Site Let Me Find You A Home To learn more about what housing options Uxbridge has to offer; be it condominium or detached homes, in town or rural communities, country homes, estates or farms just give me a call or THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT ME   I will respond ASAP However I do not answer when driving or when with Clients

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