Cathy Andrews volunteers at the Royal Canadian Legion in part as tribute to her grandfather. She said Wilfred Edwin Andrews was a quiet man who served as an acting lance corporal during the period the Great War. He served with the 169th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. His granddaughter, ladies auxiliary president, honours his memory.

Todmorden Mills, located at 67 Pottery Rd., is a great way to experience authentic pioneer living. This historical site is running a daily drop-in program dubbed "March Mania in the Valley," from 12-4 pm over the break.

The loons and the cranes are the chief clans. The deer clan people are loving and nurturing. The marten clan is the warrior, and the bird clan carry spiritual knowledge. Medicine is represented by the bear clan. The turtle and fish are the intellectuals, the planners and educators who share information among clans.

Paula Davies' team is out twice weekly bringing the site back to what it once was. A recent problem that she's noticed in the preserve is that guests are digging up plants and taking them away.

Elizabeth Novak said she worries about the effect the past winter is going to have on the Todmorden Mills preserve. There are 94 documented bird species frequenting the area, and with the unusual winter, their migratory pattern has been affected.

“I think watercolour is an incredible, beautiful medium,” said Alejandro Rabazo. “Big oil paintings are powerful, but this is very elegant.”

But these plants, displayed in the facility’s Papermill Gallery, weren’t real. They were artful renditions by the Botanical Artists of Canada (BAC), which held its annual juried art exhibition at the centre, located on Pottery Road.