By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Haliburton Rotary Club is moving into the second phase of the Skyline Park restoration project, with a 2027 completion date still on target.
Charles Wheeler, chair of the Skyline Park project committee, said that despite some logistical shifts, the project remains on budget and on schedule for the 2026 construction season.
A main component of this year’s work is the construction of a second timber-frame picnic shelter. While the first shelter was completed through Diezel Woodworks and Haliburton School of Art + Design, the club had to pivot this year.
“Unfortunately, another municipality has snagged Diezel Woodworks to do a timber frame structure for themselves,” Wheeler explained, with Algonquin Highlands securing the firm for a gazebo project at the Dorset Heritage Museum. “So, we’re just in the process of evaluating bids from five different companies to build a second picnic shelter.”
A winning bid was expected to be finalized in April, followed by manufacturing, and installation planned for July or August.
A second component slated for completion this summer is the year-round, fully accessible washroom building that the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) committed to supplying, saving Rotary about $65,000 in capital costs.
“We originally asked the province to help fund us, and they originally said no,” Wheeler said. But with the assistance of Laurie Scott, our local MPP, she was able to convince the Ministry of Transportation, which owns Skyline Park, to take on the washroom building.”
The facility will replace the seasonal Porta-Potties that were used from May through October, providing a permanent solution for year-round visitors, including winter snowmobilers.
Further accessibility upgrades include the new upper viewing platform, constructed from donated granite, to allow those with mobility challenges to still enjoy the view without having to navigate the steep slope to the lower viewing area of the park.
Also on the list for the 2026 season is the installation of the six historical display boards that include the history of Skyline Park and an Indigenous land acknowledgement. The panels were funded through a $15,000 partnership between the Rotary Club, Haliburton County, and the Municipality of Dysart et al.
Wheeler said that the project remains on budget at $200,000, with the MTO assuming the cost of the washroom facilities; the Rotary’s net financial responsibility is about $135,000.
The Rotarian said that the work done to date was the result of significant volunteer labour. “It has been a real Rotary team effort to get the project to this point, including the Skyline Park project committee and the many other Rotary Club volunteers who assisted on site when needed,” Wheeler said.
