With nine days to go in the Haliburton Highlands Arts Centre Foundation’s (HHACF) ‘big online summer raffle’, the group’s president, Michael Clipperton, said all funds raised will help progress plans to bring a new performing arts facility to the area.
Launched in June, the raffle is HHACF’s first-ever fundraiser, Clipperton said. There are five price points for people to choose from – they can purchase one ticket for $10, five for $20, 15 for $40, 50 for $75, or 100 for $100.
It’s being run online through Rafflebox, with $1,950 raised as of press time on Wednesday (Aug. 26). Clipperton said the host site will take eight-to-nine per cent of the total winnings, with the rest of the pot to be split between HHACF and the winner.
“We’re hoping to net about $1,000. This is our first attempt at a fundraising venture, and we’re pleased with how it’s gone so far,” Clipperton said.
It’s been four years since HHACF presented results from a feasibility study that suggested the Highlands community could sustain a “world-class” operation consisting of a 400-seat auditorium, rehearsal hall, backstage facilities, front of house lobby with concessions, office space for theatre management, and music studios.
The project was initially pegged at $48 million, though the foundation said in 2025 it had scaled back elements of the project to bring anticipated costs down to $30-35 million. In 2024, Dysart et al sold a 14-acre parcel on the corner of Wonderland Road and County Road 21 to HHACF for $1 to serve as the home of the future build.
Clipperton said the group has invested more than $200,000 so far commissioning various reports. Environmental impact and traffic studies have been completed, with expensive archeological and hydrogeological analyses up next.
After running a community survey over the summer, garnering 60 responses, Clipperton feels he and the rest of the HHACF board have a mandate from potential users of the site.
“We heard that people are in support of the project, they are hopeful it will happen, but they have concerns – particularly about the cost of rentals and how we’ll make that sustainable,” Clipperton said.
He said one of the most interesting things coming out of the survey is that 80 per cent of the respondents admitted they leave Haliburton County for much of their entertainment, with Toronto and Casino Rama popular destinations.
While still working with Dysart et al and the County on the file, Clipperton reaffirmed HHACF wants to have shovels in the ground by 2030.
“We’re hopeful, but this is going to be a long and drawn-out process. Our consultants who did the initial feasibility study were involved in the construction of the art centre in St. Catharines and that was a 20-year process,” Clipperton said.
“We’re hoping to get up to 50 per cent of the project costs covered by provincial and federal grants, but we’d still need to raise our portion. At that $30-35 million number, this would be the largest infrastructure project in the history of Haliburton County for the last 50 years,” he added.
Tickets can be purchased online at rafflebox.ca/raffle/hhacf.
