While many Highlands’ families are celebrating the changing of the seasons, plotting all manner of favourite festive traditions, Fuel for Warmth executive director, Sue Waite, said her primary thought is for the hundreds of locals worried about how they’ll stay warm this winter.
The County-based charity, founded in 2009, provides ongoing support to families in need through the cold weather months, Waite said. That can range from deliveries of split wood, propane and burning oil to keep fireplaces and furnaces running. The organization also helps with hydro reconnections.
Demand has boomed since Waite joined in 2022. Since then, she said the organization has delivered 233 loads of wood and spent $245,000 answering 370 emergency calls for service – including 48 deliveries and over $13,000 spent on 26 calls since Oct. 1.
“As soon as the first frost hits, I start getting calls,” Waite told The Highlander. “There are a lot of people in dire straits – folks who live in trailers, off-grid on Crown land, lots of moving around. We have one client who lives in a school bus she converted. It’s amazing how creative people get.”
Of the calls she receives, Waite said some are from households that have large tanks that only need one fill per season, while others have smaller tanks requiring multiple fills. Money is never paid out to clients – instead, Waite has agreements with local suppliers she pays to do top ups.
In recent seasons, especially following the March 2025 ice storm, Waite said there had been more niche requests – people looking for help fixing or upgrading their furnaces, one woman who needed to replace the chimney for her pellet stove, and a senior who required financial support keeping a generator running to keep her sump pump operational during last year’s ice storm and subsequent power outage.
“When burdensome projects like that come up, we try to help where we can,” Waite said, noting some are also referred to the Haliburton County Heat Bank.
The organization is bankrolled entirely by community donations. Waite said she has 64 sponsors who have contributed funds for the upcoming season. More will be raised at the 13th annual Highlands Christmas Shindig, taking place at the Haliburton Legion Nov. 21.
Lead organizer, Drew Allen, said he had no idea how much of an impact the Shindig had until he joined as a performer, initially, in 2022. When he reached out to volunteer his services again in 2023, he learned the annual bash was on the chopping block so swooped in to save it.
“When I saw how many people were supporting this, how much it was raising and why, it struck a chord. I really didn’t understand how big the need was in Haliburton County for people living below the poverty line,” Allen said. “The Shindig is about wrapping a warm blanket around the community.”
Waite said the County is one of the poorest communities per capita in Ontario, with nearly a quarter of children living in poverty. The area routinely vies with Manitoulin Island for the dubious honour.
Allen’s first move was to relocate the Shindig from the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion to the Haliburton Legion, which saves thousands of dollars and allows for more of a party atmosphere, he said. Gone is the multi-act variety show, replaced with a band, dance floor and, new this year, dinner.
“We’re going to have lasagna, Caesar salad and fresh buns – we’re starting an hour earlier and mixing things up to try and get more people to come,” Allen said.
The Jeff Moulton Band is providing the entertainment, with a silent auction featuring a one-night off-season stay at the Bonnie View Inn, restaurant gift certificates and tickets to Highlands Summer Fesitval, Heritage Ballet’s annual production of The Nutcracker, and Highlands Opera Studio. Shindig tickets are $55, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m.
While Waite said it’s impossible to predict how many calls for service she’ll receive this winter, she’s anticipating another busy year. Numbers have increased year-over-year, with 100 calls for emergency support in both 2024 and 2025. It’s a similar story at the Minden Community Food Centre, where Waite also helps.
She encouraged anyone in need of a helping hand to contact her at 705-854-9208, where they’ll be directed to fill out a form on the charity’s website.
“A lot of people now can’t afford food, or to heat their home. And these are working families,” Waite said. “I’ve heard every kind of story at this point, and they all break my heart. It’s just nice to be able to help where we can.”
