Editor’s note: A previous version of this story stated Haliburton Highlands Land Trust was paying around $820,000 for the 200-acre property. They aren’t. They’re paying $498,000, with the money coming from an $820,000 grant HHLT received from Parks Canada. We apologize for this error.

The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT) is closing the book on its 20th year in the County with some major news – it will soon be adding a seventh property to its portfolio of protected local nature reserves.

Sheila Ziman, a founding member of the group, said HHLT will close on a 200-acre property north of Minden in late January. The property is being purchased from County-based realtor Andy Campbell for $498,000. The money will come from an $820,000 grant HHLT received from Parks Canada to support its work across the Highlands.

Ziman said the land is located along Plantation Road and serves as a buffer to the Highlands Corridor – a 100,000-hectare strip of unceded Crown, municipal and public land that connects Silent Lake, Kawartha Highlands and Queen Elizabeth II provincial parks. The Highlands Corridor intersects with both the Frontenac Arch and Algonquin to Adirondacks Collaborative – key natural pathways that allows wildlife to move throughout southern Ontario.

The Campbell lands, as they’re currently known, is a major wetland area, with roughly a quarter of the property swamp-like, Ziman said.

“We’re always interested in wetlands, especially around Minden, because they act as nature’s sponge. They suck up water and then release it slowly… which helps with flooding. Protecting wetlands is a win-win for the community and for nature,” Ziman told The Highlander Dec. 9.

It’s the land trust’s second addition this year, following the purchase of the 40-hectare Hadlington Reserve in Highlands East in February. While the Hadlington parcel is inaccessible to the public, with no trail system, Ziman said the new property will be different.

Currently, there’s an approximate one-kilometre walking trail at the site, though Ziman said HHLT wants to add more, seeing the reserve as similar to Barnum Creek and Dahl Forest – two of the land trust’s other properties, which are popular among hikers.

“One of the most important things to me and the entire HHLT is to get people out on the land… we want to enhance the trail system at this new property, we would like to try to get out onto the wetland in a sustainable way… to see if we can put in a boardwalk or a viewing platform,” Ziman said.

Plans in place for parking lot and trail system

“Wetlands are so important and we want to increase people’s appreciation and understanding of their value. So, we intend to put a nice system in there and create some good hiking for folks. It’s only a 10-to-15-minute drive from Minden,” she added.

It will be some time before hikers can be accommodated, Ziman admitted, likely a year at least. The work is time-consuming and expensive, she said. First, there needs to be a management plan conducted to determine what species frequent or reside there, a parking lot will need to be developed and then trails mapped out.

Ziman said HHLT is looking to raise $75,000 to complete the work.

“We’re setting up an endowment fund to try to live as much as possible off the interest of that. We’re already at $10,000 raised,” Ziman said. “We’ve had some wonderful support from big environmental foundations and it’s really important now for them to see that the community is behind what we do, that our efforts are supported.”

Ziman noted a similar effort with the Hadlington property brought in $85,000 in a few months.

Natural features

HHLT board chair Todd Hall said the property is a great addition to the land trust’s portfolio.

“The property stands out for its sheer diversity of terrain… 15 unique habitats can be found here, from open meadows, pine plantations, fens, swamps and a sugar maple forest,” Hall said. “Our preliminary research already shows the property protects six regionally-rare or at-risk species, including snapping turtles, Midland painted turtles and Black Ash trees.”

After conducting a preliminary inventory in September, HHLT found 256 species on the property. It also features a large meadow that has been regularly maintained by the previous owner.

“Grassland habitats like these are rare in Haliburton and are some of the most threatened in Ontario,” Hall said. “By continuing to maintain this meadow, HHLT can provide vital habitat for grassland birds like the Meadowlark and Bobolink, whose populations have declined by 67 per cent, on average, since the 1970s.”

Ziman visited the property over the summer and marveled at its potential. She sees it becoming a popular self-guided hiking destination once the trails system is complete.

The next step, she said, is to have biologists come in and do some testing through winter. There’s also the little detail of coming up with a name – Ziman said HHLT is hoping the public will assist with that.

“There will be a naming contest – our other properties are often named after some type of geographical or historical feature. Barnum Creek was named after the watercourse that flows through the property, Dahl Forest was named after the family who donated it to us,” Ziman said.

“There is a creek that flows through this property, but it’s unnamed. There’s a history of plantations and old farms there,” she added, noting the contest will launch early in the new year. Ziman said HHLT also wants to do a guided interpretive walk with the public, likely in late winter.

Now that the deal has been made public, Ziman said she’s excited to tell people about the new addition – and why she feels it’s so important.

“We don’t want to get to where southern Ontario is. They’ve lost so many wetlands and so much forest that now they’re scrambling trying to recreate them,” Ziman said. “It’s practically impossible to create a wetland once it’s gone. They’re often thousands of years old. They can’t just be replaced. That’s why it’s so vital that we protect what we have here before it gets lost.”

Dysart et al council will have to wait until the new year to officially usher in changes to its official plan and zoning bylaw, in a move that will allow sheds and gazebos to be built close to a lake’s shoreline.

At a Dec. 9 public meeting, Jeff Iles, the township’s director of planning, said the latest proposal will allow gazebos to be placed along the water, providing they’re five metres from shore, while storage sheds will be permitted on lots that have a minimum 15 per cent slope incline from the shore to their residence.

A previous amendment to allow saunas within 10 metres of shore was dropped at a Nov. 25 meeting. They will be permitted 20 metres from shore, as per the township’s existing policy.

There was also a new provision requiring people to ensure any structure is fitting with the surrounding community.

“To address the visual impacts [to neighbours on the lake], the policy change has been updated to note the design of gazebos and sheds, including the exterior design, shall blend with natural surroundings and be screened from the view from the lake and neighbouring lots,” Iles said.

The township received nine new comments, with eight speaking against the change and one in favour. This was in-line with previous public discussions on the file – at a July public meeting, one of 18 speakers supported the plan. Last month, four residents attended a Nov. 25 public meeting to speak in favour of the move, with two against.

A public survey conducted earlier this year drew 735 responses, with 56 per cent in favour of the previous change – which was to allow gazebos within zero metres of shore, a shed within five metres and a sauna within 10 metres. Iles recommended against supporting that amendment.

This week, the planning director advised council a deferral is necessary due to recent changes to Ontario’s Planning Act.

“Amendments removed the municipality’s approval or right to address exterior design of residential buildings, including accessory buildings. This is something included in the policy today,” Iles said Tuesday. “Staff recommend deferral so we can amend those policies.”

Iles said that would also give him time to address legal and technical concerns brought forward by Harcourt Park Inc. He said the file would be brought back for a third public meeting in January. Council is currently scheduled to meet Jan. 27.

Council agreed to defer the file.

The Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) has told Minden Hills council if the township’s population grows, it may have to expand its water and wastewater system within the next 25 years.

Jason Younker, in presenting a water and wastewater rate study Nov. 27, said “the growth potential in Minden is high.” He said if the town’s population booms, “expansion of the water and wastewater system will likely need to be done” by 2050.

Younker noted the population had increased over the past 25 years, with the rate of increase from 2016 to 2021 being 14.5 per cent – about 2.9 per cent per year.

He said any expansions would be “quite pricy” and OCWA did not include it in forecasted capital expenditures for the systems. He estimated “many tens of millions of dollars. That is something to keep in mind, but we are recommending ‘I and I’.”

‘I and I’ refers to managing inflow and infiltration. That means things such as preventing unwanted entry of stormwater, groundwater, or snowmelt into a sanitary sewer system. It also means eliminating surface water from sources such as downspouts or storm drains. Other examples are stopping pipe cracks, leaks, or faulty joints.

The rate study is about ensuring the municipality charges enough money to pay for services.

Younker said the township now provides water to about 628 customers and wastewater to about 593.

The current billing structure is a combination of flat fees billed quarterly and metered rates based on a single rate per cubic metre of treated water for every water and sewer connection.

He estimated revenue from water at more than $630,000-a-year, and wastewater at more than $718,000 annually. Water expenditures were at just under $500,000 and wastewater just over $1 million.

OCWA further estimated the township needs $4.6m for the water system and $3.9m for the wastewater system between 2025 to 2050.

Younker said the closing 2024 water reserve balance is $1,858,081, and rate increases of two per cent per year for the next 25 years will result in an increase to the reserve fund balance.

The closing 2024 wastewater reserve balance is $1,123,646 and rate increases of two per cent per year for the entirety of the planning period results in a consistent decrease in the wastewater reserve fund.

For the water system, he said the township is well within capacity. He said they could double the population and still have extra capacity.

However, that is not the case for wastewater. “In terms of dry weather flows, it seems to be fine.

In terms of the wet weather flows, experienced in the spring melt, there do seem to be times when the system might need bypassing.”

However, he said they are still below the 80 per cent average flow mark where a sewage capacity upgrade might be recommended.

OCWA offered a number of recommendations: such as increasing flat fees; shifting revenue to wastewater; rate increases; rate increases with yearly rate changes; or maintaining the existing rate structure.

They concluded: “The water and wastewater systems are presently in a satisfactory financial position, with rate structures that may benefit from changes to balance out future projected financial reserves. Action should continue to be taken to address wastewater capacities (I & I reduction), with consideration given to the implementation of a planning process for a plant expansion.”

Council took no action on the report but CAO Cynthia Fletcher said OCWA will be presenting further information based on the recent discussion with council at the Dec. 15 budget meeting.

The Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation (HHHSF) is calling on County residents to join its recently-established wolf pack over the holidays, all in the name of raising money for the Haliburton hospital and Minden Health Hub.

The organization released its holiday stuffy in late November, introducing Timber the Wolf to supporters in the Highlands. The Foundation has been selling stuffed toys over the festive period annually since 1998, raising more than $165,000.

The stuffed toys cost $30 and are available at the HHHSF office in Haliburton, Todd’s Independent, BMO Haliburton, Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve, Minden CIBC and Foodland in Minden and Haliburton.

As is tradition, hospital staff voted on the name, with four people each picking Timber, Klodt Wong said.

Algonquin Highlands council has officially adopted its new five-year asset management plan, with the preparing consultant giving the township rave reviews for its recent long-term financial planning.

Benjamin Koczwarski, from London-based consultant UrbanRe, said the municipality owns assets worth approximately $76.7 million. With the township boasting an eight-figure portfolio, Koczwarski said an asset management plan will play a key role as council and municipal staffers prioritize facility, equipment and infrastructure repairs and replacement over the next decade. The plan provides an outlook through 2035.

“The asset management plan is not a budget – it is a planning document intended to inform the regular budgeting and project planning processes for the township.” Koczwarski said. “It’s not intended to be an immediate plan the township must follow, but something that gives you the information and perspective you need so that when you’re going into budget time, you can look at what the needs are yearover-year and make sure you’re covering all the bases.”

Koczwarski noted Algonquin Highlands is growing at a faster rate than the provincial average.

“That typically means there’s a growing need for additional investment in public assets. Generally, you need to increase the type of, or number of assets, or improve assets for that growing population,” he said.

Since 2020, the township has invested $3.52 million annually through its capital budget, with Koczwarski saying that needs to be slightly increased to reach the $3.61 million he’s recommending council dedicate each year until 2035.

Broken down by department, to replace all existing municipal assets the township would need to spend $34.47 million on its road network (44.92 per cent of the spend), $11.8 million on facilities (15.37 per cent), $10.73 million on bridges and culverts (13.98 per cent), $9.05 million on its fleet (11.79 per cent), $6.66 million on land improvements (8.67 per cent), and $4.04 million on machinery and equipment (5.27 per cent).

Koczwarski said the township’s roads are in “fairly good condition.” He anticipates the township will need to allocate $618,000 to maintain about 110 kilometres of the network in 2026. He credited council for prioritizing two recent major rehabilitation projects on North Shore Road and Big Hawk Lake Road, with both expected to begin next year.

The township owns “a fantastic diversity of facilities” Koczwarski said, with three fire halls, three community halls, the township office, public works garage and municipal airport.

He said he met with staff in October to discuss priority projects at municipal buildings, with eight buildings identified as problems. On top of the $1 million roof replacement of the airport hangars and $250,000 HVAC upgrades at the Dorset Recreation Centre, approved for next year, Koczwarski said there are accessibility improvements required at the Stanhope and Oxtongue Lake community centres.

The Dorset Fire Hall, also known as Station 60, needs replacing by 2030 at an estimated cost of $6 million.

“That facility is reaching the end of its useful life. To maintain a healthy and safe work environment for fire department staff, to uphold the equipment and fleet housed in the fire hall, it’s time for you to start thinking about potential replacements,” Koczwarski said.

The consultant said the township owns five bridges and culverts, which are all in good-to-very-good condition. Koczwarski recommended investing $80,000 in 2026 and building in an additional $107,000 each year to help with expensive replacements down the road.

Priorities under land improvements include new parking lots, upgrades at landfills and the Stanhope Municipal Airport, a rebuild of the log chute, and expanding the municipality’s docks and landings.

About 25 per cent of the municipal fleet is past its expected useful life, Koczwarski said. He recommended the township invest almost $590,000 upgrading its vehicles in 2026, with another $5.2 million required by 2035.

It was a similar story with equipment – about 30 per cent of the tools staffers utilize are past their expected useful life. He recommended council invest about $3.8 million addressing the shortfall over the next decade.

Koczwarski said the past two terms of council have done a good job investing in the municipality’s future.

“Over the past five years, you have been spending very close to the amount you should on capital projects, which is a very good sign,” he said. “The township also has reserve funds totalling $7.28 million, which is another good sign you have the resources needed to carry out these projects.”

Council officially adopted the asset management plan Nov. 20 – a key detail, Koczwarski notes as some federal and provincial revenue streams only accept grant applications from township’s with formal long-term outlooks.

At the age of 52 – and after 21 years of competing in harness dog sports – Algonquin Highlands’ Karen Koehler recently won her first-ever gold and silver medal at an international competition held in the U.S.

Koehler took part in the International Federation of Sledding Sports 2025 Dryland Championships in Minocqua, Wisconsin in late October – capturing her first world podiums.

And she did it without her beloved dog Zillion, who passed away this past spring unexpectedly at the age of three-and-a-half years.

Instead, Buncho, at nine, led the charge to gold in canicross – where the trainer and dog run together with the dog out front pulling the trainer along. And, Really, who just made the age qualifying limit, helped with the silver, in bikejoring, where dogs run in front of a bike, pulling it forward using bikejoring equipment.

“When I lost Zillie, I actually didn’t know if I would be able to do very much at worlds, but I applied for all the classes,” Koehler said in a recent interview at her home.

She started training with Mighty for canicross, but the dog’s back was hurting. She had never used Buncho for the discipline, thinking he would not like it. “He’s a very fast dog; he loves to bike. He loves skiing.” She worried he would want to be speedier on the running course.

But she started training with him, anyway, doing a slow build. “We were just at the right distance when we got to worlds in our training, 3.7 kilometres.

“Then you get to worlds, and you’ve got these obscene hills.” Koehler said it was fine going up, but coming down another story. There was mud and she feared she was going to crash. But she stayed up, thanks to strenuous training. “So, I stayed on my feet. I do not know how. Half my body was that way, I was sliding.”

On the penultimate day, she started bikejoring first, which gave her an idea of what the course would be like. That garnered the silver. It was day two of canicross, and she and Buncho were able to retain their lead for gold. All along, she had to protect a hamstring she injured years ago.

“It was something. I was so proud of myself. On the podium, I was blubbering. And they played the Canadian national anthem. It was just so crazy. Never had a world podium; the same day I had the silver and gold. It was just such a dream come true.”

She said between the challenging course, the biking, her age, and being mindful of her hamstring, “I was so happy with how everything came together. I had to work for it. I had to be so careful with my training.”

She was also proud of Buncho, at nine, and having come back from an injury two years ago.

“I was not sure if he would have to retire, but he has told me, clearly, he does not want to. He is perfect for where I am now. My first dogs that lived to 16 and 18 told me very clearly when they were done. It was just a sad look one day when we harnessed up, like I am not into this anymore, and that is when we stopped. They won’t run if they don’t want to. And when they want to run you know it. It is in their whole body and manner.”