Don’t defer the shoreline bylaw

March 17, 2022

LG-tree cutting (5) — A shoreline in Haliburton County

County Coun. Andrea Roberts – during the latest shoreline preservation bylaw meeting – wondered aloud if the contentious document should be left to the next council since nominations are opening May 2 for this fall’s municipal elections.

Her comment was not met with enthusiasm by the majority of councillors so it would appear the bylaw is not going to be shelved pending a new County council which would not really come into effect until December 2022.

I can understand where Roberts is coming from. This bylaw has been five years in the making and it is probably the hardest one councillors have been involved with. They have dealt with the wrath of some members of the community. There have been threats they won’t be re-elected if it is passed. They have read literally hundreds of pages of reports on the file.

However, watching the process unfold – in particular the committee of the whole meetings in January and again on March 9 – progress is being made.

Councillors are raising very good questions on behalf of their constituents and it appears they are trying to find a middle ground so that they can actually pass the bylaw – and in so doing, do a better job of protecting our precious lakes.

The discussion around setbacks was telling in this regard. Councillors had been offered three choices, really. They could go with 30-metres, 20-metres or 10-metres. With a majority of councillors indicating a leaning towards 20 m it showed they are listening to the people who will be impacted by the bylaw. And those who wanted more, 30-metres, or less, 10-metres, said they would be willing to compromise to get the bylaw passed.

There will be some environmentalists in our community who will be outraged if a 20-metre buffer is passed. There will be others who will be maddened if it isn’t 10 or 15 or zero. However, the middle ground seems to be the only way this bylaw will get over the line.

There were numerous other examples of councillors having done their homework. They pressed for clear delineation between major and minor works. They pointed out there is a huge difference between a small subdivision on the water versus a couple wanting to move their fire pit. They ensured a clearer definition of minor landscaping to allay the fears of those wanting to do small works at their cottage. They also ensured that someone can still bring a hand drawing of their plans to planning and building departments, not having to hire a surveyor for these minor, small works.

They are working to clarify what this bylaw is all about – namely ensuring larger developments do not negatively impact our lakes.

They also spent a great deal of time talking about how the bylaw would be implemented since they are acutely aware that the paper is only as good as its follow-through, including policing it.

So, while I get what Roberts is saying, I would encourage the council to stay the course. This bylaw has been five years in the making and they are nearing the finish line. Will all members of the community like the completed bylaw? No. However, like all bylaws, it is not set in stone. The council, as has been discussed, can revisit it in a year after passing it to see if it is working or not and make changes then.

Don’t give up now. You are almost there.

Artists ’in limbo’ after Agnes Jamieson curator departure

Sam Gillett

March 17, 2022

Members of the arts community say they’re concerned over the departure of the Agnes Jamieson Gallery’s curator and cancellation of spring and summer programming.

Haliburton artist Rose Pearson spent more than 12 months developing an exhibit that’s now indefinitely postponed after it was confirmed curator Laurie Carmount was no longer employed by the municipality.

“It is so very awkward to communicate to people about this because there has been no real explanation for why the show cannot go on – other than I was told that there was no staff to make the show happen at this time,” Pearson said in an email.

Mary Anne Barkhouse, whose solo exhibition was postponed because of COVID restrictions in 2021, said in an email to local media her show is “now in limbo due to Laurie’s sudden departure.”

She said even if the show can happen in the future, other exhibits and commitments mean she won’t be able to reschedule until 2023.

She said Carmount put the Agnes Jamieson Gallery on the map, developing shows that were toured across Canada and nurturing the careers of developing artists.

She also showcased a collection of more than 100 paintings by renowned artist Andre Lapine.

“Through her initiatives, Laurie was able to advance critical dialogue between local and national interests,” Barkhouse said.

Both artists said they were concerned that Minden Hills has not provided any public updates about the gallery or Carmount’s departure.

Minden Hills Mayor Brent Devolin declined to provide any information on Carmount’s departure from the gallery due to confidentiality protocol. “We never comment on HR, ever,” he said.

Director of community services Craig Belfry did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.

Carmount could not be reached for comment.

Arts community rallies

On March 12, multiple members of the arts community attended a rally at the gallery to voice concerns over the future of the space.

“We just wanted to make sure our support was known,” said Tammy Rea, director of Sticks and Stones, and Those Other Movies, both parts of the Haliburton County Community Co-operative.

The gathering emerged out of a planned artist talk from Alex Jack, who was exhibiting a collection at the gallery March 12. The talk was cancelled.

Fay Wilkinson, a registered expressive arts practitioner, said the crowd seemed “shocked” and “a bit disappointed,” by the news of Carmount’s departure and the temporary closure of the gallery.

“Something pretty big has gone down here, and everyone is in the dark at this point,” Wilkinson said.

Devolin said, “the reality of what we are or are not doing [about gallery programming] probably will be part of the discussions on the 24th of March in the context of budget.”

When asked about the long-term future of the gallery’s in-person shows and programming, Devolin said, “Do I think they are going to necessarily be 100 per cent the same as they’ve been historically? Probably not. But there’s been some important well-supported parts of what goes on there that I don’t think anybody wishes to see go away.”

Jim Mitchell, cultural centre advisory committee member and past chairperson, said he is concerned as to whether there may or may not be a budget reduction to the centre this year when council discusses its budget March 24.

Mitchell received word Carmount was no longer employed by the municipality soon after a Feb. 22 committee meeting was cancelled.

“Everybody would like to know what’s gone on. Laurie has been around for a long time. She’s been the heart and soul of the cultural centre and is highly respected in the community,” Mitchell said.

Rea said the situation seems like a slight to a valuable part of the Highlands’ identity. “I feel like they want to Zamboni over

the art gallery to pay for that hockey arena. Whereas all things need to be supported in this township. We are not just hockey, we

are not just an art gallery,” Rea said. She said she’d like to ask Minden Hills staff and council “what did happen, and what is going to happen?”

Disc golf exploding in popularity

Mike Baker

March 17, 2022

Darrell Bankes has big plans for disc golf in Haliburton County in 2022.

After helping design and construct an 18-hole course at Abbey Gardens last summer, Bankes, one of Canada’s leading disc golf professionals, has developed a full program of events and activities for this year. The first will be taking place March 19, and has been appropriately named the 2022 Ice Bowl.

“It’s definitely been a long winter. We’ve tried to keep the course accessible, but with the amount of snow we get up in Haliburton, winter disc golf is still a bit of a challenge. Still, we’re excited to put on our first event of the new year,” Bankes told The Highlander. “The Ice Bowl is going to be a formal tournament. It has been sanctioned by the Professional Disc Golf Association [PDGA], and so is very appealing to both amateur and professional players to come out, have some fun and help improve their rankings.”

As of press time there were 48 players signed up, with six spots still available.

Donations will be taken on the day in support of Central Food Network. Bankes is hoping to raise $1,000 for the organization’s heat bank program, while non-perishable food items will also be collected.

“The main focus of an Ice Bowl is to support food-based charities. They mainly happen during this time of the year because of the lull many organizations see between Christmas and Easter, when they’re getting less donations and contributions from the community,” Bankes noted.

Participants will be travelling from as far away as Kitchener, Waterloo and Ottawa to play, bringing dozens of visitors to the area. Bankes said the tourism aspect of disc golf has been a major benefit to the Highlands since Abbey Gardens opened its course last July.

“We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the response. We’ve had thousands of rounds played since opening and have hosted a couple of big events. The thing we’ve heard time and again is how beautiful and unique our course is,” Bankes said. “Our trail is probably two miles long, but it traverses a large portion of Abbey Gardens. It’s an incredible hike that hits all the main features of the property.”

Looking beyond the Ice Bowl, Bankes said Abbey Gardens will be hosting a national amateur tournament May 14, which is already sold out. The winner of that event may qualify for a finals tournament to be held in Austin, Texas over the summer.

Bankes is also setting up a weekly league for local residents to enjoy. He hopes to launch in April.

Disc golf exploded in popularity during the pandemic, offering people the chance to get active and have fun while still being able to socially distance. Bankes, through his company Tin Lid Disc Golf, has helped to design several courses all over North America, including in Hawaii and Fort McMurray. He has another four courses he’ll be working on this year.

“Disc golf is the fastest growing activity in North America right now. Anyone can play,” Bankes said. “People are predicting that within five years, there will be more disc golf courses in Canada and the U.S. than regular golf courses. It’s a fun activity, it only takes about 90 minutes to play a full 18-holes, and it’s cheap. All you need is a disc, and a good pair of walking shoes.”

For more information, visit abbeygardens.ca/disc-golf.

Greens announce provincial candidate for HKLB

Lisa Gervais

March 17, 2022

The Green Party of Ontario has announced that Tom Regina has been nominated as its candidate for Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock ahead of the 2022 provincial election.

“Tom is a long-time resident and member of the region and understands the key challenges facing the area,” said Ontario Greens Leader Mike Schreiner in a news release.

“He gets it. He’s a strong community builder and will be an authentic and real voice for his neighbours at Queen’s Park.”

A resident of Haliburton for more than 30 years, Regina taught music and was the head of arts at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School.

As a teacher in a rural community, the party said he has seen the challenges faced by many families regarding equitable access to housing, transportation and jobs.

“I’m concerned about the divisive political culture that stands in the way of putting forward real solutions to improve people’s lives, green solutions like affordable housing, accessible transit and good, green jobs,” Regina said.

“We need to start collaborating more in politics and focus on building a greener, more caring and equitable Ontario.”

Regina said he is a strong advocate for arts education and community building through arts participation.

He is a founding member of two community choirs, a local music festival for students of all ages, and the Highlands Summer Festival, which provides theatre experience for community members in a semi-professional setting.

He is joined so far in the race by Conservative candidate and incumbent Laurie Scott and NDP candidate Barbara Doyle. Regina was one of the founding members of the HKLB Green Association which launched in 2021

Minden closes book on Bob Lake launch

Sam Gillett

March 17, 2022

Minden Hills council voted against funding a new Bob Lake boat launch due to estimated project costs and location constraints.

A report from Tatham Engineering estimated a new boat launch at the lake would cost the municipality $180,000.

A previous municipally-maintained boat launch was closed in 2016 after it was discovered to be located partially on private property.

Councillors Lisa Schell, Jennifer Hughey, Jean Neville, Bob Carter and Mayor Brent Devolin voted to accept staff’s recommendation to not pursue the longstanding matter any further. Coun. Pam Sayne voted against the motion.

CAO Trisha McKibbin said she discussed the price estimate, which the Bob Lake Association (BLA) has contested, with staff members who said it appeared to be accurate. Tatham Engineering is an Ontariowide engineering service.

Included in Tatham’s report is a description of location-related factors contributing to the estimate, including tree removal, topsoil stripping, granular subbase and base placement, ditch drainage improvements, earth excavation and grading, and dredging parts of the lake bottom.

Tatham estimates $150,000 in further fees not included in construction costs, including blasting fees, legal consultations and topographical surveys.

The BLA, which funded 50 per cent of the engineering report, said the estimate is “severely inflated.”

In a letter to councillors and staff, the BLA included quotes based on Tatham Engineering’s design but from local contractors, quoting lower prices. Hawk River Construction estimated the project would cost $61,401.46 and Tom Prentice and Sons estimated $53,253.46, “clearly indicating that the launch can be constructed for less than $100,000,” wrote the BLA.

The BLA points to material estimates they’ve received which show concrete estimates from alternative companies could bring the price down by $33,000, and gravel costs by $12,000.

Sayne said she’d like to see staff meet with the BLA to discuss the report and the project estimate.

“We’ve taken a lake, and we’ve turned it into a private lake where there’s no public access,” she said. “How do we then take away access people have had for a long time? I wouldn’t want to see this as a trend.”

Hughey said by commissioning the report council has “fulfilled our responsibilities to these individuals.” She said the financial impact of building this launch would hamper the fixing of others. “As the CAO said, boat launches are in dire straits.”

The staff report said “it is staff’s recommendation that repair and maintenance occur to existing infrastructure before new infrastructure is constructed. Otherwise, the existing boat launches will fall in further disrepair and either have to be decommissioned or fully rebuilt.”

Carter said, “we on council try to truly represent all our constituents. That’s our constituents who want this boat ramp and the constituents on this lake who’ve written to us that don’t want a boat ramp.”

Devolin said Minden Hills has “exhausted every opportunity and it’s unfortunate. The scale of it financially for me has made my decision.”

BLA urges ‘due diligence’

Robert Roszell, BLA vice-chairperson, said the organization will attempt to continue the conversation with council.

He said council’s discussion did not include mention of alternative funding methods for the launch, such as cost-sharing with Bob Lake residents or using reserve funds.

“It was very evident it wasn’t discussed, and other funding for this wasn’t discussed,” he said.

The BLA said local realtors say lack of public lake access lowers property values, which in turn will decrease the tax base in the area. The lack of a launch, said Roszell, turns Bob Lake into a “private lake.”

BLA board member Ross Gladwell added that the environmental impact of numerous private boat launches constructed around the lake will likely be worse than that of a professionally-built launch with plans for re-vegetation.

Roszell said council should discuss these factors, as well as the alternative cost estimates, as a matter of due diligence.”

He said the BLA will continue advocacy on the issue.

“Our group is very tenacious, we’re going after this thing and it’s not going away,” he said.

HE votes against support of Centre Lake lots

Sam Gillett

March 17, 2022

Highlands East council voted against supporting and application for lot creation on a portion of Crown land abutting Centre Lake.

In a recorded vote, all but Coun. Cecil Ryall voted in favour of declining the application for lot creation adjacent to the lake. The application includes plans to build 28 cottages, a 60-suite commercial resort and spa and wellness retreat accessed via an unopened road allowance.

The County of Haliburton, which can still vote to approve the application, will host a virtual public meeting on the application April 27.

The MNRF previously requested township feedback on the disposition of land. Council voted against supporting the disposition of a 200-foot Crown land reserve.

In a draft response to the County, which asked for Highland East’s input, planner Chris Jones outlined multiple concerns including lack of shoreline ownership to the water’s edge; the scale of use and servicing of the resort hotel; construction of undetermined buildings or structures or communal docking facilities on or over the lake; recreational carrying capacity of Centre Lake; and designation of the area as wetlands.

“The municipality questions the merit of a development application which is predicated on access over an unopened municipal road allowance that is neither owned or authorized for the proposed use by the applicant,” reads the draft.

Jones said, “I don’t see how council is in a position to support the application in an upcoming public meeting.”

In an emailed statement after council’s vote, Steven Megganety, representing the Granite Shores development said the project has received more than “2,000 direct contacts, questions, comments and reviews of the submitted plans and studies on the Granite Shores project alone. We are engaging with all the stakeholders and interested parties who have expressed interest in this $40M economic development project in the region and, hopefully, we can move forward.”

A website produced by Granite Shore to solicit community feedback is no longer active.

Members of the public have voiced concerns over the development’s use of Crown Land, and disruption of the currently undeveloped lake ecosystem.

Michael Thomas, president of the nearby Paudash Lake Conservation Association, said in an email, “I was pleased with Highlands East’s decision yesterday which has them, by recorded vote, being against the Crown reserve being released to the developers and also against the application made by Granite Shores to [the] County.”

The MNRF said public consultation on the disposition of the land closed on June 25, 2021. It’s final decision on the matter, regional manager Pauline Capell said, will be made after receiving township and County feedback.

Highlanders react to dropping of mask rules

Sam Gillett

March 17, 2022

Highlands businesses are looking to the March 21 provincial lifting of mask mandates and figuring out what they are going to do.

Businesses, schools and indoor public spaces will no longer enforce mask wearing as of next Monday. And all remaining COVID-19 health measures will be dropped by the end of April.

Wilberforce Legion president John Glassey said, “I think everybody is pretty happy with it.” He anticipates some members will continue to wear masks into the legion for weekly darts games and other social events.

There is still choice as to whether or not to enforce masking.

Dave Camelon of the Minden Legion said members haven’t decided how to proceed but the veterans’ organizatin previously voted to continue requiring attendees to be vaccinated.

Masking rules will still be in effect for health care, such as the area’s two hospitals, congregate living settings, public transit, long-term care homes, shelters and jails.

Dr. Aerin Greidanus of Highlands Chiropractic & Wellness Centre, said she anticipates confusion at her clinic if people are uninformed as to which spaces will still require masking.

She said at her clinic, “… masks will still be required, along with active screening for COVID symptoms and increased cleaning and sanitizing practices.”

The Highlands’ top doctor Natalie Bocking said masks are still key in preventing the spread of the virus.

“We know that masks are an effective and easy way to slow transmission of COVID19,” said Dr. Bocking, Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge’s chief medical officer of health at a media information session Mar. 9.

“What is key is we continue to be aware COVID-19 is still in the community, there are still people who will get COVID-19,” she said.

Bocking said “time will tell” whether the decision to remove masking rules comes too soon.

“It does place the onus on individuals to assess risk for themselves, and the impact on other people,” she said.

Bocking added that businesses and other settings have the ability to maintain masking rules, acknowledging the possibility the decision might prove contentious.

“The pandemic has been a long pandemic and certainly has the potential to continue on: it’s very unfortunate in some settings [masks have] become divisive,” she said.

Isolation rules change

If you’re over 18 with a booster dose or considered fully isolated, you won’t need to isolate if someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19. The isolation period for vaccinated people remains five days. For unvaccinated people who have COVID-19, as well as unvaccinated close contacts, the isolation period remains 10 days.

As of Mar. 11, the province also will change how it reports COVID-19 deaths. It will specify whether COVID-19 caused a death, contributed to a death or if the cause of death is unknown.

Council leans towards 20 metre setbacks

Lisa Gervais

March 17, 2022

A majority of County councillors indicated March 9 they would not support a 30-metre buffer zone if they pass a shoreline preservation bylaw.

Councillors Cecil Ryall, Carol Moffatt, Dave Burton. Andrea Roberts and Lisa Schell all expressed a preference for 20 metres.

Warden Liz Danielsen and Coun. Brent Devolin said they would like to stick to the recommended 30 metres. Coun. Patrick Kennedy went on record with 10 metres to a maximum of 15. However, for the sake of getting the bylaw passed, the three said they were open to compromise.

“It sounds like we’re definitely agreed on 20 metres for now,” Danielsen said.

The County committee of the whole held a special full afternoon meeting to discuss the latest draft of the bylaw that has been in the works for five years. A revised draft is expected to be tabled in April.

With regards to setbacks, consultants J.L Richards (JLR) and Hutchinson Environmental Services Ltd. (HESL) recommended 30 metres.

They said it would achieve “an effective range of ecological services.” That includes removing up to 85 per cent of pollutants and sediment and 75 per cent of nitrogen. Further, it would provide 100 per cent of woody debris input, maintain water temperature and protect chemical, physical and biological components of aquatic systems. Thirty metres conforms to the County’s Official Plan, is consistent with provincial guidance, and is inline with the approach used in other comparable municipalities.

Their draft added 20 metres would achieve 85 per cent removal of sediment.

Ryall said in all of the reports presented to council “there is really not a great amount of difference between 20 and 30 metres.” He added when the County surveyed the public, 63 per cent of respondents wanted 20 metres or less.

Similar to Ryall, Moffatt said her understanding of consultant and outside advise is that “at something like 20 metres, there’s still a good level of protection.” She added there are external factors beyond the County’s control that are affecting lake health. They include things such as wakes made by boats, invasive species, damage from geese, cormorants, and climate change. Yet she said, they were asking property owners “to bear the burden of their half of the lake health when there’s nothing we can do” about other factors.

Burton, Roberts and Schell did not elaborate on their reasons for 20 metres.

Devolin commented, “the only way to really know is to do it and whether we have success or not. If we choose a lesser (zone) and our water quality degrades, we’ll know we made a bad decision … it’s (30 metres) a number we’ve historically picked and I haven’t had good cause to deviate from that.”

Danielsen said 30 metres was her preference for consistency as well as the recommendations of the consultants.

“I really feel strongly about the importance of protecting our lakes. And we’ve all agreed that we want to implement this document in a form that’s acceptable to us all so I’m open to 20 metres if that is what everybody is agreeing to. And if we find that we’ve made an error, in the future, we have an opportunity to change it. We may find that it works just fine,” the warden said.

For information on other revisions, the meeting was recorded and can be accessed via the County of Haliburton website. The agenda documents are also available there.

Curlers earn medals at college finals

Mike Baker

March 11, 2022

It was very nearly a clean sweep for three Haliburton teens who each secured podium finishes at the Ontario College Athletic Association’s [OCAA] curling championships in Sault Ste. Marie Feb. 17-21.

Jessica Byers earned gold and Jacob Dobson silver representing the Humber Hawks, with Byers curling second on the women’s’ team and Dobson serving as lead on the men’s team. Liam Little, curling lead for the Mohawk Mountaineers, claimed gold at the event.

“It’s a huge testament to the calibre of our local curling clubs, and the efforts they have put into their youth curling programs to have three elite athletes not only competing in a provincial championship, but to walk away with three medals,” said Cynthia McAlister, Byers’ mother. “Our local curling clubs and members in both Haliburton and Minden should be immensely proud of their youth curling programs.”

Byers played a pivotal role in her team’s 8-6 victory over the Niagara Knights in an exciting gold medal game.

Speaking after the win, she credited her experiences curling in the Highlands with providing her with the technical and mental know-how to compete on the provincial stage.

“The volunteers provided me with an atmosphere to continually grow, improve, set and achieve bigger and bigger goals as an athlete and as a person. If I think about what curling means to me, I find myself almost at a loss for words. It’s become part of who I am,” Byers said. “When I curl, surrounded by so many inspiring and talented people, I forget about anything else going on in the world, focus on one shot at a time, and support one another. We all come back and love the sport for that reason.”

After a pulsating, back and forth encounter, Little led his Mountaineers side to a 5-4 victory over his former HHSS teammate Dobson. The pair thanked the likes of Scotty and Jane Boyd, Russ Duhaime and Hugh Nichol for their support and guidance through their formative years playing in Haliburton County.

Dobson pointed to the steady stream of curling prospects that have come out of the Highlands in recent years, saying it was important that local clubs continue to engage with youth and encourage them to hit the sheets.

“I’d like to stress how important it is to continue to rebuild the youth curling programs now that we’re on the back end of the pandemic,” Dobson said. “Haliburton and Minden have been able to produce some of the top curlers on every level of the game. This all starts at the grassroots level of getting kids into the game at the elementary level and showing them what it possible.”

Highland Storm blow away Mariposa in impressive win

Sam Gillett

March 10, 2022

The Highland Storm U-18 team started their playoff round Friday night (March 4) versus the Mariposa Lightning in their home barn.

The Storm skated away with a 3-1 win, giving them their first victory against Mariposa all season. It was a good start to the six-game playoff format. Saturday night (March 5) saw a packed home game against the Orono Leafs.

Their only meeting was a 2-1 victory in a tournament in Brighton. The Storm attacked fast and furious scoring three goals in the first five minutes.

The offensive power lines of Kaine Brannigan, Kyan Hall, Aiden Perrott and Will Craftchick, Nick Phippen and Avery Degeer dazzled the crowd with multiple chances and talented puck movement to provide the opening goals.

The lead was short-lived when Orono battled back to tie the game 3-3. The Storm U-18’s never gave up and never stopped skating after the tie. The tremendous offensive ability and defensive wall from Ty Mills, Hunter Winder, Mathew Wilson and Ben Robinson continued like they have done all year long and stopped any further damage and provided a few more goals to pad the lead.

Goaltending from Ethan Dobson was elite and he was able to secure rebounds and stop play when needed. This team, however could not be successful without the tenacity and relentless effort from Cooper Coles, Cooper Lloyd, Alex Hendry and the weapon, Brody Prentice. Lloyd threw a thundering body check to set the tone early in the third period.

The score ended 7-4 for your hometown Storm. With four games remaining, the U-18 Storm players are at full strength and full energy to finish the playoffs on a high and move on to the year-end tournament in Barrie.

Come out and support your U-18 Highland Storm team at their next home playoff games: Wednesday, March 23 at 7 p.m. in Haliburton vs the Brock Wild and March 25 at 8 p.m. in Haliburton versus their arch rivals, Sturgeon Lake Thunder

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