Police search for break and enter suspect in AH

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November 12, 2021

OPP-web — Police have arrested three people in connection with an ongoing investigation into a theft and drug ring. File photo.

Police are investigating a Nov. 12 break and enter in Algonquin Highlands Township.

At approximately 12:21 a.m., Haliburton Highlands OPP responded to a report of a male entering a window of a residence on Harvest Moon Lane.

The man left before police arrived, and the occupant of the residence was unharmed.

The OPP Emergency Response Team and Canine Unit attended the scene, but were unable to locate the suspect.

The suspect is described as a male, approximately 6 feet tall with a medium build, wearing dark clothing.

Police report this investigation is ongoing.

A press release asks locals to “be vigilant, and lock all doors and windows. Residents are also asked to check security cameras and report anything suspicious to police.”

Anyone with information to call Haliburton Highlands OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Santa set to return to Haliburton village

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Sam Gillett

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November 12, 2021

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After a subdued 2020 holiday season, one of Haliburton’s most popular Christmas events is back.

On Nov. 26 at 6:30 p.m., the Lions and Rotary clubs, in partnership with the Downtown Haliburton BIA will herald in the festive season with the town’s Santa Claus Parade.

“We’re excited,” said Jim Frost, longtime organizer of the event, which regularly sees more than 400 people line the village’s main street.

Jim and his partner, Marilyn Frost, said one of their favourite parts of the event is Santa’s famous sled and reindeer, a special float that took a group of four men an estimated 3,000 hours to create.

“It’s just like you’d see in a big-city parade,” said Marilyn.

A tree-lighting will spark the night’s festivities in Haliburton’s square, across from the Bank of Montreal, at 6 p.m..

Everyone’s invited to bring a decoration to place on the tree.

And of course, the man in red himself has confirmed he’ll be in attendance.

“I spoke to him and he said ‘Jim, as long as I have air in my lungs, I’ll be doing it,’” said Frost, adding with a smile that “Santa has email up there in the North Pole.”

Alongside Santa Claus will be honourary parade marshall, Mike Jaycock, making his return to Haliburton after moving away from the community earlier this year. As the procession of around 40 festive floats proceeds down the street, Marilyn said it’s often a beautiful night: “last year it was a full moon right at the top of Highland Street. The moon came up and shot straight down the street as soon as the parade was starting. It was incredible.”

Jim said safety protocols are top of mind: for COVID-19, all attendees must wear a mask and maintain a two-metre distance from others. For parade safety, there are no candy handouts allowed and float riders must remain seated at all times.

To enter the parade, contact Jim Frost at 705 457 4031 or email jandmfrost@ outlook.com

Minden Santa parade set for next week

By

Mike Baker

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November 12, 2021

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Santa Claus is set to make his longanticipated return to Haliburton County on Nov. 20.

With the festive season quickly approaching, Highlands residents will have the chance to get into the Christmas spirit by attending the region’s first Santa Claus parade of the year, being held in Minden.

This will be the first such event since 2019, and Elisha Weiss, Minden Hills’ community development coordinator, says she’s excited to bring the parade back this year.

“The Santa Claus parade is usually the big kick-off to the holiday season for Minden. Last year, not being able to do it due to COVID, things didn’t quite feel the same,” Weiss said.

This year’s parade will begin at 11 a.m. at the Minden Curling Club. Floats will travel down Parkside Street to Bobcaygeon Road, then travel south down Bobcaygeon Road, over the main street bridge and along the downtown core before turning onto Newcastle Street and, finally, St. Germain Street. The route will end at the township offices.

“It’s not an overly long route. The parade usually lasts about 45 minutes,” Weiss said.

Initially, the township was planning to have a drive-thru event but with provincial regulations over in-person outdoor events changing last month, a decision was made to “quickly pivot” and organize a traditional parade.

There are only a handful of floats signed up so far, but Weiss expects there to be between 20 and 25 featured on the day. Anyone interested in participating in the parade can contact Weiss at eweiss@ mindenhills.ca.

Immediately following the parade, Santa Claus will be making his way over to the Minden Hills Cultural Centre, for an outdoor Christmas in the Village event, which will run until around 3 p.m.

“There will be some artisan vendors, a homemade bake shop and candy shop, some live music. And, of course, Santa Claus will be there. We’ll have a little space set up for him and families to do a little meet and greet,” Weiss said.

She added, “We’re just excited to be able to do this and, hopefully, kick off everyone’s season in a much better way this year.”

P4P event to shine light on homelessness

By

Mike Baker

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November 12, 2021

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Places for People is bringing back a unique fundraiser designed to both raise money for its proposed housing projects in Haliburton County and shine a light on the growing issue of homelessness in our community.

Last held in 2019, the Sleeping in Cars event is exactly as advertised – participants gather and spend a night slumbering in their vehicles.

“The idea is that the experience will show people how uncomfortable it is to sleep in your car on a cold night,” said Nataly Mylan, one of the event’s organizers. “This is a reality many people in our community face. Homelessness in rural communities is really difficult to see, but it is out there.”

Mylan said there are more people than ever before at risk of homelessness right now in Haliburton County, largely due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Major spikes in the value of local real estate haven’t only priced potential homebuyers out of the market, it’s had a trickle-down effect on renters too.

“People who, traditionally, would have been seen as fairly stable and being able to maintain a home are finding that properties they rent are being sold out from underneath them, and there are no other rental properties available. Even the ones that are [available] can be outside of a lot of people’s reach,” Mylan said.

Her chief concern is that many of the community’s elderly residents could soon have no option but to leave Haliburton County if the situation continues to worsen.

“A lot of these people are our grandmothers, our older family members. These are people that have solid roots within the community and are faced with the reality of having to move outside of it to be able to find secure housing. If that happens, not only do they lose, but our community loses too,” Mylan said. “These are the people that volunteer, that show up to events, that are there in our churches and when they start to disappear because they can’t afford to live here, then we’re in real trouble.”

Places for People is doing what it can to bridge the gap. The organization is currently working with Dysart et al and the County of Haliburton on a new development that will bring up to 48 new “affordable” living units to the Highlands. All money raised through this year’s Sleeping in Cars event will go towards that project, to be located on Wallings Road in Haliburton.

The event will take place overnight on Nov. 21 at Haliburton Highlands Brewing, beginning at 7 p.m. Mylan said there will be a doubleheader movie shown, with snacks available. There will also be a campfire, where she hopes participants will gather and discuss the situation surrounding homelessness in Haliburton County.

To help facilitate that, Places for People are bringing in people who have been in those situations to share their stories.

The first fundraiser in 2019 raised $6,000, while a virtual event held last year brought in just over $1,000. Mylan said she doesn’t have a total she’s aiming to hit this year, she just wants to see people participating.

“The more the merrier. We’re an outdoor event and kind of self-contained, so no worries there. If we hit 100 people, I’d be super happy,” she said.

For more information or to register, visit placesforpeople.ca.

Free guitar lessons strike chord with kids

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Sam Gillett

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November 12, 2021

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A new partnership between the Haliburton County Music Exchange, Haliburton County Folk Society and Camexicanus is turning cast-off guitars into musical foundations.

The music exchange, headed by Tom Oliver, provides County kids with refurbished instruments for free; Camexicanus stepped in to help with the next step.

“They have the instrument, but the question is how do they learn how to play it?” said Camexicanus director Greg Sadlier.

Each week at the Haliburton County Museum, a group of eight masked children hoists guitars and practice chords written out on a whiteboard beside them. Teachers like Darian Maddock, a Grade 12 student at HHSS, explained how to position their hands to make different sounds.

“As we see with the pandemic, the challenge of providing programming for local youth, what this means is that there are real live kids that are learning real musical skills,” said Sadlier.

Remi Hayward, who is learning from Maddock, said she hopes to be able to play the folk tune Down by the Bay by the end of the lessons.

Kids like Hayward are taking part in the program’s first edition, a nine-week teaching course meant for kids with little to no musical experience. So far, said Sadlier, it’s been a success.

Kids frightened to come to lessons initially now race up the stairs to pick up their instruments.

“They’re excited to be with their friends,” Sadlier said.

In an email, Chantal Innes said her children enjoy the lessons so far. “They say how they like all the teachers because they are super funny!” she wrote.

As COVID-19 restrictions still limit some extra-curricular activities across Ontario, Sadlier said it’s important for kids to have an outlet besides school. “This is a safe, positive space where kids can come and learn something new, try something and be with other kids.”

Oliver, of the Music Exchange, said the lessons are a logical extension of his practice of giving out instruments he’s fixed up.

“If you’re giving away guitars, it would be great to give away lessons as well: one without the other isn’t the full thing,” he said. While he’s only been running the instrument renewal program for a year, he said there’s always been a supply of guitars from people across Haliburton who don’t use their instruments. “I’d be willing to bet there are 100s, if not 1,000s of guitars that haven’t been played for years,” he said.

Sadlier said music itself can offer rich rewards.

“Beyond the sheer enjoyment of it and the various interest these kids have, music is a fundamental building block in child and youth development,” he said.

They aim to provide lessons in Haliburton, Minden and Wilberforce as well as developing a band component, which Sadlier said will offer older kids a chance to showcase their learning.

“That’s particularly important for high school students who may want to take their music to the next level,” he said.

Sadlier hopes the program can expand to cover the entire County, with bases in Haliburton, Minden and Wilberforce, as well as offering private lessons too.

No matter what, all lessons will remain pay-what-you-can.

They’re largely supported by sponsorships, with community members providing instruments or pitching in for the cost of lessons. Currently, the Haliburton County Folk Society funds the program’s group lessons.

“The more ability that we have, the more kids we can reach across the County,” Sadlier said.

Heroes take centre stage on vets’ night

By

Mike Baker

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November 12, 2021

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Hockey took a bit of a back seat Nov. 6 as the Haliburton County Huskies hosted members from Minden’s Royal Canadian Legion Branch 636 for veteran’s night at the S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena.

The executive from the local legion were welcomed onto the ice ahead of the annual Remembrance Day observations. They stood for the playing of The Last Post and Canadian national anthem before participating in the ceremonial puck drop.

The St. Michael’s Buzzers were the visitors and they played the role of spoilsports, racing out to an early 2-0 lead after a lethargic start by the Huskies. Luca Marcellitti and Jared Coccimiglio were the scorers in the opening period.

Oliver Tarr brought the Huskies back within a goal, scoring on the backhand after a breakaway at 5:15 in the second period. The hope was short-lived though, with Bryce Sutherland restoring the Buzzers’ two-goal lead less than two minutes later.

Cameron Kosurko, one of three players acquired by the Huskies in a trade with the Wellington Dukes last week, scored his first goal early in the third, setting up a grandstand finish. While the Huskies came close on numerous occasions, they could not find the game-tying goal. Sutherland added his second of the game, scoring on an empty net, with 13 seconds left on the clock.

That defeat took the Huskies to 8-5 on the season.

Huskies defeat Trenton, Cobourg in league play

On Nov. 5, however, the team handed the Trenton Golden Hawks only their second regulation loss of the season, battling to a hard-fought 2-1 victory. Sam Solarino and Christian Stevens were the Huskies’ scorers.

On. Nov. 8, the Huskies picked up another two points, defeating the Cobourg Cougars in double overtime. Stevens was again on the scoresheet, while Tarr notched his 16th and 17th goals of the season, including the winner at 3:57 of the second overtime period.

“We’re playing some really good hockey right now and we’ve strung some really good games together in recent weeks,” said Huskies head coach and general manager Ryan Ramsay. “We’ve added some good depth and we’re really starting to get some secondary scoring, which is important.”

With Pat Saini and Isaac Sooklal injured, and recent addition Payton Schaly not yet in the lineup, Ramsay said six wins in the past seven games is impressive. He commended the togetherness of his squad, saying the environment inside the dressing room is very much like a family right now.

“They go out there on the ice and fight for each other every single night. That’s important because we have tough games. We definitely play in the hardest division in the league. When you look at Wellington, Trenton and Cobourg, every year they’re bringing in the best 20-year-olds that dropped down from the OHL … That’s why our mindset as an organization has had to change, to make our team a little older,” Ramsay said.

The third-place Huskies will battle the second-placed Lindsay Muskies Nov. 12. Then, on Nov. 13, first place Trenton will visit the S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena. Puck drop is set for 4:30 p.m

Local wants to ‘change the world’

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 12, 2021

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Haliburton native Justin Van Lieshout is in Glasgow, Scotland this week as a documentary he’s worked on premiered Nov. 9 during the COP26 UN Climate Change conference.

He’s been working with 519 Films on A Cure for the Common Classroom for about three years.

They were invited by The Climate Action Lab and After the Pandemic public sidebar program.

“It’s being played for world leaders and other UN delegates and influencers,” Van Lieshout said. He added that being part of COP26 is “unfathomable.”

“When I joined the project, I had no idea about how large it really was. The 519 Films team is only four people, including myself, so it’s often easy to forget the scope of the impact the film can have,” he said.

According to a press release, “After failing to find their place in the educational status quo, a rogue adventurer, an aspiring artist, and a student struggling for self-acceptance abandon conventional high schools to join unique classrooms and receive an education reimagined.

“With insights from experts and world leaders in the field, A Cure for the Common Classroom explores what is possible when schools evolve from antiquated process to modern purpose.”

Van Lieshout said that by having it screened as part of COP26, “It feels like we’re a step closer to creating meaningful change. Honestly, if only one parent saw this film and had the courage to say ‘my child deserves better’ I’d be happy. Being part of a larger platform like this has the entire team over the moon.”

Work on the film isn’t done, either. While the production has come to an end, they’re still chasing leads to try and get it on a major platform into the homes of as many people as possible.

“It’s not the measure of success for the film, but we filmed in more than 10 countries and want the work to be accessible to every community we touched in creating it,” he said.

The pandemic threw a wrench in their plans. The film was 95 per cent complete when COVID hit.

He said it has forced traditional education systems to re-evaluate their methods of teaching, even if it just created virtual gateways to a traditional system.

“It kind of took some wind from our sails – as all of a sudden education was being changed by an external factor rather than the internal grassroots movement we were trying to encourage. Our director, Andy Hourahine, did phenomenal work with the three schools we filmed to actually incorporate the pandemic and re-write nearly a third of the film. Overall, I think it’s actually helped the film’s thesis in emphasizing the need to consider alternative education models.”

As for what’s next, Van Lieshout said until Christmas he’ll be editing a virtual series he helped produce for Drayton Entertainment as the theatre company continues to focus on virtual events.

“I’ve been really inspired by all the exciting work Kate Campbell has been doing lately, and am hoping to start dabbling in writing and producing my own content moving forward. The film has encouraged me to look at things in the world that I want to change and given me the confidence to feel as though I can actually make positive impacts. And that’s exactly what I want to do next. Make the world a better place one piece of art at a time.”

P4P event to shine light on homelessness

By

Mike Baker

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November 11, 2021

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Editor’s note: The original copy of this story, which appeared in the Nov. 11 edition of The Highlander, stated the Sleeping in Cars event was to take place on Nov. 21. The event will actually take place on Nov. 19. The Highlander apologizes for this error.