Haliburton Highlands OPP is investigating a break and enter at the Remax real estate office on Highland St. in Haliburton.
Police discovered several pieces of electronic equipment were stolen from the offices between the evening of Oct. 21 and the morning of Oct. 22
This incident is still under investigation.
Police are ask anyone with information or video surveillance please contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or contact Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
Pull out your favourite grape-coloured garb this Wednesday and show your support for Dress Purple Day.
An annual event organized by the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies, Dress Purple Day is designed to raise awareness about the important role that individuals and communities play in supporting vulnerable children, youth and families and helping them get the resources they need. The event is designed to build stronger partnerships with cross-sector service providers to focus on strengthening families through enhanced community-based prevention and early intervention.
“Dress Purple Day is more important than ever, since the COVID-19 pandemic has created additional stressors for families, and in some cases has increased the risk for the well-being and safety of children and youth,” said Jennifer McLauchlan, executive director of the Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Aid Society (KHCAS). “On Oct. 27, we are calling on all Ontarians to wear some purple to show children, youth and families that they are here to help.
In the organization’s 2020/21 fiscal year, 141 families residing in Haliburton County accessed programming provided by KHCAS. The organization offers four core services – adoption, foster care and alternative care for children, child maltreatment aid, and support services.
KHCAS works with many other service providers across Haliburton County to support children, youth and families, and collaborates with community partners to speak up for every child and youth’s right to safety and well-being in all spaces, says McLauchlan.
While the organization used to recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month in October, the child welfare sector no longer marks the occasion.
“Vulnerable and marginalized families, especially from the Black and African Canadian community, have told us that the campaign’s emphasis on reporting led to an unwarranted increase in surveillance of their families and communities, says Nicole Bonnie, CEO of the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies. “In many ways, the former Child Abuse Prevention campaign was more harmful than helpful.”
On the contrary, Bonnie says the Dress Purple Day campaign is all about reminding anyone making referrals to child welfare to “check their biases.”
“We know that racism, prejudice and discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, ability, poverty and sexual orientation can lead to the overreporting and oversurveillance of families in certain communities,” Bonnie said.
McLauchlan says there are other ways, aside from wearing purple, that people can participate and show their support on Wednesday, including: participating in social media using the hashtag #IDressPurpleBecause; putting up one of the Dress Purple Day posters, found at oacas.org, in your workplace; and using the web banner, found at oacas.org, for your workplace website.
To learn more about the signs of child abuse or neglect and how to report concerns, visit www.khcas.on.ca.
By Dr. Nell Thomas
Colin Powell died this week from complications of COVID-19. The former U.S. secretary of state had a type of blood cancer called multiple myeloma. This 84-year-old had two COVID vaccines and was about to get his third.
He was eligible for a third shot because his cancer made his immune system less able to mount antibodies and build a strong defense against the virus. He was also eight months from his second vaccine.
A weaker or compromised immune system is both unable to mount a strong immune reaction and less likely to keep immunity. That’s why annual influenza vaccines offer a “high dose” version for people over 65 years.
As we age, our immune systems cannot build as strong an army of antibodies as can a young person’s. In children and babies, a tiny dose of a vaccine turns on a highly robust immune response, which is why vaccinating babies is the ideal time to get the best immunity to diseases. Scientists and health officials are gathering and analyzing data to determine how long we should wait between COVID vaccines and who is most likely to need earlier boosters. That people with suppressed immune systems would need sooner boosters has been certain. What is not certain is how long to wait.
One recent study analyzing Pfizer vaccines suggests antibody levels wane and disappear after seven months. This small study analyzed blood samples from 46 healthy young or middle-aged adults after receiving two doses, and then six months after the second dose. The initial high levels of antibodies dropped ten-fold by seven months.
In half the adults neutralizing antibodies were undetectable six months after the second dose, particularly against Delta, Beta, and Mu. Neutralizing antibodies are only part of the body’s immune defense against the virus but are still critical in protecting against infection.
The authors recommend administering a booster around six to seven months from initial dose. In contrast, a study in Italy showed that seven months after the second dose, there is no reduction in the efficacy of mRNA vaccines in the general population, with a slight decline seen for specific populations.
This report by the health ministry examined data from more than 29 million people who received two doses of an mRNA vaccine. In the general population effectiveness against infection after seven months was 89 per cent.
Protection from hospitalization and death at six months from the second dose was 96 per cent and 99 per cent respectively. However, in Italy mask rules are very strict and there are stringent behavioural rules, contributing to low infection rates.
Also, individuals with compromised immune systems lost protection much faster, measurably lower after 28 days from the second dose. Another study by Pfizer published in the Lancet looked at 3.4 million fully vaccinated people and concluded that the vaccine remains highly effective at preventing nearly all virus-linked hospitalizations for “at least” six months, but protection from mild or moderate infection falls to less than 50 per cent.
Overall, the Pfizer vaccine remained 90 per cent effective at preventing hospitalizations for “all variants,” including the delta, however protection against infection waned significantly over time, falling from 88 per cent within one month after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine to 47 per cent after six months.
They concluded that “breakthrough infection” occurring in vaccinated people is because of waning immunity and not because the new variants are escaping protection. In Ontario third shots are now being given to people: (1) with solid tumor transplants; (2) receiving chemotherapy; (3) receiving immune compromising treatment; (4) residents of LTC or seniors in congregate living settings. (5) Advanced HIV or AIDS or other primary immunodeficiency. Details in this link: COVID-19 Vaccine Third Dose Recommendations (gov.on.ca)
When the Canadian military went into five long-term care homes in Ontario last year, they claimed they found horrific conditions: residents being bullied, drugged, improperly fed and left for hours and days in soiled bedding.
Soldiers were called in to the Pickering, Scarborough, Etobicoke, North York and Brampton facilities to help during COVID19. Reading their report was “gut-wrenching” and “the hardest thing I have done as premier,” Premier Doug Ford said. Yet, the Ontario Health Coalition claims there have been no fines levied against long-term care homes.
Further, they allege unannounced annual inspections have not resumed. So, when new minister of long-term care Rod Phillips – he of the sneaking out of the county during a lockdown – was appointed, advocates were skeptical.
But, after months of lobbying for improvements to Ontario’s long-term care system, they were tossed a bone Oct. 15. The numbers sounded impressive but as usual the devil is in the details. Across the province, it supposedly means up to $270 million this year to homes to increase staffing levels, leading to more direct care for residents.
Locally, it supposedly means nearly half-amillion dollars to be split between Highland Wood, Hyland Crest and Extendicare Haliburton, and then an increase of about $3 million by 2024-2025. That’s when the asked for four hours of direct care per day for residents is supposed to kick in.
Apparently, they are going to make the four-hour minimum a law, too. Former nurse and MPP Laurie Scott took advantage of the news to take credit for local funding. She said her government plans to train, hire and retain thousands of new staff over the next four years. Currently, residents receive an average of two hours and 45 minutes of direct care from nurses, registered practical nurses and personal support workers (PSWs). The province says the money will bump it up to three by the end of the fiscal year.
The funding also includes $42.8M to homes to increase care by allied health care professionals (such as physiotherapists and social workers) by 10 per cent this year. Getting lost further in the numbers, the government says it’s spending nearly $5 billion over four years by adding 27,000 people.
I guess we can say it’s all a start. The Ontario Health Coalition has projected that Ontario needs more than 33,600 full-time equivalent RNs, RPNs and PSWs to get LTC staffing levels up to four hours per resident per day. It’s financial accountability office puts it at 37,000. The province is falling 10,000 short.
Add to that the fact a reported 30 per cent of PSWs have left the industry during COVID, so there is some catching up to do. And the Ontario government is providing money for new homes. Let’s also keep in mind the money has not flowed yet despite the presser claiming “immediate” action.
Health care providers are naturally tentative about popping the champagne corks when official funding letters have yet to arrive. While long-term care homes in Haliburton County get good reports about patient care and quality of life, and have not suffered COVID-19 cases, the money is desperately needed.
Finding and keeping staff has always been a challenge. It should be noted that waitlists for long-term care locally are also in the ‘years’ unless circumstances necessitate an emergency move.
No money will be turned aside but it’s naiive to think that throwing less money than what is needed at only one part of this problem is any kind of solution.
The Rails End Gallery and Highlands Summer Festival have been awarded provincial Community Building Fund grants.
The grants are given to arts organizations that have demonstrated impacts in their communities.
Laurie Jones, executive director of The Rails End Gallery, said their $50,000 grant will help fund the staffing model of the gallery which supports the board and volunteer committees as they “get things rolling again.”
While the gallery has been hosting virtual and socially-distanced functions outside, many cornerstone events such as their Haliburton Drum Fest, arts and crafts market or mass yard sale at Head Lake Park haven’t been able to run for two seasons.
“That sidetracked us. It’s like someone changed the deck of cards,” Jones said.
She said the funds will be especially helpful over the next sixth months as they begin to “gear back up” to regular operations. Online programming will continue in some capacity: “everyone loves to talk about art in their pajamas having a coffee,” said Jones.
The Highlands Summer Festival (HSF) will use their $14,000 grant to fund the ongoing costs related to their office and storage space.
“We’ve had two seasons without any shows on the board. We’ve got some operating expenses, there’s rent, there’s heat, there’s hydro, too,” said HSF president Brian Kipping.
2022 will see HSF producing a slate of shows that were planned for 2020. While some, such as “The Sound of Music,” might need to be recast because of ageing cast members, Kipping said he looks forward to being able to gather in person to prepare for the season. In 2020, HSF’s survival was unclear.
“When we looked forward, we couldn’t say with any certainty that we were going to survive financially,” Kipping said. “The grants saved our bacon.”
Laurie Scott, Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP, said the taxpayerfunded community building fund will help revitalize the arts communities around her riding.
Many have criticized the Ford government’s treatment of the arts in Ontario since he assumed power in 2018. In 2019, he cut nearly half of funding from the Ontario Music Fund and reduced the Ontario Arts Council’s funding by $10 million.
However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Queen’s Park funded 140 arts organizations to the tune of $24 million in a one-time COVID-relief grant.
“I would say it’s a little flip-floppy, they take with one hand and give with the other. A consistent approach would be much better,” Jones said. She added she was encouraged by the support of the Trillium Fund, which awards the grants.
Despite a turbulent 18 months, both organizations say the grant will help keep them on track as they, and the rest of Haliburton’s arts community, emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I really appreciate it,” Kipping said. “The grant from Trillium: that’s substantial.”
Certified coach Heather Battié knows transformative changes in health and life require more than surface solutions.
“So often people know what to do, they know what to eat and not to eat, they know that exercise is good for them and that eating whole foods over fast foods is a better option, but the question is, why aren’t they doing it then? or why do they start and stop, never make any real progress with their weight and health goals?” asked Battié.
“I realize that food, diet and exercise are only a very small piece to the puzzle of achieving and maintaining your weight loss and health goals.”
Battié offers customized one-to-one programs and group cleanses to women around the world. She helps each client shine a light on any limiting beliefs so they no longer block the client from achieving the desired results, and make a plan “with realistic goals that they can achieve with ease.”
“Past clients have reported that they were able to ditch feelings of deprivation, shame, guilt, worry and the feeling of impossibility surrounding their health and weight goals [and that] their self-confidence grew as they hit milestones and achieved their goals.”
Born and raised in Charlottetown, PEI, Battié originally envisioned a school-teaching career. She took a year off after university and worked on private yachts in Florida, where she experienced yoga for the first time. Passionate about natural health and alternative healing since her late teens, she fell in love with yoga. It would set her life on a new course.
“I continued to attend classes wherever I was travelling and living, deepening my knowledge and love for how transformative it was for the body and the mind,” said Battié. She did get her education degree and began teaching, but quickly saw that fulltime teaching wasn’t the path for her.
Battié switched to supply teaching and became a certified yoga teacher in 2006. After moving to Haliburton in 2009, she and her husband Marc had two sons. Battié gave up teaching yoga when their second son was born, but eventually missed sharing her passion for health and wellness with others.
Her next step was to create programs to help people lose weight, increase their energy, strengthen their relationship with food and their bodies and rediscover themselves. Battié became a Certified Human Potential Coach through the Human Potential Institute and launched her coaching business in 2018, but she still wanted to provide her clients with greater support. She became a Certified Health and Life Coach through the Health Coach Institute in 2020 and is set to graduate from the HCI’s Mastery Level Certification program this month.
“Having a coach is an amazing way to have the accountability to commit to your vision for health,” said Battié. She offers a complimentary Weight Loss Transformation Breakthrough Session that can help prove the point.
“As my clients develop the skill of managing their thoughts and tuning in to their bodies, emotional eating and yo-yo dieting become things of the past. I teach them essential skill sets for losing [weight] … and maintaining their desired weight so they can thrive in all areas of their life with vibrant, joyful energy.”
Heather Battié Coaching: heatherbattiecoaching.com, shaktiyoga16@gmail.com, 705-935-0006, @iamheatherbattie
The Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation contributed $464,142 to Highlands’ health care in its recent full year of operations.
With those funds, the hospital has purchased a portable digital X-ray machine, iPads for long-term care residents, completed a new website redesign, and made numerous COVID-19 capacity upgrades including hand-washing stations, automatic medication dispensing and additional beds, along with other upgrades.
“Not surprisingly given the generousity of our community, we received great acknowledgement and appreciation of our health-care professionals, and immediate support through many donations of COVID relief, including personal protective equipment (PPE),” wrote HHHS Foundation executive director Lisa Tompkins in an email. “And, we continue to be very grateful for the extraordinary generosity from permanent residents, seasonal residents, cottagers and visitors who helped the Foundation meet our fundraising goals in the past year.”
It’s also a milestone year for the foundation, which turns 25.
“I would like to acknowledge the 25 years of incredible support from the Foundation to build the service to what it is today,” said Carolyn Plummer, HHHS CEO, at the foundation’s annual general meeting Sept. 30.
Audit reports stable finances
Thomas Turnbull, of Grant Thornton LLP, congratulated board members on weathering a difficult year of pandemicstyle fundraising.
“Some kudos and applause need to go to management and the board to take this opportunity to manage discretionary expenses,” Turnbull said.
Many of the Foundation’s regular fundraising events were transposed into COVID-19-safe conditions. The summer’s Radiothon raised $33,670 for new Workstations on Wheels systems for an upcoming clinical information system upgrade. Last year’s Believe in the Magic of Giving campaign garnered $163,375. Monthly online lotteries have netted $32,764.
Tompkins said the most difficult part of the last year for her was working without volunteers, due to COVID-19 safety protocols. “We miss our volunteers,” Tompkins wrote. “A small organization like ours relies on the talent and expertise of volunteers in many aspects of our fundraising, and the Foundation has been blessed to have wonderful volunteers. We look forward to being able to work with them again soon.”
The Foundation also announced at its Sept. 30 meeting that David Zilstra and Steve Todd will be on the board until AGM 2025.
Haliburton County Huskies forward Oliver Tarr has been labelled “the best player in the league” by head coach and general manager Ryan Ramsay after back-to-back hat-tricks against the Cobourg Cougars in OJHL action this past week.
The Huskies put in their best performance of the season on home ice Oct. 16, putting the Cougars to the sword 5-0 in front of a packed crowd at S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena. Tarr was the star, scoring his team’s first, second and fourth goals and assisting the fifth. Davis Bone and Lucas Stevenson also found the scoresheet, while Patrick Saini put up four assists. Ramsay reserved special praise for goaltender Christian Cicigoi, recently acquired from the Ontario Hockey League’s North Bay Battalion, for a 39-save shutout.
“We played a sound game on Saturday. I think it was our best 60 minutes as a team. We didn’t really have any letdowns or breakdowns, and the boys put in a huge effort,” Ramsay said. “With Cicigoi, he’s a good goalie who brings some leadership to our back end. Bringing him in was a big trade for us, and he’s settled in nicely so far. The Oct. 18 return match-up in Cobourg was a barnburner, a frenetic back-and-forth game resulting in a 6-5 loss for the Huskies.
The team started poorly, quickly finding themselves down 2-0. Forward Sam Solarino was handed a game misconduct for fighting at 6:59. That inspired the Huskies, who scored two goals – at 10:34 and 12:39 of the opening period – to tie the game.
The first was a clever finish from Tarr, off a Stevenson pass. The second was a shorthanded goal by Saini – who finished a twoon-one after a give-and-go with Nicholas Athanasakos. The Cougars’ Steve Whittle then fired his second of the game at 14:23, giving the home side the lead at the end of the first period. Isaac Pascoal extended the Cougars’ lead mid-way through the second.
Tarr brought the Huskies back in the game with an absolute beauty on the breakaway at 2:32 of the third. There was controversy at the mid-way point of the period, when a Huskies apparent goal was waived off. Ramsay said he was told the puck had struck both posts, but didn’t cross the line. Nine seconds later, the Cougars extended their lead to 5-3. The Huskies replied with spirit and character.
Tarr grabbed his hat-trick at 14:47, before Athanasakos notched his first goal as a Huskie, tying the game 37 seconds later. But the team’s excitement was short-lived as the Cougars’ Kallaway Mercer pounced on a defensive error to fire in the game winner at 15:50. Ramsay said, “Obviously there’s disappointment that we didn’t get the two points, but the compete level was there. We pretty much only had two and a half lines, so I think the boys did pretty well.”
Tarr is now at the top of the OJHL’s scoring leader charts, leading all players with nine goals in six games. “Oliver’s a great player. He’s a young man that grew late, and is still really coming into his body. But I can’t say enough about the kid on and off the ice – he is, in my opinion, the best player in the league,” Ramsay said.
Tarr deflected the credit to his linemates. “In these past couple of games, the puck just seemed to find its way on my stick, but I can’t not credit my boys for finding me when I’m in good positions,” Tarr said. An assistant captain, Tarr has enjoyed a leadership role with the Huskies.
He said he wants the team to make the playoffs, and secure himself a scholarship for Division 1 hockey in the U.S. The Huskies are 3-3 on the season, in last place in the East Division. The Huskies have added forwards Christian Stevens from the Battalion and Graham Dickerson from the Kitchener Rangers. Both are expected to play Oct. 23 vs the Wellington Dukes. Puck drop in Minden at 4:30 p.m
Haliburton-area trustee Gary Brohman asked if the board has enough supply staff to meet demand during the Oct. 12 Trillium Lakelands District School Board meeting.
Superintendent of human resources, Traci Hubbert, replied, “We do not have enough occasional staff available. We have shortages on a daily basis. We are advertising aggressively on many different platforms to try to recruit.”
She said it’s a struggle and challenge to find occasional staff when the board pays some employee groups only marginally more than fast food chains.
She added, “We have teachers on paper, but the reality is a very different thing right now.”
Hubbert said there are 285 teachers on the occasional teachers’ lists across the board. On a typical day, the board has “high double-digit absences” but classes still can’t be filled.
“Many occasional staff have taken leaves,” Hubbert said. “They don’t want to work at multiple locations during a pandemic and they don’t want to work with unvaccinated students. We also have retired teachers on the list who can only work 50 days and teachers who have taken long-term occasional contracts (to cover a teacher’s class for an extended time period) who still are counted on the list even though they are working.”
Hubbert praised the Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation for working cooperatively with the board to contact teachers on the list to see if they want to continue working as an occasional teacher.
Hubbert said she hopes to add an additional 45 teachers to the secondary list soon. She said right now, secondary schools are getting by with teachers covering other teachers’ absences as defined in their collective agreement, but those days are dwindling.
“We will have a problem at elementary covering teachers once board professional development begins,” Hubbert said. “We have a much worse time covering absences for educational assistants.”
Trustee Judy Saunders wanted clarification as to whether a teacher could just take up a spot on the supply list and not work.
“They can stay on the list and book a year of unpaid leave off,” Hubbert said. “To remain on the list (when not on a leave) they do need to work a minimum number (30) of days.”
Driver shortages still an issue
The board is “in much better shape” than some others when it comes to bus drivers, Supt. Tim Ellis said, thanks to drivers doubling up, or running two routes in both the morning and afternoon.
Ellis said the board is servicing its contracted routes.
He added that in conversation with local operators, they were hopeful to see a steadier stream of job applicants in early October.
“Very few applicants came through the doors of operators in September,” Ellis said. “So far in October there appear to be more folks looking for employment. This is not a typical year locally for drivers.”
In Haliburton, Ellis said “We have had issues in getting single routes operational and have had to double run buses. This requires students to wait at school up to an hour after dismissal to be picked up, creating additional supervision for principals. The issues in Haliburton are because of the region’s geographic diversity.”
Extracurriculars available
Elementary school students are participating in inter-school athletics, Supt. Jay MacJanet told the meeting.
He said with the help of the local health units they have put safety protocols in place and cross-country and soccer have happened or are going to happen by the end of the month. Chess and reading clubs are also up and running.
Archie Stouffer Elementary School will be hosting a countywide soccer tournament Nov. 3.
Supt. Kim Williams, who oversees high schools, said band, choir, chess, Gay-Straight Alliance, comedy-improv, intramurals, Outer’s Club, Reach for the Top, robotics, student council and truth and reconciliation groups are all meeting.
Williams added girls’ basketball, crosscountry, field hockey, football, golf, girls’ rugby, tennis and boys’ volleyball are up and operating with badminton and swimming already gearing up for their seasons.
Board chair Bruce Reain wanted to know if district championships would be hosted by the Georgian Bay Secondary School Association and the Central Ontario Secondary School Association at the completion of regular season schedules. Williams did not have any information that would indicate that was not the case.
Trustee John Byrne asked if interested fans could watch outdoor sporting events from property adjoining schools and was told there was nothing the board could do to prevent that. The board is still not budging on allowing fans onto school property or into the building to watch friends and family compete, citing COVID-19 concerns.
HHSS enrolment up seven per cent
Enrolment is up seven per cent at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School.
It’s impacted class sizes, teacher hiring and bus route capacities, the board was told.
As of Oct. 4 across the board, there were 11,611 students, 550 more than predicted last June. Secondary numbers were 4,664, up 100 from June estimates.
Director of education, Wes Hahn, said, “We believe a number of these kids are from outside the area and they have either decided to stay with grandparents or they are remaining at the family cottage as their parents are working remotely.”
Hahn added that he “definitely knows” that some of the elementary numbers are very late registrations for kindergarten as parents waited for the last moment to commit because of COVID-19 and what school programming might look like.
Minden Hills has gotten an early jump on its 2022 budget, holding its first meeting Oct. 14 versus an historical December first round of deliberations.
As usual, the initial needs and wants of various departments is inflated – at a 14.47 per cent levy increase (or $1,333,065) – with a plan to whittle that number down over the coming months.
“It’s good to get the budget process going early,” Mayor Brent Devolin said.
CAO Trisha McKibbin said the game plan is to pass the budget in January to allow the township “to hit the ground running” with tender and procurement documents so work can start in the first financial quarter of 2022.
She acknowledged budget changes, including the continuing impact of COVID-19 on municipal services, such as several staff vacancies and service demands.
“The management team is aware of the challenges and pressures facing the municipality and the need to be fiscally responsible in our budget deliberations,” McKibbin said.
Referring to departmental needs and wants, she added, “We’re looking forward to working with council to prioritize these needs and to deliver a responsible budget. Staff is certainly aware this [14.47 per cent] is not an acceptable number.”
Last year, the township ended up with a 3.75 per cent tax levy increase.
McKibbin said the most significant increase is wages and benefits, showing a combined cost increase of $478,085. She attributed that to a 1.7 per cent Cost of Living Adjustment, progression of staff on the salary grid, the full cost of staff to operationalize the new community centre and additional staff in the building, bylaw and planning department.
Roads are traditionally a big-ticket item and that is no different this year. Acting director of public works, Tara Stephen, is seeking nearly $3.5 million to reconstruct sections of Scotch Line and Bobcaygeon roads and about $1.2 million for the Sedgewick Road bridge.
There was also preliminary discussion of converting hard top to gravel on parts of Henderson, Bobcaygeon, Swinson, and Queen’s Line roads.
Coun. Bob Carter expressed some concern about potentially borrowing for roadworks when the township has reserves. It’s like “going out and borrowing money and paying interest even though there’s a bunch of money in your savings accounts,” he said.
He also said he was “so disappointed” the municipality has still not produced a roads plan. “We’re looking at borrowing $5 million or something like that this year. We really should know what’s coming next. in 2023, do we have to borrow another $10 million? We need to have some kind of idea what’s going on here.”
The community services department is looking at an initial 14.7 per cent increase. Director Craig Belfry said that has to do with continuing to get the new recreation complex up and running, including paying off the loan and staff. He noted his budget now includes the cultural centre. They hope to fix up the boardwalk and village green as well.
The first draft of the building and bylaw department has a $242,565 jump, including more staff. The fire chief is looking for an additional $156,000, including new self-contained breathing apparatus and related equipment and fit training. Leasing or an internal loan were suggested by councillors.
Stephen, who also manages waste services, proposed a $183,000 increase for landfills.
She added one issue is the need for new trigger mechanisms to better alert the township of when contaminants move offsite. She said people are also dumping waste out of hours at Little Gull and they need to beef up security.
Deputy mayor Lisa Schell asked if it wasn’t a good time to consider weigh scales at Scotch Line. Stephen said ideally within the year they hope to have a scale up and running.
Coun. Pam Sayne repeated a theme she has discussed numerous times at council. She said they have to push the provincial government to increase the HST by one per cent and direct that money to Ontario’s 444 municipalities to help them with infrastructure costs. She said they can’t keep going to ratepayers.
“We need to take a stand on that.” McKibbin added it is her intention that the township work on a strategic plan for the 2023 budget.
The next meeting is Oct. 28.
