Haliburton Candidates to square off at virtual meeting

By

-

September 9, 2021

The six candidates vying for votes and platform attention in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock will discuss their visions for Canada’s future tonight at 6 p.m. at a virtual all candidates meeting.

The meeting is organized by the Lindsay District Chamber of College and the students of Fleming College through the Frost Student Association. Locally, the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce is promoting the event and hosting limited guests at a viewing party.

At the virtual meeting, candidates will each get five minutes to speak, before a moderated question and answer period.

The localized meeting will end before party leaders square off in the election’s only English-language debate at 9 p.m.

To register to ask a question and watch the meeting virtually, visit https://www.haliburtonchamber.com/all-candidates-meeting-2021/

Last chance to dump hazardous household waste in Dysart for 2021

By

Sam Gillett

-

September 9, 2021

0

Dysart et al is hosting its third and final Household Hazardous Waste Day on Sept. 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the West Guilford Landfill. The event is only open to residents of Dysart et al.

Residents can drop off items not typically accepted at landfills free of charge. This includes aerosol cans, automotive fluids, automotive and household batteries, cleaners, fluorescent and CFL light bulbs, gasoline (container not returned), paint (latex and oil); pesticides, herbicides, insecticides; propane cylinders and tanks, and used motor oil (must be properly capped).

Most of these items have a corrosive, explosive, flammable or poisonous symbol on them.

In order to comply with COVID-19 protocols, landfill staff will unload hazardous materials and residents are encouraged to wear masks.

In a press release, Dysart et al staff warn that “improper disposal of household hazardous waste can contaminate our soil, water, forests, air, and wildlife. Recycling of household hazardous [waste] is important to protecting our environment.”

Visit www.dysartetal.ca/hhw or download the Haliburton County Waste Wizard app for more information.

Businesses navigate next COVID hurdle

By

Sam Gillett

-

September 9, 2021

0

By Sam Gillett

At Haliburton’s Kozy Korner, owner Ann Gordon greets two masked customers at the door, sending them to a freshly-sanitized table six feet from the next diners inside the bustling restaurant.
After navigating changing public health rules the past 18 months, the province’s upcoming vaccine protocols, which take effect from Sept. 22, aren’t too much of a concern, she said.
“It’s all worth it to keep everybody safe and force people to get vaccines. We were hoping it was coming, we wanted it to come,” she said, adding her staff will be fully vaccinated come October.

On Sept. 1, the Ontario government announced a vaccine certificate system which will mean people entering restaurants, bars, gyms, and other non- essential indoor gathering spaces must show proof of vaccination.

“Our government is taking action to minimize disruptions to the daily lives of Ontarians, help keep businesses open and kids in school by protecting the health and well-being of all Ontarians,” wrote MPP Laurie Scott in an emailed statement.

“The plan is so light on details, frankly, we’re just waiting on more information.”
Don Pitman

For some business owners such as Terri Matthews-Carl, mandating vaccines means one more safeguard against going takeout- only or closing completely as they have in the past. “It will allow us to stay open indoor all year, and increase our capacity,” said Matthews-Carl.

The details are scarce. She and Gordon are unsure what enforcement will look like. On Oct. 22, Ontario is set to roll out a QR code app which will scan phone information to confirm vaccine status.

“I think that for the first month without the app, it’s going to be a bit more of a hassle, checking every person’s ID is going to be time-consuming,” Matthews-Carl said.

In certain places, such as Haliburton’s legion, vaccine requirements will serve to protect an at-risk population with most of the legion’s members being elderly. President Don Pitman said he’s been in touch with the provincial legion governing body to determine a strategy.

He supports the restrictions, but said it adds complications to running programs.
“It makes it a bit difficult for us. We don’t have a branch cell phone so someone’s personal cell phone is going to have to be used for that,” he said.
“[the plan] is so light on details, frankly, we’re just waiting for more information.” Pitman said “it may not be a problem at all, but we won’t know until we have the opening night, and then we’ll iron out the bumps.”

The new rules will also apply to gyms and fitness centres such as Meghan Cox’s Just Movement Fitness.
Cox is concerned the new rules will have a negative impact on people’s overall health.
“All I can say in regards to my business is that mandating a vaccine passport for a venue that promotes actual health and offers long term benefits to reducing the load on our health care system, is kind of contradictory, don’t you think?
The divide in humanity this is causing is both sad and disheartening,” she wrote.

Concerns over privacy, rights

Some business owners and political representatives across Canada claim the certificate program to be an infringement on Canadians’ rights.
MP Jamie Schmale said in August that while vaccines are the way to end
the COVID-19 pandemic, he does not believe vaccines should be mandatory for healthcare workers and federal employees, and favours education over enforcement.
Many medical professionals, such as HKPR’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Natalie Bocking, have said the certificate program is not as unusual as people think.

“For example, I can think of travel to other countries. In other countries you need vaccination against Yellow Fever,” she said. Bocking also mentioned how the certificate program does not limit access to essential services such as pharmacies, grocery stores and healthcare centres. Across the HKPR area, 76.4 per cent of people are fully vaccinated, and the health unit is planning mobile pop-up clinics which will target specific areas amid what many are calling a fourth wave of COVID-19 in the province.

And the vaccines are working: Bocking reports that among confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region, only 10.9 per cent were fully vaccinated.
Neither Gordon nor Mathews-Carl said they are confident most patrons will willingly comply with the new rules. A few guests have mentioned they are currently unvaccinated or do not plan on attending
restaurants past Sept. 22.
Gordon said enforcing the rules is a matter
of safety, and she’s not too concerned about the possibility of customers angry about showing proof of vaccination.
“I think you just say ‘sorry, I’m keeping my restaurant safe’

Climate action a key campaign concern, say Haliburton protesters

By

Sam Gillett

-

September 8, 2021

0

Carolynn Coburn, Environment Haliburton! — Carolynn Coburn of Environment Haliburton! at a rally in summer 2021.

People gathered to hold signs reading “climate change is real” and “there is no planet B” in Haliburton on Sept. 8 to urge political action on climate change in the upcoming election.

Organized by Environment Haliburton! and Concerned Citizens of Haliburton County, the march drew over 23 people to Head Lake Park before they walked to the side of Highland St. Passing cars and trucks honked their support.

It was part of 50 marches planned across Canada by 350, an American-based nonprofit dedicated to ending the reliance on fossil fuels and advocating for climate change action.

“When you look out west, when you look at Europe, Australia — those are ways you can tell the climate crisis is almost past a crisis. there has to be action now,” said Bonnie Roe, of Concerned Citizens of Haliburton County. “We believe our politicians need to start listening.”

Carolynn Coburn, a director with Environment Haliburton!, said she’s been frustrated with a perceived lack of action from federal and provincial representatives in the County. “I don’t hear Jamie Schmale, I don’t hear Laurie Scott, talking about climate and their party’s policies,” she said. Schmale’s PC party has proposed multiple climate change goals like ensuring the country meets Paris climate accord emission targets, as well as making electric vehicles more affordable and introducing a low carbon savings account.

Coburn predicts those goals don’t reach far enough. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that unless urgent action is taken to keep temperature levels below 1.5 degree celsius, extreme weather events could have terrible consequences.

For many like Coburn, that means Canada should do everything possible to limit emissions, even if it means temporarily hurting parts of the economy like the oil and gas sector.

“You can’t have an economy on a dead planet,” she said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s climate record has attracted criticism too. for example in 2019, the first year of federal carbon pricing, emissions rose by 0.2 per cent. Many also regard Trudeau’s purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline as a violation of climate action goals.

Tom Regina and Andrea Percy, both members of the Green party of Canada, attended the march to advocate for urgent action on the climate crisis.

“We’ve got to get started on doing something,” Percy said.

Regina noted that so far in the election race, demonstrations seem to have centred on issues surrounding COVID-19 protocols.

“It’s important to show different kinds of protests,” Regina said. “The protests that have been given media attention in the last few days are quite different from what we’re here trying to draw attention to.”

“By having these demonstrations we can have our voice brought out just as much. There are people thinking about the environment and various progressive platforms.”

Mass vaccination clinics close

By

Sam Gillett

-

September 3, 2021

0

All mass vaccination clinics in the HKPR health unit area, such as the SG Nesbitt arena in Minden, are set to close.

As of Sept. 3, mobile pop-up clinics will be scheduled around the County for those who haven’t received two shots of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“While we did see large numbers of people come through our mass immunization clinics, we know that there are some areas of our region in which the vaccination rates are still lower,” said Dr. Natalie Bocking, HKPR Medical Officer of Health in a press release. “Mobile clinics are now being offered in some of our smaller communities making it easier for people to get vaccinated without having to worry about transportation issues or taking time off work to travel to a clinic.”

Currently, mobile clinics will visit Abbey Gardens on Sept. 19 from 1-4 p.m. and the South Algonquin Country Store in Harcourt on Sept. 18 from noon until 3 p.m.

Appointments aren’t required for mobile clinics.

The health unit also said they’re planning to offer vaccination clinics at local secondary schools this fall, currently working to finalize dates and locations.

The Health unit reports 71 per cent of COVID-19 cases in the region since June were among unvaccinated people. 10.8 per cent were fully vaccinated.

“These numbers demonstrate to me that at a community level the vaccine is making a difference,” said Bocking.

As of Aug. 30, 81.6 per cent of the region has received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 76.4 per cent have received two doses.

Huskies’ hopefuls hit the ice

By

Sam Gillett

-

September 3, 2021

0

The Haliburton County Huskies held their rookie camp over the Aug. 27-29 weekend, inviting goalies, defencemen and forwards to try out for the new Ontario Junior A Hockey Club playing out of the Minden Arena. The goalies showed their stuff Friday night and all skaters took to the ice Saturday and Sunday.

Vying for a spot on the big club, they took part in a series of practices and games.

Following this past weekend, players report to training camp Sept. 5. They play a blue versus white game Sept. 11; then host two pre-season games at the S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena: on Sept. 18 at 4:30 p.m. versus the Aurora Tigers and Sept. 25 at 4:30 p.m. against Collingwood. The Huskies open their season on the road in Lindsay Oct. 1 before their home opener Oct. 2 at 4:30 p.m. against the Muskies. See more at huskies.ca

Hiking the Highlands’ secret trails

By

Sam Gillett

-

September 3, 2021

0

From across Ontario, hikers will be strolling through Haliburton County’s forests, clambering across remote rocky shores, and even watching a plein air dance troupe while summer comes to a close.

Hike Haliburton, a yearly festival of guided hikes, kicks off Sept. 16. It’s an event meant to celebrate the area’s beautiful terrain and draw visitors during the “shoulder season.”

“Hike Haliburton was designed to bridge that gap and essentially smooth out the tourism season,” said Thom Lambert, event organizer with Haliburton Tourism.

Visitors from around the province have embarked on a range of hikes over the festival’s 17-year existence (the event was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19). People can choose a hike that matches their skill level and physical needs, ranging from guided short strolls to full-day hikes that require a paddle to access.

“Most people when they think of cottage country they think of lakes. We love that. But that’s really well known about the Haliburton Highlands at this point,” Lambert said. “The Hike Haliburton festival hikes happen on private land or on places that aren’t traditionally thought of as hiking destinations.”

That means it’s the perfect event for Haliburton locals too, he said.

“I think lots of locals who have lived here for many years have no idea that many of these places existed.”

Bear Mountain, a remote spot in northern Algonquin Highlands, is perhaps this year’s most intense hike. Participants will spend most of the day travelling to “one of the stunning places” in the Highlands with waterfalls, an 80-foot rock face and an expansive vista.

“If there was a place I really wish people knew more about, it’s that area,” Lambert said, mentioning how he has observed a new type of tourist: those who want to explore off-the-beaten-path spots.

Another hike takes walkers through the Haliburton Sculpture Forest, where dancers will be working on interpretive dance pieces based on the sculptures while the tour takes place.

However, this year, the festival imposed participant limits to ensure COVID-19 protocols would be easy to follow. Each hike is limited to eight participants, and the number of hikes are fewer than usual.

Even with participant numbers capped, and a reduced roster of hikes, Lambert said the hiking festival is still set up to fulfill its mission: showcasing a different side of the Haliburton Highlands.

“There’s more to it than a dock on a lake,” he said.

While most hikes are full, there are limited spots on select hikes still available. Learn more: festival.hikehaliburton.com.

‘It’s all about people’ for Lenny Salvatori

By

Lisa Gervais

-

September 3, 2021

0

Lenny Salvatori’s man cave is a visual history of what the 91-year-old Haliburtonian has achieved in sports, youth mentorship and public service over the years.

There’s a hockey stick, golf clubs and balls, curling paraphernalia, trekking poles, and trophies and pictures lining the walls.

Someone made him a wooden framed cabinet with the names of many of the Scouts he mentored over 30 years written in calligraphy.

There are mementos from nearly 35 years as a school board trustee.

For all of this, and more, Salvatori has been named to the Haliburton Highlands Sports Hall of Fame in the builder category.

The Hall committee says, “Lenny Salvatori invested a lifetime of involvement into the sports culture of Haliburton County. From his early days as an athlete in the 1930s and 40s to his legendary success as a 90-year-old golfer, Lenny has been a player, an organizer, a promoter and a fan of local sports.”

In the downstairs room of his house just west of Haliburton, Salvatori recalled driving a 48-passenger school bus down Kennisis Lake Road for the LaRue family when he was just 17 years old and still attending high school. It was during the Second World War and they were short of men to drive.

His first foray into organized sport was at the age of 14 or so when he played softball for an Eagle Lake team. He caught and later pitched.

“I was always into sports,” he said. Although he could not play organized hockey because the family lived too far away from the Haliburton arena, he was heavily involved in management, coaching and on minor hockey executives in his adult life.

He managed the high school hockey team. After graduating, he ran the arena for a year, recalling having to hand scrape the ice. He was also somewhat of a counsellor as parents would come to him with their problems.

Going on to join Curry Motors, which he eventually co-owned, he continued to work with youth. He was a founding member and long-time organizer of the Glen Dart Hockey Tournament.

The Hall said he became known for his skills at resolving disputes and challenges among the teams.

His Scouting career spanned more than three decades as did his trusteeship.

“I was always around kids.”

He began golfing with former HHSS principal Bud Thayer when he was still in school and has played right up until this summer. He had a hole-in-one on the third hole of the Pinestone in 2006.

He said his love of the game stems from “the friendship of people you go with and the competition.”

Asked about being inducted into the Hall, Salvatori humbly said, “I have mixed emotions about that. There are a lot of good people that did a lot of work in minor hockey and never got any recognition. I think everybody should be recognized for what contribution they made. It’s unfair guys like me get recognition when guys I worked with didn’t get anything.”

At the end of the day, said Salvatori, two phrases come to mind. “It’s all about people” and “No person is bigger than the game.”

Mandatory vaccinations fuel discussion

By

Lisa Gervais

-

September 3, 2021

0

By Kirk Winter

The vaccination status of staff and students was hotly debated at the Aug. 24 Trillium Lakelands District School Board regular board meeting.

Senior staff drilled down with trustees the protocols that will be put in place with teaching staff who refuse to get vaccinated.

“Vaccinations for students and staff are not mandatory,” Director of Education, Wes Hahn, said. “Staff who remain unvaccinated must have a medical exemption and will be COVID tested on a regular basis.”

Trustee John Byrne wanted to know if staff who refuse vaccinations will have to participate in a vaccine education program. Byrne was told that board is waiting for direction from the Ministry of Education on that piece of the protocol, but he expects the answer will be yes.

Senior manager of human resources services, Tracy Hubbard, told trustees staff testing kits have already been delivered. She believes staff who refuse vaccinations will need to be tested once a week.

Trustee Steven Binstock asked Hubbard what would happen if a staff member refused to self-test. She said the board “will be ready for that contingency.”

Trustee Judy Saunders wanted to know if the board has the power to make vaccines mandatory for staff and students. Hahn was unsure and said senior staff would have to look into that.

Both local teachers’ unions are fully supportive of mandatory vaccinations in schools saying in a joint press release Aug. 18, “We believe that everyone working in, or attending a school who is eligible and can safely be vaccinated should be vaccinated.”

The unions qualified that any mandatory vaccination program must include provisions that ensure those who are unable to be vaccinated for medical or religious reasons receive the required employment accommodations and are not disadvantaged.

However, they said, “Individuals who are exempt for reasons due to statements of conscience, or are not vaccinated, must be required to take additional precautions for their own safety and that of those around them including regular testing, using additional PPE, ensuring distancing requirements are met and adhering to other safety protocols.”

Craig Horsley, president of District 15 of the OSSTF, added, “I would like to see as many layers of protection in place to keep staff and students safe … and vaccination is just one of those layers as well as proper ventilation, smaller class sizes, comprehensive cohorting and testing. The current board policy for vaccination disclosure aligns well with OSSTF on the topic.”

When asked how many teachers this new policy might affect, Horsely said due to privacy issues OSSTF does not have that information but, “generally speaking our members are no different than the public on what can be a very divisive topic, so I suspect the numbers will be similar to the general public but again I have no data to support that.”

Hahn also informed trustees that public health will be using secondary schools in TLDSB in September to host vaccine clinics.

“TLDSB is encouraging students to be vaccinated. It is clear that cases that are on the rise come from the unvaccinated,” Hahn said.”

We have to always be on guard. Cases could spike again despite the fact that we are feeling good locally. We want staff and students to be safe and kids to stay in the classroom.”

Hanh said the clinics will be run by the local health units and it will not be mandatory for unvaccinated students to attend.

“We simply want to provide students and others the opportunity for getting the vaccine,” Hahn said.

Smaller learn-at-home

The board’s Learn at Home program for 2021-2022 will be a shadow of the robust pandemic-bloated model that operated in 2020-2021.

Hahn said that as of Aug, 24, 327 elementary and 257 secondary students have registered in the virtual education program. This is a significant drop from the 2,000 who used Learn at Home as their primary vehicle for educational programming during 2020-2021.

Hahn made it clear again that due to concerns about staffing, once students have committed to Learn at Home they will likely have to finish at least the semester in that program.

“There might be some shifting in early September happening as we do our regular school reorganization, but after that the kids won’t be moving. Staffing this year will not allow it.”

EH! goes back to the land on climate

By

Lisa Gervais

-

September 3, 2021

0

The relationship between climate issues resolution and Land Back – the movement to return lands to Indigenous peoples – is the focus of an upcoming Environment Haliburton! event.

“Land Back & Climate Justice” will discuss the movement, explain why it’s central to addressing the climate crisis, and provide information about how settler climate organizers can support the movement.

The discussion will feature speakers Jaydene Lavallie and Sakej Ward and moderator Dr. Jen Gobby.

Gobby is an activist-scholar and educator based on unceded Abenaki territory in rural Quebec and author of the book More Powerful Together: Conversations with Climate Activists and Indigenous Land Defenders.

Gobby said in an interview that she started out as a climate activist and in the mid2010s she “came to understand that the most powerful and transformative force towards environmental and social justice in this country is Indigenous folks defending and caring for their lands and waters, And so, I try to support Indigenous land defenders in ways that I can, though various forms of solidarity.”

Her research is focused on climate policy, climate justice, social transformation and Indigenous-settler relations in social movements in Canada, and through her research she met Lavallie and Ward.

Lavallie is a Two-Spirit Michif-Cree woman currently living in Dish with One Spoon Territory (Hamilton). She spends most of her efforts on anti-extractive and land defense struggles but has also dedicated herself to defending Hamilton against gentrification, fighting patriarchy inside and outside of organizing circles, and pushing for animal liberation.

Sakej (James) Ward belongs to the wolf clan. He is Mi’kmaw (Mi’kmaq Nation) from Esgenoopetitj (Burnt Church First Nation, New Brunswick). He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Indigenous Governance. Sakej has a long history of advocating and protecting First Nations inherent responsibilities and freedoms.

Gobby holds a PhD from McGill University, is a postdoctoral fellow at Concordia University and teaches courses on environment and climate change at Bishop’s University and McGill’s Bieler School of Environment.

To highlight Indigenous perspectives Gobby pointed to a talk by Pamela Palmater (“Canada, It’s Time for Land Back”; breachmedia.ca/land-back). Palmater is a Mi’kmaw lawyer, professor, writer, member of the Eel River Bar First Nation and Chair in Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University.

“Today, Indian reserves account for just 0.2 per cent of the land,” said Palmater. “It’s worth remembering that even though Indigenous peoples make up less than five per cent of the world’s population, we protect 80 per cent of global biodiversity … First Nation jurisdiction over lands and waters would not only be a matter of justice, but a pathway for Canada to a more sustainable relationship to the natural world.”

According to Gobby, while the Land Back movement may not seem politically feasible at the moment, it actually is.

“There are a lot of great examples that we’ll talk about in the event about ways that concretely people are enacting Land Back in all kinds of really exciting ways.”

“Land Back & Climate Justice” will be held Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m. virtually on Zoom. To register, go to environmenthaliburton. org and use the link on the home page. For more information contact Susan Hay at hayfield@tcc.on.ca or 705-457-9239.