Council indecisive on new name for Sam Slick Park

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October 7, 2021

Dysart et al council is seeking further information from a citizen-led subcommittee that recently recommended the municipality consider renaming Sam Slick Park.

First unveiled in the early 1960s, the park is named after the character Sam Slick, who is featured in several stories written by Thomas Chandler Haliburton – a judge, politician and author for whom Haliburton village and the County of Haliburton is named. Earlier this year, concerns were brought to council that some of these stories, and specifically storylines surrounding Slick, are misogynistic and racist.

The committee recommended the park be incorporated as part of Head Lake Park, possibly with the designation of Head Lake Park West to avoid any potential confusion, given there is already a Head Lake Park in that area.

In explaining its decision, the subcommittee stated other municipalities across the country were taking measures to rename places and events inspired by individuals with a controversial past. The community of West Hants Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, for example, recently renamed its annual Sam Slick Days event to Windsor-West Hants Summer Fest after being made aware of the contents of Haliburton’s stories.

Some members of council, notably Walt McKechnie and John Smith, were uncomfortable with the idea of renaming the park.

“I know a lot of things have changed in our world, but tearing things down and changing names … I just worry what’s next [that’s] going to change,” McKechnie said. “This perfect world … we’re all not perfect. Needless to say the character Sam Slick wasn’t. This perfect world that people want Walt McKechnie to live in, that doesn’t exist in Walt McKechnie’s life. I don’t know what we’re trying to accomplish by this.”

He added, “I think, in some way, the name Sam Slick should still be part of the park.”

Smith agreed with McKechnie, echoing the sentiment that, by changing the name of Sam Slick Park, council may be opening themselves to more trouble down the road.

“I don’t want someone next coming forward with a proposal to change the name of the Village of Haliburton, of the County of Haliburton because of what Thomas Chandler Haliburton wrote 200 years ago,” Smith said. “This is a slippery slope.”

McKechnie felt it was important that Dysart embrace its history and “learn from the mistakes that were made, rather than eliminate them.”

Mayor Andrea Roberts noted that, should council decide to keep the name Sam Slick Park, a plaque could be erected explaining the origins behind the name and acknowledging that the views outlined in the book are “totally different” to how people feel towards different cultures today.

Council asked staff to touch base with members of the sub-committee to see if they could send a representative to a future meeting to further discuss the issue.

Deputy mayor returns

Roberts kicked off last week’s meeting with an announcement that Pat Kennedy would be returning to his role as deputy mayor effective Oct. 1.

Kennedy took a leave of absence from council earlier this year to deal with some health issues.

“We’re all very excited and pleased that deputy mayor Kennedy will be returning back to his duties, both here at Dysart and at the County,” Roberts said. new 5,000 sq. ft. dining hall, commercial kitchen and dishwashing room. The project is expected to begin next spring.

Hockey and beer on tap for new Minden arena

By

Lisa Gervais

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October 7, 2021

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Haliburton County Huskies’ fans will be able to enjoy an adult beverage while watching games this season.

Minden Hills Council approved expanding the available licensing area of the S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena and Community Centre beyond the existing Minden, Anson and Hindon rooms at its Oct. 4 meeting.

It means the township will apply to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to also include the gym; off-season rink; viewing and lobby areas; ice rink seating and the warm viewing area.

To accommodate the Huskies’ desire to sell alcohol, the township had to declare that each of the team’s home regular season games are events of municipal significance.

In a report to council, director of community services, Craig Belfry said, “The municipality has agreed to the use of the upper warm viewing area and community hall by the Haliburton Huskies for alcohol sales. In addition, the Huskies have requested that the sale of alcohol be permitted in the ice rink seating area.”

Belfry said the request should be granted since the Huskies “are an important tenant, and that their games will have an economic impact on the municipality as a whole.”

However, he said staff also believe that an area should be reserved as a ‘family zone’ for patrons who don’t want to sit where alcohol is permitted. Initially, it was suggested that 54 seats at the north east end could be sectioned off, clearly marked and under game day supervision of the Huskies.

Mayor Brent Devolin said he attended the Oct. 2 Huskies’ home opener and team ownership and the township are on the same page, “to see how it goes, whether it’s problematic or not and malleable on a go forward basis if things need to be added.”

Coun. Bob Carter spoke in favour of expanding throughout the facility but not into the stands. “We should be limiting the sale of alcohol in the stands particularly in the first year ‘til we see how it’s going.” He said drinking should be limited to the warm viewing and bar area. He added that designating 54 seats as a family zone represents just 12 percent of the facility and “doesn’t seem to be a very family-friendly approach.”

But Coun. Jean Neville replied, “Why we’re throwing more obstacles in the way of this opportunity to have a junior A hockey team here, I don’t understand. Why are we going to worry about things that might not happen? They are open to modifying this if there are issues.”

She added Carter is inferring that parents and adults will not be responsible. However, she said “nobody’s going to sit there and get hammered.” She said people would have designated drivers and not cause altercations.

Coun. Pam Sayne said the township had done a lot for the team, a private company, and she is concerned about a perceived bias. She’s also worried about competing with drinking establishments in town. However, Devolin said other bars and restaurants are “ecstatic” to have the team in town. Deputy Mayor Lisa Schell said people who don’t watch hockey won’t be coming to drink.

Devolin asked if Carter would accept 100 seats as a compromise and he said, “certainly 100 is better than 50.” Council eventually passed a resolution at that number.

“We’ll see how it goes. If we’re back here in a couple of months, with bad news, then we can make the next adjustment or if by the end of the whole season things are all positive then prior to another season we revisit it,” Devolin said.

The Huskies will be providing Smart Serve and security, according to Belfry.

Long-term care crisis ‘isn’t going away’

By

Mike Baker

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October 7, 2021

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More than 18 months on from the formation of the Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes Long-Term Care Coalition, and the release of a report compiled by the Canadian military that described conditions within certain facilities in Ontario as “horrifying,” many local activists advocating for change in the industry have been left disappointed by what they perceive as a lack of action from the provincial government.

A protest held outside of Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott’s office in downtown Lindsay Oct. 4 drew more than a dozen people. Armed with signs, and launching sporadic chants of “our seniors deserve better,” those in attendance made it clear that they feel the Ontario government is failing residents currently living in long-term care.

Bonnie Roe and Lynn Ritchie, members of the local LTC coalition, made the trip to Lindsay to participate in the hour-long event.

“We feel it’s important to meet and collectively do this … it’s been over a year now since the military was called in to long-term care homes to assist, and, as we now know, they found appalling conditions in the places they visited. We’re here today … because nothing has really changed,” Ritchie said.

As outlined in that report, military officials experienced cockroach and bug infestations, seniors calling out repeatedly for help before receiving assistance, rotting food left unattended, COVID-19 infected patients being put in the same room as those who were healthy, missed meals, and seniors being left in soiled diapers and linens.

It also highlighted serious concerns over staff shortages, a lack of personal protective equipment, and failures to follow basic procedures to keep both residents and staff safe.

“Long-term care hasn’t been great for a number of years, but I think COVID shed a real light on what was really happening,” Ritchie said. “It made me personally realize that real change is needed.”

As a collective, the local LTC coalition has identified six core priorities it would like the Ontario government to address to improve conditions within the sector. High on that list is advocating for the inclusion of long-term care into the Canada Health Act, something Roe believes will completely change the way the sector operates.

The group also wants all LTC residents to receive at least four hours of direct care per day; reinstate annual resident quality inspections, with consistency in enforcement when inspections yield rule violations; explore new models of care; change the culture of long-term care to be more attentive to the value of elders; and stop for-profit companies from opening new nursing homes in Ontario.

Through previous correspondence with media, Scott has indicated she believes the Ontario government is doing a good job of reinvesting into long-term care. She stated that, in the 2021 budget, the government invested more than $2.5 billion to create more than 20,000 new beds provincewide, and upgraded almost 16,000 beds to a “modern, 21st century standard.” Scott said the province has also committed to investing $4.9 billion over four years to increase the average of daily direct care from 2.75 hours to four hours.

“I think if these things were implemented sooner rather than later, that would be a big help,” Ritchie said. “I don’t see a lot of this taking place at this point in time. We need action, not words.”

Shoreline bylaw ‘prohibition by way of regulation’

By

Sam Gillett

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October 7, 2021

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Through their Zoom screens, County residents gave feedback on varying setbacks, a streamlined application process, and raised questions about the consultation process itself during the second draft shoreline bylaw town hall.

Hosted by J.L Richards (JLR) and Hutchinson Environmental (HES), the discussion focused on proposed changes to the bylaw rather than the restrictions of the previous draft bylaw itself.

Many of the 12 who spoke publicly, however, referred to the previous draft, which Jason Ferrigan said “represents a point in the conversation, but we are moving beyond that point in the conversation.”

Specifically, JLR and HES were tasked with reviewing and then presenting a new draft bylaw, taking into consideration the opinions of stakeholders and the public while pursuing peer-reviewed scientific research and comparative studies of other municipalities.

Conner Harris, representing Black Rock Landscaping, said the previously proposed bylaw would seriously hamper business. Its permit process, which JLR suggests streamlining to make it less onerous and expensive, would mean potential clients would be far more hesitant to proceed with building projects.

Harris said the cost of undertaking the permit process would be “disproportionate to the value of the project being pursued and in Black Rock’s view essentially amounts to prohibition by way of regulation.”

Despite those concerns, Harris said the company is encouraged by the direction they see the draft bylaw going.

“So far that process has given Black Rock cause for optimism that these concerns are being considered and will be fully incorporated into the final product when it’s considered by council.”

JLR has proposed multiple policy improvements which they suggest could improve the draft bylaw.

These include: creating a plain language bylaw; aligning the purpose of the bylaw with in-effect policies; creating a consistent area of application, harmonizing the bylaw with local requirements; recognizing variable site conditions; using performance-based standards; streamlining application requirements; broadening the matters that can be referred to council and creating a framework for transitioning to the new rules.

Disappointment with consultation process

Tayce Wakefield, a representative from a group of 150 properties on Kennisis Lake and other Haliburton lakes, said she “regrets [their] input was not sought” by consultants. Wakefield, who also addressed planners at the County’s July open house, spoke for approximately 17 minutes, outlining multiple key elements of the previous draft bylaw and raised questions which she said “remain to be answered.”

Wakefield’s group initially proposed to present a PowerPoint during the meeting. “It helps to make a clearer and more focused presentation,” she said. Their request was denied.

“It does cause us to question how interested you are” in receiving thoughtful input from property owners,” she told planners and council members. The slideshow presentation outlines multiple issues the group sees in the consultants’ report, including how the previous draft did not include renaturalization incentives.

At the beginning of the meeting, Warden Liz Danielsen said the issue of PowerPoint presentations is a “matter of equitable treatment of all presenters.”

“Those individuals making delegations at our initial meeting didn’t have that opportunity and we want to make sure we offer fair and equitable treatment for all those who have comments they wish to make,” she said.

Wakefield and subsequent speaker Thomas Moch said they support healthy lakes but were concerned by how the previous bylaw “further restricts [the] enjoyment of [their] properties.”

“No one intentionally goes out to destroy their habitat or destroy their lake in a negative context,” Moch said.

Terry Moore, of Environment Haliburton! also had suggestions for a reconfigured consultation process; one which would work towards a common understanding of facts and science apart from the “vitriolic” discourse on social media sites like Facebook.

“We need to organize, I think, public discussion forums where we can talk about where we’re coming from and why.”

Council is set to receive a new draft bylaw Oct. 27.

Cobra, the COVID-sniffing dog

By

Sam Gillett

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October 7, 2021

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“Sniffer dogs” are used for detection of human remains, lost persons, trafficked drugs, explosives, weapons and other illegal contraband.

Many dogs have been trained to detect diseases including Parkinson’s, various cancers, seizures, infections, low blood sugars in insulin-dependent diabetic patients. A dog’s olfactory cortex is reportedly 40 times larger than a human’s, making it capable of storing and recalling vast numbers of scents for many years.

With over 200 million scent receptors in comparison to a human’s five million, a dog’s nose can detect the odour of particular molecules and compounds that alter during disease. These odours are believed to come from Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) produced by biochemical changes in the body caused by malignancies, inflammations, infections, and other pathological events, including viral infections such as COVID.

The metabolic changes are detected in breath, sweat, urine and skin. Critical to our efforts to stop the rapid spread of COVID-19 is having an efficient way to identify positive cases and tracing their contacts for purposes of isolation. Nasal swabs and CT scans may be accurate in diagnosing someone with COVID, but they are relatively expensive, require medical equipment, trained staff, time to implement and obtain results. It is suggested that the use of trained dogs leads to earlier detection of infected persons at a lower cost.

Especially useful in situations when large numbers of people need to be screened quickly, a Sniffer Dog trained to detect COVID-19 helps identify asymptomatic carriers quickly. Each well-trained dog has a screening capacity of 250 samples per hour. While there are dozens of COVID-sniffing dogs in Dubai and Miami airports now, Cobra, a Belgian Malinois, is a super sniffer, able to sniff out COVID with 99 per cent accuracy.

She and her partner, One Betta, a Dutch Shepherd, work a checkpoint together at Miami International airport. They are part of a pilot program with the Global Forensic and Justice Center at Florida International University that uses detection dogs as a quick screen to identify people with COVID-19. Their detection rate is high – at more than 98 per cent – and the program has been such a success that it’s being extended for another month at the airport.

The dogs have been so accurate in their detection of COVID-19 that they and other canines with similar training could be deployed to other places that have many people coming and going at once, including other airports or even schools. COVIDsniffing dogs are being used in university classrooms now. Cobra is given passengers’ masks to sniff as the travelers make their way through a security check.

If she identifies a specific scent, she’ll let her handler know by sitting down. Sitting means Cobra has detected an olfactory signal of the coronavirus. That means the passenger will get a swab. Cobra and One Betta got their start learning to identify the presence of laurel wilt, a fungus that attacks avocado trees and kills them, costing Florida growers millions of dollars.

Once a dog learns to identify one odour, it is easily trained to identify other scents assigned to them. Cobra and One Betta were trained using mask samples from people hospitalized with COVID, and a control group of people who did not have the disease. When the dog correctly identified the virus, it got a favorite toy. From Aug. 23 to Sept. 8, the two canines screened 1,093 people during eight working days, alerting on only one case.

That person had tested positive for COVID two weeks earlier and was returning to work after quarantine. While the follow-up rapid test was negative, it highlights the exquisite sensitivity of the sniffers.

We, Highlanders

By

Simon Payn

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October 7, 2021

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JQ - Centre lake consultation - 1 — Highlands East will head a public consultation for the province’s disposal of Crown land on Centre lake. Photo via Granite Shores.

A couple of weeks back, as I was filling the newspaper box outside Jug City, the thought crossed my mind: what are you doing here, thousands of kilometres from home, a newspaper delivery boy in a land of lakes, forests, snow and hockey?

In one of the best places on Earth. This is the first and likely the last column I’ll write for this newspaper. Despite having my name on this page as publisher, I don’t get to decide what you read each week. That’s the job of our editor and her team.

That’s how it should be.

I get all the responsibility (I sign the cheques) and not much of the power so we can protect our product; so you know what you read here is not influenced by commercial concerns.

What Lisa, Sam and Mike put in The Highlander is what they think this community needs to read. That’s how they build an award-winning newspaper people love and tell their friends about, making it commercially viable as the go-to place for advertisers who want to reach our community.

That’s not to say I don’t have editorial input. Part of my job is to protect our mission, which you can find right above my name on this page. I keep watch to make sure what you read here is in line with who we are. The Highlander is 10 years old this week, so it’s time to reinforce that mission, to double down on encouraging Highlanders “to believe in themselves, in our community, and in their power to make our place in the world better every day.” This has never been more important.

I’m not alone in noticing how the past 18 months has put us on some kind of precipice: it feels we’re about to be pushed over the edge into something we don’t want to be. For the first time, I am hearing longtime Highlanders say it might be time to move on. It’s said people come here for the lakes and stay for the community.

This is true. Just look at the stories about our service clubs and not-for-profits, our thriving arts scene and successful businesses, and you’ll know this community has something special going for it. This is the kind of place where how you show up is more important than what you show up with, where you’re part of this place rather just in this place. We can protect all this, not by retreating into the past but by standing strong, creating our own future based on what makes the Highlands great.

All that requires is a steadfast belief in who we are and a strong resolve to ensure our future is what we want it to be. It means we have to think carefully about the decisions we make as a community. Above all, we need to know where we’re going.

Here at The Highlander, we’ll play a part in that. We’re not arrogant enough to think we have all the answers, but we do know how to ask questions. We also have you, our readers and our advertisers. We know you’ll tell us what we’re doing right and when we go wrong.

You’ll let us know what you want the Highlands to be and you’ll share your ideas about how to get there. Together, we will make the next 10 years a defining decade. We’ll emerge stronger and happier, proud of who we are and the lives we’ve built – as Highlanders.

HHHS reverses staff vaccine policy

By

Sam Gillett

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October 7, 2021

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MA-HHHS Health Hub -web — Health workers are still awaiting promised pandemic pay. File photo.

Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) has reversed an earlier decision meaning all staff must now be fully vaccinated by Nov. 15 or be put on unpaid leave until they are immunized.

The move comes after HHHS CEO Carolyn Plummer told a Sept. 23 board meeting that the health provider would not be making vaccines mandatory for all staff. That decision drew some criticism in the community. The new direction, explained to staff in an Oct. 4 memo, comes after the Ontario government introduced mandatory vaccines for workers in long-term care homes. “Our organization is quite interconnected,” said Plummer.

Since HHHS staff must move between service centres, including the hospital and LTC homes, she said it would be difficult to reestablish segregation protocols and barriers which were in place during the early stages of the pandemic. “This was a difficult decision that was not made lightly,” Plummer said.

In the memo, Plummer wrote “using an ethical lens, there are a number of reasons for why this change is happening, including the interconnected nature of our organization, the services we deliver, the need for staff and physicians working in other areas to access the long-term care homes, and the importance of equity across the organization.” Staff who remain unvaccinated, less than 12 per cent, have until Oct. 10 to get their first shot. There will be multiple drop-in appointments available for staff this week, and unvaccinated staff will be offered appointments. On Sept. 23, Plummer initially said a decision had been made to not force vaccinations.

“The hospitals that have gone forward with policies that lead to termination for those who aren’t vaccinated have the capacity to fill the gaps if staff do leave the organization. We certainly don’t have that same kind of capacity.” She also previously mentioned individual choice as a factor in the decision.

However, she said the level of vaccinated individuals is much higher than when the hospital first made the decision in early September. At around 88 per cent, there’s less worry about losing staff who choose not to get vaccinated. HHHS has also increased levels of contracted agency staff working in facilities, which Plummer said decreases the risk of understaffing in some departments.

“Regardless of which direction we took, we knew there were folks who would be supportive and folks who would be questioning the direction: we’ve seen that in both scenarios,” she said.

She also insisted the decision was not made quickly: “It isn’t like we’ve started the vaccine policy discussion on Friday afternoon, we’d already talked through a lot of these issues. “If someone was concerned about walking into the hospital and a staff being vaccinated at the time, my concern would be not having the hospital available at all,” she said, without clarifying the number of staff who would have had to leave for service levels to become unstable. Plummer said she is not aware of any staff choosing to leave HHHS because of the new ruling.

The Ontario Hospital Association is calling for a unified approach to vaccinations across Ontario.

In an Oct. 1 press release, CEO Anthony Dale wrote, “there is much evidence that hospitals have used measures to encourage, persuade and educate employees and staff who are vaccine hesitant to get the vaccine voluntarily. With COVID-19 vaccination becoming mandatory in long-term care, we feel the time has come to adopt a mandatory approach for all healthcare workers, including those in hospitals, too.”

Highlands Challenge soars past fundraiser goal

By

Sam Gillett

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October 5, 2021

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SG-Highlands Challenge-1- — Participants celebrate the end of the fundraising challenge

The second Highlands Challenge fundraiser has raised $75,794.10 for Abbey Retreat Centre’s cancer care programming. Marianne Fenninger, a facilitator with the centre, thanked supporters for “all the possibilities that are now open to the Abbey Retreat Centre (ARC) because of the generosity of you and all our donors,” at an outdoor celebration on Sept. 26.

The centre set a goal this year of $50,000, and for a while, they worried they might not hit it. However after a plateau in donations midsummer, the challenge gathered momentum. “I’m feeling very humbly grateful,” said executive director Barb Smith-Morrison. “I marvel that this happened and I’m so humbled by it.” The challenge was for Highlanders to get moving in return for donations, but it was open to all interpretations, skill levels and interests.

Participants ran, walked, biked and paddled in spots around the County. Bob Stiles, a past participant in the centre’s cancer retreats, set out to paddle the Kash chain of lakes and rivers with his friend Greg Roe, under the team name “Stroe Coureurs des lacs.”

The pair paddled Roe’s 54-year-old canoe, reminiscing about spots on the lakes they remembered from their childhoods and zigzagging from shore to shore to say hello to friends. “I was a canoeist while I was young,” said Stiles.

“There’s something elemental about it. I’m hopeful we’ll do it again.” Roe agreed, saying there is “something spiritual about canoeing, something spiritual about [this] event.”

All together they gathered $9,224.50 in donations, more than tripling their initial goal. Stories shared about the challenge at the celebration ranged from Smith-Morrison’s parents walking 86 kilometers, nearly 10 times their goal, or the Haliburton Rotaract Club becoming keenly aware of the centre and avidly supporting the challenge. One group of friends made a goal of walking two or three times a week, all while sporting their bright green fundraiser T-shirts.

Many who participated said passerbys would offer donations on the spot. “Our work of creating a safe, loving and healing community that supports people living with cancer and also supports their loved ones is meaningful work, it’s inspiring work and it’s even sacred work,” Smith-Morrison said to the participants. “And I believe it’s made all the richer by being part of this community together.” Each dollar raised helps the centre continue the work of providing those living with cancer a space to talk, learn, and heal, along with their support person.

The challenge also exposed the centre to people who may benefit from its services, Smith-Morrison said. “People are wanting to come to our retreats,” she said. “Not only have we raised money, we’ve raised awareness.”

Two arrested in connection with theft of copper wire

By

Lisa Gervais

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October 4, 2021

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The Haliburton Highlands OPP say they’ve made arrests in a theft of copper wire investigation in Minden Hills.

Between Aug. 25 and Sept. 5, 2021, officers responded to three separate incidents from Hydro One substations with an approximate combined value of $7,000.

On Sept. 14, at approximately 6:30 p.m., a suspect vehicle was located in a parking lot in Minden. Police attempted to apprehend the male but he fled in the vehicle at a high rate of speed and officers disengaged due to public safety concerns.

On Sept. 26, an officer attended a call for service under the Trespass to Property Act at a residence in Minden. Upon arrival, the officer located the male suspect with an unknown female inside a vehicle on the property. When the officer attempted to approach the suspect, he struck the police cruiser with his vehicle and fled at a high rate of speed, accompanied by the female. No further attempts to stop the vehicle were made due to public safety concerns.

On Sept. 28, as a result of the police investigation and with the assistance of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service, the male suspect and female passenger were located in Sault Ste. Marie, and arrested without incident.

Nicolas SALLOUM, 25, of Gatineau, Que., has been charged with:

· Flight from Peace Officer, contrary to CC s.320.17 – two counts

· Assault a Peace Officer, contrary to Criminal Code (CC) s.270(1)(a)

· Dangerous operation, contrary to CC s.320.13(1) – two counts

· Failure to stop after accident, contrary to CC s.320.16(1) – two counts

· Obstruct Peace Officer, contrary to CC s.129(a)

· Mischief Endangering Life, contrary to CC s.430(2) – two counts

· Break, Enter a place, contrary to CC s.348(1)(b) – three counts

The accused is being held in custody pending a bail hearing.

The passenger, Kariann LESAGAE, 21, of no fixed address, has been charged with:

· Assault a Peace Officer, contrary to CC s.270(1)(a)

· Flight from Peace Officer, contrary to CC s.320.17

· Dangerous operation, contrary to CC s.320.13(1)

· Failure to stop after accident, contrary to CC s.320.16(1)

· Mischief Endangering Life, contrary to CC s.430(2)

The accused is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Minden on Nov. 3, 2021.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the Haliburton Highlands OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Studio Tour returns to the Highlands

By

Sam Gillett

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September 30, 2021

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HS-studio tour-3- — Rose Pearson demonstrates how she takes a picture of inspiration and turns it into a large painted work of art.

By Hannah Sadlier

After a small but mighty 2020 season the Studio Tour – Haliburton Highlands is back in full force for its 34th season.

This year 34 artists, in 23 studios across Haliburton County, will be opening their doors to visitors from far and wide. “The Studio Tour – Haliburton Highlands, welcomes returning and new visitors back to our studios,” said Peter Emmink, the tour’s co-director.

“Our 34 artists have been hard at work to bring you a huge selection of their works this year, and to make their studios as safe as possible for you to enjoy.” Not only will visitors be able to take in the fall colours that Haliburton is known for this time of year, but they will also experience an array of media.

This year visitors will experience: fabric, pottery, painting, woodwork, glass, jewellery, mixed media, silversmithing and for the first time, photography. “Again this year, many studios will be conducting demonstrations of their craft, skill and techniques, which is not only informative but fun to watch for young and old alike,” Emmink said

. All studios will be following COVID safety protocols as outlined by the Ontario government and the HKPR health unit. “Also due to COVID we have had to forgo the snacks and treats that have been synonymous with the Studio Tour but hopefully that will all return next year,” Emmink said. The Studio Tour takes place this weekend, on Saturday, Oct. 2 and Sunday, Oct. 3, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; and again Oct. 9 and 10. Copies of the 2021 Studio Tour – Haliburton Highlands, brochure are available at many local businesses; or download a digital copy online.

For more information, visit thestudiotour. ca or find The Studio Tour on Facebook and Instagram.