Province opens recreation for fun in the sun

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May 26, 2021

JQ - Outdoor rec open - 1 — Matthew Smith steps toward to hit a tennis ball at the Haliburton tennis courts. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

People flocked to enjoy outdoor recreation over the May long weekend as the province reopened facilities for golf, tennis and more May 22.

Outdoor recreational areas had been closed since April 17 as part of a lockdown in response to COVID-19 trends. This included golf courses, tennis courts, basketball courts, skateboarding parks and sports fields. Those facilities are now open, but physical distancing is still required, with limits of five people gathering outdoors.

James Smith visited the Haliburton tennis courts to play with his brother May 24. He said he was waiting a long time to enjoy the facility.

“It’s just nice to be outside again. It feels normal, it feels freeing,” Smith said. “They never should have closed, to be honest.”

Health officials have been clamouring for a loosening on restrictions for outdoor recreation, where COVID-19 transmission risks are lower. The Ontario Medical Association called for the move in a press release May 12.

The reopening comes as COVID-19 cases are falling in the province. Haliburton has three active cases as of May 22.

Gary Kent of Carnarvon Family Golf had awaited the start of the season, after a successful summer last year. He said there was plenty of traffic and it makes a significant difference opening for the long weekend. He said people did come from larger centres, though added it was kept safe.

“The people are coming up here to get away from the city. Get away from all the hectic COVID that’s going on there anyway,” Kent said. “They get up here, they’re outside, they’re all distanced, they’re all away from each other.”

But Kent said he could understand the province’s caution.

“I don’t want to catch the freaking COVID,” Kent said. “I was fine with it, being closed. If that’s what they have to do, then that’s okay.”

Michael Tripp visited the Haliburton skate park with his bike May 24 and said it was good to be back.

“It brings all riders and skaters together,” Tripp said. “Gives you an actual space to do your thing rather than go around town, ride off school things people may or may not want you to ride.”

Lockdown rules are still in effect otherwise, though the province has unveiled plans to start loosening restrictions in 21-day intervals if things continue to trend positively.

Smith said there are many benefits to having the extra chance for outdoor exercise.

“It’s the best kind of exercise. So many studies show being outside in nature is not just good for your physical health, but mental health,” Smith said. “I’d rather be outside than inside, for sure.”

Owners of Minden Home Hardware to take over Walkers

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Lisa Gervais

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May 25, 2021

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JQHomeHardware2web.jpg.3f029072 — Jerry Walker outside the Haliburton Home Hardware. File photo.

By Lisa Gervais

The owners of the Minden Home Hardware have confirmed that they have purchased the Haliburton Home Hardware from Jerry and Dale Walker.

Dan Moulton said he and wife, Emily, will make Haliburton their eighth store effective May 31.

“We’re so excited to be buying Haliburton Home Hardware,” Moulton told The Highlander on May 25.

He said they have known the Walkers for a long time, adding the well-known Haliburtonians had “built a great new store, but are now at the end of their careers and wanting to move on.”

The Walkers could not be immediately reached for comment.

Moulton added he and Emily feel “very fortunate” to be expanding into the Haliburton community.

He said they’ve built one store, and renovated others, so to walk into a new store is a new experience.

“The Walkers have built such a beautiful store which really has exceeded the expectations of the community.”

He acknowledged that taking over a store during a lockdown in a pandemic in June is a challenge.

Already, he said retailers are being taxed by curbside service since it’s not like they have an Amazon warehouse full of staff. Existing staff have had to take, fill and deliver orders. They’ll continue to do so until June 2 at the earliest.

“Our store in Minden, just like their store, has been so busy with curbside. It’s a pretty challenging way to do business. But we’re working hard to keep our community going, with everyone’s home and cottage building and renovation needs.

However, he added, “we are looking forward to seeing everyone again.”

They are also eagerly anticipating adding Haliburton’s team to theirs.

“We’re so excited and we’re just going to work hard at serving the community.”

The Moultons purchased the Minden Home Hardware in 2017.

Man found dead at Kawagama Lake

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Lisa Gervais

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May 21, 2021

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Police said they have recovered the body of a missing person on Kawagama Lake in Algonquin Highlands May 21.

OPP said they responded to an incident May 20 where a single vessel went into the water. It had two male occupants, but only one person made it back to shore.

Police, including resources from the Haliburton Highlands detachment, aviation services, Snowmobile ATV and Vessel Enforcement Unit, and the Underwater Search and Recover Unit investigated the scene May 20-21.

Haliburton Highlands OPP said a deceased male was recovered from the lake early in the afternoon May 21. The investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing.

The Highlander will update this story as more information is provided.

Outdoor recreation open for long weekend

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Lisa Gervais

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May 20, 2021

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Outdoor facilities such as the Dysart et al skate park were closed April 17 due to new COVID-19 restrictions. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

The Government of Ontario is opening up outdoor recreation facilities for the weekend starting May 22.

The province announced May 20 that due to COVID-19 trends, it would allow golf courses, tennis courts, basketball courts, skate parks, soccer fields, driving ranges and more to open. Outdoor gatherings are expanded to five people. All other restrictions will remain in effect.

The move comes ahead of a new three-step reopening plan the province announced, which will enable more openings every 21 days depending on trends for COVID-19 cases and vaccinations.

“As a result of the strict public health measures we introduced to stop the spread of COVID-19 variants, we are seeing a steady improvement in our situation as ICU and hospital numbers begin to stabilize,” Premier Doug Ford said. “We can now begin the process of a slow and cautious re-opening of the province in full consultation with our public health professionals.”

Health officials have been clamouring for a loosening on restrictions for outdoor recreation, where transmission risks are lower. The Ontario Medical Association called for the move in a press release May 12. Outdoor recreation has been closed since April 17.

The government also unveiled plans to start reopening the province in 21-day intervals. If COVID-19 cases continue to trend downward and 60 per cent of Ontarian adults reach one dose of vaccination, more restrictions will lift June 12. That could include outdoor gatherings allowing 10 people, outdoor dining with four people at a table and non-essential retail opening at 15 per cent capacity.

Further restrictions could lift in each 21-day interval if trends are good enough.

“Brighter days are ahead, and we believe this roadmap represents a path out of the pandemic and will encourage Ontarians to get vaccinated and to continue following public health advice,” Minister of Health Christine Elliott said.

Step two would further expand outdoor activities, with outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people. Personal care services where face coverings can be worn would reopen and indoor religious services could resume at 15 per cent capacity. It would require 70 per cent of adults vaccinated with one dose and 20 per cent vaccinated with two doses.

Step three would expand access to indoor settings, including indoor sports and recreational fitness, dining, museums, art galleries, libraries and casinos with capacity limits. It would require 70 to 80 per cent of adults vaccinated with one dose and 25 per cent vaccinated with two doses.

Fitness experts go online to connect

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Lisa Gervais

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May 20, 2021

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Kathy Carey decided to shift her focus when the COVID-19 pandemic sidelined her fitness business one year ago.

She has taught classes for 36 years, most recently out of the Blue Sky Studio. But with the health restrictions limiting class sizes, she opted to halt classes and focus more on herself using a Peloton bike, an exercise company that offers online workout sessions.

Carey said she is motivated by group fitness settings – and that finding a remote option has been a boon for her in the pandemic.

“I call it my COVID saviour,” Carey said. “You don’t see people, but you feel the same sort of connection. It’s very motivating … You have to find what works for you and you need a support system.”

The pandemic and repeated shutdowns have pushed the fitness world online, with more people turning toward remote learning. Gyms have frequently been closed or limited during the province’s three shutdowns, leaving people stuck at home for fitness.

Haliburton Yoga is a provider that transitioned online – something owner Lynda Shadbolt said she intends to continue after the pandemic. She said despite the hurdles, it has been a successful venture and allowed her to attract students from a wide range of places.

“It keeps me motivated because if I didn’t have people to teach and plan for, I wouldn’t do it,” Shadbolt said. “I need the community; I need the connection.”

Carey said there are plenty of online programs out there for people to keep fit in the latest shutdown and beyond. She said fitness is important to help both mental and physical wellbeing, but it can be difficult for people to get started in the current environment.

“The biggest problem is that people that have done nothing in so far as exercise,” she said. “Fear can be paralyzing, and it can be physically so hurtful and mentally hurtful … Do things, small goals and if you don’t have a bike or a treadmill and don’t have any money to invest in fitness, go out and walk. Get out the door.”

Shadbolt said Haliburtonians benefit from all the outdoor space that exists in the area.

“We are so lucky to live where we are. We have fresh air,” Shadbolt said. “If nothing else, just get outside.”

But the yoga instructor said there are also strong health benefits to finding an online group to work with.

“That is so important to our wellbeing because I think people are feeling cut off,” Shadbolt said.

“Having a practice of learning to stay in the present moment is, I think, really essential, because our minds can take us down so many negative things right now and that’s really not helpful.”

“No one is going to do it for us, and we all have to find that motivation,” Carey said. “Whatever it is, you just try to start gradually and make it achievable.”

Virtual clinic bridges patients and doctors

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Lisa Gervais

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May 20, 2021

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Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) opened its virtual primary care clinic May 17 to help serve people without family doctors.

The clinic provides access to a regular doctor remotely through an Ontario Telemedicine Network video session. A nurse will assist in person to monitor the patient. The clinic will open two days a week in Minden and is available to anyone who lacks a family doctor living in Haliburton County.

HHHS vice president of community programs Stephanie MacLaren said it helps address the lack of primary care available in Haliburton.

“Primary capacity, in our community, similar to other, small, rural, communities, has been challenged,” MacLaren said. “We have more of a demand for primary care than we have supply.”

Haliburton Highlands Family Health Team executive director Kimberley Robinson said their waitlist for a doctor is approximately 1,000 people. Patients are taken based on the date of their request, with the list now at people who submitted in 2017.

The model began about five years ago, according to Virtual Family Physician Network director Sam Berman. He said it has run successfully in Midland, Campbellford, Peterborough and Smiths Falls, providing a stopgap as communities recruit doctors.

He said primary care is a fundamental human right, and telemedicine was a way to provide that more widely.

It helps “communities right across central Ontario, almost all of which have shortages of family physicians,”

Berman said. “We provide a full range of services a family doctor is supposed to provide.” Berman said ideally, a municipality recruits enough doctors, so it is not needed anymore. The County of Haliburton is trying to address that, hiring a full-time physician recruiter who helped bring two new ER doctors in 2020.

But in the meantime, doctors will see the same patients regularly. Berman added they will coordinate with local health resources. Doctors are also encouraged to visit their communities for a week or two to meet patients.

“We don’t see this with other models of virtual primary care, and that is his absolute commitment to collaborating with local family physicians,” MacLaren said. “His goal is to work himself out of a job.”

There are limitations, such as not treating infants, but Berman said the accompanying nurse is there to help with most things.

“We can probably do 85 per cent of what a family doctor could do if they were there in person,” Berman said.

The clinic will be open for two half-days per week by appointment only, Monday and Wednesday, though MacLaren said that could change based on demand. Appointments can be booked by contacting 705-457-2941 ext. 2294.

Parents to decide on bricks or clicks for fall

By

Lisa Gervais

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May 20, 2021

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by Kirk Winter

Haliburton County parents will be asked starting June 1 to select either brick and mortar learning or virtual learning for their children in the fall.

Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) director of education, Wes Hahn, told a May 11 board meeting that those decisions will go a long way to determine staffing and structures for 2021-2022.

“The ministry [of education] has clearly stated that they want kids registered in brick and mortar schools for September,” Hahn said.

However, he added, “We believe there will be the parental demand for a Learn at Home option. Funding for Learn at Home will not be what it was this year. If parents select Learn at Home, they need to understand that kids will not be able to move back and forth like they did this year. We want to get staffing settled as soon as we can,” the director said.

Trustee John Byrne asked what would be the minimum number of students required to offer the virtual elementary and secondary experience available this year.

“We know the number of students doing Learn at Home will be lower than this year. We will do the best with the money that we have,” Hahn said.

Byrne also questioned the feasibility of parents making a decision before a possible fourth wave of COVID this summer. He asked if there would be flexibility for student movement if such a thing happens.

“We will have to take a look at that with public health come summer,” Hahn said.

Haliburton area trustee Gary Brohman wanted to know how brick and mortar schools are going to operate in the fall and how they are going to be timetabled.

Hahn said, “There will be cohorting, although not as intensively as it is being done now. PPE usage and cleaning protocols will remain. We are expecting the octoblock or quadmester models [students study just one or two subjects at a time] to receive serious consideration again next fall.”

With regards to funding, the board now has its Grant for Student Needs (GSN) numbers, or how much it is getting per pupil, which will provide the bulk of the operating budget for the next school year but Hahn said he remains cautious.

“We are still working through the GSNs. It is very detailed this year because of the intertwining of COVID funding. There are a lot of complexities and decisions won’t be made till later in May and June,” he said.

Hahn also discussed vaccines and the impact they will have on educational planning over the next four months.

He said beginning May 6, all staff that come into direct contact with students were eligible to be vaccinated. By September, the board hopes all staff will be vaccinated.

“There is now the potential for students to be vaccinated. I think late August will look very different than where we are right now.”

Crazy? Maybe a little as new restaurant opens

By

Lisa Gervais

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May 20, 2021

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Claudette Pitre said it is “kind of crazy” to be opening a restaurant during the COVID19 pandemic.

The decision inspired her new venture’s name, Poquito Loco, meaning “a little crazy” in Spanish. The Mexican takeout restaurant is set to open May 22 on Highland Street next to the Silver Maple Hotel.

“Encapsulates us, and the idea of doing it in the middle of a pandemic,” Pitre said. “Just throwing caution to the wind.”

The establishment will serve a full slate of Mexican cuisine, from tacos to burritos to quesadillas to rice bowls and platters.

The Pitre family does not hail from Mexico, but she said her many trips to that country inspired her. She said she even considered moving there but decided not to due to her young children.

“We love Mexico, we love Mexican food,” she said. “Kind of been a thing in our house where I cook Mexican, and everybody comes over and everybody loves it.”

Pitre said she decided on the businesses as the pandemic has curtailed her career in live entertainment management. Despite the challenges in the restaurant sector during the pandemic, she said she saw a niche she could fill.

“We felt it was something that was needed. Something different, something affordable, something that’s easy. You just kind of grab it and go,” Pitre said. “My personality doesn’t allow me to sit at home. I need to be doing something. I need to be productive, and I need to be creative.”

Pitre said she will utilize both Mexican and locally-based suppliers to provide a variety of ingredients.

“We’re trying to keep it as authentic as we can,” she said. “But, also with options for people who maybe don’t want the Mexican ingredients.”

The restaurant is still readying for its opening, which was stalled from May 20 due to unforeseen delays. Still, Pitre said she is touched by the community support she has received so far and is excited to start.

“It’s going to be fun; it’s going to be good,” Pitre said. “Everything is going to be fresh and delicious and different.”

By

Lisa Gervais

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May 20, 2021

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Covid Corner Yikes! Looking ahead …

By Dr. Nell Thomas

“Yikes!” That’s what epidemiologist Dr. Larry Brilliant said when he cited a colleague’s data for the Indian variant (B.1.617.2).

It’s also the attitude displayed by the officials in Singapore and Taiwan as they close schools and restaurants and stand at attention. Which is what we need to be doing in North America right now. And keeping our masks firmly in place.

COVID-19 variants sequenced by the Sanger Institute in England show B.1.617.2 is rapidly increasing – now almost 30 per cent of all sequenced cases in England and anticipated to be the dominant UK strain within days. It is identified in more than 40 countries now. The Indian variant is by far the most transmissible variant yet. It is estimated to be 2.4 times faster than the original strain. Estimates are theoretical, with complex interplay of factors, but the B.1.1.7 (UK) variant is about 60 per cent faster than the original Wuhan strain, and B.1.617.2 is 50-60 per cent faster than B.1.1.7. Singapore is struggling to contain the Indian variant and Vietnam has warned there are only “48 golden hours” to stop it once detected within your borders. These are two countries that have shown impeccable control of infection.

Epidemiologists are saying that if we rely only on vaccines and not on masks/social distancing/preventing gatherings (etc.), then even with 70 per cent of the population vaccinated, and even if vaccines are 97 per cent effective, we would only be able to stop the original slowest Wuhan strain. Remember that to stop spread, we need the rate of reproduction (R0, called “R nought,” the number of people each infected person transmits to), to be less than one. The theoretical modelling done by epidemiologists shows that all scenarios with the Variants of Concern will remain with R0 greater than one unless additional safeguards are used.

Getting rid of the bad apples

By

Lisa Gervais

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May 20, 2021

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With the Victoria Day long weekend looming, it’s a good time to review the province’s stay-at-home order for both seasonal residents and short-term rentals.

For those who may have missed it, the lockdown specifically states that people living outside of Haliburton County can come to their cottage to manage it for less than 24 hours or stay more than two weeks. There is nothing in the rules allowing anybody to come for the weekend.

However, we all know that cottagers will make their way to the Highlands for the May 24 weekend. After all, there is nothing to stop them. There won’t be any OPP roadblocks or municipal bylaw officers making the rounds unless there are egregious acts, such as large gatherings.

While it is not our intention to start yet another ‘us’ versus ‘them’ war in the County, we can only implore those coming to follow COVID-19 protocols.

No doubt about it, they will be welcomed by gas stations, grocery stores, retail outlets, garden centres and eating establishments.

Economics will upstage public health. It’s not a big surprise. Here in the Highlands, health has been actively competing with economics for months now. That’s why local politicians have skated around the issue of cottagers coming during COVID.

This takes us to the short-term rental issue.

Under the rules, cottage owners cannot rent out their spaces for recreation, only emergency housing.

But we are hearing from cottage management companies that while they have cancelled bookings until June 2, those using online platforms such as Airbnb are breaking the rules. It is not a level playing field.

So, news that the County is considering taking on short-term rental regulations is welcome since the lower-tier municipalities have proven woefully inadequate in tackling the issue.

County councillors will go back to their respective councils to see if they’re interested.

They should be. It’s an idea that’s time is long past.

Seasonal cottager owners have a case when they come since they are paying thousands of dollars in property taxes and most of them do follow the rules They care about the County, its physical health and its economic well-being.

Short-term renters are another kettle of fish. They don’t have the long-term investment in our community and often don’t share our values. As such, some of the people who rent to them on Airbnb and other online platforms need to be regulated.

More and more seasonal properties are becoming Airbnb short-term rentals. As such, there needs to be more enforcement and municipal government have to educate better about restrictions.

It would help if municipalities implemented a licencing system and code-of-conduct for short-term rentals.

There’s nothing wrong with fining people. If they are renting incorrectly during a stay-at-home order, fine them. If they are leasing to too many people than their septic system can support, fine them. If their guests are setting off fireworks in contravention of bylaws, fine them.

To seriously do anything about all of this, though, the County’s politicians must ensure the support of OPP and budget for sufficient bylaw coverage on weeknights and weekends. Do this, and enforce regulations, and it will go a long way towards eliminating the few bad apples that are out there in cottage country.