SIRCH seeks answers on food insecurity

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August 17, 2020

JQ - SIRCH food security - 1-web — SIRCH is still preparing hundreds of free meals per week to meet demand, despite the province reopening. Photo submitted

SIRCH is researching to get a better understanding of food insecurity in Haliburton as demand for its free meals remains high.

The community service organization announced the initiative July 29. It is surveying people facing food insecurity to find out more about their experiences. SIRCH said the effort was prompted by the demand remaining high enough for 500 meals per week, well beyond the 70 a week it was cooking before COVID-19 hit.

Project co-ordinator Emma Wood said they are connecting with food banks and other organizations to learn more about how COVID has impacted people’s ability to purchase nutritious food.

“We hope to get a better picture of who is receiving our meals, who we could be missing and the overall picture of food insecurity in Haliburton,” Wood said. “And if COVID has had any impact.”

The organization originally upped its meal production to respond to the crisis, as the pandemic slowed down business, leading to layoffs. SIRCH executive director Gena Robertson said they expected demand to drop once the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and other supports kicked in. But the decline never happened.

“We thought we had our hand on the pulse of the community when it came to food and needing food,” Robertson said. “Conversations and stories made us realize that for many, the needs had been there all along, but they just hadn’t been aware of the meals. We wanted to dig a bit deeper.”

The Central Food Network in Highlands East has previously said it is bracing itself for a possible spike in demand come winter, with rising food prices and people struggling with depleted savings and summer employment decline.

Wood said SIRCH hopes to use the data collected to prepare for the fall.

“We can get a better idea on what the current need is, and is that need expected to go up, so that way we can secure funding and prepare our team to weather that,” she said. “We just want to make sure come the colder months, we’re ready to go.”

The confidential survey is available through sirch.on.ca under the COVID-19 tab, by emailing emma_wood@sirch.on.ca or by calling 705-457-1742 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Septic systems challenging Highlands East

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Lisa Gervais

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August 16, 2020

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JQ - Highlands East Septic - 1-web — Highlands East council received a report about septic inspection progress at its Aug. 11 meeting. Photo via Highlands East.

Highlands East is pushing to address unresolved high-risk septic systems in its inspection program, but staff reported difficulties accomplishing that.

Septic inspector Arlene Quinn presented an update to council Aug. 11 on how many properties still need to be addressed. There are 187 outstanding high-risk properties, after staff previously resolved 88 found since the program began in 2017.

Quinn said the properties have a variety of circumstances. The pandemic has also slowed progress and prevented the municipality from hiring summer students to help this year.

“Each property of concern is unique, and each person’s situation is different, therefore making resolution, compliance and statistical information rather challenging,” Quinn said. “Our approach has been to address highest priorities first, regardless of what year inspection transpired.”

Quinn reported there are those facing financial hurdles to replacing septic systems and she has been unable to find financial assistance for non-primary residences. Others are also on waitlists for qualified septic installers, who have been busy with other inspection programs running in the County.

However, Quinn said many are refusing to acknowledge correspondence, often because they do not want to revert changes to their properties done without required building permits, such as adding bedrooms, which can make septic systems undersized.

“These are the properties that we have the hardest time getting into compliance and court orders may be necessary,” Quinn said.

Deputy mayor Cec Ryall said he has no issue with helping property owners who are willing to work with the municipality.

“It is definitely something that shows our municipality is not just out there trying to enforce a bylaw. We’re trying to be compassionate,” Ryall said. “We’re trying to do the job the best we can, but at the end of the day, we have to protect what needs to be protected.”

Ryall said the concern is more with those not working with Quinn.

“If we’re going to take litigation, let’s do it,” Ryall said. “Because at the end of the day, if we’re going to be crying wolf, then nothing is going to happen. I understand there are costs associated with anything we do. There are also costs associated with (doing) nothing.”

Ryall said the municipality needs to establish timelines for each of the cases, as well as how many are working and not working with staff.

“We need to come up with some timelines for closing off these various phases, otherwise this is going to drag on beyond my lifetime.”

Council voted to accept Quinn’s report as information.

Fun on four wheels as ATVs return to trails

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Lisa Gervais

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August 15, 2020

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JQ - ATV Ride - 2-web — The Haliburton ATV Association held its first group ride of the season Aug. 8. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

The Haliburton ATV Association returned to the trails Aug. 8 to ride together for the first time since the pandemic began.

The association missed out on its usual start of the riding season in May, delaying for three months due to COVID restrictions. But eight members came out for the first ride in the Partridge Lake area, with rides planned to continue until the end of November.

Association president Joel Bocknek said they waited until social gatherings could expand, introducing a 30-person cap on participants to ensure distancing could be maintained.

“It’s great because it’s something I think our members and participants really enjoy and really benefit from,” Bocknek said. “It’s a good mechanism, in a way, to get into the sport and meet other people that ride.”

The rides are not completely back to normal. They usually attract between 20-30 people according to Bocknek, attributing the difference this time to awareness about the event. The club’s fundraising efforts for community causes are likely to stay on hold this year, he added.

Still, Bocknek said the rides can help boost the local economy.

“It does bring in some business for local merchants, people either staying over in motels, fuel, food. So, we try to spread the wealth as well as give people a good idea and understanding of how diverse the trails are within our region,” he said.

Association member Eddy Timm said it felt good to be riding with a group again.

“Been waiting for it for quite some time. It’s fun going out with this group. The trails are in pretty good shape, a little bit challenging here and there, but if you go with a group, things are fine,” Timm said.

John Price said the best way to learn the trails is to join a club.

“It’s never good to ride alone,” Price said. “They got a lot of trails in Haliburton … There’s so much to see.”

Bocknek said although larger group rides were halted for months, he knows many people have been out driving ATVs and business is booming for retailers.

“People aren’t able to go on the family vacation, out of province, out of town, out of country. So, they’re spending more time and all the outdoor activities seem to have been increased significantly this year,” he said. “Which isn’t a bad thing.”

Paving the way for accessible therapy

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Lisa Gervais

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August 15, 2020

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JQ - Walkabout accessibility - 5-web — Karen and Rowan Pettinella interact with pony Sweet Pea. Photo submitted.

Rowan Pettinella’s recent trip to Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association went more smoothly than usual.

The nine-year-old has limited mobility, often relying on a walker or a wheelchair. Although trips for the nonprofit’s horse therapy program have been great for him, according to his mother Karen Pettinella, they required a lot of effort by both him and his supporters.

But that changed with a new accessible pathway and shelter finished July 30.

“He was just able to be up close and hands-on and feeling that sense of independence,” she said. “The farm, in particular, provides such a therapeutic and calming environment.”

Walkabout owner and operator Jennifer Semach said the project was completed with a $10,000 federal grant, with the youth innovation component of the Enabling Accessibility Fund. The project includes a paved walkway going up to the horse enclosures, as well as a shelter and safe grooming station, enabling more access compared to the rough terrain that was previously there.

“Being in a farm setting with uneven ground and unpredictable terrain, between ice and mud, it wasn’t suitable all-year round for participants to access our services,” Semach said. “It was incredibly important to myself to make sure we had a fully-accessible farm.”

Other donations included $3,334 through the Youth Philanthropy Initiative at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School and in-kind donations headed by Wilbee Construction to stretch the dollars, Semach said.

Brittany Gautreau partnered to write the grant for the project as a youth accessibility leader. She said she connected with the farm in late 2019 and felt it was a worthy cause.

“I decided this would be a great idea, so they can be more accessible for wheelchair users and the walker users,” Gautreau said. “We got the paperwork to actually fill out … It became a bit of a challenge. I wanted to give up, but my determination kept me going.”

Pettinella said her son had a particularly special day using the new path, forming a connection to the farm’s new pony Sweet Pea, whose shorter stature made her easier to access.

“It’s removing barriers and allowing more accessibility,” she said. “Allowing us to experience the farm to the fullest without thinking about what obstacles might be around.”

Confirmed active COVID cases down to one in Haliburton

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Lisa Gervais

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August 14, 2020

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JQ - Coronavirus prep - 1-web — A microscopic image of the virus that caused COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus. The spikes on the outer edge of the virus particles give coronaviruses their name, crown-like. NIAID-RML via Flikr.

Haliburton’s active confirmed COVID-19 cases dropped down one in an update from the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit Aug. 14.

The health unit reported 15 total cases with only one active, down from three earlier in the week. The remaining 14 cases are listed as resolved. The number of high-risk contacts is also at two, down from 10 listed Aug. 12.

Across the district, total cases are up to 218, with 21 active in the City of Kawartha Lakes and none active in Northumberland.

Health services foundation radiothon underway

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Lisa Gervais

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August 13, 2020

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JQ - Foundation radiothon - 1-web — 93.5 Moose FM radio host Rick Lowes and Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation executive director Lisa Tompkins. The two organizations are partnering for a fundraising radiothon Aug. 13-14. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

The 13^th annual Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation radiothon is underway to raise money for new vital signs monitors at local emergency departments.

The annual event running with 93.5 Moose FM is raising money for the foundation, asking people to call in or go online to donate. The event runs Aug. 13 and 14 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.

Foundation executive director Lisa Tompkins said the event is quite different this year, with their usual street presence scaled back due to the pandemic.

“We’re certainly trying to make sure that we are following health protocols and social distancing,” Tompkins said. “We made the decision we really need to be virtual as possible.”

The vital signs monitors will be for the emergency and acute care departments in Haliburton and Minden. They are used to access and monitor a patients’ vital signs including blood pressure, heart rate, temperature and more.

Tompkins said the foundation is working towards 10 of them, with a total cost of $65,000-$70,000.

“We will be updating these to state-of-the-art,” Tompkins said, adding the devices will help reduce the workload on medical workers in a time when they are dealing with extra safety protocols. “This new equipment helps to consolidate and make it a much more efficient action for nurses and doctors.”

New for this year is an online auction, with items being featured at hhhs.ca/foundation. The auction will close Aug. 17.

Tompkins said like many organizations, the foundation has lost revenue through cancelled events, but they are thankful for how people have supported the health care sector during this time.

“This is a generous community,” she said. “We’re really grateful for their generosity and for the importance that they recognize health care has in our community.”

For more information or to donate visit the foundation website or call at 705-457-1580.

Students: should they stay or should they go?

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Lisa Gervais

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August 13, 2020

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JQ - Back to School concern - 2-web — Local parents had to decide this week whether to send their kids back to school or have them do remote learning starting in September. File photo.

Parents are deciding whether to send their children for in-person learning this September, as Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) asked them to pick a method of education this week.

TLDSB sent out emails to its families Aug. 7, asking them to re-register their children for either in-person or remote learning by Aug. 13. The board later extended the deadline to Aug. 17. The board’s schools are set to reopen fully in September despite the pandemic, but remote learning is still an option.

Haliburton parent Dulce Acero has a daughter attending Grade 8 this year. She said she has conflicting feelings, but will send her daughter back out of concern for mental health and issues with remote learning.

“I’m obviously worried about what could possibly happen with that many kids all in one place,” Acero said. “I don’t feel good about it, but I really don’t feel like I have any other options at this point.”

The TLDSB has published information on its plans over the past week. There will be many differences at schools, such as staggered lunches and recesses, mandatory masks for Grades 4 and up, limiting school visitors and high school students taking a reduced number of credits at one time.

Remote students will get a mix of at-home live instruction and independent learning through primarily online platforms. But the board has said exact details will depend on the makeup of students who sign up. Students will also be unable to switch after making a choice until at late October.

Parent Breann Nicole said she is unsure about sending her child into school for Grade 7 and intends to choose remote learning if enough parents opt for it.

“I believe the government is trying to restart the economy on the backs of our children,” she said. “There is not enough known about COVID for this to be safe.”

Unions have criticized the provincial return to school plan, calling for smaller class sizes and significantly more funding than the $309 million the province has allotted for safety equipment and additional staffing. Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation TLDSB local president Colin Matthew said TLDSB is working hard and there are many logistical hurdles to be worked out. He added the provincial plan details are thin and there is significant latitude for local boards.

“We’re still waiting to hear what their plans look like,” he said. “What we’ve put to the board is our primary concern … is the safety of everyone involved.”

Matthew added they want public health authorities to have a huge role in the process and be listened to.

As far as remote learning, Matthew said their hope is teachers can be dedicated to it without splitting their time, but that will depend on the numbers.

“I hope they (parents) make the decision that’s best for their family so that we can accurately assess what our staffing needs are,” he said. “I really hope nothing bad happens,” Acero said. “I hope everything can go as well as it possibly can.”

Search goes on for Harold Heaven

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Lisa Gervais

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August 13, 2020

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JQ - Doc Dig - 6-web — The Heaven family gathers around the dig site. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

Hands coated in muck, Mike Mildon kept on digging into a six-foot hole, seven hours into a search for his long-missing relative Harold Heaven.

“Just a little more,” he said as he reached in for another handful of mud.

The lead in Mildon’s search for answers on the Minden man who disappeared 86-years-ago ended in disappointment Aug. 12. He and fellow documentary filmmaker Jackson Rowe – surrounded by their crew and dozens of Heaven family members – did not uncover the body they expected to find in a spot on family property.

The duo have been working on a documentary titled “For Heaven’s Sake,” about their search for Heaven. Mildon said they used ground-penetrating radar in February on a spot long-rumoured to be Heaven’s resting place in family stories. The results found it looked similar to a cemetery site and could contain a body.

After delays due to winter and the pandemic, they went to work digging. But all they uncovered was dirt and rocks.

“We had a lot of confidence going into that. It hurts, it really sucks,” Mildon said. “The whole family was around – we wanted to give them something.”

Heaven went missing in 1934, his case going unsolved by police, though their reports indicated they suspected suicide. Mildon and Rowe have said they think there is more to it, including the possibility of manslaughter, and they are not discounting any theory.

“There’s always rumours people talk about,” Rowe said. “It’s just difficult for us to sift through and take them all seriously as we’d like to. We’re going to regroup.”

But the Heaven family who came remained in high spirits even after the disappointing end as they cheered the documentarians on.

“Now, we can tell our kids and grandkids the story,” family member Emma Cornfield said. “Of how we dug the holes. We now have new campfire stories.”

“My whole goal was to give them an answer today,” Mildon said. “It sucks on that front, but there was so much love and support around, that I think everyone saw it. Very thankful.”

Rowe said Minden has been an excellent community to work with throughout their months-long search.

“Almost everyone we came into contact with was supportive and was happy to talk,” Rowe said. “Really paints Minden in a lovely light.”

The filmmakers said they did not have any specific strong leads after this, but they’ll keep going.

“It’s not done yet,” Mildon said. “We learned about perseverance and what it takes to solve something like this. It’s not as easy as some people make it seem.”

Welcome centre breaks ground

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Lisa Gervais

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August 12, 2020

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JQ - Ground break - 3-web — Government officials and Rotarians attended the ground-breaking of a new welcome centre at Head Lake Park Aug. 5. Front row left to right: MPP Laurie Scott, MP Jamie Schmale, Rotary Club of Haliburton president Ted Brandon, Dysart et al Mayor Andrea Roberts. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

Rotarians and government officials held a ground-breaking ceremony on a new welcome centre being constructed outside Head Lake Park in Haliburton Aug. 5.

The facility was initially proposed by the Rotary Club of Haliburton in May 2019 as its 75th-anniversary project. The club is donating $75,000, but the project received a huge jumpstart with a $375,000 federal grant.

“It’s exciting. It’s happening sooner than we kind of dreamed that it could happen,” Rotary president Ted Brandon said. “It will just be a great addition to the park.”

The centre will offer washrooms accessible from the outside and tourism information. Some work has already started on a sewer hookup.

Deputy Mayor Patrick Kennedy, who headed the committee overseeing the project, said it is a milestone for the community that has been talked about for a long time.

“It’s critical for our tourism,” Kennedy said. “This new welcome centre is going to be opened yearround, rather than just seasonally. It’s going to attract more people to the area.”

Kennedy said COVID-19 delayed construction, but they hope to have it complete by the end of December. If not, it should be finished early next year.

Haliburton County municipalities get $2.87 million to help with COVID costs

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Lisa Gervais

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August 12, 2020

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Haliburton County’s five municipal governments are getting just over $2.87 million combined to help them ensure the delivery of critical public services during COVID-10.

The province made the announcement Aug. 12.

Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MP Laurie Scott was joined by County CAO Mike Rutter, County Warden Liz Danielsen, Minden Hills Mayor Brent Devolin and Dysart et al Mayor Andrea Roberts for a photo op to go with the announcement at 3 p.m. today.

The County will get $1,435,300. Algonquin Highlands $275,900; Dysart $475,400; Highlands East $281,700 and Minden Hills $402,200.

See next Thursday’s Highlander for more on the funding announcement.