Ron Earle has earned plenty of nicknames as the elder statesman of seniors shinny groups in the Haliburton Highlands.

  “Speedy Ron,” “Dirty Ron,” “Sneaky Ron,” are just some of the names he’s earned from his fellows for his play on the ice, written onto placemats for his 80th birthday celebration Jan. 14.

  Earle’s ability and activity at his age has made him admired amongst local shinny players, his friend Neil Cutler said.

  “Everybody respects him. We know who he is and what he stands for,” Cutler said. “He is just an unbelievably cool guy and to top it all off, he’s a good hockey player. For 80-years-old, he’s a force to be reckoned with.”  

Age has not stopped Earle from leading an active lifestyle. On the ice, he skates with the rest of his 65 and over shinny group, who play in both Minden and Haliburton throughout the week. His skill was on display on his birthday, when he managed to pot a goal in front of the net during a game at the S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena. 

Earle retired in Minden in 1994, he said, after working as a lighting technician for CBC. Over time, he has taken up a variety of recreational activities besides hockey, including cycling and snowshoeing.

  “I like the competition when we’re playing hockey or just the camaraderie when we’re out cycling or kayaking,” Earle said. “I figure it’s better to have a good time whenever you can.” 

 Earle said he first joined the local shinny groups for fun and good exercise, despite having not played hockey for over 30 years before then. 

 “I seem to be able to go and be where the puck is going to be and little things like that,” Earle said. “Score really crazy goals sometimes.” 

 The group has been going for years, Cutler said. Earle also participated as part of the local team for five trips to the Ontario Seniors Games Association 55+ Winter Games, starting in 2007. 

 To mark Earle’s 80th birthday, Cutler said the shinny group wanted to do something special and worked to organize a celebration at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 636 Minden. The group invited his family for the occasion and presented Cutler with a handcrafted oak hockey stick, along with a plaque recognized Earle as an “ironman.” 

 “As a group we said we got to have something appropriate as a memento,” Cutler said.

“To me, the oak epitomized the quality that we got in this guy. He’s durable. He’s dependable. He’s strong.”

  Earle’s daughter, Liescha Earle, also attended her father’s birthday celebration.

  “It’s quite an honour that his community of friends have organized a lovely birthday party for his actual birthday,” she said. 

 Earle said being a part of shinny in the Highlands has made him a lot of friends. 

 “You become part of the community …there’s probably 60 guys that I got to know pretty well that otherwise, I wouldn’t know at all,” he said. “What have I gained? Just having a good time.”

The Pinestone Resort is relaunching a program to take damaged food shipments often bound for landfills and provide them to local non-profits.

The community food share program aims to help provide food shipments to food banks, community kitchens and other programs, according to a Dec. 13 press release. The program primarily acquires non-perishable food items that have been diverted because of package damage during transit, taking them instead to a storage depot in Minden, the press release said.

Pinestone general manager John Teljeur said the idea came from his two years on the board of directors of the Ontario Association of Food Banks, mimicking other food recovery programs.

“To me, it makes sense as a community member we use the power of the resort and our buying power to facilitate this thing,” Teljeur said.

The program originally started two years ago, but ended when Teljeur left Pinestone Resort for some time, he said. Now that he has returned to his position, the program is coming back with him.

Wilberforce Food Bank manager Ken Mott said his organization has gotten an SUV full of food from the program recently. He added the food bank used the program frequently while it was running two years ago.

“It’s a great program. We used it a lot. John had this a couple of years ago and we accessed it pretty much every month,” Mott said. “We kind of wish it would have stayed.”

Teljeur said the early days of the program have been “a little wonky,” as setting up scheduling and contacts takes time. He noted the availability of the food shipments is not consistent and there are logistical challenges with local, volunteer-run organizations.

“There are a few groups that have expressed interest. The challenge for a lot of these organizations is who has the time or the resources to pick this stuff up,” Teljeur said.

The food shipments the program can acquire can vary greatly and has included soup bases, crackers, coffee, sugar and more in the past, he said.

“The shame of the whole thing is that the food that’s there is still in good shape,” Teljeur said. “If you can find a way to divert that from landfill and bring it to somebody else, then everyone wins.”

Any non-profit organization or service club that is interested in getting involved can call John Teljeur at 705-457-1800 ext 4258 or email john.teljeur@gmail. com.

Road projects and reserve building drove Highlands East capital forecast upwards, which projected the municipality will spend over $965,000 more in capital projects in 2019.

Highlands East council reviewed the forecast during a special meeting Jan. 9. The forecast projected a significant increase in capital expenditures in the municipality in 2019, with every department except environmental expecting an increase in its capital budget.

Chief administrative officer and treasurer Shannon Hunter said the municipality’s asset management plan is apart of the increase, with departments reserving money for future asset needs.

“This is just a draft document, but it is fairly realistic,” Hunter said during the meeting.

Nearly half of the capital forecast increase is coming from the roads department, with an over $429,000 increase projected for roads capital expenditures.

A significant portion of the projected $1,721,101.97 roads budget has been allotted to repair work at Cardiff. A total of $544,207 has been budgeted for phase 2 of the project. Another $243,207 has been
allotted to the completion of 2018 work, but Hunter said that was carried forward from last year’s budget.

“I’m just not 100 per cent sure where the money is going to come from, $550,000,” Mayor Dave Burton said about the project. “But I would like to see it done.”

Hunter said the Cardiff roads project in total was presented from the beginning as costing about $1 million, but council opted to split it up across multiple budget years.

Coun. Cam McKenzie said the project should be completed.

“We decided we’re going ahead with it. People have kind of accepted it now,” McKenzie said. “If we have the funds, let’s get it done, once and for all.”

Deputy mayor Cec Ryall said the long life cycle of the new roads helps make the project worthwhile.

“You can’t do it half done. That’s not an option,” he said. Council did not make any specific motions regarding the forecast during the meeting.

Hunter said she expects the full draft budget would be delayed until March.

“Draft budget will not come as quickly as what you’ve been accustomed to,” Hunter said. “Have a feeling this year our budgeting will be a long process.”

Haliburton is once again welcoming world-class mushers for the 17th annual Haliburton Highlands Dogsled Derby Jan 19-20.  

The International Federation of Sleddog Sports World Cup-sanctioned event hosted out of the Pinestone Resort will feature seven different racing disciplines, ranging from one-dog skijoring to full eight-dog sleds. The event usually fluctuates between 80 and 100 entrants, according to organizer Tanya McCready of Winterdance Dogsled Tours. 

 McCready said the dogs are the central draw of the derby, which has helped the event to succeed. 

 “Some people will say it’s the mushers but the mushers only do what we do for the dogs. We just speak for the dogs, as we say. To see any creature that is so excited and so happy, joyful, passionate about what they do is incredible,” McCready said. “For people that love dogs to come and watch 400-500 dogs we’ll have there that weekend, all just having the time of their lives, is pretty infectious.” 

 The races themselves are the same every year, McCready said. But Pinestone Resort is adding new elements to its hosting, including a live band and a patio barbecue to watch the races from, she added. 

 The weather forecast is looking more positive this year, McCready said. 

 “There have been a couple of the years in the last five that we’ve had rainstorms right before and it’s been really down to the last day that we have to call it whether we’re able to run,” McCready said. “I hope this year the weather won’t be our biggest challenge.” 

 The event is free, outside of the show by CCR tribute band Bootleg Creedence Jan. 19 at 9 p.m., which has a $15 admission.

The first race starts at 9 a.m. Jan. 19.  “The mushers are very friendly, open people. They love talking about their dogs,” McCready said. “If you love dogs, it’s just a great place to be.”

Former Minden resident Garry Taylor Handlen was found guilty of first-degree murder by a jury in the Supreme Court of British Columbia Jan. 17.

The National Post reported the jury found Handlen guilty of murdering the 12-year-old Monica Jack in 1978.

Jack had been riding her bike on a highway in Merrit, B.C. when she vanished, according to a 2014 B.C. RCMP press release. Her bike was discovered a day later, but it took 17 years before her body was located in a rural area, about six kilometres from the highway she was travelling on.

The National Post reported Handlen confessed to the murder during a nine-month undercover RCMP operation in 2014 which began in Minden. The jury was asked to consider the confession. In the confession, Handlen said he took Jack from a highway pullout, sexually assaulted and strangled her.

Handlen, 71, was first charged with the offence Nov. 28, 2014 and arrested in Surrey, B.C. without incident, according to a 2014 RCMP press release. He was also charged with the murder of 11-year-old Kathryn-Mary Herbert, who disappeared in 1975 while heading to her home in Abbotsford.

The first-degree murder conviction carries with it a minimum sentence of imprisonment for life in the criminal code. He is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 28, according to CBC News.

Haliburton Highlands OPP has previously confirmed Handlen was at one time living in Minden.

The Highlander will have more in the story in an upcoming edition.

Haliburton is once again welcoming world-class mushers for the 17th annual Haliburton Highlands Dogsled Derby Jan 19-20.

The International Federation of Sleddog Sports World Cup-sanctioned event hosted out of the Pinestone Resort will feature seven different racing disciplines, ranging from one-dog skijoring to full eight-dog sleds. The event usually fluctuates between 80 and 100 entrants, according to organizer Tanya McCready of Winterdance Dogsled Tours.

McCready said the dogs are the central draw of the derby, which has helped the event to succeed.

“Some people will say it’s the mushers but the mushers only do what we do for the dogs. We just speak for the dogs, as we say. To see any creature that is so excited and so happy, joyful, passionate about what they do is incredible,” McCready said. “For people that love dogs to come and watch 400-500 dogs we’ll have there that weekend, all just having the time of their lives, is pretty infectious.”

The races themselves are the same every year, McCready said. But Pinestone Resort is adding new elements to its hosting, including a live band and a patio barbecue to watch the races from, she added.

The weather forecast is looking more positive this year, McCready said.

“There have been a couple of the years in the last five that we’ve had rainstorms right before and it’s been really down to the last day that we have to call it whether we’re able to run,” McCready said. “I hope this year the weather won’t be our biggest challenge.”

The event is free, outside of the show by CCR tribute band Bootleg Creedence Jan. 19 at 9 p.m., which has a $15 admission. The first race starts at 9 a.m. Jan. 19.

“The mushers are very friendly, open people. T hey love talking about their dogs,” McCready said. “If you love dogs, it’s just a great place to be.”

Road projects and reserve building drove Highlands East capital forecast upwards, which projected the municipality will spend over $965,000 more in capital projects in 2019.

Highlands East council reviewed the forecast during a special meeting Jan. 9. The forecast projected a significant increase in capital expenditures in the municipality in 2019, with every department except environmental expecting an increase in its capital budget.

Chief administrative officer and treasurer Shannon Hunter said the municipality’s asset management plan is apart of the increase, with departments reserving money for future asset needs.

“This is just a draft document, but it is fairly realistic,” Hunter said during the meeting.

Nearly half of the capital forecast increase is coming from the roads department, with an over $429,000 increase projected for roads capital expenditures.

A significant portion of the projected $1,721,101.97 roads budget has been allotted to repair work at Cardiff. A total of $544,207 has been budgeted for phase 2 of the project. Another $243,207 has been
allotted to the completion of 2018 work, but Hunter said that was carried forward from last year’s budget.

“I’m just not 100 per cent sure where the money is going to come from, $550,000,” Mayor Dave Burton said about the project. “But I would like to see it done.”

Hunter said the Cardiff roads project in total was presented from the beginning as costing about $1 million, but council opted to split it up across multiple budget years.

Coun. Cam McKenzie said the project should be completed.

“We decided we’re going ahead with it. People have kind of accepted it now,” McKenzie said. “If we have the funds, let’s get it done, once and for all.”

Deputy mayor Cec Ryall said the long life cycle of the new roads helps make the project worthwhile.

“You can’t do it half done. That’s not an option,” he said. Council did not make any specific motions regarding the forecast during the meeting.

Hunter said she expects the full draft budget would be delayed until March.

“Draft budget will not come as quickly as what you’ve been accustomed to,” Hunter said. “Have a feeling this year our budgeting will be a long process.”

The Pinestone Resort is relaunching a program to take damaged food shipments often bound for landfills and provide them to local non-profits.

The community food share program aims to help provide food shipments to food banks, community kitchens and other programs, according to a Dec. 13 press release. The program primarily acquires non-perishable food items that have been diverted because of package damage during transit, taking them instead to a storage depot in Minden, the press release said.

Pinestone general manager John Teljeur said the idea came from his two years on the board of directors of the Ontario Association of Food Banks, mimicking other food recovery programs.

“To me, it makes sense as a community member we use the power of the resort and our buying power to facilitate this thing,” Teljeur said.

The program originally started two years ago, but ended when Teljeur left Pinestone Resort for some time, he said. Now that he has returned to his position, the program is coming back with him.

Wilberforce Food Bank manager Ken Mott said his organization has gotten an SUV full of food from the program recently. He added the food bank used the program frequently while it was running two years ago.

“It’s a great program. We used it a lot. John had this a couple of years ago and we accessed it pretty much every month,” Mott said. “We kind of wish it would have stayed.”

Teljeur said the early days of the program have been “a little wonky,” as setting up scheduling and contacts takes time. He noted the availability of the food shipments is not consistent and there are logistical challenges with local, volunteer-run organizations.

“There are a few groups that have expressed interest. The challenge for a lot of these organizations is who has the time or the resources to pick this stuff up,” Teljeur said.

The food shipments the program can acquire can vary greatly and has included soup bases, crackers, coffee, sugar and more in the past, he said.

“The shame of the whole thing is that the food that’s there is still in good shape,” Teljeur said. “If you can find a way to divert that from landfill and bring it to somebody else, then everyone wins.”

Any non-profit organization or service club that is interested in getting involved can call John Teljeur at 705-457-1800 ext 4258 or email john.teljeur@gmail. com.

Janis and Joe Blimkie are thankful for the help of Good Samaritans and emergency responders after escaping from their wrecked vehicle Jan. 6. 

 The pair’s vehicle was totalled after skidding on ice on a tight bend on Barry Line Road, Joe Blimkie said. The vehicle fell into a ditch and rolled, ending up upside down in a pond while water started to fill it.

  Blimkie said they could not recall the rolling, only a rough bump as the vehicle fell into the ditch.

  “Next thing we knew, we were upside down inside the car. Neither of us were panicked,” he said. “We knew where we were, we knew we were probably in water.” 

 The two found themselves in a difficult position, with airbags deployed and little light getting inside. Blimkie said he was on his back, the steering wheel above him, with his leg wedged up underneath it. The car’s emergency alarm system was not able to connect to make a call, Blimkie said, nor could he connect as he used his cellphone. 

 With the water engulfing him up to his chin, Blimkie said he began to worry. 

 “Started to panic then, thinking how long we’re going to be here,” Blimkie said. “There was no one else on the road.” 

 Fortunately, a metal pole from a wire fence punctured through the window of the vehicle on the passenger side, allowing Janis Blimkie to climb out of the vehicle. 

 “It was a real comfort to see her get out. When she got out she was standing up to her waist in water and then she assisted me,” he said. “I was able to twist my body around and go over into the other side.” 

 Teresa and Darren Johnston came upon them about two-to-three minutes after the crash, and Blimkie said they took quick action. They called 9-1-1, provided warm blankets, called neighbours for assistance and then drove couple to their home to warm up. 

 “We were unbelievably grateful. We would have been there 20 minutes, half-an-hour, depending on who is going to use that road that afternoon,” Blimkie said. 

 The cold of the water only set in after they exited, he said.  “I didn’t feel the cold when I was in the car lying in the water. It was when I got out that I really started shaking like I had never shaken before,” Blimkie said.

  Emergency responders arrived on scene, including firefighters, OPP and EMS, Blimkie said. They were checked for injuries, but there was nothing major noticed at first, although they experienced bruising after a couple of days. 

 “Thank goodness, when you see the pictures of the car, it’s unbelievable that no one really got hurt,” he said. 

 The Hamilton couple, who were visiting their cottage in the Haliburton area, were able to rent a car to get back home.

  Blimkie said they are grateful for all the people who helped them in their hour of need.

  “Very, very, lucky, extremely lucky,” he said. “Thankful to the people up there that helped us out because they were a godsend to us.”