Richard van Nood knows a thing or two about driving. He opened Driver’s Edge Driver Training in Haliburton County in 1990 and has been teaching the skill for 35 years.

He is asked about driving in spring.

“In the spring, in the fall as well, is probably the trickier time,” he says. In winter, he said drivers know what to expect, and adjust accordingly.

“But when you are in the spring or the fall, you get those changing temperatures. I always say you have to look at the roads. If they’re nice and white, especially in the spring, that’s nice dry salt on the roads. If they look dark, and if the temperatures are hovering around freezing going into that shaded area; everybody goes ‘oh, black ice.’ It’s invisible but it’s not unpredictable.”

He said with every vehicle now having a thermometer, drivers should be aware of temperatures.

“As soon as it comes close to the freezing temperatures, it warns you the roads might be slippery. There’s not much more to adjusting your driving.”

However, he advises people to clean their vehicles well in spring. “Especially when you get loads of salt that’s accumulated. I’ll spend more time in the spring washing the underside of my car, than the top side.” Otherwise, he said “everything just rusts faster.”

He also recommends getting the vehicle oil sprayed before winter.

The long-time driving instructor added people often ask him why there seems to be so many burned out headlights in winter and spring.

“It’s just that time of year. If lightbulbs are on their last legs, turning them on when it’s -15 and all that sudden heat (burns them out).”

Asked about driving tips, he offers some for younger drivers in particular.

“Don’t get too quick and carefree. I see it in the spring around the high school. As soon as the weather starts getting nice, they start going nuts. They come out of that parking lot, and they’re leaving black streaks down the road.”

Other spring car care tips:

• Wash your car: Spring is a great time to wash away winter grime, road salt, and debris that can cause corrosion.

• Inspect wiper blades: Check for wear and tear, and replace them if they’re streaking or juddering.

• Check tire pressure and rotate tires: Ensure tires are properly inflated and consider rotating them to even out wear.

• Check lights: Ensure all headlights, brake lights, and turn signals are functioning correctly.

• Check fluids: Top off engine coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, and windshield washer fluid.

• Oil change: Change your oil and filter, especially if you’ve been driving through winter conditions.

• Inspect belts and hoses: Check for cracks, leaks, or damage to belts and hoses.

• Check battery: Test your battery’s condition and ensure terminals are clean and tight.

• Inspect brakes: Listen for any grinding, squealing, or clanking noises, and have your brakes inspected if necessary.

• Check air filters: Replace the engine air filter and cabin air filter if they are dirty or old.

• Spring clean the interior: Vacuum carpets, clean seats, wipe down the dashboard and console, and clean the windows.

• Check A/C: Before the weather gets too hot, make sure your air conditioning system is working properly.

The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) said on April 14 it will not proceed with the establishment of a new conservation reserve in Haliburton County’s Milburn Kendrick area.

The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust had expressed interest in creating an 8,500-hectare reserve in part of the area in its Highlands Corridor.

However, this past Monday, the ministry informed interested parties “the Crown lands included in this proposal will continue to be managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR).”

They added information about current uses for the area can be found on the Crown Land Use Policy Atlas.

“Stakeholder input is important to us, and we are committed to engaging with affected communities to ensure all voices are heard in conservation discussions. And future proposals for new protected areas under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act 2006 will include public and indigenous consultation on the proposed boundaries, land uses and permissible activities,” Kirsten Service of the MECP said.

John Davidson, of Wilberforce, helped create the Citizens for Crown Land Protection (CCLP) group. It quickly formed after hearing about the Land Trust proposal and held a packed open house at the Haliburton Legion March 23.

Davidson said on April 16, “I think they (the ministry) listened to the input from the public and made the right decision.”

County meeting not needed

He said he was proud of residents “who were so willing to take part and learn about it and take the action needed.”

Davidson attributed a quick decision to their efforts, saying they had been in contact with the MECP and various organizations “from the minute we started.”

The group has maintained management of public lands must remain vested in provincial and local governments, “and not be directed by any special interest group.” They opposed redesignating huge blocks of public land from general use Crown land to conservation reserve. They added the area is significant due to good stewardship by MNRF, MECP and municipalities. They felt a conservation reservation manager would have extraordinary powers under the Ontario Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, “not in the public interests of the population, the economy, and general public.”

Land Trust board chair, Todd Hall, said on April 16, “the provincial decision not to proceed with the conservation reserve designation is regrettable. In such an ecologically-sensitive area, this level of protection makes a big difference. We were not alone in a wish to ensure that generations to come could enjoy recreation in this special place. We thank the Bancroft Minden Forest Company, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, and the many citizens who enthusiastically supported HHLT’s conservation efforts.”

The County of Haliburton said Monday that as a result of the decision, a rescheduled public meeting by the County regarding the reserve has been cancelled.

On March 26, the County organized a public meeting to provide an opportunity for the public to present comments to County council regarding the proposal, which would then be summarized and forwarded to the MECP as feedback.

That meeting was postponed that morning due to a medical emergency, with a plan to reschedule. On April 14, the County said the meeting is no longer required.

Minden Hills mayor Bob Carter said downtown Minden is not out of the woods yet when it comes to the potential for flooding.

“We’re going to be on flood watch right through to next weekend. It’s not over at that point, but that’s our critical time,” he said April 14.

He said while warming temperatures are maximizing snow melt in the County, “north of here, we still have significant snowpack. Even if it isn’t a lot of snow, it’s very dense. It’s got a lot of water in it.”

He said Parks Canada is shifting water through the system.

Carter said, “we thought it was going to be this past Monday and Tuesday’s (April 14-15) weather event. It’s actually going to be the weather at the end of this week.” Environment Canada is calling for rain April 18 and 19.

That said, the mayor added if the weather forecast holds true with minimal precipitation, “we’ll be able to get through this.”

He said the key thing is the amount of precipitation and where it falls.

“If it happens in Minden and Gull Lake, we’ve got no problems. If it happens on Kennisis, then we’ve got problems.”

He added the Burnt River is in decent shape, with water levels going down, and low precipitation numbers.

“It’s the Gull River, so it’s downtown Minden, unfortunately.”

Ice storm update

Carter said in the aftermath of the ice storm, there is “virtually full restoration of power” except for people who have cottages on islands. With the ice, he said Hydro One can’t get to those properties. “There are a lot of places where poles are still down that they can’t access even with their equipment.”

He added the township did wellness checks last week, “but almost in all cases they are cottages or people who have left.” For example, he encountered an older woman who told him she had temporarily left her house and moved in with her daughter.

On April 14, the township essentially wound up its warming centre, but were still offering people showers if needed.

They have been offering free brush dumping at Scotch Line landfill, and Chelsea Cosh, manager of waste facilities said they have had 1,590 cubic yards of brush come since April 1.

Carter added the township and County of Haliburton are still doing road cleanup.

“You can see the shoulders are still blocked, and then we have to figure out how and what we’re going to be able to do to help people with this brush and that’s going to take a lot of planning because you need equipment and manpower and chippers are dangerous, so it’s not like anybody can be doing this and that’s going to be the big next stage.”

Highlands East prefers “the carrot to the stick” when it comes to its shor=tterm rental bylaw, but junior planner Kim Roberts put operators on notice at a meeting April 8 that they will crack down on people who operate without licences.

She told council they had received 41 applications as of their meeting date last Tuesday. Some 22 have been approved, 10 rejected, and nine are pending. Roberts said the knock backs are due to either insufficient septic capacity, or building code infractions that are being followed up with by their building department.

In updating council on the bylaw, the junior planner said applications, and inquiries, have continued throughout February and March, and staff are working on finalizing the conditions of approval with a number of earlier applicants. She said the short-term rental licensing clerk has been providing outreach through social media and mass e-mail.

They have also noticed an increase in shoreline purchase applications, while encroachment agreements had also been flowing into the planning department as a result of the new bylaw.

Roberts noted first warning letters will be issued in two batches to property owners identified as being short-term rental operators, but who have not yet applied for licences; the first in the second week of April and the second in the first week of May. Actual enforcement of the new bylaw will begin June 1.

Coun. Angela Lewis asked what the township would say to short-term rental owners operating without a licence.

“We’re really encouraging folks to get their applications in,” Roberts said. “We are starting to more vigorously review where we’re seeing listings (and) revenue coming into short-term rentals. And the host compliance program actually scrapes a lot websites to post some of that information for us.

“So, we’re starting to see where folks are still actively renting, and we haven’t received something from them. Those folks are going to be the first ones to receive their warning letters. It’s always better to voluntarily comply and get your stuff in.”

Roberts added if anyone had concerns, they should contact planning staff. She said they’re trying to take an educational approach, “however, when June 1 comes along, unfortunately, if we have folks who are persistently not getting the information in to us, we will be having to issue orders and those orders may, and probably will, have administrative penalties attached to those.”

For example, she said every time someone is caught renting out without a licence, they can incur a $250 fine. She said the licence is $500 “so it’s much more affordable to start working through the process with us now.

“We’re doing our best to help people sort out situations where maybe they have concerns about shore road allowances or septic or things like that …it’s better to get started now versus us having to potentially shut you down which we’d really rather not do. We’d rather work with the public and operators. We’d rather use the carrot than the stick at this point so we really encourage folks to contact us if they have questions or concerns.”

The planner that the legal challenge to Tiny Township’s short-term rental licencing bylaw was heard in Superior Court and a decision was issued on March 24, upholding the legality of the bylaw in its totality.

Silver Beach resident Rick Perkins said he was jumping for joy when demolition of the neighbouring Wigamog Inn property began in April 2023. Now, with work at the site paused for the past two years, he notes many residents of the mostly-retired community have had enough.

The property, owned by Aurora Group, has been slated for demolition since mid-2022, with workers tearing down about a dozen of the property’s 36 accessory buildings between April and June of 2023.

The project has been on pause since then, with the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) following up on reports of at-risk species being found at the site. Last year, the ministry confirmed the presence of endangered bats and the eastern hog-nosed snake, notifying Aurora Group of the need for further environmental studies before work can proceed.

Perkins said the Silver Beach board has been following the story closely, hoping for a resolution. With little recent movement, he said their patience is wearing thin.

“The number one responsibility this board has is the financial viability, safety and wellbeing of this community. This issue with the Wigamog is starting to impact those things,” Perkins told The Highlander.

Silver Beach has 59 properties, most of them occupied by seniors. Perkins said some who had planned to stay for a short time before moving into long-term care, or elsewhere, are now running into trouble when trying to sell.

He said prices are down about 10 per cent compared to the market, with many wouldbe buyers concerned about the state of the Wig.

“It’s a mess and everyone can see it. There’s no escaping it – many owners, the first thing they see when walking out their front door, is a big pile of debris from buildings that were torn down and left to rot,” Perkins, who lives close to the property line along William James Court, said.

Jimmy Roberts, who resides in a townhouse on Webb Circle, said he’s worried about the possible contaminants he and other residents may have been exposed to.

The roof of the one lodge completely caved in [over winter]. What sort of stuff has that thrown into the air? There has to have been asbestos in there given the age of the building… the paint is lead-based, what’s that doing? We’re worried it could be leaching into the ground, our water supply, even the lake,” Roberts said.

Perkins noted the community is on a well system that goes through a water treatment facility before entering people’s homes.

With the pause attributed to the possible presence of at-risk bats and snakes, Perkins said some residents are starting to feel like second-class citizens.

“We feel we’ve been relegated to the lesser issue, below some at-risk species… to say the crumbling buildings can’t be touched because they might be – not are, might be – home to bats and a snake that’s very populous in the U.S., it’s a bitter pill for us to swallow.”

Taking action

The Silver Beach group recently sent letters to Dysart et al council and MPP Laurie Scott calling for either party to step in and speed-up demolition.

Dysart mayor Murray Fearrey said the township has been trying to get the property cleaned up. Prior to Aurora Group starting demolition in 2023, council advised staff to put out a tender of its own having been embroiled in years-long debate over the property’s condition. Last fall, council again tried to take over tear down efforts, directing staff to apply for special approval with MECP.

Bylaw officer Hailey Cole told The Highlander April 15 an application was not submitted, despite the paper reporting in its March 13 edition, following a report from Cole to council, that one had been denied.

“Apologies for the misunderstanding… I had indicated the steps needed to complete the application could not be accomplished within the timeframe we had to work with,” Cole said.

It was estimated clean-up could cost the municipality around $800,000.

MECP spokesperson Lindsay Davidson indicated the ball remains in Aurora Group’s court.

“In accordance with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act and prior to demolition activities, the property owner is required to determine whether any species at-risk or their habitat exist at or near the proposed activity, and whether the proposed activity is likely to contravene the act.

“In addition, a waste audit and reduction work plan, and a source separation program, which identifies the various on-site waste streams and recycling, reuse, and/or disposal options are required under Ontario regulations and Environmental Protection Act,” Davidson said.

Scott said MECP staff visite the site in September 2024 “to assess conditions and identify no significant environmental concerns on or off-site.”

She noted the ministry has confirmed the township, via it’s property standards bylaw can remove standing debris from already torn down buildings.

Fearrey said council is considering next steps, with a recent development requiring legal input. He said he could not elaborate by press time. Efforts to reach Aurora Group for comment were unsuccessful.