When the heavens opened in early December, covering Haliburton County with a thick blanket of snow, Tanya McCready of Winterdance Dogsled Tours felt like her prayers had been answered.

It had been another late start to the winter season for most in the Highlands. It used to be that businesses would prep and get ready for snow or ice-based activities beginning in late October or early November, but for the past couple of years, the ground has remained green, and lakes thawed well into December.

That’s made things tricky for tourism operators such as McCready, who depend on a long and busy winter to ensure bills are paid year-round.

“I won’t lie, it was looking a little scary there for a while… When we were looking to start our business 25 years ago, Haliburton was the closest thing we found to the Yukon… but the weather has been very unpredictable recently,” she said.

So much so that she and partner, Hank DeBruin, invested in a snowmaking machine this year.

“We can’t afford to gamble on Mother Nature anymore,” McCready said, noting she did about half the business she usually does last year.

The pair planned to fire up properly for the first time last month at Camp Kandalore, after being contracted to make snow for a Hollywood feature being filmed in the area. But, even in mid-November, temperatures were too high and whatever came out of the machine quickly melted.

After a flurry of snowfalls this month, McCready said they’re running the machine to build up snow reserves that can be used to supplement, patch and rebuild the trail systems should temperatures rise.

With 2,100 acres on the southeast corner of Haliburton Lake, Winterdance welcomes guests from across the world. They had their first visitors, from Australia, Dec. 7 and opened to the public Dec. 14. McCready said six families participated in half-day and two-hour tours over the weekend.

Getting sled-ready

It’s been a busy time too for Neil Vanderstoop, president of the Haliburton County Snowmobile Association. He said volunteers were grooming for the first time last weekend as the group prepares its trails for the new season.

“They’re calling for lots of snow, so I’m optimistic,” Vanderstoop said. “Even though it was a late start, it’s been similar to last year and we still groomed for eight weeks last year, so it wasn’t our shortest season. We had some years in the 70s and 80s where people could barely get their machines out.”

While lakes aren’t yet fully frozen, he warned snowmobilers to use caution when planning routes. Lakes should only be accessed if they’ve been staked by HCSA, Vanderstoop said.

Dec. 14 and 15 was also the opening weekend at Sir Sam’s Ski/Ride.

“We’re really excited – the winter snow that came early to the County was certainly a help in terms of getting the entire hill in really good shape ready for opening. It bodes well for the amount of snow we’ll see throughout the season,” said co-owner, Doug Wilkinson.

He was happy to hear HCSA’s snowmobile trails were back online, saying riders tend to bring their family north for trips, with many opting to ski too. Angelica Ingram, the County’s manager of tourism, said she’s heard positive things from businesses over the past couple of weeks.

“The abundance of snow has brought about a great sense of optimism in the Highlands. Many [other] outdoor adventure operators are also welcoming guests – Haliburton Forest, the Nordic Ski Trail Association and much more,” Ingram said.

After being forced to cease operations in March the past couple of years, McCready said she’s hoping for a more typical winter season.

“It’d be great to see snow right up to April – a little bit of fresh snow every week is the perfect recipe for anyone into snowmobiling, skiing, snowboarding and dogsledding. It would be nice for Ontarians to know they can count on winter again, because I think a lot of people have kind of given up on it.”

Highlands-based Canada Post delivery personnel are disappointed to have been mandated back to work, says Doug Ford, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) local 564 covering Haliburton County.

Workers returned to their usual routes Dec. 17 after spending a month on the picket line lobbying for wage increases, greater job protection, and pay equity for new employees.

Approximately 95 per cent of CUPW’s 55,000 unionized workers Canada-wide supported the strike action, walking off the job Nov. 15. Most had been working without a contract since Dec. 31, 2023.

“It’s our opinion that Canada Post negotiated in bad faith waiting for the government to intervene – that’s how everybody feels,” Ford said. “Our union made some fairly significant concessions in the last week to try and get a deal, but Canada Post outright refused. It’s apparent to us that this was their game plan since the beginning.

“Workers have a right to collectively negotiate. Once again, it’s been taken away by the government… workers are disappointed, because they’ve all stuck together this past month. They wanted a negotiated settlement,” he added.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) stepped in Dec. 15, noting negotiations between the union and Crown corporation were at an impasse following two days of hearings over the weekend. Federal labour minister Steven MacKinnon, on Dec. 13, directed CIRB to order all employees back to work if it didn’t think a deal was doable before the end of the year.

Unionized members will work under the terms of their expired deal until May 22, though will receive a five per cent wage increase retroactive to the day after collective agreements expired – Dec. 31 for rural and suburban carriers and Jan. 31, 2024 for the urban unit.

Canada Post said the wage increase and retroactive payment will be made by Jan. 31, 2025, though all regularly contracted employees will receive $1,000 before Christmas, with temporary employees getting $500.

“We look forward to welcoming our employees back to work and serving the millions of Canadians and businesses who rely on our services,” Canada Post said in a statement Dec. 15. “Our commitment has always been to reach negotiated agreements that would help us better serve the changing needs of Canadians. We remain committed to doing so within this new process.”

Ford noted most media outlets were reporting a return to work before the union agreed to the CIRB directive. Officials signed off on the mandate the evening of Dec. 16, though Ford said CUPW will be challenging the order in court.

“In defence of our position, we have court victories that show what’s happening is illegal. It’s always the same thing – one rule for me and another for the government. It shouldn’t be that way. Nobody should be above a court ruling from the Supreme Court, but that’s what’s happened,” Ford said. “This is the government bailing out Canada Post.”

The company said workers will begin processing mail and parcels that have been trapped in the system the past four-and-ahalf weeks. New domestic mail outs won’t be accepted until Dec. 19, with international deliveries resuming Dec. 23.

Service guarantees are temporarily suspended, with Canada Post telling the public to expect delays through the remainder of 2024 and into the new year.

Ford said he’s concerned that, by implementing a temporary contract, the government is kicking the can down the road.

He said the two negotiating parties remain far apart on key details surrounding a new seven-day delivery cycle and pay.

Canada Post wants to use part-time relief workers to fill weekend routes, rather than full-time employees, and has offered to increase wages 12.5 per cent. Ford said last he heard the union was asking for an extra 19.5 per cent.

“Now our workers are going back, they’re doing it not knowing things are settled. They’re wondering what’s going to happen after this time out. This is something unprecedented – we still don’t know what’s going to happen in May. Nobody wants to see another disruption,” Ford said.

County taxpayers will pay an extra $15.97 per $100,000 of residential assessment after the upper-tier government passed its 2025 budget at a council meeting Dec. 11.

The budget carries a 4.82 per cent levy increase plus a 1.5 per cent capital levy.

The Minden-based municipality determined it needs nearly $25 million from ratepayers for the coming year, about a $1.7 million increase. The capital levy is to help pay for aging infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and culverts in future. The capital levy will raise more than $358,000. There has also been 1.45 per cent assessment growth to aid the budget.

Treasurer Andrea Robinson told council, “almost 80 per cent of that levy increase is outside of the County’s control, with inflation, transfers, and catch up, or loss of funding.”

She added staff had utilized reserves along with phasing in new positions in an effort to reduce the required ask in 2025. However, she said that would impact 2026.

CAO Gary Dyke said, “with the challenges being faced, I think we have a very progressive budget. We work very hard in prioritizing our funding into areas that we think are really impactful, while recognizing the demands on the lower-tiers as well as the ratepayers across the County.”

Taxpayers give money to their township, the County and the school board.

Coun. Bob Carter said he thought the levy increase “was still too high. At the end of the day, there’s less take-home pay for lots of people. And we’re already in a tough situation. Each of the municipalities is going to have even more challenging numbers because of the deficit in our infrastructure. I would like us to see what more can possibly be done.”

Coun. Liz Danielsen asked for his suggestions on how the levy could be lowered.

Carter said they needed to look at library funding, one of the few discretionary expenditures at the County. He suggested they also look at the tourism department and how much is being spent there.

Dyke said he thought, if anything, they needed to boost spending for tourism and economic development.

As for the overall budget, Dyke added he thought staff had done “an amazing job” with the past two budgets, considering the operation of the County itself is just one per cent of the levy figure. He said if they dropped it further, they would be getting into service cuts “and I’m not quite sure where they’d come from.

“We need a better system in which we collect our revenue. We’re stuck in a regressive tax program in which that is the only way the province will let us collect money, and it’s broken and it needs to be fixed.”

Coun. Cec Ryall added, “it’s not just the cost of doing it, it’s the cost of not doing it. If we choose not to do it, what is the impact?”

Danielsen said staff had cut the levy in half since the first draft, “so to ask staff to take a look and cut some more is a bit of a knee jerk reaction at this point in time. There’s been a lot of work done.”

Coun. Carter said he believes there are efficiencies to be found with things such as five roads’ departments. He said they talk about efficiencies but are not seeing tangible results. “We can’t continue to tax people here so they can no longer afford to live here. We are contributing to the economic problem.”

Dyke said he hoped to reinvigorate the service delivery review in 2025 but it would not impact next year’s budget.

Council passed the budget.

Sir Sam’s Ski/Ride has become a community-owned ski hill with six families investing in the Eagle Lake business, and another three or four expected to join.

Former sole owner, Doug Wilkinson, said Dec. 16 that a mix of families from the Eagle Lake and Haliburton areas had come onboard.

While the Wilkinson family will retain 20 per cent ownership, the new families include the Greenleys, Campbells, Delameres, Hayes, and Hamiltons.

They responded to the Wilkinson’s offer last spring to buy into the tourism establishment.

They have also struck a board of directors, led by new chair, Mike Greenley.

“This is an exciting time for Sir Sam’s and the broader community, as the facility goes through the next phase of its growth. It is essential that Sir Sam’s meets the recreational and entertainment interests of the local community, while also welcoming visitors to our area on a regular basis,” he said.

Greenley added, “I am excited to join the ownership group of Sir Sam’s and to take the role of chair of the ownership board of directors as we support David Bishop, our new general manager. Sir Sam’s has been a key part of my extended family’s life for over a decade and I am eager to help lead its growth into the future.”

Wilkinson had committed to three years of ownership and last spring the family went out to the community to offer part of the hill for sale. The first round closed in early November. They have begun a second round.

The ski hill opened the Dec. 14-15 weekend.

Wilkinson added the new board will provide oversight and strategic direction for the hill. “Everybody is very much aligned on making sure the hill survives for the longterm, and is thriving for the betterment of the overall community, which will allow future generations to enjoy the hill like we have, so that’s a big deal for me, which is great.”

He said the move further “allows me to do exactly what the original plan was two to three years ago, as an investor, not owner, to use the proceeds from the equity raised on the hill to invest in other businesses in the Haliburton County area. We are looking for complementary businesses in the area of fun; other outdoor activities or businesses that provide fun for folks that come to the County, or live in the County.”

But for now, he said, “we’re glad we could hold to the commitment that we made back in the spring about opening it up and turning it into a community hill.”

If anyone is interested in discussing investment with Wilkinson, he can be reached at doug@sirsams.com.

When Haliburton County paramedic Chris Parish started working in the Highlands 33 years ago, he was an ambulance driver attendant.

“We would go as fast as we could, do minimal care, and drive to the hospital. It was called scoop and run,” he recalled in a recent interview. He added they worked all day, and were on call all night.

Nowadays, Parish said paramedics are highly-trained to deliver care in the field. He has gone from an ambulance driver attendant, to an ambulance officer, and now a paramedic. They can perform some skills that were once only performed by doctors.

Recalling the early 90’s when he began his career, Parish said, “we started with symptom relief. For example, we had nitroglycerin for chest pain. We weren’t treating anything. And then it expanded in scope to having more medications. For example, we used to have epinephrine to treat a bee sting. Now you have epinephrine and you can follow it up with Benadryl and even Ventolin to clear their lungs if need be. It’s nice to get to the hospital and the doctor says, ‘what do you want me to do’?”

He said the terminology is ‘treat and refer.’ He said rather than taking patients to hospital, in some cases, they can treat them in the field and they can stay at home with follow-up treatment with community paramedicine, or the diabetes education network, for example.

Just recently, Parish said he and his team went in for training on supraventricular tachycardia, a type of irregular heartbeat. He said they used to take people to hospital but now paramedics can do procedures in the home to convert the rhythm. “It’s better for them. It’s better for the system. Things like that have really changed.”

He said they’re also providing palliative care to keep people out of hospital, and at home. “We have a little bag of tricks and drugs that we can give to make them more comfortable.”

The training is so rigorous these days that paramedics have to recertify with the base hospital twice a year.

Honoured at Queen’s Park

In late November, Parish was one of 73 Ontario paramedics honoured at Queen’s Park for 30-plus years of service.

He was born and raised in Toronto but his parents were both from the Highlands. He worked here part-time while still in school. He was offered a full-time job in the County and has never looked back. He said he was never a city person.

“I’ve always liked it up here, coupled with the fact I got a job that was paying a living wage.” He said it’s a different pace and can be “good and bad” since you often know your patients.

However, in his view, “Haliburton County gets it done.” He references volunteer firefighters. “They come out every day and do what we get paid to do, and they’re a great resource that you wouldn’t get in Toronto, because they know people. They know that back road or they know that hunting camp.” He lauds the relationship with police and the base hospital.

He has seen it all: bringing babies into the world and being at people’s sides when they take their last breath. And tragedies that have stuck with him.

His love of community makes it a natural for him to head up community paramedicine. “Had community paramedicine not come along. I’m not sure I’d still be working. I am not the ‘lights and sirens racing down the highway’ kind of guy. That’s why I like community paramedicine. You get to spend time with your patients, you get to know them, and it’s not always a crisis.”

While knowledge of post-traumatic stress disorder for first responders has increased in recent years, Parish said, “you have to know what you’re getting into. You’re going to see some horrible things. You learn to live with it.”

As for getting the accolade at Queen’s Park? “You know, it is kind of a big deal but you don’t really think about it. It’s kind of corny but people invite us into their lives at the worst possible point in their life in a lot of cases. So, it’s kind of an honor to be able to support them through that.”

Dominion Hotel owner Shawn Chamberlin said this is the first time in years he’s felt the Christmas spirit truly take hold in Minden village.

The Newcastle Street restaurateur paid homage to township staff and community volunteers, led by Anne Campbell, who helped decorate the downtown over the holidays, creating a fun and festive atmosphere for shoppers, business owners and staff.

“The downtown is beautiful – folks are saying nice things about Minden and that is helping to boost all our pride. I have no doubt in my mind that decorating [encouraged] visitors to come to Minden,” Chamberlin told The Highlander.

A former vendor, having previously owned Unique Floral Designs on Bobcaygeon Road, Campbell decided she wanted to work with township staff to expand on the usual winter décor that goes up this time of year. She collaborated with town hall, the Minden and District Horticultural Society, and other volunteers, deciding on creating a clan of Christmas gnomes for the strip.

Campbell hosted a workshop at the Minden Community Centre in early November, with more than a dozen people attending. There, they made gnomes out of discarded evergreen branches Campbell found in the area and decorated them.

The gnomes were transported to the village green ahead of the community’s tree lighting ceremony Nov. 15 and were in place for that weekend’s Santa Claus parade.

“The end result was a very charming and inviting shopping area for Minden that was all ready for Santa’s arrival,” said Mary McCrae, one of the participants. “Citizens, especially the children, have been thrilled and very excited with the Christmas gnomes.”

Fellow volunteers Bernie and Jim Davis agreed – noting how the gnomes, or rather what they represent, have reinvigorated a sense of community in Minden.

“We see a reawakening of this spirit, being proud about Minden, the place we all choose to live – and it seems to be revived by this vision, passion, and actions of Anne Campbell,” said Bernie. “We can feel the spirit of engagement coming out of hiding.”

Campbell said she is simply continuing the work of the late Sinclair Russell, who, for years, championed community spirit in the downtown. She felt organizing the workshop and coordinating the placement of decorations was no big deal – something she was happy to do to spruce up shop fronts and encourage more people to visit.

Anne Walker from Rising Thymes said the effort has made a huge difference.

“Everybody’s spirits are up – just even with all the girls who were helping… the energy this has created has been infectious,” Walker said. “After COVID, anything that can be done to draw a smile, to get things back to the way they were, is important. And the gnomes are quite attractive looking little things.”

Mary Douglas, who helped with the effort, said it’s been a quiet year at her Let’s Shop Local location, commenting that anything that brings more people to the downtown is a positive.

“There’s a lot of unique stories here… it’s been a tough few years, but things are getting better. This effort has helped, and it was nice to see so many other business owners getting involved,” Douglas said.

Minden Hills coun. Shirley Johannessen said this effort is a great reminder of what can be achieved when the community comes together. She believes the gnomes have added character to the downtown.

“I loved the idea of volunteers getting together to put some fun into our town. Not only was the finished product fabulous, but the coming together of different ideas and skills really showed me how versatile and creative we can all be together,” Johannessen said.