County of Haliburton taxpayers have an opportunity to speak at a Dec. 10 council meeting about the budget that will impact their bank accounts for 2026.

A draft budget was tabled Nov. 26 – along with some measures to reduce the impact from councillors Bob Carter, Murray Fearrey and warden Dave Burton who make up a small committee that has been working with senior staff. They met with CAO Gary Dyke and director of corporate services, Andrea Robinson Oct. 27 and Nov. 3.

While staff hope to pass the budget during next Wednesday’s meeting, there are some outstanding matters, including some key recommendations from the council liaison team.

They want to reduce the sustainable roads infrastructure program by $500,000, which would mean a smaller section of County Road 507 being resurfaced next year.

They want to cap spending for the Haliburton County Public Library at $1 million for 2026. They are calling on the service to draw on their reserves, estimated to be $430,000, to bridge the gap. It would mean $218,078 less for the library – while cutting the budget by $336,259.

They are further asking staff to back down from some hires, including not employing a full-time GIS technologist, but providing a temporary contract. They also want to hold off hiring a grant writer-procurement specialist.

Everyone agrees on hiring three advanced care paramedics and a cybersecurity analyst.

Breaking it down, staff are projecting a tax rate increase of 7.72 per cent – equal to $20.75 per $100,000 of assessment for the year. They stressed Haliburton County continues to have the second lowest residential tax rate within the Eastern Ontario counties.

This, however, does not include the continuation of a 1.5 per cent dedicated capital levy to address the long-term infrastructure gap identified in the County’s asset management plan. Nor does it include a new community health and well-being levy of 0.5 per cent to support health-related needs.

County to debate libraries, roads and jobs

However, Carter, Fearrey and Burton felt 7.72 per cent was too much for taxpayers. Their cuts would take $794,318 from the draft budget, making it a 4.63 per cent tax rate increase – $12.45 per $100,000 of assessment – plus the 1.5 per cent and 0.5 per cent levies.

During last week’s presentation, Dyke said it’s been one of his most challenging budgets in his 30-year municipal career.

He noted they’ll give the City of Kawartha Lakes 27 per cent more this year for social services and housing; all up shipping $6.7 million to external partners, that also include the library board, MPAC, Lakelands Public Health and money to recruit healthcare professionals. Robinson said that was almost 40 per cent of the budget being transferred to others.

Dyke talked up the community health and well-being levy, saying money raised would “provide services for the most vulnerable in our community, making sure we properly address gaps, with our partners.”

Battle of the books

The Haliburton County Public Library tabled its budget – seeking an additional $118,180 this year, or a 9.7 per cent increase. A big chunk of that is to give the Dorset community more library hours.

The library budget was just one area the liaison committee cracked down on, saying the board should use reserves to help offset rising costs.

Coun. Jennifer Dailloux, who sits on the library board, said, “this is my hill to die on” in disagreeing. She was worried council would be gambling that next year will be easier, and the library funded at pre-existing levels. If not, she said it could mean “catastrophic trauma” to the service next year.

Carter said it was a case of the service using some of the money taxpayers have already given it, whilst accepting $1 million from the County this year. He said that would allow the board to meet its needs for 2026. He stressed it was “not a cut in library funding. You absolutely can do everything you want to do with the money we’ve already given you, and going to give you this year.”

Fearrey added the townships provide resources to the libraries, including buildings. He said it wasn’t a reserve as much as a piggy bank of taxpayers’ money. He said using part of it would still leave $100,000 in reserves.

Carter said they had to look at cuts – as with the 7.72 per cent plus two per cent in levies, they were close to a 10 per cent tax increase.

Deputy mayor Liz Danielsen does not like the idea of cutting $500,000 from roads, saying council is merely kicking a problem down the line. Fearrey replied if council does not want to pass a budget with a 10-11 per cent increase, he was open to other suggestions.

Coun. Cec Ryall liked the community health and well-being levy, saying it was “way overdue.”

Dyke elaborated they want to build a reserve, not to create programs, but fill gaps in broader community health needs. For example, he recalled how they donated $1M to the CT scanner without a levy. “So, we can make those sorts of contributions without spikes in the budget and taking away from something else.” He added it was about sustainability, “setting aside core funding now for what comes up.”

To provide feedback, email the County of Haliburton clerk’s department at clerk@haliburtoncounty.ca If telelpone, 705-286-1333 and ask for the department.

The Minden Curling Club roof has received temporary repairs to stop leaking this winter, with a full replacement slated for the spring.

Meanwhile, the Minden Hills Cultural Centre and library roof fix should be done this month or in early 2026.

Director of public works, Mike Timmins, brought an update on both projects to the Nov. 27 council meeting. At its Sept. 11 meeting, council directed the township to waive the requirement for a formal tender process under its procurement policy to expedite the urgent projects. Council asked staff to negotiate and come back.

Speaking to the curling club roof, Timmins said staff, along with Tatham Engineering, reached out to roofing contractors in hopes of getting the full job done in 2025. However, he said none were willing to take on the project at this time of year.

However, the township received one proposal that included a quick fix for this winter, with the entire project in the spring. The immediate, temporary repair cost is $8,000 plus HST.

“ICI Roofing Ltd. has proposed a thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) retrofit roof, to be installed in the spring of 2026. The TPO retrofit will be less intrusive than a full roof reconstruction and will come at a lower cost. TPO retrofit lifespan is expected to be approximately 20 years,” Timmins said. He added the cost is approximately $177,000 plus HST.

Timmins said awarding the project now allows the contractor to schedule the work as a priority in their 2026 plan and to secure supplies.

“The timing for this project (is aligned) with the curling club’s re-insulation of the underside of the roof. Neither project will hinder the other work. Given the circumstances, staff directed ICI Roofing Ltd. to move forward with the temporary repairs, and the work has been completed,” Timmins said.

In the 2025 budget, $257,500 was allocated from reserves for the roof replacement at the curling club. With the award of this project, $72,000 will remain in reserves from the 2025 allocation, he said.

Cultural centre roof

Timmins asked that council delegate to CAO Cynthia Fletcher the award for the roof replacement at the cultural centre and library at a cost not to exceed $150,000; and that the additional $50,000 for that roofing project come from reserves.

“Township staff have been working on this project with Tatham Engineering as well. Staff have received quotes which are in the process of being reviewed. The intent is to build a new roof over the existing, with improved slope,” he said.

He added that due to the nature of this reconstruction, work is not weather dependent and is expected to be awarded and completed in December, or early 2026.

However, coun. Tammy McKelvey sought clarity on if the job was for both the cultural centre and library roofs. She was told it would be for the cultural centre and only part of the library.

McKelvey said the library roof has been leaking for some time, requiring staff to move computers towards the centre of the building when water comes in. She said she was concerned the township was not doing the entire building.

Timmins said they could look at expanding the project, but it would come at a cost. Mayor Bob Carter suggested increasing the upset limit to $225,000, from $150,000. “Let’s get this done and get it done right, and get it done soon.”

Coun. Pam Sayne agreed with a higher upset limit to get the roof completed as soon as possible as she is worried about leaks in the cultural centre putting an expensive arts collection in jeopardy.

“We have staff mopping floors from roof leaks and water coming up from the ground. I really want to get this started tomorrow.”

It’s been 36 years, but Kim Dolan remembers exactly where she was when news started to break about the tragic Dec. 6, 1989 shooting at Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal that claimed the lives of 14 women in one of the deadliest and most notorious acts of femicide in Canadian history.

Now executive director at the YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, Dolan said she was working as a shelter coordinator and frontline counsellor in Peterborough at the time.

“I was still fairly new to working at the YWCA – it was a gut-wrenching and, frankly, frightening time,” Dolan said.

“That day really served as a catalyst for people’s concerns about violence against women. It shone a light on what was happening,” she added. “Usually, this sort of thing happens behind closed doors and women carry a lot of shame, guilt or sense of responsibility for what happened. This incident brought the issue into the public eye and forced everyone to start talking and thinking about it more.”

It was confirmed after the shooting that the perpetrator, 25-year-old Marc Lepine, had deliberately targeted females – separating them from male students and saying he was fighting feminism before opening fire. In the years since, Dec. 6 has been recognized as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada.

The YWCA is partnering with the Haliburton Highlands chapter of the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) for a community vigil Dec. 6, remembering those lost during the incident, dubbed the ‘Montreal massacre,’ and all other acts of femicide since.

The event is being held at the Haliburton Sculpture Forest, with people gathering in the parking lot at the Haliburton Highlands Museum at 10:30 a.m and walking over. The vigil will begin at 10:45 a.m. It’s the second time a vigil is being held in Haliburton, after last year’s inaugural observance.

The morning will feature a reading of the names of the 14 women that died, a moment of silence and a song of remembrance. Attendees will be invited to tie ribbons on a tree, serving as a symbol of hope and solidarity.

Dolan said the vigil is an opportunity for the community to stand together, united against the threat of gender-based violence.

“Since 1989, one would think we might have seen a significant shift backwards in terms of violence and the damage it causes women physically, emotionally and spiritually, but that violence continues to grow,” Dolan said. “Last year in Canada, 187 women and girls were murdered by someone close to them, 62 of those in Ontario.”

More than 160 municipalities across the province have declared gender-based violence an epidemic – described as a sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease or issue above what is normally expected. Despite calls for the provincial government to do the same, Dolan said there’s been no official declaration.

She said there was a recommendation from a recent province-backed committee looking at violence against women to declare gender-based violence endemic – meaning something is consistently present in a particular geographic area or population.

The YWCA operates the Haliburton Emergency Rural Safe Space (HERS) in the County and its manager, Nycole Duncan, admitted the facility – which provides accommodation to women and children escaping domestic violence – is always busy.

“Sadly, there’s not a shortage of occupancy,” Duncan said. The space has been open since 2005, providing shelter to hundreds of County-based women since.

Duncan confirmed she will be at this week’s vigil, along with other HERS staff members. She believes these type of partnerships are key when it comes to flipping the script on violence against women.

“Working together and developing even greater partnerships within the community is what creates the opportunity for change that we all want to see and have worked for in Haliburton County to achieve,” Duncan said.

A group of Hal High students are once again working hard in the lead up to the holidays to ensure no County-based youth feels forgotten this Christmas season.

The school’s Interact Club is bringing its teen toy drive back for another year – launching Dec. 1, the group is raising money and accepting donated items that are handed out to underprivileged kids to enjoy on Christmas.

Demand has spiked in recent years, says Interact members Aurora Wesley and Hazel Jones. In 2023, the club gave away 52 goodie bags to students, while last year they did 70 gift bags. The pair are hoping to at least match that again.

“We see every day just how big the need is,” Jones told The Highlander. Wesley added, “lots of people in our school are struggling. The past few years, the food banks have taken everything we’ve gathered, and been so thankful, so that tells us just how important this is. We’re trying to do as many as we can.”

The packages are made up of toys, games, gift cards, school supplies, hats, mitts, scarves and hygiene products, which are separated into individual packages and donated to the 4Cs Food Bank in Haliburton, Central Food Network in Highlands East and the Minden Community Food Centre.

The school community has been busy this week – there was hot chocolate sold on Monday, a buy-in movie during lunch on Tuesday, and a cookie decorating contest Wednesday. Thursday will see students decorating cardboard boxes – meant to represent life-sized gingerbread houses – with the winner earning a pizza party for their class, with hot apple cider to be sold on Friday. Wesley said the group is hoping to raise at least $2,000.

Jones says donations will be accepted until Dec. 10 – while it’s being pushed as a school-based effort, she said the group is welcoming contributions from the wider community. Cash or items can be dropped off at the high school office, while cheques are to be made out to ‘Interact Club of HHSS’.

“There’s always lots going on for younger kids, but we don’t see as much for teens over the holidays. The Interact club started doing this to bridge that gap,” Wesley said.

“Toys might not be the best sort of thing for this age group. We’re recommending gift cards… or things like headphones, chargers, cozy socks and hygiene products.”

Future plans

The club boasts about 20 members this year. For Jones and Wesley, this is year four, with the pair joining Interact in 2021 as Grade 9 freshmen.

“We’re affiliated with Haliburton Rotary, so our motto is ‘service above self’. We all love giving back to our community, volunteering, and helping out with important fundraisers and causes every year,” Wesley said.

One new initiative the group is hoping to roll out sometime in 2026 is a babysitting night at Hal High – where students offer complimentary services to parents wanting to enjoy an evening alone. Wesley said Interact members want to host something a couple of times a year, welcoming children into the gym for games and reading.

“It’ll be something really fun for the kids and also gives parents a break. We know there’s a lot of poverty in our area, so it might be unaffordable for some parents to find private childcare for a night,” Wesley said. “Parents can use the time to schedule a date night, or just get some extra things done around the house.”

The Haliburton Highlands Outdoors Association (HHOA) celebrated its volunteers and supporters at its annual general meeting Nov. 23.

The highest honour, the Jim Cardinell Award, was presented to Roger Prescott. It recognizes outstanding long-term dedication to the HHOA’s mission and the advancement of community programs.

Association president Dan Smith said Prescott’s leadership, support, and hands-on contributions have had a lasting and positive impact on fisheries enhancement and conservation efforts throughout the region.

Another major highlight was the presentation of the junior volunteer of the year award to Ty Neville, whose enthusiasm, initiative, and dedication at the HHOA Fish Hatchery and community programs reflect the spirit of stewardship the association strives to foster in the next generation, Smith said.

“The HHOA thrives because of volunteers like Roger and Ty,” said Smith during the presentations. “Their contributions demonstrate a remarkable commitment to conservation, community, and the continued success of our programs.”

HHOA board member Keith Fielding said Prescott has been a member for three years and is very active at the fish hatchery. He recently completed a revamp of the HHOA website. This was Neville’s first year, with Fielding describing him as, “a very active outdoorsman… he’s full of vim and vigour, the kid is just always there ready to help.”

Additional awards recognized individuals and partners whose time, support, and involvement continue to advance the HHOA’s goals, including fisheries enhancement, youth education, and habitat stewardship. The AGM also provided members with updates on hatchery output, project development, and ongoing fundraising initiatives.

The HHOA is a non-profit organization committed to enhancing and protecting local fish populations, supporting outdoor recreation, and offering educational programs for youth and the broader community. Through volunteer leadership and community partnerships, the HHOA works to sustain the natural resources that make the Highlands unique.