County resident Nicole Stewart believes the secret is out about Razzamataz Kids’ Shows.

The popular three-season event series has been a Haliburton County staple for more than 40 years, bringing high-quality, affordable, and culturally-diverse stage performances to thousands of youth, Stewart said. Shows are held at the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion in Haliburton.

The latest season kicked off Sept. 22, with Quebec-based musical duo Stick & Bow, featuring Juan Sebastian Delgado on cello and Krystina Marcoux on marimba, bringing their show Bavela to life on stage. It told the story of a cat in Mexico who revisits its former lives to prove that cats are not bad luck.

Stewart said Bavela was “a heartwarming animated story” that captured unique sounds from the artists, delighting the crowd of more than 100 people.

“Razzamataz Kids’ Shows offers a great, affordable opportunity for the whole family to see live theatre locally,” she said. “From dance to music, circus and puppets, there is something for everyone.”

There are three other performances planned – Nov. 3 will see French Canadian breakdancing crew Bboyizm introduce the County to street dance culture; Jamie Adkins brings his Circus Incognitus comedy show to Haliburton Feb. 16; and the season ends May 11 with Kattam and His Tam Tams, which takes the crowd on a journey of rhythm, song, and dance discovery around Africa, the Middle East, and India.

The Bboyizm and Kattam events both have workshops after the shows, giving kids an even closer look at the action. Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis.

A new addition this year, Stewart said Razzamataz is bringing a free show to Haliburton Highlands Secondary School Nov. 3. The show is sponsored by the Haliburton Arts Council, Kennisis Lake Cottage Association, and CanoeFM. It will take place in the school gym.

Regular shows are funded by the Ontario Arts Council and the federal and provincial governments.

Stewart said it’s always a challenge finding fresh acts, noting she scouted the Ottawa Children’s Festival, Toronto’s Buskerfest, and the Almonte Puppet Festival last year. Next year, she plans to attend the Vancouver International Children’s Festival.

After setting a new record for ticket sales last season, Stewart said she wants to keep the momentum rolling.

“Most shows had about 130 people in attendance. We also had our first sold-out show,” she said. “This year we are hoping to continue this trend and get the community out to enjoy all of our offerings.”

For more information, or to buy tickets, visit razzamatazz.ca.

Guiding hikers through the man-made pollinator garden oasis at Abbey Gardens last week, ecologist Cara Steele said it’s incredible to see plant life flourish and thrive at the old gravel pit.

Around a dozen people participated in the ‘From Gravel to Greenspace’ event Sept. 20 – one of around 40 excursions offered through this year’s Hike Haliburton festival.

Steele has volunteered as a hike leader for years, feeling it’s important to educate and keep people updated about the work happening at Abbey Gardens. Founded in 2008 by John and Thea Patterson, the 380acre property has transitioned from a space that drew from the area’s natural resources to one that replenishes them.

There’s a two-acre vegetable garden, fully serviced food hub, pony paddock, marquee tent, indoor space for educational programs, a disc golf course, and no end of walking trails to explore, Steele said. The site is also home to three local businesses and a charity – Into the Blue food truck, ACM Designs, Haliburton Wind and Solar, and Brooksong Retreat and Cancer Support Centre.

Steele noted the two pollinator gardens are recent additions, with one established in 2021 and the other in 2023. She manages the plots daily – watering existing vegetation, weeding, and planting new shrubs and plants.

During Friday’s tour, she talked about how the pollinator garden features dozens of species, from New England astor to Culver’s root, wild bergamot, prairie dropseed, pale purple coneflower, and Virginia mountain mint.

Steele said most of the plants are native, but felt it was important to incorporate some non-natives too – pretty plants she thinks people will enjoy. Steele said she’s proud of the transformation over the past few years.

“Compared to what this place was before, it’s unrecognizable,” Steele said, noting the pollinator plants help to sustain local bee populations and ensure Abbey Gardens’ crops are fertilized.

“I’m here to protect what we have on this site and to restore the areas that were lost when it was a gravel pit. It sounds really fun, but in reality, it’s a lot of weeding and watering,” Steele added.

There will be about 1,700 new arrivals soon, Steele said, with decoratives like daffodils, tulips, and irises to be planted. She also hopes to plant about 500 new grass species next year “to fill in some blank spots.”

Happy hikers

Hike Haliburton co-lead Thom Lambert said the 21st annual event went off without a hitch, with four days of outdoor adventure for people to enjoy.

Final numbers were not available by press time, but Lambert noted most of the 40 hikes were full.

“I was very happy with this year’s festival. We had a great range of hikes, from short rambles to long, challenging backcountry hikes,” Lambert said. “The weather was amazing. Even though we had a bit of rain on Saturday, no hikes were cancelled. I personally attended parts of six different hikes, and all of the participants were very happy and appreciative.”

Michelle Anton, organizer of Empty Bowls, said the Sept. 21 fundraiser generated $9,000 for 4Cs food bank, SIRCH Community Kitchen, and Fuel for Warmth.

Louise Ewing from the 4Cs in Haliburton said, “it was awesome, a huge effort by everyone. Businesses here are amazing; they give absolutely every time they can.”

The 4Cs food bank has 280 active families that visit twice a month, and two to three new families every month. “This is the best thing ever, we appreciate those who attended, and those who donated so much to it,” Ewing said.

The premise of the event is to have people choose a bowl which they use to sample some of the soups, then take their bowls home to remind them of hunger in the world.

Diane Reed was overwhelmed by bowl decisions. “It is so hard to choose, there are so many different and beautiful techniques. We have been coming to the area for years and wanted to make sure to attend this event,” she said.

Anton, a potter, was able to connect with other potters and got them onboard. “All the bowls were made by potters in the area, restaurants donated soups, and musicians provided the soundtrack for the event,” she said.

Potter April Gates made the bowls she donated, and had her students decorate and fire them. “I organized a similar event years ago and so it is nice to be able to support it from a different angle. A fitting fundraiser combining fine pottery with fine food,” she said.

Merla Russell, from Drag Lake, couldn’t say enough about the food and event. “This has been fabulous, an excellent community event. So many delicious soups to choose from.”

SIRCH Community Kitchen executive director Gena Robertson said it was, “such a remarkable event, all the bowls made with care, truly a community-based event,” She added the need for food security will only increase. “In 2012, we were preparing about 50 packaged meals per month, now we are at 1,400.”

Sue Waite, executive director of Fuel for Warmth, added, “last year, we provided 62 families/individuals with oil, propane and hydro, delivered 31 loads of firewood and money to cover that basic need. This event is amazing, and this community is very supportive of their own.”

Mike Waller, president of The Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 129, in Haliburton, which hosted the event, said, “community support is fantastic, and we continue to see that with our own elevator fundraising efforts as well,” said Waller. Bill Black organized a musical fundraiser that generated $4,000 for the lift.

After spending the past 15 months as a volunteer coordinator assisting with the Apple Tree Identification Program (ATIP) in Haliburton County, Carmen Galea is sticking around for another season – this time in a
paid role.

The recent Toronto Metropolitan University graduate confirmed she’ll remain with ATIP Haliburton until at least summer 2025, with environmental non-profit EcoCanada covering 75 per cent of her salary through its youth in natural resources program.

“Receiving this funding is incredibly meaningful for me and ATIP Haliburton. It ensures we can continue our work
identifying apple trees in the area, as well as further contributing to edible forestry in the region,” Galea said, noting her other primary responsibility is to increase biodiversity and strengthen the community’s connection to
nature.

She’s been with the group since summer

2023. Galea met ATIP founder Luba Cargill while preparing for the final year of her environmental and urban sustainability degree and the two instantly connected.
      
2024. Cargill, who moved to the County from the Niagara region in the early 2000s, had just launched her new movement seeking to establish a local database of existing apple tree and orchard locations. She worked
      with U-Links Centre for Community Based Research to create the Haliburton County Apple Blossom Tour, encouraging people to visit known sites.

Galea has added to that early work – developing a four-stage plan to get Haliburton County excited about apples.
The first happened earlier in May – the second-annual ATIP Haliburton apple blossom tour featured more than
40 locations, including privately-owned orchards, apple trees thriving on municipal land, and businesses that carry apple-basedproducts.

Steps two through four are in-progress – Galea said ATIP is engaging with arborists, foresters, and the Haliburton County Master Gardeners to assist in improving productivity of existing apple trees. The group also wants to plant new apple trees across the County.

The fourth goal is a little more ambitious – to encourage the production of local apple cider, dried apples, and other apple products in the Highlands.

Galea believes expanding the County’s apple-based business offerings could help the local economy. It will also improve food security for struggling families, she said.

In the short-term, Galea said her focus is on supporting SIRCH Community Services’ apple sauce project. Since 2014, the non-profit has supplied 9,669 servings of free apple sauce to those in need in the community. The program relies on the support of County-based growers, Galea said.

“We’re encouraging all those with apple trees to donate their excess fruits to this excellent cause,” she said, noting one collection has already taken place with another happening later this month, or in early October.

Plans are underway, too, for next season’s apple blossom tour.

Galea said she’s excited to have the opportunity to kick start her career working on a project she feels will do a lot of good in the only place she calls home.

“I aim to continue development of new programs that address emerging needs and challenges within our community where apples and apple trees can form part of the solution,” she said. “My goal is to create a lasting legacy of positive change through apple trees, which can be enjoyed for years to come.”