Minden completes ice storm clean-up

July 10, 2025

The County of Haliburton and Minden Hills township have wrapped emergency cleanup efforts following the March ice storm, with full costs to be presented to respective councils in the near future.

Haliburton County was one of the worsthit areas, with an estimated 20 millimetres of ice build-up from March 28-30 downing thousands of trees and power lines across the region. Approximately 85 per cent of County residents were without power for several days, with some properties taking weeks to be brought back online.

Minden Hills declared a state of emergency March 31, which ran until May 5. The County implemented a partial state of emergency March 31 and lifted it May 9.

County CAO Gary Dyke said Ontario’s Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response (MEPR) has committed to assisting both the upper-tier and Minden Hills, with each entitled to have up to 75 per cent of incurred costs reimbursed through the province’s emergency cost recovery funding program.

“The County is in the process of submitting our documentation for application for funding with the province. A report regarding the costs incurred by the County and our funding submission to the province will be provided at an upcoming council meeting,” Dyke told The Highlander in a June 27 email.

Minden Hills mayor Bob Carter said the township concluded the official part of its ce storm clean-up June 13. He said there will be two numbers made public – the total cost, and the amount eligible to be recouped.

“We will make our costs available in the near future,” he said. “We have accounting staff who [were] part of every meeting so that we can keep adequate control and accumulate all the expenses related to the emergency separate from normal township business.”

Last month, the province announced it was also launching two one-time financial assistance programs to support communities impacted by the storm.

The municipal ice storm assistance program will help municipalities pay for emergency response and clean-up costs, while the business ice storm assistance fund will help small businesses, farms and not-for-profits pay for costs not covered by private insurance. The programs are taking applications until Oct. 31.

Hydro One is also assisting, offering 50 Ontario communities one-time payments of $10,000 to offset costs. The County and Minden Hills each received payouts.

Dyke said the money won’t be used for any specific item.

“It will help offset the County’s 25 per cent share and/or those costs that are not eligible under the emergency cost recovery funding program,” he said.

Carter said Minden Hills used the money, which arrived while clean-up was occurring, to purchase saws, a portable generator and equipping two municipal trucks with radios.

During the storm, Carter met with Teri French, Hydro One’s executive vice president of safety, operations and customer experience, in Minden. After telling French that provincial money couldn’t be used to purchase assets, he said the township needed for clean-up, Hydro One stepped up – essentially creating its ice storm 2025 recovery grant.

“After seeing the need, Hydro One decided to create a grant to enable municipalities to buy critical equipment,” he said.

In an emailed statement to The Highlander, Hydro One said, “Hydro One cares deeply about Haliburton County and Minden Hills, and the ice storm 2025 recovery grant is a way for us to continue to be a partner as they rebuild. What stood out in their applications was their continued commitment to building on their current emergency response to make sure members of their communities are cared for in times when they need it most.”

Pizza makers happy to finally be making dough

Lisa Gervais

July 10, 2025

Burnt Crust co-owner, Katrina McCallum’s fondest food memories are Thanksgiving dinners with family.

“My family, maybe I’m biased, but it’s better than everyone else’s family,” she says with a laugh. “They’re all awesome people. They’re funny, and so kind. Family gatherings for Thanksgiving dinners were the best.”

Even now, with the extended family split between Minden and New Brunswick, more than 20 relatives rent a lodge in Quebec, “with the longest table we can possibly find and gather around that.”

Glancing around the patio at Burnt Crust, McCallum comments the outside tables could be pushed together to form one long table there, “like that Thanksgiving table.”

The pizzeria opened June 27 in the former Algonquin Outfitters store at 12667 Hwy. 35

McCallum’s partner, Avi Berger, is co-owner. The two have renovated over many months, doing a lot of the labour themselves. “I’m glad to be out of construction mode and getting into restaurant mode,” she said.

McCallum said she comes to the trade naturally, as “my grandmother was a serious baker. My mom’s a really good cook. I got a lot of exposure from both of them to get skilled on both sides of the culinary industry.”

She’s Irish, not Italian, but says, “you can’t even get tired of Italian food.” She loves pasta, too, and says once they get the pizza side operating at full capacity, they can begin offering pastas. They’ve also applied for a liquor license. They have Donair sauce, desserts and non-alcoholic drinks.

They were aware of Godfathers, but did not know about New Orleans Pizza, which has recently opened. However, McCallum said their pizza is different.

They have a massive pizza oven, made by Marra Forni, that can cook 10 pizzas at a time. While baking, the stone rotates, making it easier and more efficient. Their pizzas are Neapolitan style, with thin crust and raised, bubbly edges. The dough is made by hand and left to rest and ferment for 24 hours before baking. McCallum said it increases the flavour and texture. And, like the business name, the idea is to have burnt pieces on the crust.

“We’re going to introduce weekly special pizzas and hopefully people will give us feedback on whether they want that one to stay… our menu will grow with people’s tastes around here. The nice thing about it is we’re not a chain. We can change it.”

They plan to operate year-round and have a portable pizza oven so they can visit events and festivals and cater as well.

McCallum said she and Berger moved to Minden Hills to be closer to her parents. “It’s touristy for a reason, because all the lakes are just gorgeous, and it makes summer time way more fun than being in the city or anywhere.”

As for how they’ve been received, McCallum said she hadn’t heard bad reviews, although on the Canada Day long weekend, they were short-staffed and it took longer to deliver food to customers. “Some people are understanding and some people are not. That’s the reality.” She added “everybody’s quite receiving” of the actual food.

She noted how other restauranters have welcomed them, too. “They’re happy to support one another.

“And we’re just excited. We’re going to expand and this is just the start.”

Auxiliary helping the Hub

Mike Baker

July 10, 2025

The Minden Health Care Auxiliary is reminding people to remember their wallets while out in the community July 11.

The volunteer group is hosting its annual Tag Day fundraiser on Friday, raising money to support programming and source new equipment for the Minden Health Hub. Longtime member Pat Bradley said this is the auxiliary’s biggest single-day fundraiser of the year.

“We don’t have our ER, but there’s great things going on at the hub. The urgent care clinic is helping a lot of people who don’t have family doctors… there’s a lot of services in this building requiring ongoing support,” Bradley said.

Every year, Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) provides a wish list to the auxiliary outlining things it needs at the Minden site. “We’re able to pick and choose and decide what we want to help with,” Bradley noted.

Last year, the auxiliary invested approximately $30,000 into the facility upgrading its respite room, replacing medical flushers and disinfectors, installing new server cabinets at Hyland Crest, and supporting HHHS’ adult day program. This year, Bradley said they are focusing on funding two new pieces of equipment for the women’s clinic and nutritional software for long-term care.

After raising a record $3,600 through last year’s Tag Day, Monique Perreault, an auxiliary member since 2021, said the group is hoping to eclipse that number. There will be collection spots at Canadian Tire, Tim Hortons, Dollo’s Foodland, Easton’s Valu-Mart, Home Hardware, and Stedman’s Department Store from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and at Boshkung Social from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

While cash donations are appreciated, people will also be able to give using their credit cards – a new feature this year. E-transfers are also being accepted at mindenhca@ gmail.com.

Bradley noted all funds raised during the event will stay in Minden. The organization has filtered approximately $360,000 to the MacPherson Street site since 2000.

With around 40 members, Perreault and fellow newcomer Baldish Toor said joining the auxiliary has been a great way to meet people and integrate into the community. The group is looking for new blood, to help with Tag Day, operation of the gift shop at the health hub and other fundraisers, such as its ‘wine on wheels’ raffle – running until Oct. 28.

“This is a great way to give back to the community,” Bradley said. “We need to refresh and come up with ways to bring in even more money… because if the [proposed 91-bed] expansion to long-term care is approved, the government will provide the funds for the building, but it’ll be down to us to stock it with the equipment needed.”

Grassroots soccer: ‘a full-blown movement’

Submitted

July 10, 2025

Haliburton Grassroots Soccer is absolutely bursting at the seams this summer, with more than 250 enthusiastic young athletes flooding the fields every Tuesday and Thursday evening.

For a full nine-week season, the heart of Haliburton village transforms into a vibrant soccer hub as players, coaches, and proud parents gather at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School’s fields. The atmosphere is electric; filled with the thrill of hard-fought matches and clever tactics.

Despite the limited number of available soccer fields in the area, nothing can slow down the energy and excitement of these determined kids.

Opening week saw an incredible turnout, with teams of all ages charging onto the pitch, ready to give it their all. From tiny tots kicking their first ball to more experienced players showcasing real skill and teamwork, the program has exploded in popularity, uniting the community in a shared love of the beautiful game. It’s clear: this summer, soccer isn’t just a sport in Haliburton; it’s a full-blown movement.

Show will be a night to remember

Mike Baker

July 10, 2025

Tory Hill brothers Shawn and Josh Collins are promising the public ‘A Night to Remember’ at the Lloyd Watson Memorial Centre in Wilberforce this Saturday, July 12.

The dynamic duo has organized a self-choreographed dance show, with nine-yearold Shawn handling the performance side of the evening and seven-year-old Josh taking care of front-facing services, including snacks and refreshments.

Shawn has been dancing competitively with Skyline Dance Studio for two years and wanted another platform, aside from his parent’s basement, to showcase his skills.

“At home, I could probably only fit about 20 people in – the stage is bigger than the space where the audience would sit, so that was a bit of a problem,” he told The Highlander. “I thought to myself, why not move this to the community centre?”

Shawn said he “loves performing on stage” and has planned 10 routines for the evening. He’ll be flying solo for the hour-long set, performing jazz, ballet, contemporary and acro sets.

There will be a 15-minute intermission, where Josh will serve cookies, chips and drinks.

Dad Justin Collins said it has been “a proud dad moment” watching his sons take he initiative to put on a show. He said Shawn did all the work in approaching Highlands East township to book the community centre and Agnew’s General Store to help sell tickets.

“To watch them have the idea is one thing, but then to execute it is something else,” the elder Collins said.

Tickets are available for $5 in advance or $10 at the door. Shawn said he plans to donate part of the proceeds to Central Food Network, to support the Wilberforce Food Bank.

Shawn is hoping for a good turnout, so that he can plan future shows.

“We’ll see how this show goes, but we’ll probably do another – I definitely want to,” Shawn said. “I love performing on stage, dancing in front of people and making people happy.”

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 7 p.m. For tickets, visit Agnew’s or email sandra.collins385@gmail.com.

Sci-fi royalty excited to visit Haliburton County

Mike Baker

July 10, 2025

After boldly venturing where no one Canadian has gone before, winning all three of science fiction writing’s major literary awards, Robert J. Sawyer said he’s looking forward to discovering the many joys Haliburton County has to offer.

The acclaimed author will meet fans, sign copies of his books and engage in a Q&A session as the featured guest at the sixthannual Bookapalooza in Minden July 12. He’ll be promoting his 25th novel, The Downloaded, published in 2024.

“It’s a very easy read,” Sawyer said. It was originally commissioned as an audio production through Audible, who released it on their platform in 2023, performed by Academy Award winning actor Brendan Fraser.

Saywer said The Downloaded is his response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like all his books, while set in the future, the primary plot points are formed by keeping up with present-day news headlines.

“Everything I saw while I was writing was focusing on people stopping their real lives to start virtual ones… We all uploaded, metaphorically, but knew at some point we’d have to download, to learn how to be interactively human beings again,” he said, noting the book delves into that transition.

Sawyer prides himself on being able to predict future outcomes – in 2015’s Quantum Night he wrote about a psychopathic U.S. president who wants to annex Canada. That book also tackled the fictional fallout of overturning Roe v Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court bill that established a women’s constitutional right to an abortion in the States, well before it was repealed in 2022.

Most of his books take place in the near future, 20-50 years down the road.

“Any good science fiction writer’s job is to look at what the hell is going on currently and extrapolate. Seeing the beginnings of a trend and figuring out what’s coming next,” he said.

Having already finished his 26th novel, slated for release in 2026, Sawyer said he plans to tackle environmental issues and he collapse of post-secondary education in another upcoming piece.

“The one issue I’ve not addressed head-on is the collapse of our environment. I kept thinking at some point we were going to wake up… but that’s gone out the window,” Sawyer said.

“Our university systems are under attack here in Canada… so the death of higher education, the death of critical thinking, of people being able to know when they’re being lied to by the government, that is disappearing, and I will be engaging with that.”

The author said he has no idea what County-based writer Doug Tindall, a longtime friend, will ask about during the Q&A, saying he hopes that makes for a “real, honest, in-the-moment” discussion.

Reflecting on his 30-year career, Sawyer said his crowning achievement is winning the genre’s three major awards – the Hugo, the Nebula, and the John W. Campbell. He’s one of eight authors to win all three and the only Canadian to do so.

“The Hugo is the equivalent of the People’s Choice Award, voted on by readers; the Nebula is the equivalent of the Academy Award, voted on by fellow writers; and the John W. Campbell is the principal juried award in the field, voted on by a leading panel of academics,” he said. “It’s a rare writer who manages to appeal to [all three].”

His first award, the Nebula, came in 1996 with his third novel The Terminal Experiment. Sawyer attended the California ceremony with little hope of winning – a sentiment shared by his publisher, Harper Collins, who instead backed one of his competitors.

“They were gobsmacked, as was I… they said I went from being a promising newcomer to an established bankable name practically overnight,” he said. “It was one of the greatest nights of my life.”

Bookapalooza, hosted by the Arts Council – Haliburton Highlands, runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Minden Community Centre. Sawyer’s meet and greet begins at 2:30 p.m., with a more intimate reception at the Dominion Hotel at 6 p.m.

Big white tent open

Lisa Gervais

July 10, 2025

Abbey Gardens executive director, Angela Kruger, sits and listens to the wind blow through the trees. It relaxes her. “I just find nature brings you peace. You read studies that now people are realizing this more and more.”

That’s one of the reasons she and the Abbey Gardens fundraising committee have decided to stage a wellness event July 12 at 1012 Garden Gate Dr.

There will be wellness workshops and demonstrations, and natural, eco-friendly, holistic wellness products and services on offer.

Abbey Gardens kicked off its big tent season with Girls Nite Out July 5. They’ll feature Off the Rock – a tribute to Great Big Sea – July 19, followed by a food festival and Beach Boys tribute band Aug. 16.

Kruger said, “the music, or the concerts, that happen in the tent are what we would call friendraising – it is people coming in purely for entertainment. But, because we are community-oriented, we want to have some events that do appeal to a wider audience and families, especially.”

As for this Saturday’s wellness event, Kruger said she joined Abbey Gardens because she sees “a real connection between nature and wellness, and how they play a part in your mental health; the fact that Abbey Gardens is open to the public, free, 365 days of the year. We have that nature offering to help people unwind.

“There’s also, locally, many things around that. It’s a very holistic community. It’s a first annual wellness event and I hope it continues; just a spot for people who are selling services, products, for ourselves, because we are going to launch some of those more tourism and workshop type pieces that centre around nature and wellness, because people are seeking that right now.”

The food festival is a replacement for the garlic festival that used to be staged at the site.

“We have wonderful food vendors,” she said, noting they will still have garlic, but also woodfired pizza, Kawartha Dairy ice cream, Til Death BBQ, and Boshkung Brewing Co. She said people can also shop from local artisans and there will be face painting.

On the day, they’ll feature Beach Party Boys – a tribute to the Beach Boys.

She noted they have moved up the times for the musical offerings, doors opening at 4 p.m. for 4:30 p.m. concerts.

She said it allows travelling musicians to get away earlier, plus Abbey Gardens’ Food Hub and woodfired pizza truck will still be open.

“We tried to appeal to a wider audience and it’s fallen into place. It’s great. There’s a different theme and a different feel or vibe to each one,” Kruger said.

It all winds up Aug. 25 at Blairhampton Golf Club, with the seventh Abbey Gardens golf tournament fundraiser; which Kruger describes as “a day of competition, great food, and meaningful impact, all in support of educational and environmental programming.”

For more information on all of the events, go to www.abbeygardens.ca, or call 705754-4769.

Arrivals just what the doctor ordered

Mike Baker

July 3, 2025

The moment Dr. Ali Akbar Bohra laid eyes on Haliburton, he said it was love at first sight.

One of the five new physicians to land in cottage country over the past 18 months, Bohra said all it took was a quick Google search to convince he and his family that their future lay in the Highlands. He joined the emergency department at the Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) in May 2024.

Born and raised in Pakistan, Bohra completed medical training in his home country before spending 15 years practising in England, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates. While working as a trauma doctor in the UK, he saw an ad in the British Medical Journal promoting a better standard of living in smalltown Ontario. Embedded among the words was a picture of Head Lake in Haliburton village.

Bohra did some digging, finding more photos of sprawling Highlands landscapes online.

“I fell in love with this scenic small town and decided, firmly, from that moment onwards that I wanted to work in this beautiful community,” Bohra told The Highlander.

It’s the kind of thing Wendy Welch, Haliburton County’s physician recruiter, has heard time and again from professionals interested in relocating somewhere peaceful, where doctors are afforded a better work-life balance and standard of living.

County has increased recruitment incentives

Since the upper tier adjusted its recruitment guidelines early last year, Welch said there’s been a marked increase in the number of working professionals reaching out, asking about opportunities that exist in the community. The County offers doctors up to $150,000 to relocate here, while reimbursing moving expenses up to $15,000. To qualify, physicians must commit to practising in the area for at least two years. Payments are staggered at $25,000 annually for up to six years.

There are other programs Welch can tap into, offered through the Ministry of Health. Canadian-trained physicians qualify for student loan forgiveness up to $60,000, while the recently revamped Northern Rural Recruitment and Retention Fund (NRRR) offers bonuses up to $97,000.

There are other perks too – one-year memberships to the Minden Recreation Centre and the Haliburton Forest Wolf Centre, while the County maintains two properties doctors can use while they’re finding a more permanent home. Welch said this is particularly helpful when medical students and locum physicians are here temporarily.

“A lot of the people I speak to are looking for a smaller community, a safe place, somewhere they feel more appreciated in their practise, where they can get to know their patients,” Welch said.

Other recent additions include Dr. Harrison Bishop and Dr. Peter Faulkner at HHHS, Dr. Sharysse Kayoumedjian at the Haliburton Family Medical Centre (HFMC), and Dr. Van Der Leden at the Kinmount & District Health Centre.

A unique welcome

Bishop is no stranger to the County, having worked intermittently at the Haliburton hospital as a locum for several years. He started working full-time at the facility July 1.

Born in rural Prince Edward County, before the vineyards when it was predominantly dairy farms and cash crops, Bishop said he feels at home in the Highlands. He’s making the permanent move north after working out of hospitals in Quinte and Cobourg, saying this area, with its beautiful landscapes, is the perfect place to raise his family.

“Everyone has been so welcoming,” Bishop said, noting that’s not isolated to human encounters. “While sitting on our dock one evening, I noticed a beaver swimming by. Rather than slapping his tail and disappearing under the water, he decided to course back and forth in front of me for a good 10 minutes. I felt like he was welcoming me to the neighbourhood.”

Faulkner has been working part-time in Haliburton since 2016, though was only available during the summer and fall as his cottage was a seasonal property. After recently upgrading the residence, the doctor has made himself available to HHHS year-round.

He was born and raised in Toronto, attending medical school at nearby McMaster University. He’s worked in emergency departments in Niagara region, Hamilton and Burlington, along with a year-long stint in rural Australia.

Nothing compares to his experiences in Haliburton, though. “I enjoy the strong sense of community – very different from city life… you get to know the people you work with,” Faulkner said. “This is the only place I’ve worked where you can watch the deer feeding on vegetation right beside the parking lot, kind of a novelty for a city guy.”

Success story

While, geographically, Kinmount isn’t within County limits, Welch said the rural health hub there qualifies for local support since it accepts patients from Haliburton County.

Alan Howard, a volunteer and lead recruiter with the Kinmount District Health Services Foundation (KDHSF) – the fundraising arm of the clinic – said he and his team have had a lot of success attracting doctors over the past few years. Dr. Lesslie Ponraja arrived from the UK in February 2023, with Van Der Leden following this past February. This is the first time the clinic has had two full-time doctors in at least six years.

Where Welch relies on advertising and job fairs for finding physicians, KDHSF utilizes a recruitment agency based in British Columbia. The firm connects interested doctors with Howard, who schedules visits. Van Der Leden made her first pitstop last July.

She’s glad she followed through – admitting in a recent interview she almost cancelled after doubting whether she’d be prepared to move to a community with a population of about 500. She had spent years working in Chicago, the third most populated city in the U.S.

Van Der Leden was born and raised in Ontario and decided to return home after learning about the province’s healthcare crisis. She expects to take on more than 1,000 patients.

“I can’t take 4,000, but hopefully I can make a little dent,” Van Der Leden said. The KDHC waitlist has more than 2,000 people, there’s another 1,450 on the HFMC list, and at least 3,000 County and Kawartha Lakes residents waiting through Health Force Ontario. Howard noted KDHSF is looking to recruit a third full-time physician to further chip away at that total.

Van Der Leden’s favourite thing about her new community is the people, saying, “everyone is so nice, really warm and welcoming. This has definitely been the right decision for me.”

New centre for seniors

Lisa Gervais

July 3, 2025

The new Seniors Active Living Centre (SALC) for the County of Haliburton was officially opened at the Seniors Seminar, hosted by MPP Laurie Scott and MP Jamie Schmale, June 25 at the Haliburton Legion.

Donna Lynn Clarke, representing the minister for seniors and accessibility, made the announcement.

SALCs are not one physical location, but rather activities and events funded by the province to be put on in various locations across the Highlands.

Clarke said the province has given a grant that provides “consistent annual funding” to the County.

Sue Tiffin, County of Haliburton’s community safety and well-being plan coordinator, said the County received $46,000, as well as $10,000 for start-up funding, and $4,420 as a special grant for the 2025-26 program.

Programs are designed for older adults (age 55+) and seniors (65+) but can be intergenerational.

Tiffin added the County is the SALC operator, the local municipalities are funding partners, offering in-kind space and staff support, and SALC partners offering programming this year include: the four legions, Abbey Gardens, the Haliburton County Master Gardeners, SIRCH Community Services, the Haliburton County Public Library, the Haliburton County Community Paramedics, the Haliburton Highlands Genealogy Group, and local municipalities.

Tiffin said planned upcoming programming to be held between July and March include: first aid for seniors; museum tours; information sessions; nature walking tours; a pen pal program; a forest bathing session; tech help workshops; disc golf lessons; cooking classes; board game and cards drop-in events, and a variety of recreational programs. SALC programming in Haliburton County will take place at locations throughout the Highlands, as well as virtually/online.

Clarke said the centres were “designed to build capacity; allow you to try new ideas; form strategic partnerships with other senior-serving organizations, and to meet the needs of seniors in your community.”

She added she had seen first-hand how the program “brings together senior-serving organizations to bring meaningful collaboration to address local community needs and it is truly transformational when the program comes to a community, so I am so excited for you.”

MPP Laurie Scott added, “we love that Haliburton County is the newest seniors active living centre. It will offer seniors from the entire community the opportunity to stay fit, active, healthy and socially connected through various activities.”

Information will be available at www.haliburtoncounty. ca/SALC, in local newspapers and on radio, and through printed calendars available throughout the County.

Council reconsiders office renovations

Lisa Gervais

July 3, 2025

County council will reconsider options for two properties it owns on Newcastle Street in Minden, after a motion to reconsider won the day at a June 25 meeting.

Coun. Walt McKechnie asked for a rethink; it was seconded by coun. Murray Fearrey and supported by coun. Bob Carter and warden Dave Burton.

After a lengthy debate, council eventually passed a motion for staff to get an appraisal of the former land registry office at 12 Newcastle St., and costings for an expansion at the existing council office at 11 Newcastle St.

It flipped a May 28 decision to essentially spend about $1.145 million on the current headquarters, with $600,000 being for accessibility upgrades.

Even before they got to reconsideration last Wednesday, deputy warden Liz Danielsen was all for squashing McKechnie’s suggestion. She said council had been talking about the project for years and the motion to renovate had been passed 7-1. “I would wonder why we are going to discuss it again? I don’t believe that we should be.”

Fearrey said, “I’m telling you what I’m hearing on the street: to spend that kind of money over there (12 Newcastle St.) in these times, when there’s maybe an alternative, maybe, maybe not, it’s not very smart.” He pressed for an exploration of expanding out the back of the current building.

Coun. Lisa Schell said “her head was going to explode” as council had voted against doing anything with the former land registry office for now but to spend money at the existing building for more offices.

And coun. Cec Ryall said “the relevancy is how much space do we need here for staff to do their job effectively. We’re being told, categorically, they need more room to do that. We need the room in here for staff. Case closed.”

Carter said he would like a clear list of needs, and then council could look at the options again. CAO Gary Dyke said the information had been presented, and he was unclear what council was asking for.

Fearrey suggested getting 12 Newcastle St. valuated, and looking into an addition at 11 Newcastle St.

McKechnie agreed with Fearrey’s assertion there’s room to expand at 11 Newcastle St. He would prefer selling 12 Newcastle St. as well. He also wants to keep the County council chambers at the current office, not share a space with Minden Hills, which was discussed at the May meeting

Danielsen said they appeared to be “dinosaurs. Just gone around and around and around in circles. We’ve given clear direction to staff and now we’re back to the beginning, square one.”

Dyke said they would have to cancel an RFP for the job council voted to do a little over a month ago.

Carter said, “let’s all get on the same page and do it right.”

Library report

Haliburton County Public Library CEO Andrea Brown told council they had six significant achievements in 2024 as she presented the annual report.

She said they hosted their first community ‘touch a truck’ event; welcomed 92 class visits to Cardiff, Minden Hills and Wilberforce branches, reaching approximately 250 children; participated in a province-wide transition to new interlibrary loan software; implemented new book club set reservation software; proposed and implemented a staffing model review to achieve significant targeted savings; and celebrated the Dorset branch grand opening Oct. 25, 2024.

She noted that in the fourth quarter, circulation in Dorset more than doubled, with the branch making up 21 per cent of new users across the service.

Other highlights were: a Diwali festival, teddy bear picnic, mandala art, make your own monster, an author visit by Phyllis Bordo and Café Espanol.

“We organized 584 programs at library branches throughout the County, welcoming attendees of all ages,” Brown said. Their online presence saw 66,640 items digitally circulated. Annual physical circulation for 2024 was 80,487 items and 155 book club set checkouts, or 1,240 books. The number of cardholders rose to 7,402 from 6,973.

Board chair, David O’Brien, thanked the County for its annual funding.

“It makes a very big difference to this community that we can keep our libraries going strong. We’re not all about books anymore…we always will be…but we’re about a whole bunch of other things we do that kind of go under the radar; things the community looks for from us. We’re a small library. We do a great deal of work in the community and the numbers are pretty significant, what we can accomplish.”

Consider four-way stop

Following a serious motor vehicle accident in Eagle Lake June 24, McKechnie asked the County to consider a four-way stop at Eagle Lake Road (County Road 6) and Haliburton Lake Road (County Road 14).

McKechnie said, “I’ve seen a lot of close calls over the last 30-40 years. I sure as heck don’t expect the County to put in lights. I do believe in four-way stops. The one in Fenelon Falls is a great example of how a four-way stop works.”

A report will be brought to a future council meeting.

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