Art on the Dock sneak peek a success

July 25, 2024

It was a beautiful summer weekend to be exhibiting art on Kennisis Lake for the 10th instalment of Art on the Dock.

Artists opened their homes and studios for people to tour, and see what they do. Twenty artists featured works at 10 properties. Artwork ranged from ceramics to water colour paintings to handcrafted woodwork, or functional art, to handmade soap and soap dishes.

Barb Larcina detailed a time when she was working at a firm and didn’t have time to paint. She would take a week off and come to the cottage to paint. It wasn’t until she took some courses at the Haliburton School of Art + Design that she pivoted to full-time painting. “That’s the passion that I knew I had in me. I just never had the time to do it,” Larcina said.

In her fifth year exhibiting at Art on the Dock, Larcina usually takes photos of nature when she drives up to the cottage with her husband, and uses those as inspiration. Larcina said, “it’s all about vibrant colour, I think that’s what sets me apart.

“I do impressionist art. The way I see a landscape and the way other people see a landscape are very different. When I look at something, I see a little bit of red sky, and all of a sudden, when I start painting, it becomes a really vibrant red sky.”

The impressionist artist starts off by painting her canvas red and then begins to paint her landscape. In some of her artwork, if held up to the light, one can see the red coming through.

This year, Art on the Dock held an evening sneak peek of the artists’ work on the Friday at the Kennisis Lake Marina before the weekend event. This allowed artists to see who else would be exhibiting and what kind of work they did, and allowed attendees to decide which stops they’d be hitting up and to sample all of the artwork in one place.

The event is organized by the Kennisis Lake Cottage Owners Association. Vicepresident and stewardship director, Jim Prince, said the Friday event was “extremely successful,” with lots of attendees arriving by boat and car to sample the works.

Niki Bezdikian, a ceramics artist, said of balancing commercial success and creativity, “I started making things I thought would be of interest to people in the area. So, make it more outdoorsy or nature, if it is up north, or tailor it to the region that I’m in. When I go into the studio, I just make what I love to make now.” Bezdikian learned ceramics in 2019 when taking classes at a local studio. She has a studio at her home in Burlington, where she spends her free time honing her craft.

A passion for woodworking and creating unique, “functional art” is what keeps Brian Kalanda busy these days. Kalanda transforms discarded pieces of wood into unique pieces of art, using creativity and techniques he’s honed throughout his 15 years of creating.

“It’s not just a plain bowl, it’s not just a plain board, each one has something in it that makes it different, unique, makes it stand out. It can be the quality of the wood, in the case of this one, where you can see different patterns in the wood.” Kalanda said, holding it up to the sunlight, where the pattern in the wood makes the surface look three dimensional.

‘Ghost Seamstress’ closes book in final exhibit

Mike Baker

July 25, 2024

After a 30-plus year career in contemporary installation art, Buckhorn-based artist Michele Karch-Ackerman reminisces as she discusses the inspiration behind her latest exhibit Flower Orphanage, now on display at Minden’s Agnes Jamieson Gallery.

“Really, it’s something of an ode to my 92-year-old mother, but also to myself and all the things I’ve done since entering the business,” Karch-Ackerman tells The Highlander. “It’s the story of my life, of my mother’s life, and all the things we’ve encountered, been inspired by, and overcome.”

The exhibit explores what it means to be a mother, wife, and daughter, she said, while growing and navigating life. It features close to 100 individual pieces that interconnect, peeling back the onion so people can learn more about, and understand, the person behind the art.

Growing up in the city, Karch-Ackerman said she was an “artsy kid.” By the time she was graduating high school, there was no doubt in her mind she wanted to become an artist. She enrolled in the Ontario College of Art to chase her calling.

It was a risky move – she remembers the late 70s and early 80s as a time when people were fixated on Wall Street.

“I wasn’t interested in the rat race at all,” she said. “I still remember telling one of my friends I was going to become an artist, she said ‘OK, but how will you make a living?’ That was the attitude then.”

She met her husband at art college and, upon graduation, connected with Av Isaacs, one of Toronto’s most renowned art dealers. He took Karch-Ackerman under his wing, showing her how to pave her own path in an oft-ignored industry.

After getting married, she and her husband left the city – coming north to Coe Hill. She took a break from drawing and painting to become a mother.

“The break lasted a long time,” Karch-Ackerman laughs. Her focus shifted to textiles, specifically stitching and dress making. Rather than go the designer route, she focused on creating memorial pieces for traumatic events.

Her initial focus was the First World War, spending three years developing a show she toured across Canada in the late 1990s. A miniature version ran for several weeks at Rails End Gallery years later, KarchAckerman recalls.

Other exhibits focused on the tragic Swissair Flight 111 crash in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1998, child loss, and the brutality of tuberculosis pre-vaccine. She also produced a show based on the Dionne quintuplets – the first known to have survived their infancy having been born May 28, 1934.

Her career has taken her to many wonderful places – including Haliburton School of Art + Design, where KarchAckerman taught for several years. Now 62, she sees her career winding down, certainly when it comes to the usual bread and butter. Karch-Ackerman said she typically spends two to three years on a single exhibit.

Flower Orphanage was like a time capsule, she said. While preparing, she sifted through boxes of old photographs, each sparking vivid memories.

“I found an undergarment nightgown I had worn when I was 19 in art school – it was vintage 1930s style and reminded me what it meant to be that age. It also reminded me of the kind of things my mother would wear – she and dad went out a lot when I was a kid, she’d spend hours getting dressed up, doing her makeup. I’d stand there watching her, mesmerized,” she said.

Her mother drew from the likes of Judy Garland and Elizabeth Taylor when dressing up, and always wore Chanel Number 5 – developed by Coco Chanel. All three are featured prominently in Flower Orphanages, so too is American poet Emily Dickinson.

While her mother isn’t well enough to see the show in-person, Karch-Ackerman said the pair spent an afternoon going through the show’s catalogue, smiling and laughing more and more with each turn of a page.

“She absolutely loved it – especially once we got to the piece centred around her wedding dress. It brought all sorts of memories flooding back.”

Closing the book on the ‘Ghost Seamstress’, as Karch-Ackerman refers to her textile self, she plans to pursue other modes of art in her golden years.

She is hosting a talk at the gallery Aug. 7, where she will further delve into her inspiration and share stories about her favourite pieces. Flower Orphanage will be on display until Aug. 17.

Al Skinner there for family and friends

Lillie Qiu

July 25, 2024

Al Skinner built his Stormy Lake cottage, in 1961, when he was 37 years old.

Having just celebrated his 100th birthday July 20, the Second World War veteran still cottages in the area, and lives in the home he built on Walnut Street in Toronto.

His brother, Harold Skinner, said, “he is a good provider and good fun to be around. I’m really happy for him reaching his hundredth birthday. I think it’s terrific. He’s just a great, great guy. And I’m really thankful to have him as a brother. He’s always been there when you needed him. And someone you always looked up to.”

Family and friends celebrated the milestone at the Haliburton Legion this past Saturday.

Before starting to work in construction, Skinner joined the wartime effort in Europe in 1943. On deciding to enlist in the army, Skinner said in an interview with the De Nederlandse Courant newspaper that everyone else was doing it. “Canada had conscription, but if you enlisted voluntarily, it was just a better feeling.”

He was trained in Petawawa, before going overseas. He was stationed in Holland for a while, having landed there on Christmas Day 1944.

Skinner spent a lot of time outdoors doing construction work after the war, but also had a penchant for gardening in his backyard.

His youngest niece, Mary Skinner, said he “always brought stuff from his garden to our family reunions, and I was always eating his tomatoes.” She said those reunions were a highlight.

The cottage Skinner and his family still visit is in Gooderham. One of the neighbours on the cottage road, Kevin Lecey, said after Skinner built the cottage, he raised it to put a basement underneath. “His wife was still in the cottage at the time. He did all that. And he’s a mastermind at what he does,” Lecey said. He added, “he’s always been good to the neighbours. Whenever there’s any problem, he always came down to help us. He’s really good.”

Skinner was the treasurer for the Stormy Lake Road Association for a number of years and collected the money for basic road fees.

His daughter, Diana, whom Skinner lives with in Toronto, said her dad was still chopping down trees for the neighbourhood at 95.

“I was in a play and he carved out swords for me. He was always there,” Diana said.

Duchene Classic raises $222k for hospital

Mike Baker

July 25, 2024

For Matt Duchene, returning home every summer and helping to raise money for Haliburton Highlands Health Services is one of his favourite ways to give back to the community.

The National Hockey League star was at Blairhampton Golf Course July 19 for the annual Matt Duchene Charity Golf Classic. This year’s event drew 187 golfers, who combined to raise $222,000 – a new record total.

“This is one of my favourite summer events. Anytime you’re raising money for a hospital in a small community, you know that money goes a long way. Sometimes rural communities can get overlooked, there’s not a lot of money to go around, so being able to raise some here is a big deal,” Duchene said.

Both live and silent auctions performed well, said Melanie Klodt Wong, executive director of the Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation, which partnered with Duchene for the event. Some of the top-selling items included a custom-made tiki bar and several signed pieces of hockey memorabilia, donated by Duchene and the NHL Players’ Association.

Teeing off on the first hole, Duchene said it meant a lot to him spending the day surrounded by friends and family.

“I’ve been looking forward to this all week – I’ve got three of my best friends with me, my dad, a lot of other really close friends who all still live here. That’s why it’s so important to me, doing this and raising money for the hospital, because it means there are more services available for them and everyone else in the County should they need them,” Duchene said, speaking to the recent addition of CT and, soon, mammography. “We need stuff like that around here.”

Klodt Wong said the money will be used to purchase new CPR assist devices and bladder scanners, purchasing ice machines for the in-patient unit at Haliburton hospital, and room upgrades at Highland Wood and Hyland Crest long-term care homes.

“While our big focus right now is our CT campaign, there are so many other things we can’t forget about. The amount raised again this year is amazing as it allows us to make some of the important purchases [that have been on wish lists] for a long time,” she said.

Klodt Wong confirmed the event was a sellout, with tickets claimed within hours of being made available.

She said fundraisers like this are extra important as it allows the hospital to upgrade equipment and facilities the provincial government doesn’t cover.

“We’re so thankful to everyone who helped make this a record-breaking event,” she said.

Amazing world of dragonflies and damselflies

Lillie Qiu

July 25, 2024

The public went for a walk in the Dahl Forest July 20 as Ed Poropat, a local field naturalist, taught them about dragonflies and damselflies.

It was part of the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust’s discovery days series. The tour and walk started on Geeza Road, where the entrance to the forest is located, and went into the forest for a discussion on conservation, protection and the life of dragonflies and damselflies.

People got up close and personal with the insects in the forest. Their contribution to the ecological landscape was discussed, as there are over 100 different species in Haliburton County.

Poropat said, “we think of them as creatures of the air, but they spend most of their lives underwater as nymphs in larval form, and they’re voracious predators.

They’ll eat anything that they can catch, up to tadpoles and even small fish.” He added, “they’re incredible predators.

When you think of the flies that are buzzing right now, and all the mosquitoes and blackflies, they are incredible, 95 per cent efficiency in predatory kill, as compared to some other animals, like falcons and lions, they may only have 20 to 30 per cent efficiency in hunting. So, they’re really amazing.”

My shoreline ‘helped me through Covid’

Simon Payn

July 25, 2024

Plants fix what ails us.

That’s one of the mottoes of Simon Payn, owner of Haliburton-based ecological landscaping company Grounded.

He says more plants don’t just fix our landscaping, they make us feel better too.

“With our lakes, a vegetated shoreline is better at reducing erosion and keeping our lake clean than one with human-made landscaping.” says Payn.

He says in the past we made a mistake by thinking that all problems could be solved by removing plants and installing engineered solutions. But now we’re learning that nature was right all along.

“It makes sense that a shoreline full of plants is better at softening the effect of waves,” he says. “It also makes sense that plants help clean water before it reaches the lake.”

Payn points to studies that show a 30-metre shoreline buffer can remove up to 85% of pesticides, nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment from runoff. This filtering keeps water oxygen levels high, maintaining the water quality of the lake.

“Environment Canada recommends at least 75% of a lake’s shoreline should be in a natural state,” says Payn. “But a survey by Love Your Lake found only 22% of properties met the minimum standards for lake health.”

Water quality of life

The Grounded owner says there’s a mismatch between what homeowners want and what’s happening on the ground.

“Love Your Lake found 85% of property owners ranked water quality as their most valued lake characteristic. So why aren’t more of our shorelines in a natural state?”

Payn says people enjoy having lawns down the lake. “They give children and dogs a place to play, and they make sure the lake can be clearly seen from the cottage,” he says.

“But a natural shoreline doesn’t have to remove the lawn entirely – this is about doing what’s right for us and right for nature too.”

Payn says reducing the amount of lawn can help a problem may cottagers face: geese.

“I’ve visited several properties recently with a goose problem. Cottagers don’t love the gifts these birds leave behind.” he says.

The landscaper says the solution is simple: don’t give the geese such a giant airstrip to land on. “Canada Geese like wide open spaces. So all we have to do is break up the vast expanse of grass.”

Payn points to a successful project in Haliburton, where strips of vegetation solved a goose problem.

A friend in nature

Finally, the Grounded owner says a vegetated shoreline can make us happier. He says in summer 2020, during the Covid epidemic, he had to self-isolate in a bunkie by the lake after a visit to the United States.

“I got really familiar with nature during my two weeks alone,” he says. “There was this one song sparrow that spent all day along the shoreline. It had a beautiful, recognizable song. I listened out for it and was glad when it was around. I felt like I had a friend.

“I don’t think the song sparrow would have been there without all the habitat along the shoreline. I truly believe having that healthy shoreline and the nature it hosted helped me get through my Covid isolation.”

Payn says sometimes we focus on dangers of unhealthy lakes but fail to think about how a healthy ecosystem makes us feel.

“There’s so much joy to be had in Haliburton County, where it’s quiet and we’re surrounded by nature,” he says. “I think that is something to encourage and celebrate.”

“Plants solve more problems that we ever realized.”

Find out more about Grounded at groundedgardens.ca.

Gooderham music festival to raise the roof

Lillie Qiu

July 25, 2024

The Gooderham Music Festival is a go for the Robert McCausland Memorial Arena July 27. This year’s lineup of star performances includes local bands, Gary and the Rough Ideas, and Ragged Company.

Organizer Valerie Dugale said, “what’s exciting is it’s going to be bigger and better than ever. We’ve got a lot more sponsorship this year, and we’re bringing in some really fabulous talent, including Genevieve Fisher and local bands here in the County.”

New this year is an open mic for local musicians to perform and sing.

Dugale added, “we really want to showcase emerging talent in Haliburton County and the open mic session is meant to do that.”

The music festival is free, though organizers are asking attendees to bring in a donation for the Central Food Network.

The headlining act is Fisher, who’s been named a star on the rise by country music radio stations. Fisher will be performing her set at 7 p.m.

The festival started in 2018 and took a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19. “Obviously, we’ve been looking for ways to put on events that draw the Haliburton community together. It [the festival] is a major music event in the County. It’s really just to give people, our residents, our cottagers, a great, great experience,” Dugale said.

Gary Baumgartner, the lead vocalist and keyboard player of Gary and the Rough Ideas, is looking forward to Saturday’s event. “It’s been said to me that [my music] sounds a little like Jackson Browne, sounds a little bit like the Eagles, because of those influences,” he said.

In terms of what Baumgartner and his band will be playing at the festival, he added, “there will be some Billy Joel, and likely some Elton John.

“I think it’s going to be well-received. Plus, you’ve got us, and we’re kind of on the rock n’ roll side of things, so I think it’s going to be a good fit,” Baumgartner said.

Karen Frybort, of Ragged Company, is looking forward to playing at the venue again. “We played there once before and it was a great venue. It’s a great stage; outdoor stages, I find, the big sky is your roof,” Frybort said.

“When we have original music or we do a cover, we sort of want to give it our own twist. And it doesn’t have to be note for note. We just interpret. We don’t follow the music as we go; we go, we learn it. We feel that’s quite ragged. Obviously, I have the bones of the song, but our version is, we say we raggedize it,” Frybort said.

Dugale said of the growing event, “the other great thing this year is we have a big barbecue sale and a beer tent. It’s just another sign that we’re growing.” There will also be a silent auction on site.

Rec centre celebration years in the making

Mike Baker

July 25, 2024

With just a few days to go until the grand unveiling of the renovated Dorset Recreation Centre, Algonquin Highlands mayor Liz Danielsen said she’s excited to finally reopen one of the community’s “beloved” assets.

The facility has been closed since March 2020 after staff found extensive mold and moisture damage while renovating a downstairs bathroom. Further investigation showed the issue was prevalent throughout the building.

Work to restore the facility began in 2022. It featured the installation of a new HVAC system, external foundation waterproofing, off-site content storage, creation of an AODO-compliant front entrance and accessible bathroom, new exterior façade, and a total remodelling of the indoor space.

There is a reconfigured fitness room, upgraded lobby area, and new space for the Haliburton County Public Library. The renovation came in at around $1.6 million and was led by Muskoka-based Gonneau Building Group.

Danielsen said next weekend’s celebration will be one for the ages.

“We are so pleased to welcome everyone to what is going to be a great community celebration and a big day for Dorset,” she said. “We know what a beloved community asset the Dorset Recreation Centre is… folks will be excited to get back into the building and use the facilities that have always meant so much to us all.”

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes a catered lunch, speeches from local dignitaries, children’s activities, and live music by Adverse Conditions.

The official opening of the renamed Tapscott-Lopes Park, previously known as the Dorset Pavilion and Community Park, will also take place. The township assumed ownership of the space last year after it was donated by local residents Don Tapscott and Ana Lopes.

Vandals target Haliburton’s Head Lake Park

Mike Baker

July 18, 2024

Dysart et al deputy mayor Walt McKechnie said the township intends to press charges against the culprits who caused thousands of dollars of damage at Head Lake Park last week.

The vandals struck sometime between the late afternoon July 10 and early morning July 11, destroying six solar lights and several no smoking and camera warning signs, trashing the recently-installed privies, damaging gates, spray painting graffiti on the roof of the new playground structure, damaging part of the jungle gym, and breaking a four-person teeter-totter.

Andrew Wilbee, Dysart’s director of parks and recreation, said staff are currently going through security camera footage to try and identify the culprits.

He said a new teeter-totter would likely cost more than $5,000 if it needed to be replaced. Staff are still determining the total cost of all damages.

McKechnie said he’s “deeply disappointed” by the act, which comes less than a year from the opening of the new $600,000 playground.

“It’s frustrating because our township and people in this community invested a lot of money to make that playground happen. It’s hard-earned taxpayer money that’s being destroyed,” McKechnie said. “Why someone would want to do this, I don’t know. That playground has been well-used since it opened. Kids love it.” Despite the damages, the playground will remain open. Nicole Baumgartner-Spooner was there with her three children July 17. Having played a key role in making the playground a reality, leading community fundraising efforts alongside fellow realtor Brandon Nimigon, Baumgartner-Spooner said she was upset to see the facility senselessly damaged.

She said the teeter-totter was one of the few pieces of accessible equipment in the park, and she regularly sees people of all ages, including seniors and children with mobility issues, using it.

Reward for information leading to arrests

“That’s the biggest shame here, is those people won’t have anything to use for a while when they come to the park,” Baumgartner-Spooner said.

McKechnie said the township has been in contact with Haliburton Highlands OPP.

“Whoever committed this, if you’re on video, we’ll be pursuing charges. It might not seem like a lot of money to some people, but to me it is. With all our costs going up, we can’t afford to keep fixing and replacing things people have taken upon themselves to break,” McKechnie said.

The Highlander received a call from a woman who claimed to have witnessed “a group of teenagers” damaging signs and the privies. Asking not to be named, the source claimed she approached the group to ask them why they were doing this, only to be met with a flurry of insults. She said they ran away once she took her phone out and started taking pictures. She has since been in touch with police.

It’s the second major act of vandalism at the park in as many years. Damage to the gate and fencing at the dog park in July 2022 saw the facility closed.

Anyone charged could find themselves in hot water – mischief causing more than $5,000 in property damage often carries a hefty fine, community service, and can lead to up to 10 years of jail time. Damages less than $5,000 carry a maximum six month jail sentence.

Dysart coun. Pat Casey, the representative for Haliburton village, visited the park July 16, saying he was surprised by the extent of the damage. He’s offering a $500 reward to anyone with information leading to a conviction.

“We need to make sure this doesn’t become a regular event, otherwise we won’t have any equipment left. There was a lot of people who donated money, time, resources to this. It’s a great park – when you see the amount of money that went into making it happen, for someone to so blatantly abuse that, it’s disheartening,” Casey said.

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