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Trees cut down as highway fixes begin

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Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has started a months-long project along Hwy. 118 between Haliburton and Carnarvon.

“The purpose of this rehabilitation is to improve the safety and operation of Hwy. 118, including pavement rehabilitation, slope stabilization, and improvements to intersections, drainage and guide rails,” said a spokesperson for the ministry July 26.

Contracted workers have cut trees from more than 300 feet of waterfront adjacent to the roadway beside the Gardens of Haliburton.

For some Highlands residents, the sight of the tree clearing was alarming.

Susan Hay of Environment Haliburton! struggled to find out what work was occurring. She said the County of Haliburton and Dysart et al could not provide further information since the highway is provincially maintained.

“You would think that MTO would have notified someone in the community that a project of this size was going to take place,” said Hay, who eventually contacted the ministry.

Hay said she understood the necessity of the road maintenance project, but “it seems tragic that all those trees had to come down all the way to the shoreline. Not just for the trees and the stabilization of the shoreline but for the herons and other wildlife that those trees provided habitat for. And, for the beauty and the character that the trees gave to the lake.”

Further projects along the highway are scheduled to be completed by the fall.

The MTO did not respond to questions about how crews would mitigate the impact of tree clearing on local wildlife, or whether notice was given to residents, before deadline.

The MTO encouraged residents and travellers to visit 511on.ca or twitter.com/511Ontario for updates regarding the work and any impacts to traffic. This information can also be accessed from the Ontario 511 app.

Traffic lights coming to busy intersection

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Traffic control signals could be constructed on County Road 21 at Industrial Park Road in Haliburton next year, director of public works, Robert Sutton, told councillors at their July 20 meeting.

By way of background, he reminded councillors that in the fall of 2020, in partnership with Dysart et al, an application to extend the multi-use pathway on County Road 21 was submitted under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure stream.

The project proposed to install a pedestrian crossover at the intersection and extend the existing pathway from Industrial Road, west along the north side of the road to the traffic signals at the Independent Grocer.

The estimated cost was $200,000 with the County and Dysart each applying for a $100,000 grant. In the spring of 2021, the application was approved with the federal government contributing $160,000 and the province $40,000.

Sutton said as staff started planning, they were concerned about traffic volumes at the intersection. He added the original application and project scope was based on the 2017 County Road 21 corridor study completed by AECOM.

The study recommended a pathway and pedestrian crossover at Industrial Road.

But Sutton said due to the passage of time, impacts from COVID and increased development in the area, County and Dysart staff thought it would be a good idea to review the five-year-old study.

“AECOM completed the memo in December of 2021 and concluded and recommended that a full traffic control signal was now warranted at this intersection,” Sutton said.

The preliminary estimated cost is $350,000, with the County picking up the added costs.

“Once the senior levels of government approve the change in scope of the project, staff will develop and advertise a request for proposal to obtain a consultant to design the project this coming fall and winter as well as determine a more accurate estimated total cost of the project. Construction is projected to be substantially complete by the end of 2023,” Sutton said.

Dysart et al mayor Andrea Roberts commented, “It is an extremely busy intersection and will only get busier when the student residence is built and, potentially, a phase three of the industrial park.”

She added, “this is great for that area. It will also help calm traffic, I believe, because it’s very hard sometimes to even get a break in traffic. I know. It’s my neighbourhood and a very busy area, particularly in the summer.”

Council, locals concerned over retreat plans

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Algonquin Highlands council is considering the long-term implications of a re-zoning application from Dimensions Retreats that would see the Maple Lake operation introduce a medical component to its programming.

At a public meeting July 21, township planner Sean O’Callaghan said Dimensions was looking for a permit to add acupuncture services, install a float tank, leading light, sound and group therapy and set up a medical clinic. This was a change from initial plans approved by council last November, which centred around a “destination retreat” for visitors, with yoga, massage and meditation.

O’Callaghan said the application complies with the township’s official plan, but council was hesitant given controversy surrounding the project over the past year.

Dimensions bought the 40-plus acre site in May 2021. In an initial press release, they described it as a “psychedelic treatment company,” focusing on inpatient treatment integrating neuroscience with traditional healing practices. There was concern from the public that the site would be transformed into a drug rehabilitation clinic.

A few months later, CEO Christopher Dawson told local media Dimensions would “not be providing medical services of any kind”, billing themselves as one of Canada’s premiere tourist getaway destinations.

Dawson then told The Highlander in March that, while the company would not be offering drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, there was a long-term plan to introduce a medical component. He said they wanted to expand into psychotherapy and psychedelics, referencing psilocybin – or magic mushrooms – currently illegal in Canada.

Mayor Carol Moffatt expressed concern over the planned “accessory” uses Dimensions outlined in its new application.

“How many uses does there have to be before the overall use is no longer accessory? We started out with accommodation, massage, yoga and woodland frolic and we’ve ventured into medicine and medical practitioning,” Moffatt said.

The new application also called for a small pharmacy space, which Dawson clarified would serve only as storage for prescribed medications brought on-site by visitors, not operate as a dispensary.

“We are definitely not an acute care facility, a hospital, a rehabilitation centre, a treatment centre. We don’t have capacity to do detox for individuals that suffer from addiction,” Dawson said last week. “We are going to primarily focus on [people] that have demonstrated themselves to be treatmentresistant within the context of traditional treatment.”

He referenced a recent decision by Health Canada to legalize psychedelics on a caseby-case basis for people suffering PTSD or relapsed addicts, hoping Dimensions would be able to lean into that segment.

Deputy mayor Liz Danielsen said Dimensions has not been clear about the intent of the facility.

“I do see there are some pretty substantial benefits to Algonquin Highlands and the County. But when I’m looking at this from a pure planning perspective, your report does not give us the information we’re seeking,” she said. Dawson said the company’s total investment would be about $20 million.

Public concern

Carolyn Dartnell, a cottager on Placid Lane, feels there’s been a lack of transparency with residents. She said Dimensions, and its services, are not a good fit for the township or Maple Lake community.

Amber Meirik, a cottager on Maple Lake, is concerned about community safety, given Dawson’s admission he intends to use cannabis as a treatment option and hopes to one day expand into psychedelics

“There would be an elevated risk of unwanted exposure to people under the influence of dangerous drugs,” Meirik said. She also cited concerns over increased traffic, and the impact on lake water quality.

Dartnell urged council to proceed with caution.

“This is the only time council will have influence over this site. Once there is a medical clinic on that site, it will be there forever,” she said.

Next steps

Moffatt didn’t feel entirely comfortable approving the proposal with question marks over the request to include a pharmacy space and usher in various medical services.

“If there doesn’t need to be a pharmacy… get rid of it. I want this to be as concise and accurate as it can be. If there aren’t currently short-or-medium term goals or plans for osteopathy and chiropractic, get rid of it. It almost sounds now like they’re saying they want one of each thing just in case they want to introduce them in the future,” Moffatt said.

Coun. Jennifer Dailloux said AH is one of the first jurisdictions in Canada dealing with an application of this nature so there’s extra pressure to get things right.

“If there is no urgency, maybe it’s a gift that we can take some time on this file, ask some more questions and enable Dimensions to reach out to the community a little bit more… We want to get this right for our community,” she said.

U-Links seeking research projects

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If you’re a local resident concerned about homelessness in Haliburton County, a business owner wondering how improved transportation options could bolster the region’s dwindling workforce, or a waterfront property owner worried about the long-term health of your lake, U-Links Centre for Community-Based Research wants to hear from you.

Since launching in 1999, the organization has facilitated hundreds of research projects in the Highlands between area residents, organizations and student researchers from Trent University and Fleming College. It’s all about helping to provide insight and information on various social, cultural, environmental and economic issues facing the community.

Earlier this month, U-Links put out a call to the community seeking ideas for future projects.

“We’ll do this once a year, typically, connecting with our community to try and find out what they want to know. If the community says ‘I want answers to A, B and C’, we’ll do our best to go away and make it happen,” said Daniela Pagliaro, logistics coordinator with U-Links.

Once a project has been formulated, U-Links staff post details to its website and reaches out to contacts at Trent and Fleming to see if there are any students interested in taking them on.

It isn’t as simple as finding someone, though. There is an extensive application process, Pagliaro said, that’s designed to find “a perfect match” between student and project.

“Because these projects are so important to us, we want to make sure that the student we’re trusting to take it on is committed and understands exactly what’s expected of them,” Pagliaro said. “We want the projects to be good so that they benefit our community.”

At the end of each school year, U-Links hosts a celebration of research, where students have the opportunity to present their work to the community. At the most recent event, held virtually in March, U-Links featured 18 completed projects.

Among them was a report on food waste reduction strategies for Dysart et al, benthic assessments of more than a dozen area lakes and a study of existing supports for people with eating disorders in rural communities.

Pagliaro noted around 80 per cent of the projects U-Links has on its books are environmentally focused, but that isn’t by design.

“We would love to see more sociocultural projects come our way… We would absolutely welcome a project, for example, that looks at housing and homelessness in Haliburton County. That would be a perfect fit for the issues we’re presently seeing, and for connections we have,” Pagliaro said.

Other non-environmental projects U-Links is looking to move forward include delving into the history of the old Mountain Street Red Cross Outpost (now the CanoeFM building), the viability of a virtual adaptation of Abbey Gardens’ on-site Sprouts to Snacks program, and a programming evaluation assessment for the Abbey Retreat Centre.

The organization is asking that people reach out with project ideas by mid-August, to give staff enough time to finalize things and get in touch with schools. For more information, contact Sadie Fischer at environment@ ulinks.ca, or call the office at 705-286-2411.

Marking 75 years of history on Hall, Hawk Lakes

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Elvin Johnson Park was a hive of activity this past weekend as the Halls & Hawk Lakes Property Owners Association (HHLPOA) marked its diamond anniversary with a community celebration more than 12 months in the making.

Hundreds of cottagers and permanent residents pitched up along the shore of Halls Lake July 16, enjoying the festivities put on by the association. There were games and birdhouse painting for children, while adults enjoyed music provided by Nick and Benton, and catching up with friends and neighbours.

It was an emotional day for some, noted HHLPOA president Peter Dadzis.

“This was our first real community event in three years, our first time seeing familiar faces in a long, long time,” Dadzis said.

“There were lots of smiles, but there were some tears too as people reunited… It’s been a very special day for our community.”

Since its launch in 1946, the HHLPOA has been responsible for the protection and stewardship of Halls Lake, Little Hawk Lake, Big Hawk Lake and the Kennisis River. Today, the association boasts more than 200 members.

Among them are the Greenhow family. Patriarch Abiathar Carey is the first known cottager to frequent Halls Lake, having built a cabin on the water in 1919.

Ninety-one-year-old Dorothy Watts still spends time at the place, albeit updated, her grandfather built all those years ago. She and her sister, Trish Greenhow, are two of seven siblings to have spent almost their entire life cottaging in Algonquin Highlands.

The family is now fifth generation at the lake. Rob Greenhow and his wife Angela, who live in Colorado, make a point to visit Halls Lake every summer. The couple’s two children, Ella and Adam, are regular visitors of nearby Camp Kandalore.

“This is a special place for our family. Most of us grew up on Halls Lake during the summer,” Greenhow said. “Now we’re introducing the next generation and hoping they’ll carry the torch forward.”

Joan O’Halloran and her late husband, Jim, bought their property on Big Hawk Lake in 1953. She has spent nearly every summer since visiting the area.

“We had to come in by boat for a lot of years… The road only extended out to our property in 2010,” Joan said. Her son, Regan, and his wife, Carol Foderick, took ownership of the one room cabin in 2013. They recently completed construction of a brand-new cottage, and spend seven or eight weeks of the year there with children, Katie and Ben.

“I remember back when I was a kid, we’d get in a boat and head out with a quarter in our back pockets, wondering what the day ahead would bring. Those were some of the best days of my life. I had so many amazing times finding fun places on the lake,” Regan said. “Those are the sort of experiences I’m hoping my kids will make coming up here.”

The Greenhow, O’Halloran and dozens of other families’ history on Halls and Hawk lakes are outlined in the recently published Lure of the Lakes. Written by cottager Joan Hamilton, the book captures the HHLPOA’s 75 years, and shares stories of some of the area’s earliest settlers.

“This book ensures that the history of this lake and the people that make up our community will be remembered forever,” Dodzis said. “We owe an awful lot to the people that came before us and helped to settle this community.”

For more info, visit hallshawklakes.ca.  

Showcasing one of the greats

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Charles Pachter, one of Canada’s leading contemporary artists, was in Haliburton July 16 for the opening of his ‘A Romance with Canada’ exhibition at Corner Gallery. More than 30 pieces of Pachter’s art, many including his iconic moose calling card, will be featured until Aug. 10. “For me to come home to Haliburton after all this time – yesterday I was at Camp White Pine, a place I worked at 60 years ago when I was just a boy – it’s amazing. I’m so impressed with the area and how it has grown,” Pachter said. “And this exhibition is lovely – they really have done a spectacular job with it.” Corner Gallery, located at 123 Maple Ave., is open Tuesday and Thursday through Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

Charles Pachter explains the inspiration behind his ‘Monarchs of the North’ piece, completed earlier this year, and featuring his trademark moose.

Rocking tunes set to return to Gooderham

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Gooderham is about to get loud.

Six bands will be playing, rain or shine, during the community’s first Gooderham Music Festival since 2019 at the Robert McCausland Memorial Community Centre bandstand July 30.

The concert will run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with each band playing an hour and a half.

“The whole idea was to start using a beautiful bandstand that we have that was just sitting there,” said Denise Winder, chair of the Gooderham Community Action Group (GCAG).

She said the group has gathered momentum with new members joining to help organize the festival.

During their most recent Canada Day event, the crowd surpassed expectations. “We’re really excited,” Winder said. “Especially after Canada Day, we have never seen so many children.”

GCAG will be accepting donations to help cover costs, which include the hiring of a professional sound person.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs and umbrellas in case of rain. There will be food and drinks available.

Not Responsible will play from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. followed by Ragged Company from noon to 1:30 p.m. Then Bill Black takes the stage from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. followed by Jeff Moulton from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The Rockin’ Bobs play from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and the Recycled Teenagers from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Counsellor putting in work to change thoughts on death

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Highlands resident Nancy Gosse has dedicated most of her adult life towards helping people overcome difficult, often traumatic experiences. Now, the counsellor is busy studying to fill what she sees as a void in the community, seeking to become one of Haliburton County’s first certified death doulas.

Gosse’s roots in providing support services, both mental and spiritual, stretches back decades to her time working as a night counsellor at a community centre and residence in Newfoundland. Now, she offers a wide-range of programs under her Inceptional Soul Services umbrella, combining spiritual counseling, meditation instruction, and energy healing.

She started her death doula training in June 2021, signing up for a program offered through the Home Hospice Association. Asked to explain the role of a death doula, Gosse said it’s all about providing support.

“Helping people to feel comfortable with talking about what it means to be dying. Many people consider death to be a morbid topic, but it doesn’t have to be. A death doula’s job is to stay grounded, and help clients stay grounded so they can deal with a diagnosis and try to move forward,” Gosse said.

She added, “You can be a resource, helping people to connect the dots for things they might need to support them through the dying process… Just being there to provide a sense of stability during a time of upset and chaos. A death doula will walk beside you and assist in any way that helps you find your calm in the middle of the storm.”

There are four essential areas of focus for those studying to become a death doula: legacy work, vigil, active dying and bereavement support. Gosse said students will typically select one area to specialize in. While she is yet to make a final decision, she has found herself drawn to legacy work.

“This is wide open to creative approaches for however the dying person wishes to engage in developing a project that is intended as a memory keeper,” Gosse said. “It could be creating a photo book, writing a memoir, writing letters to say goodbye, or planning a ‘living funeral’.”

Gosse is hoping to become fully certified before the end of the year.

“I feel this is a natural extension of everything I’ve been doing with my practice anyway… Over the years, I’ve felt like I’ve been collecting pieces of a puzzle and this is just the latest area of study for me,” Gosse said. “My goal is to be there for this community, to help people during their lowest time… Where I am now, doing this work, it just feels like the right place to be.”

To learn more, visit inceptionalsoul.com.

Local angler reels in bait success

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For Colt Taylor, reeling in a fish on a bait he made himself was a special feeling.

“I tied it on and I was catching stuff for two hours straight,” he said. “I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.”

A life-long angler, 24-year-old Taylor started making moulded baits in August 2021.

Less than a year later, he’s making a splash with Haliburtonian Baits and quickly selling fish baits to anglers across the Highlands.

“It started out as a hobby, I saw a couple of YouTube videos and bought a couple of starter kits,” he said.

After making a few to give away in a Bass competition, he began selling to family and friends. Demand started to grow.

He now sells his baits at Outdoors Plus where he also works, and fulfills custom orders through his Facebook page.

“It’s been going pretty good since then,” he said.

He acquired a loan from the Haliburton County Development Corporation to fund new moulds and supplies.

He mixes plastisol with different dies and injects it into custom moulds. Once it cools, each bait has to cure for 24 hours.

He makes different baits for Bass, Muskie, Walleye, Pike, Trout, Crappie, and ones geared towards ice fishing or summer fishing, with dozens of colours, shapes and sizes available.

He said small-batch baits are made with care.

“The baits I make, people find they work good and they’re more durable than some of the bigger brands in the market,” he said.

“When you’re making homemade stuff, I think it’s a better-quality product. I think when it’s locally-made, it’s going to be better.”

Taylor’s baits can also be recycled. He plans to sell used baits at a lower cost or melt them down to create new ones.

He said he fishes Lake Kashagawigamog most often, but has experience in all seasons around the Highlands.

His company is named with his grandfather in mind, who called himself a “Haliburtonian” and introduced Taylor to the fishing lifestyle.

Haliburtonian Baits can be found at Outdoors Plus in Haliburton and through Taylor’s Facebook Page, Halburtonian Baits.

Liquidation store fights sticker shock with brand name deals

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Nicky Robichaud started selling liquidated clothing from her home during COVID19 shutdowns, with the goal of providing affordable clothing to families.

Almost two years later, she’s pursuing the same vision from her own downtown Haliburton storefront, Haliburton Highlands Liquidation.

“My goal was to be affordable for our town. We have a lot of low-income families and single people in Haliburton, that’s why I did it,” she said.

She originally started a Facebook group where she would sell the same goods. She quickly developed a following of more than 1,000 people.

“Then the opportunity to get a storefront came up and I took it,” Robichaud said.

She sells clothing, shoes, home appliances, housewares and accessories such as purses. There’s a large children’s section, too.

“I’ve got stuff for everybody, and right up to plus sizes, which are a struggle to find in this town,” she said.

Robichaud collects shipments from stores across Ontario such as Aeropostle, Wal-Mart or Blue Notes as they switch inventory for different seasons.

“I never know what I’m getting,” she said. “It’s always a surprise.”

Many of Robichaud’s original customers, who were part of her Haliburton Highlands Liquidation Facebook group, still come in regularly, she said.

“There’s a variety, and people buy it, it doesn’t matter what season,” she said.

Before she opened, Robichaud and her partner spent five weeks renovating the store, adding new flooring, a ceiling and a change room, as well as racks and shelving.

She said the hard work has “absolutely” been worth it, and it was rewarding to hear from customers excited about finding deals.

“It was great, my first weekend was busy and it has been steady since.” The store is at 165 Highland St.