The Township of Minden Hills passed its new user fees for 2024, with two members of the public objecting to some of the charges during a public meeting Dec. 14.

Diane Peacock spoke against a proposed increase to rent the community room. She’s leased it the past two Novembers for a Christmas craft sale.

“I started this sale because the previous Christmas artisan market that the township held was no longer being offered. I participated in those sales and they were always so well attended. Some of the artisans I knew wanted to do a Christmas sale that was inside and not in the cold,” Peacock said.

However, with the proposed raise in the rental fee for 2024, she said, “it means that if I hold the sale next November, the rental fee will be $382.75 plus insurance, and $30 tax for a total of $466.40. Because of this raise in rates, I will likely have to raise the cost of a space for next year, which is something I’m not wanting to do.”

Peacock added she looked around the County and found a larger hall that would only charge her $200, without insurance, putting the township on notice she may move. She said other events have left the township, including the fur harvesters workshop and Coby Islander hockey tournament. “What is next?”

She said they won’t get more rentals if they keep increasing fees.

Peacock also objected to the fire department no longer issuing burn permits during the fire season. She said her husband has used them in the past to burn brush and trees. She said she’s been told the alternative is to pay to bring brush and trees to the landfill or burn after 7 p.m. but Peacock said her husband does not feel that is safe. She said more people will burn illegally and they should scrap the brush fee at the landfills.

Bill Blakes agreed. He said he had lived in “quite a few municipalities and we’ve never been charged fees for dumping leaves.” He said most of the townships recycle them and make money instead of charging residents for them.

Peacock added, “I realize the user fees are put in place to generate revenue for the township to offset taxes but if you keep raising the user fees, these revenues will go down and the taxpayers will end up paying higher taxes.”

Following the public meeting, Coun. Ivan Ingram asked about cemetery fees if people don’t want markers for a burial plot and, or cornerstones. He asked if it could be a separate charge. Coun. Pam Sayne did not want marriage services taken out of the fees and charges bylaw. Clerk Vicki Bull said they don’t have enough staff to provide the service now. Ingram said it was a matter of needs, versus wants since they do not make money on marriages. Coun. Shirley Johannessen said she’d had feedback on community room fees as well. Coun. Tammy McKelvey asked if they’d address the concerns about community rental fees, burn permits and waiving leaf and brush costs.

After numerous meetings on the bylaw, mayor Bob Carter said, “this document is never going to be perfect. Ninety-five per cent of it is correct, and we need it for the budget process and for making plans. If we have one or two little things that we need to further examine we can bring it back and make the change.”

Council adopted the fees and charges bylaw for 2024.

A national restructuring of support services for people suffering with suicidal thoughts and tendencies is a “game changer” according to Ellen Watkins, director of corporate services at Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge.

The local chapter was chosen to be one of 45 national providers for a new 9-8-8 suicide crisis helpline, which recently launched. It replaced regional call operations, previously operated in HKPR through the Four County Crisis community response program, providing people with around-the-clock access to professional support.

“What this means is if someone is experiencing thoughts of suicide or extreme emotional distress… there will always be someone available to answer your call,” Watkins said.

Calls made to 9-8-8 are immediately routed to the closest geographically available agent, using an algorithm that distributes based on area code.

“Calls that are meant to come to us, will do so. Having the ability to understand both the social and environmental context of our callers is important,” Watkins said. “The other piece is we’ll be able to connect individuals in real-time to local resources.”

As part of the restructuring, the HKPR chapter is tripling the number of on-theground mental health workers – from four to 12 – who will be available to travel across the region to meet with people most in-need face-to-face. Referrals will be made for anyone who calls the 9-8-8 service, with Watkins saying the goal is to establish an in-person connection within 48 hours.

Watkins noted there had been a spike in demand for CMHA services in recent years, which she attributes to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Loneliness and lack of connection is often at the core of what drives changes or increases [in numbers]. People were more harshly exposed to what that all looks like through COVID,” she said, noting suicide numbers were also up.

“For people who are contemplating ending their life, three things are occurring – there’s suicide ideation, there’s an opportunity, and there’s no one around to interrupt the opportunity. We’re hoping, through 9-8-8, for those who have the idea and opportunity, there may be a spark of ‘maybe I would like someone to help me interrupt what I’m thinking of doing’,” Watkins added.

According to the CMHA national database, around 4,500 people die every year as a result of suicide. Last year, the HKPR chapter assisted 479 people through its crisis intervention supporting services. This year, Watkins said the organization is anticipating serving around 800 people through its new brief mental health services team.

“For people in Haliburton, this is a step change for us in terms of the level of support we’ll be able to provide in a community that is not as resource-rich as some others within the region,” Watkins said. “We feel that by improving the number of workers we have available [on the road], being able to support people in place in Haliburton County will change the momentum [towards more positive outcomes] and make a difference in people’s lives.”

Temporary housing bolstered

CMHA HKPR is also expanding its Safe Beds program, now operating in downtown Peterborough.

The space provides short-term temporary housing for six people and is available to anyone going through a mental health crisis that resides in the HKPR region. Intake is usually by referral and after HKPR staff have conducted a thorough assessment. Stays are typically capped at 10 days.

Watkins said, while roughly 100 km away, the space is available to County residents.

“Constituents from Haliburton are very welcome. We can help with transportation if necessary,” she said.

For more information, visit cmhahkpr.ca, call 705-748-6711, or email info@cmhahkpr. ca.

CMHA’s Ellen Watkins believes the restructuring of suicide support services is a win for the community

A short-term rental owner in Highlands East has asked the township to pause the proposed STR bylaw and municipal accommodation tax (MAT).

Elizabeth Oakley made the request at a Dec. 12 council meeting. She said she is also a volunteer leader for the Bancroft-Madawaska Area Airbnb Host Community on Facebook.

Oakley said her Airbnb is her primary residence, rented to offset expenses.

“Both of us (partner Grant Kauffman) work full-time. We are not speculators, nor are we absentee hosts. We’re not operating under any illusions that we’re going to become millionaires.” She said her research has determined the typical host makes about $9,000-a-year.

She acknowledged STRs have been “a blessing and a curse” with some “bad apples.” However, she said she vets renters “like crazy.”

She told council she agreed in principle with licensing of STRs as long as the cost is reasonable, saying $250 to $500-a-year was acceptable.

However, she said they’re “deeply concerned” about a MAT. She said tourists will go to municipalities without one, causing lost revenue; it could potentially drive hosts underground; is discriminating if not applied to hotels and motels and, “STRs’ contribution to the local economy far exceeds revenues generated through MAT.

“As property owners, we’re already taxed enough (property taxes and HST for the STR). Municipalities that don’t use the MAT for its prescribed use (50 per cent to go to a tourism third party to market the region) face zero consequences. Where is the accountability from the municipality expecting STR hosts to be accountable on their end? How can we be assured MAT funds will go to their intended purpose? Where’s the compliance on the municipality’s side?” she asked.

“This tax is fundamentally flawed and nothing more than a cash grab for municipalities hoping to make up for budget shortfalls.”

However, County of Haliburton director of economic development, Scott Ovell, has said staff would create a municipal services corporation, which would handle the money collected to go towards things such as destination marketing.

He has told County council that if the four municipalities were to implement the MAT, it could generate more than $3.4 million in revenue annually. Ovell based his projections on a calculation of 1,300 short-term rental hosts being charged a four per cent MAT. He said 80 per cent would have to remit the tax with a medium nightly rental rate of $348, and based on an average occupancy rate of 65 per cent.

The director said it would more than cover some items in the economic development and tourism budget, such as wayfinding signage, marketing, Hike Haliburton programs, economic development strategy works and web design and maintenance.

“The savings created by this approach could then be redirected towards other programs and/or services provided by the County,” Ovell said.

In her delegation to council, Oakley added STRs contribute to local economies and noted a lot of STR bylaws are being challenged in court. She said Airbnbs in Ontario contributed $1 billion to the economy last year; owners hire property managers and create other jobs; they fill the void of not enough hotels, motels and B&Bs; they attract tourists who spend locally; and sometimes these people move permanently to the area.

“My worry is there is significant pressure being put on municipalities to rush this flawed legislation through without fully examining the impact it will have, not only on STRs, but to the local businesses and those employed by them, in the long run. Let’s find equitable solutions and move forward taking all parties into consideration.

“I’m asking you to consider taking a pause before implementing both the licensing and taxing of STRs here. Wait until the Tiny Township legal case is resolved, as I’m certain the findings there will set a precedent across Ontario.”

In Tiny Township, four appeals were filed with the Ontario Land Tribunal – the provincial board that hears and adjudicates matters related to land use planning, environmental and natural features, heritage protection and more – regarding the township’s recently-adopted STR bylaw.

“A phased approach followed by a study of the first-year impact and a more measured and balanced approach to the MAT is the best course of action to take in what remains a challenging and emotionally charged matter,” Oakley said.

Council received the delegation for information only.

Dysart et al mayor Murray Fearrey hopes the addition of a new student residence at the Haliburton School of Art + Design will lead to expanded programming at the local college.

Fearrey was one of several invited guests at a groundbreaking ceremony for the residence Dec. 15. The $16 million project was described as game changing by the mayor, with two, three-storey buildings containing 47 units to be added to HSAD’s footprint within Glebe Park.

“This is a great opportunity – it’s a project that’s bringing much-needed housing to our community. It’s going to take some pressure off students who want to come here and study, and it’s going to help people who need regular rentals in our town, not having so many students competing for space.

“I think this is going to make a big difference to a lot of people. A really important project for this community – it’s fantastic,” he added.

The mayor said having a dedicated space for students should help make HSAD even more of a destination for those with an interest in the arts.

“Before, when parents brought their kids up here and saw there wasn’t a good place for them to stay that’s safe, I think sometimes they turned around and went home, and checked Haliburton off the list,” Fearrey said. “I think they’ll stay now.”

Fearrey has long advocated for enhanced programming at the campus, believing it could become a hub for the skilled trades. He said he’ll continue with that push.

Drew Van Parys, executive vice president of corporate services and marketing at Fleming, said things remain on track for a 2024 completion. Student intake will begin at the residence in January 2025, he said.

Will help with village housing

“This is a revolutionary project for this campus and an important contribution to the housing issues that affect Haliburton. Forty-seven beds might not sound like a huge amount in an urban context, but in Haliburton it’s very significant and such an important addition to the [community’s] housing inventory,” Van Parys said.

While the residence will primarily house students, there will also be space for visitors attending conferences and artsrelated workshops in the area.

“We know students love it here when they get here. Housing has always been a barrier – we look forward to that no longer being an issue,” he added.

Fleming College president Maureen Adamson noted the project is a long-time coming. Initial discussions between college, provincial and community officials began in the early 2000s, but it wasn’t until 2018 that it started to take shape.

Adamson reserved praise for former Dysart mayor Andrea Roberts and the previous term of council for agreeing to partner with Fleming. The township has donated 3.7 acres of land to facilitate the build.

“This is a project that secures our future [in Haliburton],” Adamson said.

Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott and Jill Dunlop, minister of colleges and universities, were also in attendance. Scott said the project is “an amazing collaboration” between Fleming and Dysart that addresses one of the community’s greatest needs.

Dunlop said the provincial government has been leading roundtable discussions with communities since November to identify key priorities, with student housing a recurring theme.

“We’ve heard loud and clear that housing is a growing issue of concern… when students move away to begin their studies, it’s critical they have a living situation where they feel safe and comfortable. It can make all the difference in their academic success and overall student experience,” Dunlop said. “Congratulations to Fleming College for this exciting new milestone, and congratulations to the community of Haliburton.