A pitch to incorporate a scattering garden for cremations at St. Stephen’s cemetery has been shelved by Algonquin Highlands, with mayor Liz Danielsen feeling the idea “is so contrary” to the philosophy of the property’s
recently-established green burial section.

At a July meeting, deputy clerk Sarah Hutson said the township receives a high number of requests for cremations, noting they’ve become increasingly common across Canada. She referenced numbers from Statista, a global data platform, which put cremation rates nationwide at 76.9 per cent in 2023 – up from 47.7 per cent in 2000.

Cremains can be buried within designated cemetery plots at St. Stephen’s, St. Peter’s and Maple Lake – though there is no spot to scatter them.

Council opted against allowing cremains at the green burial section at St. Stephen’s last year. Ashes have a high pH level, similar to bleach, and a sodium content 200 to 2,000 times higher than plant life can tolerate making land it contacts sterile. Cremains are not biodegradable or compostable.

Hutson brought up a new eco-friendly technology some municipalities are utilizing that reduces cremains’ environmental footprint. Canadian firm AWAKE has developed a soil science that neutralizes ashes’ impact. She visited a site in Hamilton that has successfully implemented the system, suggesting it could be a good fit for
St. Stephen’s.

“Their patented product converts cremated remains into healthy organic earth, enriching soil microbes and plant nutrients while successfully storing carbon,” Hutson said.

Danielsen felt a better alternative was installing a columbarium, a structure that houses urns, at St. Stephen’s and investigate scattering gardens at St. Peter’s or Maple Lake, which was supported by deputy mayor Jennifer Dailloux and coun. Julia Shortreed.

“I’m really concerned with mixing philosophies… the [Haliburton Highlands Green Burial Society] has been so strong with their thoughts on cremation,” Danielsen said.

One of the founders of the local green burial society, Shirley Moore, passed away in March. She was the first to be buried in the new section at St. Stephen’s and her widower, Terry Moore, felt a scattering garden does not fit the vision his wife, or the wider Haliburton Highlands Green Burial Society, had for the space.

“Green burial is all about trying to deal with human remains in the most environmentally responsible manner
possible; cremains essentially damage anything they touch.

St. Peter’s cemetery was presented as a viable alternative, with Hutson saying she has “a general idea” of where a garden could be located. She noted the township will need to amend its bylaw for interments at the site.

Hutson was directed to engage with AWAKE on options for St. Peter’s.

Green burial unveiling

With the green burial section now active, Danielsen felt the clock was ticking on the township officially unveiling the space. An opening ceremony has been proposed, though council feel that should wait until a memorial stone has been installed.

At an Aug 14 meeting, Hutson said a local contractor has agreed to donate a stone from its quarry for the memorial project. Elected officials set aside $10,000 to pay for splitting and installation of the stone, a brass
plate to hold names of people buried there, and planting a mountain ash tree. Prep work is estimated to take six to eight weeks, with council scheduling an unveiling for Oct. 19 at 1 p.m.

The township is also investigating a BAO grant to pay for the installation of a columbarium.

Moore said the green burial society’s work is ongoing – the group is working with the BAO to allow for people to
purchase plots in advance, as is done with traditional burials. Currently, because plots are filled from front to back to allow for re-naturalization of the land – they can only be purchased when they’re needed.

“Planning is important… forcing people to buy and go through this while they’re grieving, we feel, is creating a major burden for people and, intentionally or not, is adding another barrier to green burials,” he added.

With green burial sections at St. Stephen’s and the Deer Lake cemetery in Highlands East, Moore said the next step is finding a way to bring the concept to Dysart et al and Minden Hills.

“We’re in the process of trying to figure out, now that we’ve got St. Stephen’s, where do we go from here,” he said.

An Algonquin Highlands man contesting a 2023 sexual assault conviction has had his appeal denied in a written Ontario Superior Court of Justice judgement.

In June 2023, Paul Gregory Watson was found guilty of sexual assault and unlawfully entering a dwelling following an incident at an elderly neighbour’s house in February 2021.

At a sentencing hearing in November 2023, the court heard how Watson entered his neighbour’s home in the early hours and made several sexual advances. When rebuffed, Watson persisted, exposing himself while expressing fondness for the victim and touching her over a nightgown, before leaving.

He was sentenced to 90 days in jail, which were served on weekends and completed last December, as well as nine months of house arrest and two years’ probation. Watson was also placed on Ontario’s sex offender registry.

Watson has maintained his innocence throughout, claiming he only entered the neighbour’s home because he was worried about her safety. He said he was walking his dog and noticed smoke coming from the chimney – on a previous visit to the home, Watson said he’d recommended not using the fireplace due to a dangerous build-up of
creosote, a flammable substance with toxic chemicals that can be harmful if inhaled.

In August 2024, defence attorney Mindy Caterina claimed the trial judge, Justice Russell Wood, erred by not considering testimony from three witnesses, including Watson, who he felt concocted and altered his story to mirror the complainant’s testimony. Caterina suggested this was an illegal inference.

In her written statement, Justice Myrna L. Lack, who oversaw the appeal, cited R v G.V. 2020 which is commonly known as the “tailoring error.” Under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, those accused are entitled to make full answer and defence, disclosure from the Crown prior to trial, and required to be present at the trial.

The case states it is an error in law for the trial judge to impugn the credibility of an accused person on the basis he tailored his evidence to the disclosure received or the testimony or submissions heard in court, because to do so would make those entitlements a trap for the accused.

The Crown felt Wood’s findings were based solely on problems he had with Watson’s testimony, which Lack agreed
with.

“The trial judge’s reasons for rejecting [Watson’s] explanation are his negative credibility assessments… based on his findings that [Watson’s] explanation defied common sense, was internally inconsistent and some aspects were deliberate efforts to mislead.

“There is nothing in the trial judge’s reasons which linked his adverse credibility findings to [Watson’s] receipt of disclosure, or his presence in court during testimony or submissions… for these reasons, I dismiss this ground of appeal,” Lack wrote.

Crown prosecutor Rebecca Griffin appealed the sentence, arguing it was “demonstratably unfit” given the offence
and the impact the incident had on the victim, who has since moved away.

In her submission, Griffin said Watson abused a position of trust, noting he regularly assisted the victim with chores and had lived with her temporarily, alongside his wife, while their home was restored several years before.

“That is an aggravating feature of both offences… sexual assault is inherently a crime of violence and an interference with the victim’s integrity and security and is morally reprehensible,” Griffin wrote, calling for a harsher sentence of at least 18 months.

She also felt Wood “minimized the gravity of the offences by using language that distorted and minimized the offender’s behaviour, crimes and vulnerability of the victim.”

On the term length, Lack said since the Crown opted to proceed summarily that significantly reduced the maximum available penalties. For sexual assault, it reduced the maximum jail sentence from 10 years to 18 months, and for unlawfully entering a house, from 10 years to two years and/or a $5,000 fine.

“There is no merit to the argument that the sentence was illogical… I find the sentencing judge made no errors in principle [and] that the sentence imposed was not demonstratably unfit,” Lack wrote, rejecting the sentencing appeal.

A Haliburton business is challenging locals to get their sweat on for a good cause this weekend, by helping to raise
money for Brooksong Retreat and Cancer Support Centre.

Sweat Social Health and Fitness is running a high-energyhour-long ‘Sweat for Support’ fundraiser at its gym at 713 Mountain St. on Saturday. The by-donation event is open to anyone, regardless of fitness level, background, or ability, says owner and head coach, Chelsea Adamson.

“This is a chance to show up, work hard and give back to an organization doing deeply meaningful work in the
Highlands,” Adamson said. “The workout will honour the vital work Brooksong does in supporting those living with a cancer diagnosis.”

People will be put through their paces in pairs, using equipment like barbells, dumbells and kettlebells. Adamson
said every movement and activity can be modified, making it a workout anyone can participate in.

The money will support programming at Brooksong, which has been running free programming for cancer
patients and their families at its sanctuary at Abbey Gardens since 2017.

Executive director Barb Smith-Morrison said the organization has hosted five in-person retreats this year,
welcoming people for four days of intimate talks, activity and reflection, with three more scheduled. Each retreat can accommodate about 10 people.

“This is one more retreat than last year. We will welcome approximately 90 people by year-end,” Smith-Morrison
said. It costs approximately $2,500 per person to attend .

Brooksong has also designed a new ‘charting unknown territory together’ retreat, for people living with an
advanced-stage cancer diagnosis and a close support person or caregiver. Smith-Morrison said the offering provides healing opportunities to focus more deeply on how to make meaning and having conversations about what end-of-life means to each person.

The non-profit is also working on a new program for alumni, ensuring those who have benefitted from cancer
support programs have ongoing opportunities to integrate the learning and healing tools they’ve received, while
staying connected with Brooksong’s supportive community “that nurtures their ongoing healing,” Smith-Morrison
added.

With annual operations now well into six figures, fundraisers like this are vital to ensuring Brooksong’s long
term future. Smith-Morrison said there’s a long waitlist for people looking for assistance – with Brooksong attracting interest from across Canada and North America.

“The growing waitlist tells us just how much this kind of care is needed. This year, we’ve focused on offering
our free cancer support retreats while also building the fundraising strength to keep them going for years to come.

“We believe whole-person cancer support should be available to anyone who needs it, and we’re working hard
to meet the demand,” she said.

For more information on Brooksong’s programs visit brooksong.ca. Register from Sweat for Support at
mindbodyonline.com. Cash donations are accepted at the door.

Christina Handley was enjoying a quiet afternoon outdoors Aug. 9 when the unmistakable roar of a speeding fire truck cut the silence around her Burnt Lake property.

Located about three kilometres from a 27-hectare wildfire that’s been active since around 5 p.m. Saturday, Handley said it was a tense 24-hours after finding out about the blaze.

“It’s scary, that’s for sure. We’re right in Burnt River, so the fire would have to change direction and hop the highway and the river to actually reach us, but that’s not an impossibility with these dry conditions,” she told The Highlander in an Aug. 12 interview.

After seeing a couple more firetrucks whiz by, Handley hopped in her vehicle to see what was going on. Shortly after pulling onto East Line, she saw a huge plume of smoke billowing in the distance.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources’ (MNR) Evan Lizotte, the fire was still burning out of control at noon Aug. 13. He noted the blaze is located 1.6 kilometres west of Hwy. 49 and 1.7 kilometres south of Hwy. 121. The City of Kawartha Lakes closed the closest portion of Hwy. 49 on Saturday. It was still closed as of press time.

Lizotte said the fire has been tied in, meaning suppression efforts intended to secure its perimeter have been successful.

No weekend blazes in Haliburton County

Despite that, the fire – the equivalent of 66 football fields – is still listed as not under control with five MNR crews actively working on it.

“That area is seeing a high to extreme fire hazard, which means the chance for the fire to spread is the greatest it can be,” Lizotte said. He noted the ministry had not called an evacuation of nearby residences and that the cause is still being determined.

Four other nearby fires were also being tracked over the weekend, though all had been brought under control as of 5 p.m. Aug. 12. A small blaze broke out south of Dale Lake in Algonquin Park Aug. 11 but was quickly put out.

Handley said she and her husband saw three waterbombers fill up on Four Mile Lake on Saturday and one each on Sunday and Monday. She didn’t see any on Tuesday, which she’s hoping is good news.

They have cattle on a pasture between their home and the fire – Handley has been making extra trips out to make sure they’re okay.

“I’ve been going at least six times a day, but it doesn’t seem to be bothering them. The fire is close, but it’s across the lake. It seemed to be travelling away from them, but the minute the wind changes those cows will be coming out of there,” she said.

Darlene Mann, who lives just off Hwy. 121, said that, living in the bush and seeing how prevalent forest fires have become over the past two years, she’s been worried about something like this happening.

“The concern is it growing and spreading to populated areas… you don’t want to go anywhere for the day.”

County extends fire ban

Michael French, the County’s fire coordinator, confirmed the fire ban implemented Aug. 5 has been extended to at least Aug. 19.

While all of the area fires MNR has responded to carry the name ‘Haliburton’, French said that’s only because the ministry headquarters, which responds to calls, is located in Stanhope. None of the weekend blazes were within County borders, he said.

French said there was a small fire in Dysart on Monday, which the Dysart and Algonquin Highlands departments responded to, but that was quickly extinguished.

With little rain in the seven-day forecast, he reminded people to follow the rules, no open-flame fires whatsoever.

“This could happen to us just as easily, it really could. Because of the ice storm, there’s so much debris down that it wouldn’t take much for something to start,” French said. “The potential is always there… we had some rain on Saturday night, but there was a lot of lightning strikes that came with that.

“Lightning strikes are our biggest fear right now because 50 per cent of fires come from lightning strikes. We do have issues where people are burning and it gets away from them, but the majority of these things [start] from natural causes,” he added.

For up-to-date information on active fires in the region, visit ontario.ca/fireupdates.

Highlands East should consolidate fire stations, consultant, Loomex Group, told the township Aug. 12 when delivering its final fire master plan.

They recommend closing station 6 in Paudash – and relocating firefighters and equipment to Station 1 in Cardiff. They also urge the township to renovate the Cardiff fire hall in the short-term, and plan for a future replacement.

Terry Gervais of Loomex Group added the municipality should close station 2 in Highland Grove and Station 4 in Wilberforce and relocate to a new fire hall near Wilberforce. He further said they should upgrade station 3 in Gooderham.

Gervais said all stations were built in the 1970s, are more than 50 years old, and at the end of their life cycles.

“Most of the fire stations are currently in poor condition, and some are projected to fall into critical condition by 2029. The fire stations also lack the functionality that is required to meet the needs of the department and the community it serves,” he said.

Gervais added they recognize the township can’t afford to replace all stations, but cannot maintain the status quo. He said they looked at the fire department’s current response zones to devise a new deployment model. The proposed model also included reviews of GIS mapping, vehicle deployment, fire station conditions, and financial considerations.

Loomex Group said the Cardiff station is in better shape than Paudash, and a move would house 15 firefighters. Gervais said Highlands East could sell the other property, as well as unneeded fire apparatus and equipment, to raise money for other fire needs.

As to closing stations in Highland Grove and Wilberforce, Gervais said a new central fire hall could be staffed by 19 firefighters.

“Highlands East should build a new fire station that could be established in a location that will allow the department to provide coverage for its current response zone, as well as the entire municipality,” he said.

Gervais added it could accommodate the department’s current and anticipated needs, such as a dedicated administration, with office, training, and storage space. Gervais said the municipality owns property at 2752 Loop Rd., which could accommodate a new fire station. Again, it was suggested they sell the Highland Grove and Wilberforce stations to raise some money.

They added the Gooderham station is in “relatively good condition” and its location at County roads 503 and 508 allow the department to respond to incidents in the western third of Highlands East.

He said Loomex Group estimated cost savings of $6.4 million in fleet and fire station replacements. That includes eliminating six fire vehicles.

All up, the overall plan contains 33 recommendations, including around recruitment and retention, occupational health and safety; service levels and performance standards.

Not convinced

Coun. Angela Lewis asked what made a building condition “critical.” Gervais said it was based on functionality and operations. “Does it meet current Ontario Building Codes, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, health and safety guidelines?”

Lewis responded, “I just can’t see how you are going to have the same fire services when you are recommending closing two of the fire stations.”

Mayor Dave Burton said, “we will have time to deal with that, Angela, believe me.”

Coun. Cam McKenzie said there were a lot of references in the report of things the fire chief “should” do, which he said backed hiring a deputy chief.

Council received the report for information only.