Haliburton County-based builders, Brown + Co, said a decision by the provincial government to waive the HST for any new home purchased, to become a principal residence, is “a very exciting announcement.

“We’re surprised, and delighted, such extreme measures are going to be taken to boost new home sales,” Benton Brown told The Highlander in a recent interview.

Brown+Co’s Stothart Creek has been building and selling Tarion Warranty homes in Haliburton for more than a decade and Brown said the news has the potential to save people $130,000 on a $1 million home.

On May 5, the province officially introduced the HST Relief Implementation Act to support 13 per cent relief on eligible new homes. The program is in partnership with the federal government.

The province said the initiative would provide buyers of most new homes in Ontario with up to $130,000 in relief and could stimulate an additional 8,000 housing starts next year, support up to 21,000 jobs, and boost Ontario’s GDP growth by $2.7 billion.

“We’re already seeing the positive impact of our commitment to remove the HST from most new homes, with more shovels in the ground on new homes across Ontario,” minister of finance, Peter Bethlenfalvy, said. He added, “our government will continue fighting to lower costs for homebuyers, keep the dream of homeownership alive in Ontario, and keep workers in our construction sector on the job.”

Buyers of eligible new homes valued at $1 million or less would receive the full 13 per cent relief, to a maximum of $130,000. Buyers of eligible homes at $1 million to $1.5 million would see relief of $130,000. For homes valued above $1.5 million, the HST relief would decline gradually to a maximum of $24,000 for homes of $1.85 million or more.

While applications for HST relief are not open at this time, those who meet the relevant eligibility criteria can apply once it launches. For example, purchasers of an eligible home acquired on, or after, April 1, 2026, and on, or before, March 31, 2027, would be able to apply at a later date to receive the HST relief, even though the application process has not yet open.

Impact on real estate

The proposed legislation also includes provisions that would enable buyers to assign the top-up to builders so that sellers can take the full HST relief amount off the price of a new home up front. The government continues to work with the federal government to implement the HST relief through federal regulatory changes and has asked the feds to administer the full HST relief program through the Canada Revenue Agency.

The measures build on existing provincial housing tax supports to help increase the supply of affordable homes, support housing development and foster a robust housing industry across Ontario. This includes removing the full eight per cent provincial portion of the HST on qualifying purpose-built rental housing. The province is also providing historic housing-enabling infrastructure funding through the $4 billion Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program and the $1.2 billion Building Faster Fund, which rewards eligible municipalities that make real progress in getting shovels in the ground to build new homes.

Brown said his company has fared “quite well” through a difficult post-COVID housing market, plagued by tariffs and high building prices. He estimated their costs are up 35 per cent. He said it’s left some contractors and sub-contractors looking for work, while some builders have paused construction. “It’s really tough out there.”

He said last Tuesday’s announcement is “a targeted shot in the arm for new builds, and hopefully has a good impact on the economy. I think the cost is the catalyst of why this announcement has come out.”

Brown said it will be interesting to see what impact the new rebate has on the Highlands’ real estate market, since a lot of people might be interested in saving HST on a new home but have to sell an existing one in a saturated housing market. He added people looking to buy will be more attracted to a new home with the potential of saving on HST versus an existing home that is not included.

“I don’t think it’s a stretch to say it’s a once-in-a lifetime opportunity in terms of potentially saving a considerable amount of money and getting a head start on the equity in your home.”

By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Haliburton Rotary Club is moving into the second phase of the Skyline Park restoration project, with a 2027 completion date still on target.

Charles Wheeler, chair of the Skyline Park project committee, said that despite some logistical shifts, the project remains on budget and on schedule for the 2026 construction season.

A main component of this year’s work is the construction of a second timber-frame picnic shelter. While the first shelter was completed through Diezel Woodworks and Haliburton School of Art + Design, the club had to pivot this year.

“Unfortunately, another municipality has snagged Diezel Woodworks to do a timber frame structure for themselves,” Wheeler explained, with Algonquin Highlands securing the firm for a gazebo project at the Dorset Heritage Museum. “So, we’re just in the process of evaluating bids from five different companies to build a second picnic shelter.”

A winning bid was expected to be finalized in April, followed by manufacturing, and installation planned for July or August.

A second component slated for completion this summer is the year-round, fully accessible washroom building that the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) committed to supplying, saving Rotary about $65,000 in capital costs.

“We originally asked the province to help fund us, and they originally said no,” Wheeler said. But with the assistance of Laurie Scott, our local MPP, she was able to convince the Ministry of Transportation, which owns Skyline Park, to take on the washroom building.”

The facility will replace the seasonal Porta-Potties that were used from May through October, providing a permanent solution for year-round visitors, including winter snowmobilers.

Further accessibility upgrades include the new upper viewing platform, constructed from donated granite, to allow those with mobility challenges to still enjoy the view without having to navigate the steep slope to the lower viewing area of the park.

Also on the list for the 2026 season is the installation of the six historical display boards that include the history of Skyline Park and an Indigenous land acknowledgement. The panels were funded through a $15,000 partnership between the Rotary Club, Haliburton County, and the Municipality of Dysart et al.

Wheeler said that the project remains on budget at $200,000, with the MTO assuming the cost of the washroom facilities; the Rotary’s net financial responsibility is about $135,000.

The Rotarian said that the work done to date was the result of significant volunteer labour. “It has been a real Rotary team effort to get the project to this point, including the Skyline Park project committee and the many other Rotary Club volunteers who assisted on site when needed,” Wheeler said.

It’s 6:45 a.m. on a Tuesday morning and Joyce Jones is on her way to Hal High to help make sure teenagers start their day in the right way.

She’s one of seven volunteers assisting with the school’s breakfast program. Each morning, two or three will arrive at hospitality and tourism teacher Darla Searle’s kitchen around 7 a.m. to prepare hearty meals for youth.

There are quick options such as fruit, granola bars, mini muffins and parfait, but the team also prepares one hot dish every morning. Recent offerings have included bagels with cream cheese and western sandwiches. Jones said the team prepares about 50 each day and puts them out in the hall, along with the quicker grab-and-go items, for 8:30 a.m., just in time for students arriving on the bus.

Searle said the program has been running for many years, though demand has increased significantly since 2022. That’s coincided with a change in program delivery – kids used to have to go inside Searle’s classroom to help themselves to items, but she felt that limited numbers.

“There might be 15 or 20 kids who would come in – but I know there were a lot more who could have used a morning meal but just didn’t want to be seen,” Searle said.

“We wanted to take away the stigma piece. Kids don’t need to feel embarrassed, but they’re teenagers and if they feel someone may make fun of them… they’d rather go hungry.”

Because the volunteers don’t man the table, they’re unsure of the number of students they’re serving. Though, volunteer Brenda Bain said most of the food is gone come clean-up time.

The program is funded through Food for Kids. The organization launched in 2000 as a pilot project at Stuart Baker Elementary School and has since expanded to all County schools.

Aaron Walker, owner of McKeck’s restaurant in Haliburton, is the group’s lead facilitator. The non-profit gets money from the province and other resources, such as Breakfast for Learning, Breakfast Clubs of Canada and President’s Choice Children Charity, but still has to fundraise annually to meet local demand.

“Children that eat breakfast demonstrate enhanced academic and behavioural patterns more so than children who do not. Many children do not have access to safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food,” Walker said in a message on the Food for Kids website.

“The outcome [from the program] is that young people of Haliburton County develop lifelong healthy eating habits, optimize their learning at school, and focus on education and not hunger,” he added.

There are others who offer support, too. Community members, parents and the Minden Legion usually make generous donations, Searle said. Volunteer Pat Hicks said Haliburton Foodland also regularly donates food to the cause.

“Brad Park [Foodland owner] always helps out – if we need bagels, eggs, we know all we have to do is mention it to him and we’ll have it,” Hicks said.

While the program’s primary focus is helping youth dealing with food insecurity at home, Searle said anyone is welcome to partake – even teachers.

She sees the program running long into the future – of the seven volunteers, five are brand new. Helpers include Jones, Hicks, Bain, Cynthia Handler, Barb Winn, Tessa Barnes and Sara Burtch.

“This is a great way to give back to the community,” Searle said.

Anyone interesting in volunteering can contact 705-457-2950 or infohss@tldsb. on.ca

Environment Haliburton’s Susan Hay said there were three main items volunteers collected during a litter clean-up at Head Lake Park May 9 – cigarette butts, plastic drink containers and coffee cups.

A dozen people collected six large bags of garbage from the park in advance of Ontario’s Day of Action on Litter, which happened May 12. Hay said it was an eye-opening experience for her.

“I walked through the park on Friday with a friend and I thought to myself it didn’t look too bad, that there wasn’t much litter. But once we got down to the lake shore and the ditches, there was a significant amount of garbage,” Hay said. “In an hour, we must have picked up more than 500 cigarette butts.”

With drink containers also high on the list, the Hays are calling on the provincial government to expand deposit returns in Ontario.

“It would be a win against littering – keeping billions of bottles and cans from piling up in our parks, neighbourhoods and overflowing our landfills,” Susan said, noting Ontario’s current recycling system only captures 43 per cent of all used beverage containers.

By establishing a deposit system, she believes those numbers could climb as high as 90 per cent.

“A recent poll by Environmental Defence found that 81 per cent of Ontarians want a deposit return system for nonalcoholic beverage containers,” Susan said. “It’s estimated that 1.7 billion plastic drink bottles have ended up in landfills, incinerators and the environment over the past year.”

She said Ontario is one of two provinces in Canada without a comprehensive deposit return system for all drinks containers.

“As a result, we have the worst beverage container recycling rate in the country,” Susan said. “We need Ontario to regulate a fair and convenient deposit return system that ensures strong environmental outcomes and prioritizes ease of use and convenient access.”

While returns for alcoholic beverages have long been accepted at Beer Store locations provincewide, the closure of the Haliburton shop last November has left people in the village without a local drop-off. The closest return sites are the Beer Store locations in West Guilford and Minden.

As of Jan. 1, grocery stores across Ontario that sell booze were supposed to be ready to accept empty alcohol containers, but the province handed down an exemption, said Haliburton Foodland’s Brad Park.

“It would have been a nightmare for me to try to figure out how and where to do it,” Park said.

With nowhere to drop off in Haliburton, Park felt that it could open the door for one of the community’s service clubs to take on collection – something he feels could be a good revenue generator. Containers one litre or less can be returned for 10 cents, with anything over one litre paying 20 cents.

Asked if there was anything coming for Haliburton residents enabling them to dispense empties in the village, MPP Laurie Scott was noncommittal.

“The Beer Store is responsible for the Ontario Deposit Return Program for alcoholic beverages until at least 2031… they are working to add new return partner and explore locations across Ontario to join the recycling program,” Scott said.

On a broader return program for all drinks containers, Scott indicated there was nothing forthcoming.

“I spoke to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks and together we continue to look for ways to improve on our recycling system and advance our circular economy. Our focus remains on keeping costs low for people and businesses,” Scott said. “As we work to improve recycling rates, Ontario’s existing recycling system will continue to provide a strong foundation to build on.”

After selling more than 14,000 treats during smile cookie week April 27 to May 3, Haliburton and Minden Tim Hortons’ owners Mike Garland and Paige Chapman said they’re excited to see a chunk of the proceeds benefit Brooksong Retreat and Cancer Support Centre.

The County-based non-profit, located on the grounds of Abbey Gardens, offers in-person and online retreats and programs that executive director, Barb SmithMorrison, said offer rest and renewal, companionship and an introduction to evidence-based practices that benefit mind, body and soul during a cancer diagnosis.

Brooksong received $28,681, with Smith-Morrison stopping by the Haliburton Tims location May 8 to accept the cheque.

It’s the best smile cookie campaign since Garland and Chapman took over as owners of the two franchises three years ago. In 2024, they raised $10,322 for Volunteer Dental Outreach and in 2025 brought in more than $22,000 for area food banks.

“Our goal was to hit $25,000 this year so that we can cover one weekend retreat at Brooksong,” Garland said. “Cancer is something that impacts everyone. I’ve had some aunts who have been diagnosed. I saw what it does to people.”

Chapman added, “once we spoke to Barb and got to see what Brooksong is all about, she sold us right away. Knowing friends who have lost parents, just seeing what they went through. Their whole life unfolds. If we can do something to make someone’s experience a little easier, we want to do that.”

Smith-Morrison said the money would be used to send several local residents to a retreat this year and launch a new monthly support group. The charity provides all its services free of charge.

There will be retreats, which span three or four days, running monthly through November. They’re available to patients with a new diagnosis, their caregivers, and people at end of life. Brooksong also has online programs, a quilting group and will soon be launching a new offering for alumni – those who have benefitted from retreats in the past.

“After people come through here, they take away so much from their experience that they want to stay connected. We know how important it is to feel like you have a sense of belonging somewhere,” she said.

On the new support group, SmithMorrison said Haliburton County Development Corporation has also provided $5,000 to help get it off the ground. A first session will be held at Brooksong May 21.

Without fundraisers like this, Brooksong’s executive director said it would be impossible to deliver programs for free. She estimated it costs around $2,500 to put someone through a retreat.

“We’re committed to doing what we do at no cost because people going through a cancer diagnosis already have so many expenses in their lives. They may be out of work. It’s a gift in such a difficult time,” Smith-Morrison said.

The owners said it was a community effort, with several businesses chipping in to the record-breaking local campaign. On April 29, Sweat Social was at the Haliburton location with members doing a burpee for every smile cookie sold. Garland said the restaurant sold 1,700 cookies in four hours.

“Everybody works together for important causes like this,” Chapman said.

For more information on Brooksong programming, visit brooksong.ca.

In the spring, Haliburton’s Nancy Brownsberger just wanted to dance. Perhaps it was to shake off a long winter, but most definitely to reconnect with joy.

She was aware of a growing movement of women’s dance parties in larger cities and towns and began talking to Melissa Tong about what they might be able to do in the Highlands.

The two came up with The Wildwoods Women: a forest-inspired dance party for women 30 years of age and older.

The dance won’t take place in a forest per se, but in Stone 21 at the Pinestone Resort and Conference Centre June 6, with a forest-inspired aesthetic with candlelight, greenery, earthy textures, and dance floor lighting.

Brownsberger, the owner of Grow Optimism, a counselling, therapy and consulting business, has been watching the movement. Asked what she attributed it to, she said, “the world is a heavy place. We always have these conversations. Is there a way to just bring joy into our lives?”

She noticed the dances were helping women, post-pandemic, to reconnect, and “it just felt fun and celebratory.” She wanted to bring that same energy to Haliburton County.

Tong, of Nuwa Health and Wellness, was a quick ally, thinking, “if you build it, they will come.

“It’s the remembering of who you were before all the restraints of things such as labels, and the idea of getting together and just dancing with your girlfriends. Playing and listening to the music from the 80s, 90s and 2000s; the nostalgia,” Tong said. “To dance with your friends and other women is just a really powerful thing. It’s coming together with the intention of having joy.”

Asked why women only, the two said, “this sacred boundary is central to the experience, creating a container of emotional safety, collective empowerment, and uninhibited self-expression. Within this space, women are free to move without pressure, performance, or the male gaze. Safety, security and playfulness are the goals.”

Importance of joy

The two said people feel helpless and stressed out. They asked themselves what they could do locally.

“We can bring change to our own little world, and I think people underestimate the importance of joy and connection,” Brownberger said.

She talked about ‘nostalgic reset.’ It is a trending wellness practice where you intentionally consume media from your past, such as music, movies, or books from middle or high school to calm your nervous system and reduce stress. It acts as emotional regulation by triggering comfort, lowering cortisol, and providing a mental break from present-day overwhelm.

“When we’re singing the music from our youth, and we’re in connection with people that are sharing that collective joy, it becomes this unconscious connectivity that helps us come back to ourselves. And it’s not about excluding men. It’s about celebrating this specific age group of women and timeline of music of a Gen X’er or Millennial.”

The two added the night is “rooted in forest energy, sisterhood, and the reclamation of feminine power. More than just a dance party, it is a heartfelt celebration of movement, memory, and magic.”

They are inviting women “to dance freely, laugh loudly, sweat unapologetically, and rediscover the wild, joyful parts of themselves that too often get buried under responsibility and routine.”

The event is June 6, 8 p.m. to midnight. (Doors open at 7 p.m. with raffle opportunities) at Stone 21, Pinestone. Tickets: https://TheWildwoodsWomen. eventbrite.ca Instagram: @wild_woodswomen