Vendors speak out on market situation

March 7, 2024

Two key agricultural vendors from the Haliburton farmers market say they’ll be “crushed” if the popular weekly event doesn’t return to Head Lake Park this season.

Marchand Lamarre has had his Garliccloves stall since 2020, while Heather Bramham’s Esson Creek Maple has been a staple since 2018. The pair spoke to The Highlander this week about concerns over the way the market situation has unfolded in recent months.

The event ran for 11 years at Head Lake Park before being relocated to nearby Rotary Beach Park ahead of the 2023 season. Officials from the Haliburton County Farmers Market Association (HCFMA) have spent months advocating for the markets’ return to the downtown park – something Lamarre and Bramham “wholeheartedly” support.

“The big reason we want to go back to Head Lake Park is for increased accessibility,” said Bramham, who has mobility issues. “People can walk around on the footpath, it would be closer to the downtown, it provides increased visibility for vendors, and brings people into town. It just makes the most sense for the entire community to have it there.

“There were lots of problems at Rotary Beach,” Bramham said, noting seniors and parents with strollers stopped attending due to a problematic layout, while there were numerous issues with people using the nearby basketball courts. “I lost count of the number of times I saw a ball fly into a stall or hit someone standing in line. It’s not the safest thing.”

Dysart council has given the green light for the market to return to Head Lake Park, providing HCFMA pays an additional $5 per vendor, per market day to the township. Based on the market having 40 vendors over a 21-week season, this amounts to approximately $4,200.

Bramham said while some members of council have described the fee as “not a big deal”, she says it is for smaller agricultural vendors struggling to turn a profit.

She said Esson Creek Maple is a part-time endeavour for her and her husband, who both have full-time jobs. It supplements their income and is a hobby they’re both passionate about. She indicated they would return at the increased rate but know others won’t. “That’s tough, because to be designated as a farmers market you need a certain number of local agricultural vendors… the Haliburton market is right on the line,” Bramham said.

Market officials previously told The Highlander if the Haliburton market lost two of those vendors it would lose its farmers market designation.

At a Feb. 27 meeting, Dysart council reaffirmed its decision to implement a fee with no conditions attached. This came after HCFMA submitted a letter suggesting three alternate resolutions ranging from the market going ahead with no increased cost and HCFMA agreeing to a $5 per vendor, per market day hike providing the township records all rehabilitative work at the park this summer.

HCFMA officials gathered for a board meeting March 4, which ended without consensus, according to Angel Taylor.

“The proposed $5 per vendor, per market day has not undergone the requisite public consultation process, is not published in Dysart’s fee schedule and we don’t know what the exact wording will be… it is not subject to the conditions surrounding the fee schedule, it is a loosely proposed fee with no contractual understanding regarding terms, limits, and rules. Until those matters are properly addressed, we cannot responsibly consent to this arrangement,” Taylor said in an emailed statement on behalf of the board.

Asked whether the board has committed to having a market in Haliburton this year, whether at Head Lake Park or at Rotary Beach, Taylor said, “if the information and evidence we acquire provide support that it is a prudent and responsible decision to be in Head Lake Park, we will work hard to implement that.”

She said there was no timeline for a decision.

Lamarre said the ongoing dispute has left many vendors in limbo.

“It’s too late now to apply to other markets. If this doesn’t go forward, I’m going to be left with a lot of leftover products. I just won’t have the opportunity to sell it,” he said.

While that would represent a significant financial loss, Lamarre said he’s more concerned with losing his connection to the community.

“There’s no other community group I’m involved with outside the market. I wouldn’t have any interaction with local residents,” he said. “I’ve gone through Dysart’s municipal plan, the Head Lake Park master plan, the five-year destination management plan – they all speak of the importance of a thriving farmers market… if an agreement isn’t reached, it would be a monumental loss to this community.”

Haliburton farmers market vendors Marchand Lamarre and Heather Bramham want to see the weekly event return to Head Lake Park

County crosses fingers for grants

Lisa Gervais

March 7, 2024

If successful, provincial funding opportunities could see downtown Minden revitalization, signage to help people better find their way around the County, and a refurbished terminal building at Stanhope Airport.

County director of economic development, Scott Ovell, told a Feb. 28 County council meeting staff are applying under the Rural Economic Development (RED) fund. They are also supporting an application by Algonquin Highlands for an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant for an airport project.

Ovell said they sent their application to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), which oversees RED funding, on Feb. 21. He said staff opted to target the strategic infrastructure stream “with a focus on signage and downtown revitalization,” which are stated priorities within the program.

Staff have requested money for the installation of four community maps in each township. Each map would highlight points of interest, such as trails, parks, and museums. Ovell said they would be in high volume traffic areas, such as the Village Green in Minden and Head Lake Park in Haliburton. He said the maps can be repurposed once the County finishes its wayfinding signage work.

Ovell said in talking to the regional OMAFRA advisor, they were told they should apply with an existing community improvement plan, which Minden Hills implemented in 2019. It helps businesses improve facades, for example.

He said are also requesting funding for sign improvements and public art. Ovell said it would roll out in Minden Hills, if approved, but “this is being viewed as a pilot project, and if successful, could provide County staff with the evidence that would support the creation of CIPs within other urban settlement areas within the County.”

Warden Liz Danielsen did question why Minden and “not Haliburton, or why not downtown Wilberforce?” Ovell said, “It’s more of a requirement of the province than us trying to cherry pick one community over another.”

County staff have submitted an application to the province for $19,450, with $15,000 coming from the County and $4,500 (30 per cent) from the province. The County’s contribution would be allocated from the economic development programing budget. Ovell said the line is currently budgeted at $43,000 in the draft 2024 economic development and operating budget.

As for airport terminal renovations, Ovell said the County would be a co-applicant with no financial commitment. He said it could be to make the airport a community hub, or an economic development hub.

Danielsen said the application is primarily to improve the terminal building, to create a community hub, and make it accessible. “Because at the present time, the washrooms are not accessible.” She expressed appreciation for the County’s support.

Ambulance response times

The Haliburton County paramedic service met, or exceeded, response time targets for 2023, chief Tim Waite told council.

Under provincial regulations, services have to set, adhere to, and publicly report, their response times every year.

They are under the Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (CTAS), for level one (resuscitation), level two (emergent), level three (urgent), level four (less urgent) and level five (nonurgent), as well as for sudden cardiac arrest.

Waite said for sudden cardiac arrest, the goal was to arrive on scene within six minutes 20 per cent of the time, and they did it 32 per cent of the time.

Their CTAS 1 goal was to arrive on scene within eight minutes 30 per cent of the time, and they achieved 32 per cent of the time.

For CTAS 2, the goal was to arrive on scene within 15 minutes 65 per cent of the time and they met that goal.

The CTAS 3 goal was to arrive on scene within 20 minutes 65 per cent of the time. They did 79 per cent.

The CTAS 4 goal was to arrive on scene within 23 minutes 65 per cent of the time. HCPS achieved that, arriving on scene within 25 minutes 91 per cent of the time.

And, the CTAS 5 goal was to arrive on scene within 30 minutes 65 per cent of the time. HCPS achieved 96 per cent of the time.

Sir Sam’s to become community ski hill

Lisa Gervais

March 7, 2024

When Doug and Kim Wilkinson retired, their plan was to invest in a number of Haliburton County-based businesses that were “fun.”

But in 2021, when Sir Sam’s Ski/Ride was put up for sale, Doug Wilkinson said the family could not pass up the opportunity to purchase it “and help ensure it would thrive in a post-COVID world.”

Now, he said he is looking for investors for the hill, that turns 60 in 2025. Wilkinson said they are opening up ownership to the local community – individuals and businesses – whilst still maintaining a 20 per cent share themselves. Wilkinson said he’ll use capital raised to look for other investment opportunities in the Highlands.

“A community-based hill will ensure its ongoing existence in perpetuity,” Wilkinson said.

While being admittedly “coy” about sharing financials, Wilkinson said in his three years of ownership, the hill is in “great” financial shape and debt-free.

The Highlander asked about climate change and the impact on ski hills – referencing an article entitled Climate change and the skiing industry in Ontario: exploring the importance of snowmaking as a technical adaptation. The report found the average ski season was projected to reduce 0-16 per cent in the 2020s, seven to 32 per cent in the 2050s and 11-50 per cent in the 2080s. Wilkinson was asked why someone would want to invest in the industry.

He replied the hill had been around since 1965 and “is not going anywhere.”

Wilkinson said they have the added advantage of being further north than other southern Ontario ski hills. “Our weather is not as bad as some of the hills that are to the south, or closer to Georgian Bay, such as Collingwood.” He said they are traditionally one of the first hills in Ontario to open.

He added snowmaking equipment “has come a long way, where you can make more snow with less water more efficiently.” He said they have good snowmaking equipment, with more to come, as well as experienced snowmaking staff.

Wilkinson added it is no longer just a ski hill, but a three-season destination. In 2021, Sir Sam’s introduced the Eagle View Wedding and Events Centre, and started planning to build the Eagle View observation tower to add additional revenue streams and create a new colour venue in the County. He noted the Dorset tower gets 60,000 visitors every year, and Sir Sam’s Ski/Ride would like a piece of that pie.

He estimated the hill gets 40,000 visitors a year now, creating local jobs and spin-off spending at Highlands accommodations, restaurants and stores.

“It’s a hugely sentimental hill, it’s been a destination beacon for Haliburton County for a long time. We want to turn this into a community hill. We’re hoping this community will want to see that happen as opposed to selling to some big corporation.

“Obviously, we’re doing this because we want to be transparent, especially with the community, around what we’re trying to do. And, as a family, we’re not going anywhere. We’re still as keen to support the hill as we were the day we bought it. We’re continuing to look to invest further into the community and this is just something that’s going to enable us to get back on to our original track in terms of what our plans were.”

In outlining the business model, Wilkinson said the plan is to bring in a general manager for day-to-day operations and continue to market in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. He said a new governance structure would be set up with the general manager reporting to the new ownership group, as determined by the executive committee, of four to five key owners.

The equity offering is being completed in five per cent blocks. Wilkinson said new owners will receive an annual dividend and payout of income based on their ownership and determined by the executive committee. Wilkinson also expects the group to set up an ongoing reserve fund to ensure there are sufficient funds for future capital projects at the hill.

Contact Doug at sirsams.com

CT scanner construction begins in Haliburton

Mike Baker

March 7, 2024

Construction to accommodate a new CT scanner and mammography unit at the Haliburton hospital got underway March 4, with health officials calling the addition “the most significant enhancement” in the facility’s 23-year history.

Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) president and CEO, Veronica Nelson, said Monday was an exciting day for all County residents.

“I’ve said it before, but this is a gamechanger for our community. It’s going to dramatically change how healthcare is delivered here… now people don’t have to worry about being carted away, they will have access to services they need much closer to home,” Nelson said.

A CT scan combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles around the body and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissue.

It has become the standard of care for the diagnosis of many life-threatening conditions, such as stroke, internal trauma, and blood clots, said Jennifer Burns West, chief nursing executive at HHHS. The machine is used to visualize nearly all parts of the body and help doctors diagnose disease or injury, to develop a treatment plan.

Units expected in summer

Most new physicians depend on CT units, with Burns West likening the device to a modern-day stethoscope.

“CT has quickly become the new standard of care – allowing physicians to leverage the full breadth of their toolkit,” she said.

The mammography unit will be used primarily for the early detection of cancer and other breast diseases.

Nelson said Orillia-based contractor Quinan Construction is running the build, which will take several months. An equipment contract for a Siemens Healthineers SOMATOM go.Top CT scanner has been submitted, with an application for the mammography unit being prepared for early spring.

She said things remain on track for a summer unveiling. HHHS will be hiring between two and four X-ray technicians to operate the units, and an administrative support. Nelson said she had several leads and expected to have the new staff in place by opening.

Once operational, the units will be available for booked appointments during regular work hours Monday to Friday, and 24/7 for emergencies. Nelson did warn there may be times when patients have to be transferred to another facility if they require diagnosis for severe, complicated illnesses and biopsies.

The project, which Nelson estimated last year would cost between $3 million and $3.5 million – and the hospital’s foundation has committed to fundraising up to $4.3 million for – will “completely transform” the hospital footprint, the CEO says. The space is approximately 1,000 sq. ft. and will accommodate six to eight clients at a time.

There will be a waiting area, changeroom and two washrooms. The CT suite includes scan and control rooms, ultrasound room and storage area. The mammography space is around 160 sq. ft., including a changeroom and can accommodate one client.

Nelson said it was likely the biggest change the hospital has seen since its opening in 2001.

“This is going to change our history. It’s precedent setting… Haliburton County was the only county in Ontario without a CT scanner – no more,” Nelson said. “People will be able to access these services without having to drive an hour or two to another facility… this is delivering on our commitment to ensure people can access as many services as possible close to home.”

Evacuation at Archie Stouffer

March 1, 2024

There was an emergency evacuation at Archie Stouffer Elementary School following reports of a “suspected gas smell” at the Minden school Friday afternoon (March 1).

At 2:26 p.m. Carolynne Bull, communications lead for Trillium Lakelands District School Board, issued a media release stating all staff and students are safe and have been evacuated to the nearby Minden arena. Bull told The Highlander students will remain at the arena for the rest of the school day. School buses will run their usual routes, picking up students from the arena. Bull said parents/guardians are welcome to collect their child from the arena at any time.

The Minden Hills Fire Department were on-site at the school for much of the afternoon investigating. They determined the smell was caused by an overheating bluetooth speaker battery. Students were back in class on Monday (March 4) morning.

Editor’s note – this story has been updated from an earlier version.

Hawks soar at OFSSA Nordic skiing

Lisa Gervais

February 29, 2024

The Red Hawk Nordic ski team had a successful OFSAA championship at Lakefield College School Feb. 22-23, with Violet Humphries earning bronze and three relay sprint teams finishing in the top five.

Coach Karen Gervais said the team nearly doubled in numbers this year, 15 athletes up from eight.

Skiers were forced to contend with rapidly changing snow conditions and early starts each day, as race times were bumped up to 8 a.m. to avoid the warmest parts of the afternoon. Despite less-than-ideal ski conditions, HHSS athletes came home with fists full of ribbons.

In Feb. 22 interval distance races, Violet Humphries met her goal of a podium finish, skiing the 5km course under slick conditions to a bronze in the high school category. At the OFSAA level, skiers can compete in either the high school or open categories, with high school skiers competing and training exclusively with their school team, and open skiers training with a club and competing on the Ontario Cup circuit.

Teammate Olivia Gruppe followed Humphries with a personal best ski and 15th place finish. Ella Gervais was 24th; Sadie Kelly 34th and Grace Allder 67th in a field of 114 high school trained skiers. This earned the junior girls team a fifth-place finish overall.

Gervais said, “a lot of our skiers’ success can be attributed to the strong foundations built in our local Jackrabbit program organized by volunteers and the Haliburton Highlands Nordic Trails Association. Many of our athletes continue to act as junior instructors in this program and spend their Saturday afternoons teaching the next generation of Nordic skiers.”

In the highly competitive junior boys’ category, the Backus twins made their OFSAA Nordic debut, returning to the sport after several years. Graham Backus finished 14th, closely followed by Evan in 16th. Ninth-grade skier Winston Ramsdale finished 33rd; Brechin Johnston 47th; Owen Megrah-Poppe 61st and Carter McKnight-Sisco 80th. There were 122 skiers in the category. Johnston and Megrah-Poppe donned cross-country skis for the first time ever this year and “continue to make excellent progress in the sport,” Gervais said. As a team, the junior boys finished ninth in the interval races, one place short of taking home an OFSAA ribbon.

On the senior girls 7km course, Olivia Humphries skied to a strong 10th place finish; Erika Hoare was 14th; Hannah Sharp 44th and Teagan Hamilton 50th. Sharp and Hamilton are only in their second year of Nordic skiing. This team earned a sixth-place finish and a burgundy OFSAA ribbon to bring home.

Feb. 23’s sprint relays held a lot of drama and intensity, Gervais said.

The junior girls’ team of Gruppe, Kelly, Gervais and Humphries finished fourth. The junior boys’ team of the Backus’, Ramsdale and Johnston excelled with their strength and grit in the slushy snow on the 900m loop to ski to a fifth-place finish.

The senior girls’ team of Sharp, Hamilton, Hoare and Humphries secured fourth-place in a commendable team effort.

“The Haliburton Highlands Nordic team stood strong against big skiing schools with many club skiers such as Huntsville, Collingwood, Glebe and Nepean in Ottawa and Sudbury’s Lo Ellen Park and one of few schools to field three teams in the sprint relay finals,” Gervais said.

Storm shut out Newcastle

Lisa Gervais

February 29, 2024

The U15 Haliburton Timber Mart team played Newcastle Feb. 23 in Minden with the stands full.

The Storm opened up the scoring in the first period with an unassisted goal from Brody Hartwig.

The second period saw the Storm adding to the scoreboard with two additional goals, by Brody Harrison and Kieran Cox, assists from Harrison and Hartwig.

The final score was 3-0.

Huskies ‘to turn heads’ in playoffs

Mike Baker

February 29, 2024

The Haliburton County Huskies secured a playoff berth after a flawless weekend that saw the team score eight goals and goaltender Brett Fullerton record back-toback shutouts.

It’s the third successive year the blue and white have qualified for the post-season. Fullerton believes the hometown team, which climbed to fifth position in the East Conference after a 6-0 win over the Caledon Admirals Feb. 24, and 2-0 win over the North York Rangers Feb. 25, has what it takes to compete for an OJHL championship.

They will likely have to do it the hard way, ceding home ice unless they win their final two games, and several other results go their way. If the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and Markham Royals lose two of their final three games, the Huskies have a chance to sneak into fourth place, which would bring home ice advantage.

“For us to get that home ice would be huge, some other stuff has to fall into place, but our mindset right now is just to win out and see where that takes us,” Fullerton said. “Everyone has talked about playoffs… I don’t think we really care who we play. It’s just about knowing if we play our game then we can beat any team, as we’ve shown this season.”

More than 500 people packed into S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena Saturday for the Huskies penultimate regular season home game. The crowd barely had a chance to take their seats before Lucas Marshall opened the scoring 77 seconds in, notching his seventh goal of the season after being set up by team captain Patrick Saini and Charlie Fink.

Saini doubled the lead 17:51 into the first, assisted by Matt Milic and Marshall. Fink then got in on the scoring action, finding twine on the powerplay 5:17 into the middle frame on assists by Adam Smeeton and Ian Phillips.

Petrou added another powerplay marker two minutes later, assisted by Saini and Milic, before Phillips potted his 12th goal of the season at 8:14, assisted by Petrou and Noah Lodoen. Fink helped himself to his second of the game, and 19th of the season, 11:34 into the third, assisted by Saini, who had a four-point night, and Marshall, who had three points.

Fullerton was rock solid between the pipes, turning away 16 shots en route to his first shutout of the season.

“Right from puck drop, the boys were really up for it and that helps me, for sure. I felt pretty relaxed in net knowing if we stuck to our plan that I was probably going to have a good night,” Fullerton said. “All credit for the shutout goes to the rest of the boys – they really limited the shots I had to face.”

A quick schedule turnaround saw the Huskies take to the ice in Toronto approximately 20 hours after Saturday’s final buzzer. The players showed no sign of fatigue in a dominant win over the Rangers, capped by Saini scoring his team-leading 40th and 41st goals of the season.

The captain got his side off to the perfect start, scoring just 36 seconds in after being teed up by Fink and Alex Bradshaw. He made sure of the result 3:10 into the third, beating Rangers goaltender Amir Valiullin on the powerplay on assists from Milic and affiliate player Kyle Butt, making his first appearance of the season.

Fullerton was again perfect, making 12 saves to secure his second shutout in as many nights.

“Never done that before,” Fullerton said of his back-to-back shutouts. “I was still feeling pretty good from the Caledon game, thought it was important to get as many quality minutes under my belt as possible before playoffs. I’m feeling good. We feel like we can take on anybody right now.”

The Huskies welcome the Toronto Jr. Canadiens to town March 2 for a matchup that could have significant playoff implications, before finishing the regular season March 3 on the road in Niagara Falls. Playoffs will begin the following week.

Salon exhibit showcases artists’ dreams

Mike Baker

February 29, 2024

Laurie Jones said this year’s salon exhibition at Rails End Gallery may be the most diverse collection in the 15 years the show has been open to the community.

Centred around the theme ‘Dream’, the exhibition features 67 pieces across a variety of mediums. Jones said submissions were received from renowned local artists and from amateur gallery members. The result is a spread she said people, “need to make an effort to see.”

‘Dream’ opened at Rails End Feb. 10 and will run to April 13.

“I like to give people a challenge,” Jones said, explaining the theme. “I felt it was something that is completely open to interpretation… there’s some wildcards. People have prepared pieces that are quite different, but you can tell they put a lot of thought, a lot of time, into their creation.”

Some familiar names include Greg Gillespie, a “world class woodcarver,” according to Jones. He submitted the carving ‘Unscheduled Departure’, featuring birds flying away from a snake, which took him around 1,000 hours to finish. Mixed media artist David Douglas is also featured, submitting his ‘Eurydice Hunting Antlers’ found art assemblage, made of chalk composite and an old lamp.

One of Jones’ favourite pieces is a political commentary submitted by Keith Rydberg titled ‘The Emperor has no clothes’, a wood carving with acrylic paint that focuses on former U.S. president Donald Trump.

Paintings from long-time contributors like Harvey Walker, Renee Woltz, Susan Hay, Ian Varney, and Deborah J. Reed are also featured.

Grethe Jensen is a first-time participant. After relocating to the Highlands in June 2023, she quickly discovered Rails End and has been an active member ever since. Her piece ‘All My People’ is an acrylic painting that focuses on people coming together.

“As people, we are gathering dreams all our lives. I was trying to portray the concept of gathering, that our lives are better the more connections we make,” Jensen said, noting she completed it in stages over a six-month period last year.

Coming from Toronto, where she was heavily engaged in the arts community, Jensen said Rails End stands out as one of the best galleries she’s been involved with. She believes the salon exhibition, held every year, is a great way to engage with the local arts community and showcase Highlanders’ talents.

“This gallery is an absolute gem here in the community. The fact we have a gallery that is so open and responsive to new things, that actually wants to promote people’s work whether they’re accomplished or not, I find it very welcoming,” Jensen said.

Jones said winter is an ideal time to stage the exhibit as it encourages artists to “get back on the saddle” after the holidays. It also helps drive traffic to the gallery during its quiet season.

“It’s a nice keynote to start the year. The artists seem to appreciate having something to do, having somewhere to stage their creations, and people get a real kick out of coming in and seeing all the different ways artists have interpreted the theme… it’s usually a very passionate, yet playful exhibit,” Jones said.

The gallery is open Wednesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jones noted the public can vote for their favourite pieces to determine the 2024 People’s Choice award. The exhibit is also available to view online at railsendgallery.com.

Rails End Gallery curator Laurie Jones said this year’s salon exhibition ‘Dream’ boasts more than 60 pieces, including this wood sculpture by Greg Gillespie.

ACM Designs moving to new digs at Abbey Gardens

Mike Baker

February 29, 2024

Local entrepreneur Andria Cowan Molyneaux says fate was behind the decision to relocate her business, ACM Designs, from its current home in Haliburton village to Abbey Gardens.

The interior design firm will be slowly transitioning into the space vacated by Haliburton Highlands Brewing over the next few months. It brings an end to a fruitful eight-year stay in the village, which saw the company get its start in the basement of the old Haliburton County Development Corporation space, move into new digs along County Road 21, plan for a new home beside Tim Horton’s, before settling at its current home base at 7 Dysart Ave.

“It’s been a real story of evolution. I’ve been looking for a location that we can really grow into and this opportunity at Abbey Gardens fits all our needs size wise, is almost perfect style and design wise – it’s almost like a unicorn here in the County,” Cowan Molyneaux told The Highlander.

There was a huge element of luck behind the move, she revealed.

“The truth is I was contacted to see if I knew someone who might be interested in that old brewery space. Immediately, I said ‘yeah, me’. That’s exactly how this all happened,” she said.

Having grown from two employees in 2016 to 17 today, Cowan Molyneaux said she needed somewhere she knew she could stay for the long haul. She has signed a five-year lease.

The most exciting aspect of the move, she says, is being able to bring all aspects of the company together under one roof. While the bulk of the design team currently work together in the Dysart office, Cowan Molyneaux said some of her newer employees have been forced to work from home, or other spaces in the community.

Cedric Butz joined the company as a carpenter in 2022 and while the services he provides had been a great fit with the ACM team, Cowan Molyneaux hasn’t been able to offer him a dedicated space to work from. Until now.

“He creates goods that we design, so things like furniture, custom doors. As we’re conceptualizing different designs and products, he’s bringing them to life,” she said, noting Butz only uses locally salvaged wood for all his projects. “I had to figure out a way to execute on this new segment of the business on a wide scale, and I felt we needed a dedicated shop Cedric could work from to do that.”

Becoming a key component of the Abbey Gardens family was a big draw, too. There will be increased visibility at the new space, and more chances to collaborate with long-term partners like Abbey Gardens and Abbey Retreat Centre.

“We haven’t even moved in yet, but it already feels like home. I know it’s where we’re supposed to be. We want to be part of the fabric here now,” Cowan Molyneaux said.

She said it’s easy to get excited for the future now, knowing she’s found a place that can house the business no matter how much it grows in the coming years. She didn’t expect to be where she is today, noting things “just took off and never really slowed down” in the early months of the pandemic.

Her focus now is on establishing new carpentry techniques, sending Butz on training programs in California and the UK later this year. She’s also working on a collaboration with Haliburton School of Art + Design.

“It’s been quite the ride these past eight years, but I’m so excited for the future. This move sets us up for the long haul… we’ve finally found our home in the County,” she said.

1...140141142...481 Page 141 of 481