“Dysart dares to be different,” said township mayor Murray Fearrey, shortly after he and his council endorsed an adjusted municipal accommodation tax (MAT) April 23.

That was in response to Scott Ovell, the County’s director of economic development and tourism, who brought Dysart council up to speed on the MAT tax and its potential benefits at council’s monthly meeting.

While Algonquin Highlands, Highlands East and Minden Hills have supported the new bylaw at a four per cent tax rate, Dysart has opted to introduce it at two per cent.

“You’ve done a lot of work on this, and I sincerely appreciate it. I supported it at the start, but I’m starting to think now… I just don’t know how much tax we want to pile onto people,” Fearrey said, proposing the reduced rate.

Ovell said council was within its right to adopt whatever rate it deems fit. Of the 30 or so municipalities in Ontario to embrace a MAT, most have done so at four per cent, Ovell said. He noted the City of Niagara Falls introduced a two per cent MAT in 2022.

The County director had estimated the MAT could boost municipal coffers County-wide by more than $2 million per year at a four per cent rate. He noted at least 50 per cent of revenues must be allocated to eligible non-profit tourism operators. The County is investigating setting up a municipal services corporation (MSC) to handle those funds.

Townships would be free to utilize the remaining 50 per cent where they want, Ovell said.

Referencing data from the Ministry of Tourism, collected via short-term rental operators like Airbnb and Vrbo, Ovell said there were more than 150,000 nightly stays in the County in 2023 – up more than 90 per cent from 2019. Fearrey felt those numbers represented peak STR usage in the Highlands and that revenues would be down for most operators this year.

Coun. Pat Casey agreed with Fearrey.

“Everyone’s discretionary income is slowly getting eroded and we don’t want to kill the entrepreneurial spirit of someone making a dollar,” Casey said, noting that money is often reinvested into the community via cottage renovations and downtown shopping.

The MAT is expected to begin Oct. 1. It will be handled by Granicus, an international firm specializing in digital communications and government services, which will also oversee the County’s short-term rental bylaw.

For the past year, CanoeFM has been offering local musicians the chance to record new material in a professional environment without having to leave Haliburton County.

The non-profit community radio station has created a recording studio at its office on Mountain Street in Haliburton. People wanting to make new music, recording a keepsake for friends and family, or putting together a podcast, can rent out the space for $20 an hour.

Station manager Roxanne Casey said the studio has brought a whole new element to Canoe’s regular operations.

“There are lots of private recording studios up here, but there’s nothing like this. I feel we’re plugging a pretty sizable gap in the community. Musicians don’t necessarily need to leave our County to record their music,” she said. “We just want to get the word out, so people know this space is here.”

Since launching in February 2023, Casey said around 25 people have utilized the studio. It was also used to record The Importance of Being Earnest – which aired on Canoe’s Radio Playhouse last summer.

The project, which cost approximately $70,000, had been in the works for several years. The station’s former board chair, Paul Vorvis, floated the idea in early 2022, believing space in Canoe’s meeting room could be repurposed and better utilized. They secured $35,000 from the Community Radio Fund of Canada towards renovations and used proceeds from radio bingo to pay for the rest.

There are acoustic panels fitted on the walls, new speakers, and a new computer set-up, kitted with programs like Logic Pro, to streamline the recording process. Musicians should bring their own instruments. Laurie Sweig, one of the lead volunteers at the studio, said people have brought in guitars, a cello, viola, and a keyboard.

People looking to mimic sounds of a specific instrument can use a MIDI controller Canoe has purchased. It replicates sounds using online software, which can be layered within a final recording.

“My dream for this place is that anyone who is too shy to go to a professional studio, has a song they recorded in their basement on their phone, to come here and put a professional version together,” Sweig said. “There’s a lot of talented people in this community. I think this new space is providing opportunities for musicians to get their foot in the door at an affordable rate.”

Casey said there’s an option for musicians to record music at the studio and then submit it for broadcast on Canoe’s airwaves.

Bethany Houghton was introduced to the studio about a year ago. She and her husband, Ernie Demuth, have played there twice and plan to record an album.

“I really enjoy the atmosphere – Laurie is great, really encouraging. And knowledgeable. She makes it really easy for people to go in there and do their thing,” Houghton said.

Michele Swyer utilized the studio for an instrumental piece featuring piano, cello, violin, and viola, earlier this year.

“It was magical hearing it back for the first time. I didn’t think my song could get any better,” she said. “The studio is pretty impressive. Recording was fun because you can experiment with so many different things… we have a real treasure here with this new space.”

Sweig said more volunteers are needed if this studio is to grow. Training is provided for free.

“I’d like to see us busier, building our volunteer team, and getting more people comfortable enough to do recordings,” she said.

People looking to book a time to record need to fill out an application and schedule a pre-recording meeting. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Sweig at thestudio@canoefm.com.

Lake Kashagawigamog Chain walleye have completed their annual spawning run on the Drag River below the Emmerson Dam in Haliburton.

Once again, Haliburton Highlands Outdoor Association (HHOA) volunteers counted the spawning fish.

The effort is part of the HHOA’s Walleye Watch Program that was reinstated in 2021 to help rehabilitate the lake chain walleye fishery. This year, HHOA volunteers counted 1,007 walleyes over 29 nights. Last year, 1,438 were recorded.

Dan Smith, president of the HHOA, said, “unfortunately, spawning walleye numbers have declined in recent years. Prior to 2015, when the HHOA was actively assisting the spawn, as many as 6,000 fish were counted per year at the site. In the last four years, we’ve counted an average of around 1,450 fish per year. The walleye have a lot working against them.”

The original program began in the early 2000s and ran for 15 years. During that time, the HHOA worked with the MNRF to harvest Drag River walleye eggs from spawning fish and hatch them in the HHOA fish hatchery. Walleye fingerlings were then returned to the chain. This effort helped ensure more walleye survived the spawn. Unfortunately, said Smith, walleye stocking was stopped in 2015 and current Fisheries Management Zone 15 rules prohibit the HHOA from assisting the fishery. The Drag River site is considered one of the most important walleye spawning areas in the region.

The spawning walleye face many other challenges as well, Smith said. He noted Black Crappie were illegally introduced to the Kashagawigamog system and are known to feast on immature walleye. Additionally, after the walleye deposit their eggs, it is critical that water levels and flow below the private Emmerson dam remain consistent for at least two weeks after the spawn ends. Without proper water flow, the walleye eggs can be exposed and the spawn will not be successful. HHOA lobbies Parks Canada every year to maintain the water levels, but that effort has not always been successful.

The HHOA conducted an angling survey of the chain of lakes in 2021. Of those responding, 82 per cent cited a significant decline in walleye fishing on the chain.

The HHOA helps create, maintain, and enhance local fisheries. Its mission is to help residents and visitors to the Haliburton Highlands enjoy angling opportunities while practicing good conservation. Since 1998, the HHOA has raised and stocked over 800,000 fish in local lakes. For more information on the HHOA and the program go to: hhoa. on.ca/news.

Carolyn Millard has a lifetime of stories to remember her dad, many from his time as a submarine detector with the Canadian forces during the Second World War.

Speaking at the Haliburton Legion’s youth awards night April 26, Millard said her father, Jim, was one of the thousands to enlist with the Royal Canadian Navy volunteer reserve after war broke out in Europe in 1939. He documented his service in a series of memoirs that Millard still reads today.

“Accounts of the heroic acts of bravery of the men and women who served are plentiful, however, records written by youth telling their versions of growing up in war times are few in comparison,” Millard said, noting how people today would have a better idea of how children felt during the war effort.

“Although we may try to imagine it, children and youth lived through times during the wars that few of us can relate to,” she added.

With ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, Millard noted war is still rife. That’s why she feels it’s important for youth to embrace history and participate in these contests.

The tradition has been running for more than 20 years, with the legion encouraging students from Stuart Baker and J.D. Hodgson elementary schools and Haliburton Highlands Secondary School to honour the sacrifices of Canadian veterans through personalized works.

There were 61 submissions this year. Evelyn Vanderstarre won first place in the senior poem contest for Grades 10 to 12, with her submission also placing second in the zone competition. Mazey Robinson won the intermediate contest, for children in Grades 7, 8 and 9, with Valla Berry placing first in the junior category, covering Grades 4 to 6.

Brody Bolger won the local senior essay contest, with his piece also finishing first at zone and second at district. Annika Gervais won the intermediate award.

There were a lot of submissions for the colour photo contest, Millard said. Annabelle Borgdorff won the senior category, also placing second at zone; Alivia Brown won at the intermediate level, also placing second at zone; Jaime Holwell came tops among junior submissions, placing third at zone; and Eden Kuepfer won the primary competition, for Grades 1 to 3, also placing third at zone.

The black and white poster contest saw Jax Bradley win the local senior competition and place second at zone; Claire Lynch win at intermediate; Grace Wilson placing first in junior; and Pearl Mansfield winning primary and zone, while placing third at district.

Waller said it was a great night, with more than 50 people attending.

“It’s fantastic that so many young people are taking the time to do this – the veterans appreciate it so much seeing what they’ve done, the kids showing they still care. It’s a great thing,” Waller said. “I always say, if it wasn’t for what our veterans did, and are still doing now, we wouldn’t have the life we all do today. It’s important to recognize their sacrifices.”