CT scanner construction begins in Haliburton

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.

Clinic bringing more beauty to downtown

Mike Baker

February 29, 2024

One of Jenn Emmerson’s favourite things to do is walking with family along Highland Street, stopping by stores that make up the fabric of the downtown business community.

Now, she’s a key thread of that tapestry after relocating her business, B.A.O. Beauty Clinic, to the corner of Highland Street and Maple Avenue – in the space that last housed Tipples of Haliburton. The clinic will close its current home base, above the SIRCH Bistro, Feb. 29.

The move comes just three years after Emmerson left her job as an ER nurse in Bancroft to focus on her clinic, formerly JE Medical Cosmetics. Since then, she and her team, which includes nurse practitioner Christine Wickson and four other staff, have built the business that now serves around 700 clients annually.

“It’s been a goal of mine, a bit of a dream actually, to move downtown and be a part of the downtown energy. There’s so much life and vibrancy here, especially during the summer. It’s going to be so nice seeing all the people walk by the store – hopefully we’re able to attract new clients. I’m really excited,” Emmerson said.

The clinic will open March 3, with an open house planned for later in the month.

Speaking to the services provided, Emmerson said she is certified for cosmetic injectables, such as Botox, and advanced procedures such as the application of plateletrich plasma for skin and hair rejuvenation, fat-dissolving injections, skin tightening, and non-surgical facelifts.

There will be some new services debuting in the spring too, Emmerson said, noting everything she and her team offer is Health Canada approved.

Emmerson has spent the past month extensively renovating the space, with the help of family and staff. The new clinic will boast four treatment rooms and several manipedi stations. Her goal is to breathe new life into the building.

“I’m hoping this spruces up the location, that it stands out for people coming into town. We’ve basically rebuilt a building within a building. I want to do some painting [outside] and maybe put a little patio in off the back [entrance],” Emmerson said.

While she may have been the one to launch the clinic, which bears the name of her three children Brooks, Ashton, and Olivia, Emmerson said it’s been a real team effort building the business into what it is today.

“When I was first starting out, I hired a business coach and told her I wasn’t planning to hire anyone, I just wanted a room to myself so I could do my thing. I hired someone the very next day and haven’t looked back,” she said. “All my employees have come organically. We all know each other from other parts of our lives and careers. We’re all very like-minded, which makes it easier to pull in the same direction as a collective.”

Noting she left nursing to strike a better work-life balance, Emmerson said that hasn’t exactly panned out – she works seven days a week and is constantly thinking up new ways to improve the clinic. She wouldn’t have it any other way, though.

“Owning your own business is a different kind of stress. You don’t get to turn it off, really. It’s constant. But I’ve had the best time digging in, getting to know my clients, and building this with my incredible team. Seeing how far we’ve come and the growth we’ve had in just three years makes [all the sacrifices] worth it,” she said.

For more information, visit baobeauty.ca.

Regional health boards to merge

Mike Baker

February 29, 2024

The boards of the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) district health unit and Peterborough Public Health (PPH) announced Feb. 26 they will seek provincial approval, and funding, to voluntarily merge.

In August 2023, the Ministry of Health announced what it termed “plans to strengthen the public health sector” by offering one-time funding, resources and supports to public health agencies deciding to voluntarily merge by Jan. 1, 2025.

In response, the two regional boards of health decided to move forward with a process to explore the impacts of a voluntary merger. In November 2023, a joint board merger exploration working group was established with representatives from both, and external consulting firm Sense & Nous, to prepare a comprehensive feasibility assessment report. The findings were recently presented to both boards to help make a decision.

“Throughout this process, it was quickly identified that both HKPR and PPH have an extensive history of collaboration and share similar geographic, demographic, health status and population characteristics. Both organizations are also dedicated to reducing health inequities and addressing the most pressing public health challenges faced by the urban, rural, and Indigenous communities they serve,” the two boards said in a press release embargoes until Feb. 28.

During a Feb. 15 meeting, the HKPR board decided to proceed with a proposal to voluntary merge with PPH. The Peterborough-based board made a similar commitment Feb. 21.

Joy Lachica, PPH board chair, told a Feb. 28 media scrum that several benefits have already been identified for the merger.

“Beyond strength in numbers… we’re looking at improved program expertise in specialist positions; cross coverage of staff and improved succession planning; enhanced strength of central corporate service functions; better surge capacity and resiliency, which, hopefully, will lead to less burnout for future public health emergencies,” she said.

Lachica noted the province is likely to make a decision on the merger this summer, though work to bring the two organizations together is likely to stretch into 2025. Dr. Natalie Bocking, HKPR medical officer of health, said the two entities had committed to continuing all existing programs through the merger process.

Bocking said the new entity would serve approximately 345,000 people. There will be no immediate staff cuts, with HKPR currently employing around 170 people and PPH 130.

“I’m excited about the opportunity that a merger like this affords. HKPR and PPH shares similar type of communities, we have the same mandate, we have the same vision and focus on health equity, and we both have a long track record of serving our communities well,” Bocking said. “This merger allows us to bring the strengths of each organization and look at how we can maintain our services and add to them.”

While the HKPR board were told by consultants in November that a merger could cost up to $3.5 million, Bocking said a final figure will be revealed in coming weeks. She confirmed the provincial government had committed to funding all associated costs.

David Marshall, HKPR board chair, said the leadership and structure of the combined units will be discussed extensively before any merger is complete. He said it’s the two board’s intent to retain both Dr. Bocking and Dr. Thomas Piggott, medical officer of health for PPH.

“Some health units have an MOH and a CEO, some have an MOH and an assistant MOH… Dr. Bocking and Dr. Piggott are the only two physicians across both organizations now… [having both] offers an opportunity to look at what is the best leadership structure moving forward,” Marshall said.

While Bocking and Piggott stopped short of confirming they will both be around post-merger, they said they are both “pretty passionate about public health. We care a lot about the work, we believe in it, and we’re committed to our communities.”

Next steps

The HKPR District Health Unit and PPH Boards of Health will submit a joint voluntary merger application to the Ontario Government by April 2 – that demonstrates how a proposed merger would benefit the communities they serve, while supporting outcomes and priorities identified by the Ministry of Health.

Mergers of public health units require provincial legislative change, so will not be definitive until the province has approved it, and commits adequate funding for its success later in the year. Both PPH and HKPR District Health Unit will continue to operate independently during the provincial review period.

Dysart sticks to its guns on farmers market

Mike Baker

February 29, 2024

The Haliburton County Farmers Market Association is still yet to confirm whether it intends to host a weekly market in Haliburton this year, despite executive Angel Taylor telling Dysart council Feb. 27, “getting this settled now is really urgent.”

The township and farmers market board have been at loggerheads for months over the event’s return to Head Lake Park, where it ran for 11 years before being moved to Rotary Beach Park last season.

Taylor previously told council attendance was down approximately 30 per cent at the new location, with market manager Mike Townsend saying he didn’t think enough vendors would sign up for a re-run.

Addressing the duo Tuesday, council doubled down on its stipulation the market can return to Head Lake Park providing each vendor pays an additional $5 per market day. The market typically runs for 21 weeks, from May to October.

Deputy mayor Walt McKechnie reiterated his belief this week that an extra $5 per week “isn’t a big deal.” He said he has discussed the issue with about 15 downtown businesses, who he claims are on council’s side.

“There wasn’t one of them that was saying we were doing something wrong after I explained it to them. We’re not here for a fight… we’re trying to do what’s best for the municipality of Dysart and all taxpayers,” McKechnie said, while emphasizing he’s “very supportive” of the market.

Mayor Murray Fearrey suggested the $5 fee – which would run approximately $4,200 for the season based on the market having 40 vendors each week – at a meeting in January. That was reduced from earlier suggestions that would have cost HCFMA $15,000 and $5,100 to bring the event back to the downtown park.

On Tuesday, Fearrey said Dysart would likely spend around $70,000 on park improvements this year. He has previously said the township incurs “significant costs” repairing damage in the park after a market.

“Our offer is the same, that $5 fee, with no conditions attached to it. We will put the money into a park fund,” Fearrey said. “I think we’ve been more than fair… we’ll be looking at other events too, we’re not just going to pick on you. At the end of the day, you have three options – go to [Rotary Beach Park or the Head Lake boardwalk] for free, or pay the money and go into [Head Lake] Park.”

Taylor asked if council was willing to consider any of the three options HCFMA presented to the township in a letter earlier this month. They ranged from council waiving all fees to run the event at Head Lake Park, to HCFMA accepting the $5 fee, providing council use the funds on repairs to the park proven to be caused by the market and provide invoices to the association. Council declined, opting for no conditions.

HCFMA reached out to 18 other farmers markets across Ontario to find out if any were paying fees to their hosts, Taylor said 15 of them ran their market with no extra costs.

Addressing the $5 fee, Taylor agreed that to most people it may not seem like a lot of money, but for small agricultural vendors who may already be losing money, it could be the difference between signing up or not.

“I was a [vendor] from 2009 to 2019. I never made a profit. I am not saying other small local farmers are in the same boat, but some are. We care about and are mandated to protect and encourage the little guys. This means they’ll have bigger losses, some of them, and that matters. To others, it’s a principal position [not to pay any increased rate],” she said.

Councillors Pat Casey, Barry Boice, Carm Sawyer and Tammy Donaldson all favoured implementing a $5 fee with no conditions.

Casey said, “I think we should carry on with what we’ve proposed, ride it out for this year and in the fall see how it all went, just like we did last year.”

Taylor said HCFMA was “still pulling things together” and likely won’t make a final decision until next week. “We’re quite disappointed… in council’s position.”

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