I had to chuckle as Highlander publisher Heather Kennedy presented the Highlander of the Year award to rival Haliburton Echo and Minden Times publisher David Zilstra at the chamber awards ceremony Friday night.
The fact one of our local papers was the presenter; both publishers had been nominated for the prestigious award; and Zilstra won spoke to me on a few levels.
Zilstra will be 60 this coming year, while Kennedy is a millennial. Looking around Sir Sam’s Ski/Ride Oct. 20, I saw a lot of County politicians and businesspeople who have been around awhile, but I also saw a lot of young people. The face of business is changing in the Highlands.
Let’s look at some of these young entrepreneurs, many of whom are women. Rebecca Neave, for example. Rebecca is an aesthetician at Beauty Basics. Her bio on the company website says she’s the one working morning, noon and night to get people in for appointments. “We have looked for her off switch but we have yet to find it.” On top of her work, she has three kids. Pretty dynamic.
Young professional of the year, Sarah Dollo, is another of the shining lights. She had a pipe dream of bringing a pilates studio to Haliburton County. She said it’s been surreal to watch it grow. She, like many others, teamed with Shay Hutchings to find a home at the Wellness Hub.
Then, there’s Jenn Emmerson. She’s in the medical cosmetic services’ game with B.A.O. Beauty Clinic.
Sweat Social Fitness and Health was named new business of the year. Chelsea Adamson and partner moved from Alberta with a dream. With help from HCDC, that dream came true and it’s another of the Wellness Hub staples.
I also found the nature of the businesses interesting. A lot of them are about health and wellness. They are geared to making people feel, and look, better. I find that trend interesting.
Let’s look at some of the other winners.
Places for People is deserving for their innovative social housing bond campaign. Haliburton County Chiropractor and Rehabilitation have been around for awhile and have become part of the fabric of the Highlands. Boshkung Brewing Co. has long been a success story. It was nice to see Abbey Retreat Centre get the nod for not for profit of the year. They have been quietly toiling hard to offer free cancer retreats to those with a diagnosis and their carer for a few years now. They are finally getting noticed, and being recognized for their fine work.
Business woman of the year, Brandi Hewson, has been hard at if for nearly 15 years and had some great advice for the younger entrepreneurs. She said people tried to talk her out of business but she stuck with it.
The team from Kennisis Lake Marina were recognized for their innovation and creativity, turning what was once just a marina into a hub of social activity.
The unflappable Trevor Chaulk won again for Chaulk. He’s rebranded his business this year and was one of the first to trial a four-day work week.
And, finally, it was lovely to see Sylvia Holland awarded for a lifetime of business achievement at the Wind in the Willows spa.
The list of winners is impressive. The list of nominees equally uplifting. While there’s no doubt we have our challenges – from housing to health care – our business community is in good hands.
In good hands
Corralling short-term rentals
Minden Hills coun. Pam Sayne hit the proverbial nail on the head at the last council meeting when she said the province of Ontario has left its municipalities hanging in the wind when it comes to short-term rentals.
The government has turned a blind eye as this province’s housing shortage has been exacerbated by an explosion of STRs. Perhaps they wouldn’t need a Better Homes Built Faster Act had they tackled this file years ago.
Instead, they have sat idly by as what used to be renting out the family cottage to friends and neighbours to pay for the new roof has turned into a multi-million-dollar, if not multi-billion-dollar, industry in Ontario. In Haliburton County, we have seen the number of listings on online websites grow at an alarming, and unregulated rate.
Now, it’s no longer a short-term rental to keep up with the costs or repairs, it’s an industry in which some short-term rental owners are never sighted. Others own more than one property. Some are held by offshore interests.
Small wonder, as Sayne said, it’s impacting the very fabric of our communities. We used to know our neighbours. Now, more frequently, we have new neighbours coming every weekend, week, fortnight or month.
The province’s lack of action has forced the County of Haliburton, and now its four lower-tier municipalities, to spend countless resources on trying to get the horse back into the barn. In fact, most of Ontario’s 444 municipalities have been, or are being, tasked with the same challenge.
The province of British Columbia this week announced new regulations to tackle the issue.
They have teeth. A person can be fined up to $300,000 if their short-term rental is an egregious breaker of the rules. All it might take is one Highlands STR to be fined $300,000 to get the bad apple barrel righted.
They are also forcing renters to use mandatory platforms, not just throw their rentals on unregulated sites. If they break the rules, their STR ad can be taken down. They must be licensed as businesses, which, they are. Another biggie is a principal residence requirement. In other words, people can’t buy multiple properties and operate them as short-term rentals. Hosts will be limited to one guest suite on a property. There will be some exemptions for tourism, and smaller communities.
What was announced this week provides more provincial oversight and assistance that municipalities desperately need.
Even more importantly, the BC legislation is aimed at ensuring more people can actually get homes in that province. It’s about increasing the housing stock as well as making it more affordable.
We hope Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott caught this week’s news. Wouldn’t it be great if she lobbied on behalf of her cottage country constituents that the Doug Ford government look at implementing similar rules and regulations for Ontario? Minden Hills mayor Bob Carter hinted at something being done at Queen’s Park. We hope so.
Better yet, though, imagine if all of Canada’s provinces and territories got together and had one national set of rules and regulations for short-term rentals?
We learned this week the federal government is actively examining options to crack down on STRs. Let’s hope something comes of it.
Dysart to revisit bylaw
Timeline
• Haliburton residents Mike and Debra Landry made a delegation to council in December 2022. They believed deer were becoming a nuisance in the downtown, and contributing to deer-vehicle collisions.
• Dysart debates a bylaw, coming up with a May 1-Sept. 30 ban.
• The Stop Deer Feeding Property Owners Coalition, Haliburton-by-The-Lake Owners Association and Shelley Stiles of County Rose write to council Sept. 26 saying the bylaw, approved in July, needed a revisit. They wanted a complete ban.
• Greg Gillespie and Chris Bishop spoke to council Oct. 24. So did resident Lori King, who offered a counterargument to the anti-deer feeders.
• Council is expected to pass a revised bylaw at its November meeting.
Reasons not to feed
The Stop Deer Feeding Property Owners Coalition say the village deer population has experienced rapid and exponential growth over the last five to eight years because of feeding. “This has had serious consequences on private properties, public spaces, the natural environment, the local economy, and the deer themselves.” They say:
• Natural and planted vegetation on private properties and public space is being damaged. Many residents have lost thousands of dollars in destroyed landscaping and gardens, they claim.
• Over-browsing jeopardizes the natural food supply of deer, and their shelter. Can lead to decline in other species. Forest regeneration is reduced.
• Easier for deer-to-deer transmission of disease and parasites, as well as to humans. More ticks.
• Deer-vehicle collisions
• Impact on deer: shelter (takes them from dense cover in winter); food (deer are supposed to lose weight in winter). Artificial feeding disrupts this. Commercial deer feed is nutritionally inferior to natural food, can cause gastrointestinal problems; behaviour (robbing deer of their wildness); and competition at feeders can lead to issues.
Household do’s and don’ts
The MNRF has put out a fact sheet on the do’s and don’ts of feeding wildlife, saying feeding wild animals may do more harm than good.
Do: appreciate wildlife from a distance; keep household waste, compost and pet food out of reach of wild animals; attract wildlife to your property by improving natural habitat; work together with your neighbours to help keep wild animals wild.
Do not: put out food to attract wildlife; try to approach or touch wild animals; feed pets outdoors or allow pets to roam free or put garbage out until the morning of collection.
Huskies make trade for veteran players
The Haliburton County Huskies have shaken things up with an early season trade.
Coach Ryan Ramsay said, “We’ve had inconsistent goaltending all year and we just made a trade to bring in a goaltender.”
To date, Vlad Visan and Logan Kennedy have been between the pipes but neither has a lot of OJHL experience.
The blue and white have brought in Brett Fullerton, a 2004, 19-year-old that played in Saginaw with the OHLs Spirit.
“He’s played probably 20 games in the O, he played junior B last year. He’s got a good resume. He’s a big boy at 6’4”. He’s just a veteran goalie,” the general manager said.
“I think Vlad only played 20 games last year in our league and Logan didn’t play any, so it’s something we needed to address.”
They also traded Declan Bowmaster to Collingwood for Fullerton and Nicholas Lamont. “He played for the Patriots last year and played really well against us in the series,” Ramsay. “So, he’s a good player. He’s the same age as Declan. He’s a 2005 but last year he had 40 points, 17 goals. It’s a good move for us.”
“We’re bringing in two veterans… we needed to get a little more consistent in all three zones.”
Menace 5 Huskies 2
Milton got on the board first Oct. 24 with a powerplay goal at 11:23 of the first. They made it 2-0 with an early second period shorthanded goal.
The Huskies got on the board when Lucas Stevenson fired in his fourth of the year, from Ethan Wright and Lucas Vacca at 8:01. Patrick Saini then scored his 11th at 11:48, from Vacca and Ty Petrou.
But it was all Menace from there as they scored three in a row to put the game away, including an empty netter.
Huskies 3 Golden Hawks 1
On Sunday, Oct. 22, the blue and white travelled to Trenton to take on the Golden Hawks, emerging 3-1 victors.
After a scoreless first period, Trenton got on the board first with a goal by Charlie Key at the 6:58 mark.
However, the Huskies answered back 32 second later, as Saini fired in his 10th goal of the season, assisted by Vacca.
Johnathon Mead then put the visitors up 2-1 with his third tally of the season, at 16:30, with helpers going to Charlie Fink and Vacca.
Vacca put it away with an empty netter late in the third, unassisted, to give the Huskies the 3-1 win. Logan Kennedy turned aside 27 of 28 shots.
Tigers 4 Huskies 2
On Friday, Oct. 20, the Huskies were in Aurora for a tilt with the Tigers.
They found themselves down three goals early in the second period and Visan got the yank after giving up three goals on six shots.
Haliburton County came back with back-toback second period goals. First Vacca scored at 6:38, from Isaac Larmand and Antonio Cerqua. Then, just 16 seconds later, Cerqua fired one in from Larmand and Josh Rumolo. It was a 3-2 game heading into the third.
But the Tigers scored early, at 4:46, as the Huskies dropped the road game.
NEXT UP:
On Saturday, Oct. 28, it’s pink in the rink day. The team has pink jerseys and socks. Breast cancer survivor, Minden Hills deputy mayor Lisa Schell will drop the puck at 4 p.m. There’ll be a prostate cancer game Nov. 25 with a jersey auction.
Thrilling opener for U11s
In a thrilling home opener, the U11 Curry Chevrolet REP team showcased their resilience, securing a commanding 8-2 victory over the Millbrook Stars.
The game began on a slightly sluggish note for the Storm, as they found themselves trailing 2-0 in the first period. However, the tide swiftly turned when, with just under two minutes remaining, Blake Little unleashed a jaw-dropping shot from just beyond the blue line, narrowing the gap.
The second period witnessed goalkeeper Liam Scheffee stepping up in spectacular fashion, with a series of great saves and setting the stage for an offensive onslaught from the Storm. William Brown, Rowan Little, and a thunderous slap shot from Wyatt Braun.
Entering the final period with renewed vigour, and with Kolby Hogg taking over in net, the Storm’s Austin Cunningham emerged as a force to be reckoned with, slotting two back-to-back goals past the Stars’ defense.
The intensity did not wane as the clock ticked down. Carter McCord and Chase Casey sealed the deal with two precision strikes, putting an exclamation mark on a stellar performance.
Honourable mention to the players who helped set up these goals, notably Maddex Reynolds with four, Austin Cunningham with two and Carter McCord and Ethan Draker with one.
Keep up the good work and thank you for giving the home fans an unforgettable season opener.
Huskies bench boss supports video technology
Haliburton County Huskies head coach Ryan Ramsay believes the new video review system being rolled out league-wide later this year will be a “game changer.”
The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) announced last month that cameras will be installed above or behind goal nets in all 24 arenas. They are expected to be operational by November.
This is a first-of-its-kind program at the Jr. A level in Canada and will provide coaches the ability to review in-game footage from behind the bench, while also giving teams access to clips for social media purposes.
“It’s exciting – I’ve always loved the development side of hockey, and with this new tech, we’ll be able to show players firsthand their mistakes, or areas they need to correct, right there during a game,” Ramsay said. “It will allow us, as coaches, to say ‘hey, let’s try and do this differently next shift’, so I’m really looking forward to that.
“It’s just another feather in the cap for this league as far as player development goes,” Ramsay added.
OJHL commissioner, Marty Savoy, said the league will also be experimenting with the new setup for video review, which will be introduced at a later date. That’s good news for hockey fans league-wide, as it will allow officials the chance to review questionable plays.
The Huskies have been on the receiving end of a few calls that would have benefitted from review technology in recent times. During last season’s do-or-die second round playoff encounter with the Wellington Dukes, in Game 4 at S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena, the Huskies had a goal ruled out in the second period, which would have tied the game, because the officials were unsure whether it had crossed the line. The blue and white went on to lose the game, ending their season.
In the opening game of this season, a 4-1 road defeat against the Lindsay Muskies, the Huskies thought they had taken the lead in the first period – Jack Staniland firing the puck in from the point – but the officials called no goal, after the puck struck the iron at the back of the net and rebounded out.
Ramsay said there have been some challenges installing the technology in Haliburton County, noting it requires an upgraded internet service to properly run.
“There’s going to be some growing pains, but once it’s operational it’s going to be a great tool,” he said.
Barrel racer craves speed and adrenaline
A 14-year-old from Minden Hills is turning heads on the RAM Rodeo Tour these days.
Haliburton Highlands Secondary School Grade 9 student, Isla Dobbins, was crowned the Bilby Ranch Youth Barrel Racing year end champion recently. It capped a stellar season for she and horse, Blondy.
The daughter of Eleanor and Chris Dobbins said it all started with pony camp at the age of seven. At South Algonquin Trails, she learned how to ride and got into jumping. She then moved to another barn, the family purchased her first pony, and she continued with jumping.
However, she realized that the thing she loved most with the fast pony was racing across the fields with her mom and her mom’s horse.
“I thought that was the most fun thing ever. I realized the speed and adrenaline is what I’d been craving.”
Isla said they have family out west that were into barrel racing. When she decided to give it a try, she needed a different sort of horse, and Blondy arrived on the scene.
However, Isla said it was not a case of instant success. She said they had a horrible 2022 season.
“It was awful. We were knocking every barrel. It wasn’t really either of our fault. I wasn’t big enough to handle her. So, I wasn’t big enough to push her over and move her to the spot she needed to be in. But, this year, over the winter, I grew a lot so when I brought her back into work, something had immediately changed. Also, my confidence has gotten a lot better than last year. So, she needed that confidence and me to be bigger.”
They had never won a rodeo before and won the whole thing at their first rodeo in the spring. They’ve been regularly winning ever since. Isla competes in the 16 and under, junior, category. She also competes in the National Barrel Horse Association.
“Something had just clicked and we figured everything out,” Isla said.
Looking to the future, she wants to continue with the RAM rodeo circuit to be with friends.
“And then the plan is probably to go out to Alberta for the summers.”
She’s watched the Calgary Stampede, and National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada in November and December, and dreams of competing on those stages one day.
Isla said she has become “a true horse girl…” She doesn’t care if peers think it’s lame. “It’s going to happen whether they like it or not.”
She said she’s grateful for the support of her parents, coach Diane Smullen from Uxbridge, as well as her rodeo friends. “Those girls have really got me to where I am… all the support they give me.”
Dad Chris says, “it’s pretty impressive… we’re happy.”
Enright reflects on years at helm of HCSA
John Enright is looking forward to spending more time whipping around County trails this winter after scaling back his responsibilities with the Haliburton County Snowmobile Association (HCSA).
The Kinmount resident completed his third year as president of the club over the summer, passing the baton to Neil Vanderstoop. It marked the end of 30 years of executive volunteerism at clubs across the province.
“Snowmobiling has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I’ve had a great run these past three years as [HCSA] president, but my goal now is to get out and spend a lot more time on my snowmobile, because when you’re president you don’t get to do much of that,” Enright told The Highlander. “I’ve put in my time, now I just want to be one of the boys.”
Enright has had three stints with HCSA, originally joining as a club director in the 1990s. He left in the early 2000s, with his work taking him away from Haliburton County, but returned briefly in 2010. He came home when he retired, serving as president of the club between 2020 and 2023.
“I’m like a bad smell, I just won’t go away,” Enright said.
He oversaw operations during an unprecedented time of struggle with the pandemic but helped spin that negative into an overwhelming positive. HCSA was recognized as Ontario’s top snowmobile club in 2021, something Enright still beams about today.
Now heading into its 52nd season, the HCSA is responsible for grooming and maintaining 370 kilometres of trails that mostly stretch across the west and central parts of the County. The club boasts more than 2,500 members and a reputation that draws riders from across Ontario, Enright said.
Shortly after announcing he would be stepping down, Enright was recognized for his promotion of HCSA by being nominated for an Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) communications award. He beat out the competition, being named as a “worthy winner” by OFSC director Neil Nicholson at a ceremony in Huntsville Sept. 27.
Enright was credited for his years of service, with Nicholson saying he excels at pulling people together during good times and bad for the betterment of snowmobiling in the Highlands. Enright was also commended for his ‘Trail Talk’ segment, which airs weekly on MooseFM during the winter, providing updates on HCSA operations and trail tips for local riders.
“I am truly humbled to have been chosen by my peers as the winner. It’s a wonderful way to wind down 30 years of volunteering,” Enright said. “I still plan to be involved in HCSA, but very much in the background, and hope to do some work provincially to improve the rider experience for people across Ontario.”
Amandas share life-changing experience
Harmony Yoga’s Amanda Rico and Amanda Lytle are back from a “life-changing” 12-day trip to India.
The two returned Oct. 16 from a Her Future Coalition visit to Kolkata. Since 2015, the organization has been working to ensure survivors of trafficking and other genderbased violence, and girls at high-risk, have what they need to remain free, safe and independent. They provide shelter, education and job training.
The United Nations says India is the epicenter of global human trafficking, with 10-18 million of the world’s 40 million enslaved people. And, more than a quarter of Indian and Nepali girls are married by the age of 18, more than anywhere else is the world.
Rico first started fundraising to go to India with the YogaMedicine Seva Foundation in 2018 but shifted her focus to the Her Future Coalition.
Lytle first heard about Rico’s plans when the two were leading a yoga retreat to Mexico last winter. When they got back, Rico found out there was a spot for Lytle on the trip and she went from “zero to 100” beginning to fundraise.
Rico said after COVID and a denied visa, “I was excited. I was ready to go… When you get there and see these women and these children, it’s intense.”
Lytle said their site visits included a fulltime shelter and vocational training centre for women, people with special needs, and students. They also went to a learning centre. They saw spaces where women do vocational training, such as making jewelry, and have access to a library and room for yoga and meditation.
Lytle said after having had so much taken away from them, the job skills give them something back, an opportunity to enter the workforce and make money.
They also visited a resource centre where kids can go 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. while their moms work. It is a place for them to connect with others, be safe, eat, and learn.
Rico explained, “where kids and students from the red-light district have a safe place to be while their mom is working in prostitution.” Without it, children would be in the working rooms, wandering the halls, or put to work.
“It’s horrendous. So, this gives them a place to be safe and connected throughout the day.”
Another site visit was to a joint Her Future Campaign, Kolkata police initiative near the Nepali border, considered a Mecca for human trafficking into India.
Rico said all of the visits were profound. Recalling their first shelter visit, she said they walked in to young girls, dressed up, sitting cross-legged on the floor, preparing to dance for their visitors. She said despite their trip preparation, it was “that moment that hit us.
“When you walk in and see all those faces, their sense of pride in what they were doing and offering to us. They were smiling and laughing. That was contagious. There were moments where you were going to cry and moments where you were smiling with them. You have this reminder that no matter what happened, it wasn’t in their hands, and now they’re in a place where they have opportunity to learn and be educated.”
Lytle said the joy and resilience was moving. After what they had been through, the horrific stories, she said their souls and spirits could have been broken.
“I felt so overwhelmed with gratitude… for us and our experience… for the privilege we have, but for them, they were in a place of love and connection now, for the programming and how that reverberates out into all of these families.”
Rico said the trip was “an absolute emotional roller coaster.” They had nightly debriefings but felt they had enough natural skills to work through their emotions.
While there, the two shared their yoga and meditation skills. “The kids loved it.” Every time they got a thumbs up for a pose, they clapped. During savasana, Rico said “nobody made a peep… just to have time with them on that level in that kind of quiet zone was really touching.”
The Amandas are now brainstorming what might be next.
“I feel at home with it and so lucky I got to go,” Rico said. “All those people that gave money, I can show them photos of these little smiling faces that learned how to make jewelry, how to cook, languages, how to play a musical instrument… to just be able to keep bringing awareness into this community, and global awareness.”
Bringing Art Heaven back to Rails End
Rails End Gallery & Art Centre is bringing back Art Heaven.
Curator Laurie Jones said the show and sale of original art, craft and vintage items was hugely popular in 2015 and 2016.
“Rails End found loving homes for dozens of pre-loved art objects, at prices well within reach of art-lovers,” she said.
Now, she and her crew are on the hunt for community contributions for the 2023 version to be held next month.
“This year’s organizers are pretty sure there’s some great original art, pottery, craft and vintage jewelry out there waiting for another chance to be seen and appreciated,” Jones said.
Past donations have included soapstone carving, vintage jewelry past its prime, original oil paintings from an estate, framed limited editions, and even a funky sculpture created from railway spikes.
“The sky really is the limit at Art Heaven,” Jones said, adding, “all the better if your contribution comes with a good story.”
She said potential contributors may have recently downsized or are in the midst of refreshing their collection. She added this is an opportunity to help a not-for-profit community art gallery.
Jones said the cut-off date for drop-off is Nov. 11.
Art Heaven opening night is Friday, Nov. 17 from 6-8 p.m. and the event continues until Dec. 18 during regular gallery hours. All proceeds go to support Rails End Gallery and Arts Centre, located in Haliburton’s vintage rail station.
Contact: Laurie or Michelle at info@ railsendgallery.com or call 705-457-2330 to learn how you and/or your art can become involved in Art Heaven 2023.