Minden Hills director of community services, Craig Belfry, is leaving the township.

Mayor Bob Carter confirmed the news July 24.

He said the circumstances are similar to the pending departure of CAO Trisha McKibbin

“He’s been around for two-and-a-half years or so, got the department built, got the arena opened, which was a huge feat,” Carter said.

The mayor added, “if you’re upwardly mobile, you use that on your resume to go to bigger centres.”

Belfry started with the township on Nov. 2, 2020, coming from the Township of Brock. Prior to that, he had worked at Springwater, and for Scugog. He replaced former director Mark Coleman, who resigned in January 2020 to go to Brockton.

At that time, McDonald Bros. Construction Inc. was finishing the multi-milliondollar S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena and Community Centre project. Belfry was also responsible for brokering the deal that brought the Haliburton County Huskies to the arena.

“It’s a bigger job and it’s hard for us to compete,” Carter said.

Belfry did not respond to a request for comment as of press time.

As for public perception of a revolving door at the township, Carter said in the last week, they had hired six new people, with another two or three expected to be hired soon.

“We’re filling up staff, which is great. But you’re going to have these types of things. Again, if you hire good people, they’re going to be recruited. And right now, in municipal jobs right across Ontario, there’s dire shortages in almost every one of those municipal jobs.”

Recent hires

Carter said some recent hires due to seasonality, retirements, resignations and leave-of-absences include: a director of building/bylaw/planning or CBO, casual planner, manager of parks, recreation and facilities, planning technician, manager of planning services and manager of waste facilities. He added they have offer letters our to two more and are recruiting for five to six other positions.

Carter added “it’s going to be this way. You hope to be able to keep them for three years or so and get the best you can out of them and continue to build on that. But it’s not necessarily that Minden’s a terrible place to work or anything. It’s not.”

Carter said with local government in small regional areas, townships are fortunate to get someone like a Mike Rutter (The County of Haliburton CAO) who is highly-qualified and truly local.

“Unfortunately, when you have the County and four townships, we don’t have enough locals to fill all of those positions so you start hiring from outside and those people, they don’t have the ties to the community that others might.”

He acknowledged there are municipal headhunters looking to poach staff.

“There’s probably half-a-dozen headhunters in Ontario who basically recruit for all of the municipalities and they know the list of people and they keep track. They place somebody in town, they’ll know that three years from now, all of a sudden that person is a potential recruit for another position.”

He added because the OMERS pension is transferrable, municipal employees can move around. “You can look at every municipal job in all of Ontario as being one of the positions.”

If the County’s four municipalities were to implement a municipal accommodation tax (MAT), it could generate more than $3.4 million in revenue annually, director of economic development, Scott Ovell, told County council July 26.

In a written report, Ovell based his projections on a calculation of 1,300 short-term rental hosts being charged a four per cent MAT. He said 80 per cent would have to remit the tax with a medium nightly rental rate of $348, and based on an average occupancy rate of 65 per cent.

The director said it would more than cover some preliminary items in the 2023 economic development and tourism budget, such as wayfinding signage, marketing, Hike Haliburton programs, economic development strategy works and web design and maintenance.

“The savings created by this approach could then be redirected towards other programs and/or services provided by the County,” Ovell said.

The County is considering implementing a MAT along with short-term rental licensing. Both items were on the agenda for discussion.

A MAT is a tax imposed on accommodation rentals, and in the Highlands would only be applied to STRs.

Ovell prepared an updated report for council Wednesday. He was involved in the implementation of a MAT when he was economic development officer for the Town of Huntsville.

He was asking council for the green light to prepare a bylaw for the lower-tier municipalities. They are the only ones who can implement a MAT tax, not the County.

He added staff would need to create a Municipal Services Corporation, which would handle the money collected to go towards things such as destination marketing.

In his report Ovell said, “based on staff’s research, we have identified some key areas the townships and County council will need to consider prior to adopting a MAT bylaw.” He also encouraged Algonquin Highlands, Dysart et al, Highlands East and Minden Hills to be “consistent” if they go forward with the initiative.

With reference to collection, he said in regions such as Haliburton County, where there are potentially 1300-plus Airbnb and VRBO hosts, the administration of the program could become a challenge and may require dedicated staff.

His recommendation is to use the same third-party provider potentially to be used for the STR program. He also said both programs should be implemented simultaneously.

Ovell further cautioned in his report, “the collection of the MAT tax on short-term rentals has proven more challenging. In the fall of 2019, most third-party online hosts, Airbnb, VRBO indicated to municipalities they would no longer collect and remit this tax on behalf of their guests, citing inconsistencies in taxation rates, licensing programs etc.”

He said his research has found the majority of municipalities have implemented a two to four per cent rate, with four per cent being most common. That’s the rate in Barrie, Brockville, Cornwall, Huntsville, Gravenhurst, Greater Sudbury, Mississauga, Ottawa, Toronto, Prince Edward County, Waterloo, and Windsor. He’s recommending four per cent here.

As for where the money goes, Ovell said a township must provide at least 50 per cent of the MAT revenue collected, after reasonable administrative costs, to an “eligible tourism entity” for the exclusive purpose of promoting tourism. He said it must be a non-profit or government entity whose mandate includes the promotion of tourism in Ontario or in a municipality

He said it can’t go directly to the County. “This challenge is not uncommon and other municipalities have looked at alternative organizational models to resolve this issue, to ensure financial transparency, accountability, and that the funds are used appropriately,” Ovell said.

He recommended a municipal services corporation be incorporated by the County, similar to what has been done in Prince Edward County. He further suggested the board consist of County councillors. He added they could include industry representation.

As for how the money would be used, he noted the Town of Gravenhurst designates 40 per cent to the town and 60 per cent to a yet-to-be-determined tourism organization. In Huntsville, it’s 30 per cent to the town and 70 per cent to the Huntsville Municipal Accommodation Tax Association

Ovell added the money can be spent on municipally-owned tourism assets, such as visitor information centres and museums, economic development programming, parks, trails, marketing, local events and organizations, and even affordable housing.

He suggested if a MAT were to be implemented, it consist of a 50/50 revenue split between the townships and eligible tourism organizations.

As for the STR file, director of planning, Stephen Stone, presented a refined bylaw to council with additional considerations, renters and licensee code of conducts, and an example of a STR application.

See what’s been decided at thehighlander.ca and in next week’s Highlander

CLARIFICATION: A story headlined Neighbour dispute descends into slurs and an editorial Just a little respect in the July 27 issue indicated neighbours of Matt Saade in a Maple Lake, Algonquin Highlands neighbourhood were caught on camera uttering a homophobic slur. The person who said the words is Roy Halstead, of Kitchener. He does not own property in the neighbourhood. He was visiting his mother-in-law, a neighbor of Saade, at the time of the July 8 incident. He, as well as his wife, Katrina Halstead, were subsequently charged with criminal harassment. The Halsteads have nothing to do with a dispute over the shore road allowance. The Highlander apologizes for any suggestion that neighbours in the community are homophobic, or have vandalized Saade’s property.

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A neighbourhood dispute on Maple Lake in Algonquin Highlands has escalated, with Matt Saade saying he and his family are victims of homophobic hate crime.

Saade, his partner, Filipe Santos, and their young son, moved to the Highlands in November 2020.

Saade concedes relations with some neighbours have been strained over work the two have done on their property. Those works have also attracted attention from the Township of Algonquin Highlands, the County of Haliburton, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Saade further admits he has been “reactive” to his neighbours’ complaints, but it’s now gone to a whole other level.

Saade installed security cameras, and shared a recent video clip with the paper. In it, an adult male, who appears to be carrying a can of alcohol, is wearing a sign on this chest partially reading, ‘hey asshole…go away now’ while extending his middle finger and saying ‘f* you, you faggot.’ An adult woman, also drinking, says ‘f* you.”

There are two, what appear to be, teenagers, and another woman in the frame as the couple proceed to sit on a bench across from Saade and Santos’ driveway.

Saade said it’s bad enough it’s homophobia, but the fact it appears it was witnessed by children, is “terrible. It’s a terrible message.”

Saade shows a text from Haliburton Highlands OPP Const. Matthew Taylor. It says a male and female had been arrested and charged for criminal harassment. It says the two were released on an undertaking not to communicate with Saade or Santos directly or indirectly, and not to attend within 200 metres of their address…”

OPP Const. Michael Melnychuk confirmed the text was from OPP following a July 8 complaint.

Danielsen says slur ‘crosses a line’

Saade added he is in the midst of seeking a restraining order against nine of his neighbours.

He further claims he and Santos’ property has been repeatedly vandalized over the past two-and-a-half years.

“They’re trying to intimidate us because they don’t want us here,” Saade said.

“They’ve told us numerous times ‘we don’t want your kind in this community’.”

‘Will not be tolerated’

The township has so far denied Saade’s request to purchase the shore road allowance in front of his property

On April 25, 2022, it e-mailed Saade referencing the ongoing matter of disputed property boundaries and structures on the township shore road allowance fronting his property. It added it was writing, “to bring to the attention of both property owners involved that there are major differences between what is considered an OPP, civil and township matter.

“A significant amount of staff time has been devoted to this escalating neighbour dispute for which a number of the events the township has no jurisdiction over and cannot resolve,” planner Sean O’Callaghan wrote.

The letter said allegations of threats to personal safety, trespassing and destruction of private property are police matters, while accusations of works being completed without permission on a person’s property, or the removal of survey stakes, are considered a civil matter.

The township said its only jurisdiction is shore road allowances. It added in past issues involving irregularly-shaped shore road allowances, council has encouraged those involved to come to an agreement. That has yet to happen.

The letter goes on to say, “the disturbing and escalating behaviour occurring on township property will not be tolerated.”

‘Line has been crossed’

Mayor Liz Danielsen said disputes between neighbouring property owners are always unfortunate and can become extremely challenging, particularly when police and bylaw enforcement are called in on a regular basis. “Strong emotions come into play and often result in inappropriate action being taken by the parties involved,” she said.

“However, when people decide to lower themselves to shouting cruel and homophobic taunts at their neighbours, a line has been crossed. In addition, it is certainly counterproductive to reaching any resolution to the initial dispute. The most recent incident is nothing short of disgraceful and the folks involved in this totally unacceptable behaviour should be ashamed of themselves.”

Minden Pride chair, Allan Guinan, said they were “saddened and sickened” by the video.

“We obviously condemn those kinds of actions. What we want to do is just lead our lives openly, truthfully and with happiness without any fear. It’s those kinds of incidents that reiterate the need for Pride and the need to be able to stand up and say, ‘we want to just be a respected and welcome part of the community’.”

This summer, Dorset social service groups are joining forces to celebrate community volunteers and attract visitors to the hamlet.

The Dorset Community Partnership Fund (DCPF), a local community charity, is joining with the Dorset Lions, Dorset UCW, Dorset Fire Department and local business to host a family-centred musical evening with the Shipyard Kitchen Party July 22, at 5:30 p.m.

Collin Reaney, a board member for the DCPF, said the Shipyard Kitchen Party, with American heart and East Coast soul, blends strong storytelling, vocal harmony, and crowd–pleasing love of entertaining into a fresh take on the singer-songwriter genre.

“They’re Gordon Lightfoot having a dram too many with Great Big Sea, Stan Rogers crossed with Who’s Line is it Anyway. With traditional instrumentation, catchy pop hooks and sly humour, they get the audiences stomping their feet, laughing and sometimes shedding a tear.”

The event will be held at the Dorset Pavilion Park. The park was developed more than 12 years ago by the community as a DCPF project.

The Dorset Lions will do a summer BBQ from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Proceeds will go towards the Dorset Community Health Care Hub, related programs such as Food Security (Dorset UCW), the pharmacy support program, and park upgrades (Children’s Park and Cedar Narrows).

The Dorset Fire Department will have volunteers to help out. At the intermission, they will be honouring multiple community volunteers.

Reanney said, “Dorset has had a couple of years of depressed tourism activity due to a number of factors including COVID, less travel to the community, and fewer visitors.”

An anchor feature, the SS Bigwin, was not sailing due to a major investment in repairs and refurbishment, but will be sailing this season. Robinson’s General Store was also closed for several months.

“Now under new management, we want to call out loud and be clear – we are open for business,” Reanney said. “We are re-engaging our community volunteers and working to build hope and pride in our community. This will go a long way to instilling community pride and social responsibility going forward.”

He said that is why the project is dubbed “Declaring Dorset a Vibrant Community. “We want to encourage visitors to witness all of our unique attractions, like our nature trails and the Dorset Tower. We want to profile all of our community amenities as we have done in the past.

“We see this event as a celebration – a demonstration that the community is strong and welcoming to visitors. We want to sustain the emergence of this community momentum.”

The penny raffle returned to Wilberforce arena July 15 after being impacted by COVID. It’s been going on for the last 20 years and is a huge fundraising event for the community.

Kathy Rogers, of the Wilberforce FUNraising group said, “it’s amazing how many items were donated this year to the penny raffle.” Donations came from community members and businesses.

People were able to purchase a card of tickets for $25, go around to all the different items, and place their tickets in the bucket for a chance to win that item. There was also a snack bar with cotton candy, children’s games and a hat-making station. Another big hit was Pockets The Clown, making balloon animals for the children.

All of the profits will be going to The Red Cross Outpost and The Wilberforce Agricultural Fair Board. Rogers said their proceeds will go towards community development in the Wilberforce area.

She added they don’t have an exact number yet but can guarantee, based on previous years, that each organization will receive at least $1,000.

Some big prizes were won Saturday night. A Grade 8 grad placed $90 worth of tickets to win a bike. Unfortunately, none of his tickets were drawn. However, the winner donated the bike to the student.

Another big win was for a first time visitor to the event, who won Toronto Maple Leaf tickets. Anyone attending the penny raffle was also encouraged to go across the street to the Lloyd Watson Centre to enjoy a spaghetti dinner.

Celebrating their 10th anniversary, Juno award winner Jane Bunnett and Maqueque bring their unique Afro-Cuban jazz sound to Haliburton Forest July 21.

Considered one of the top 10 touring bands out there right now, the tight all female jazz band has set themselves apart from the rest, stylistically, by playing and practicing with no shortcuts. “We have put the time in. The vocal components intertwine with the various parts of the compositions,” Bunnett said, “and that creates textures that enhance the music.”

Playing With Fire is the band’s fourth album, which they are touring now. “This was created during COVID,” said Bunnett, “so completely different from the style I am used to, but I am so happy with the results.”

No stranger to these parts, Bunnett was able to get the initial ideas and compositions done while waiting out COVID at her cabin north of Bancroft, “So, the material was sort of written in a very isolated circumstance, without being able to workshop any of the materials with the band, none of the girls were with me,” explained Bunnett.

Getting back into the studio, even if it was only with a few of the band at a time, Bunnett considered a luxury. “Being able to bounce things off someone else, because in the cabin there was just me,” she said. “I had never done anything so fast, only two or three days, but we did, and it was great.”

There have been a few changes in Maqueque since its inception, but Bunnett is proud of the talented young women who have played with them, honed their skills, and moved on to create their own groups.

“That is the great thing about Maqueque, people get more experienced, develop their talents and move on,” she said. “It is the natural process of how things go. I feel like now it is a kind of launchpad to be able to bring new talent through, develop the skills, and give them a chance to get out and play.” She said that everyone really supports each other, “It is a pretty nurturing environment, and it is those types of environments that bring out the best in everybody.”

Haliburton Forest & Wildlife Reserve has something new to offer the community this summer, a clay target shooting range.

They have been working on getting the range ready for the last four years, struggling with COVID, and then having to get licences and approvals to be certified.

They opened the range July 1.

I had a chance to give it a try this past weekend on behalf of The Highlander.

Each group of shooters, from a minimum of two to a maximum of six, has a trained guide with them at all times. Guides have undergone firearms safety training.

Before getting to shoot, the guide takes the group through a list of rules about the range and what to do in certain situations. They show you how to properly handle the firearm and how to load and unload it.

The course has something for everyone, with 10 stations available to try. Each station is a little different, whether it be the height the clay is thrown, the speed, or the angle.

General manager, Tegan Legge, said even more advanced shooters can come to the range and have a fun and challenging time. You can even bring your own gun but it needs to be either a 12-gauge shotgun or a 20-gauge. Each group has to use the ammunition provided by the guide and cannot use their own.

The course is one of a kind, as open to the public, unlike many ranges across Ontario.

I went out with Legge and operations manager Cameron Ferguson. They taught me how to properly handle and shoot the firearm. Each station was unique, with different landscapes and challenges. It takes about four-hours, with the drive into the range, instructions, and actual target shooting.

“Our main goal here is to educate people on the sport and firearms safety,” said Ferguson.

The clays are biodegradable so they don’t affect the environment. They have 100 acres dedicated to the range. They wanted to ensure the surrounding campsites and cottages were not going to be bothered by the sound of gunshot when the course is open.

For more information on Haliburton Forest and the clay target shooting range: haliburtonforest.com/sporting-clays-range.

While a raucous Turtle Guardians’ summer camp goes on outside, it’s quieter and darker inside the headquarters of the Haliburton-based charity as Emma Russett oversees nearly 7,460 turtle eggs.

Stacked in Tupperware containers all around her on a table, with others in incubators behind her, the lead incubator technician is doing her daily checks to ensure the artificial nests housing precious eggs have the correct amount of moisture.

The eggs have been excavated from about 340 nests. Turtle Guardian staffers have found them, or people have called the charity about them.

Founder, Leora Berman, said they are on the lookout for vulnerable nests. “In areas where the nest themselves might be predated (something has eaten eggs), or are more likely to be predated, so major corridors, roadways, and where the hatchlings would have difficulty, so highways, construction zones.”

She noted they have a permit to excavate those nests. It is illegal for the public to do so. “Each nest is treated very carefully, gets a unique identifier, the location is recorded, and then the nest comes here to Emma.”

Russett carefully opens one of the containers to check the condition of the eggs. She finds a moldy one. She has to redo the nest and cleans the egg with a bleach solution using a Q-tip.

The eggs have to be kept at a precise temperature and humidity to make sure that they are equally male and female. Berman says it’s called temperature-sex determination. Generally speaking, cooler means males and warmer means females. With climate change, there’s concern there won’t be any males. If the temperature fluctuates a lot, it tends to be predominately female as well.

A computer near Russett contains spreadsheets with nest codes, turtle type, excavation date, who excavated them and the exact locations of where they are from, the weights of the containers, and other notes, such as if they came from dead mothers. “We also exhume eggs from turtles that have passed,” Berman says.

It’s been an unusual year. Berman says they had a greater response from the public, but they’ve had very few Snapping turtles. This year was a good year for Blanding’s turtle nesting activity but yet they saw at least one dead each day this season, and these are already some of the rarest of turtles seen on roads.

Embryos have eyes

As of July 12, the embryos had eyes, and should have had heartbeats. “And we should be able to see those little guys moving around within the next week in the egg,” Berman says.

She said turtles in the nest will chirp to let each other know it’s time to get out of the nest. They have an egg tooth, similar to birds, to get out.

“It really is a lot of work because they’re all coming out at the same time,” Berman says.

She adds, “it’s like a little miracle to watch all these faces staring at you. It’s just amazing. Especially when these faces are so ancient.”

Legally, and biologically, the hatchlings should go back to where they were found within 10 days because they need to return to their territories to preserve DNA families and they will also be hungry.

If a member of the public has called in a nest, they are invited to be part of the release. It can happen in mines, hospital grounds, resorts, construction sites, beaches, and even restaurant and retail storefronts. This year, nests were also found “floating” due to the dry conditions followed by heavy rains. Hatchlings are released within a kilometre of where they were found.

“It’s a lot of fun releasing them,” Berman said. “We don’t just dump them. We release them so they have a fighting chance.” Berman likes to release them midday when predators are least active. They are placed metres apart from each other as they are a bit smelly and are soft and can be “tasty morsels” to other animals. She said once released, their instinct is to burrow in mud and eat the little bugs at the shores.

Without Turtle Guardians, Berman says where humans live, up to 99 per cent of the nests would be predated. She added .06 per cent would hatch and those hatchlings reach adulthood. “So, we’re increasing the chances six times.”

In essence, the Turtle Guardians are doing all of this work to see 15 turtles survive into adulthood. While shockingly low, Berman says “regardless of the low number, that would be close to the number had humans not colonized, developed and everything to the extent we have and keep doing. So we’re just trying to rebalance the scales. Our road survey program, turtle tunnels and the incubation program are to offset our human footprints.”

Russett takes the responsibility seriously. “I definitely can see that there are little lives inside of all of these. I understand the importance of it because they’re so precious and they take so much time to get to adulthood to create more lives.”

She will be excited to see them hatch and be released. “Probably a little sad to see them go but that’s where they’re meant to be.”

Berman said turtles are “dynamic and surprising, and they have their own personalities, which can even be seen in hatchlings, from shy, to scared, to brave or easygoing, based on body language.

“There’s definitely something magical and very sacred about turtles, so when September comes, it’s like something is missing in my life. You have empty nest syndrome, literally.”

Rails End Gallery curator Laurie Jones was up at 6 a.m. July 20, and at the gallery by 7:30 a.m., to review the final layout of the park for this weekend’s 60th annual Haliburton Art and Craft Festival in Head Lake Park.

She’ll be doing a walkabout to make sure the grounds are in the best possible shape for the arrival of approximately 100 vendors. She’ll then hand the mapping to her registration folks who will start getting the artisans settled in from about noon in time for the July 21 opening.

The festival runs July 21-23.

The curated fair will feature clay, glass, fine woodworking and furniture, fashion, fibre and accessories, fine jewelry and adornments, sculpture, visual art for home, office and cottage, and others defying description, according to Jones.

“It’s really good,” Jones added of the variety of vendors.

Upon reflecting last year on who comes to the festival, Jones said she changed one category name to ‘art for home, office and cottage’ from ‘fibre. “What the heck is fibre already?” she said with a laugh. The name change resonated. “People like that really small, local kind of thing.”

Whatever the name, she said the key is that work is handcrafted.

“That’s really important. We tell everybody this is a celebration of craft, craftsmanship, innovation. Things are interesting, and you have a connection to these objects because you’re dealing directly with the person who made them. That’s the kind of philosophy underpinning it.”

It is also a marketplace. Vendors want to interact with the public, Jones said, and sell.

The weekend is also packed with entertainment.

On July 21, people can learn about ways to minimize waste and live low-impact with Jigsaw Organizing Solutions in the Rails End tent. Then, from noon to 3 p.m., both July 21 and 22, there will be paper craft with Sandra Clarke. Jones said Adeilah Dahlke is going to help people create an interesting journal page.

Razzamataz is presenting Ruben Esguerra with his Latin-infused musical entertainment July 22 at 1 p.m. along with DH3. Jones and company are planning to dress up and play some unconventional instruments, such as large ice cream containers, and pot lids, in a “garbage percussion procession,” as they walk through the park to literally drum up interest for Esguerra’s one hour show at the bandshell.

Razzamataz is also presenting an Esguerra drum workshop for kids, July 22 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., at Haliburton United Church. It’s $10 per child via razzamataz.ca.

There will also be a tai chi demonstration on Saturday.

On July 23, they will take the energy down a notch with a crystal bowl sound experience at the bandshell. Jones encourages people to bring yoga mats.

“So, I think that’s all going to be great,” Jones said.

As always, the gallery curator said the other wild card is weather. Last year, they had to cut the festival short due to lightning. Jones has a phone app that tracks lighting strikes. While July 21 is looking like rain, July 22-23 are shaping up to be perfect summer days.

See more at railsendgallery.com.