I have spent a considerable amount of time over the past two-plus years writing about cell towers.
The recipe is generally the same: application comes before council; nearby residents voice their opposition; elected officials debate issues they are explicitly told, by the federal governing body, that they should not consider – things like impact on property values, aesthetic concerns of would-be neighbours, alleged dangers to one’s health; then the project is, eventually, approved.
This week’s Highlander serves up a three-course meal covering all angles of the cell tower issue. In Algonquin Highlands, a local couple has taken exception to the proposed installation of a 91.5 metre tower to be installed on the north side of Boshkung Lake. They say the structure will destroy the “naturally scenic beauty” of the lake and called on Rogers – the company applying to install it – to consider alternate locations.
In short, they are happy for the tower installation to proceed so long as it’s away from their property. Out of sight, out of mind. It’s NIMBYism at its finest.
It should be noted that Stephen Orr, owner of Buttermilk Falls Resort, also addressed Algonquin Highlands council last week, advocating on behalf of the tower’s installation. Not everyone is against them.
Rogers is proposing to construct between 30 and 40 new towers across Haliburton County as part of the Eastern Ontario Regional Network’s $300 million cell gap project. The initiative is designed to improve cellular coverage, connectivity, and capacity for people in the region by 2025.
In my opinion, these towers are desperately needed.
I can appreciate that people who have invested considerable sums into buying their slice of rural paradise don’t want to have to look at an ugly, out-of-place steel rod that stretches hundreds of feet into the air. But, as I’ve written before about the area’s housing crisis and the opposition to projects in that file – which would benefit the wider community – we need to consider the greater good.
Haliburton County is growing. There’s no getting away from that. And with that growth comes a necessity to provide enhanced services. Rogers representative, Christian Lee, said it best when telling Algonquin Highlands council last week the availability of cellular service will soon be seen as being as equally important to people as having access to electricity. To many, it already is.
As we move into a more technological world, it’s imperative we aren’t left behind.
There are safety issues to consider too. As someone who has done a considerable amount of driving around the County, I can tell you first-hand how many cellular ‘dead zones’ exist. One of the worst stretches is County Road 21 between Haliburton and Minden.
While it’s an inconvenience to have calls drop while commuting, I have often wondered what would happen if an animal came running out of the woods in front of my vehicle, or I hit a patch of black ice, while travelling through one of these dead zones. I’d be up creek without a paddle.
There are some reasons why a particular tower site may not be appropriate, mostly environmental – if it’s disturbing a recognized wetland, or displacing species of significance. But in most cases, Rogers has done its homework.
Locations have been strategically chosen to serve as part of a wider network, to eradicate the many dangerous dead zones. I had previously advocated for the installation of monopine structures – smaller tree-like towers that better fit our natural surroundings. I have since been told that would not be feasible – going that route would take EORN’s $300 million project well into the billions, and government would not support that. So, it’s this or nothing.
Not everyone will agree, and I’ve no doubt I’ll continue to see objections to future tower site locations. But I think it’s high time we all got with the program and embraced a project that stands to benefit us all.
Towers desperately needed
Another one bites the dust
For 34 years, a private bus company has operated between Haliburton and Toronto.
It began under the name Can-Ar Coach, but was changed to TOK Coachlines a few years back.
Locals can catch the bus at the Shamrock Service Station in Haliburton, or flag it down at Allsaw, the Shell Service Station on Hwy. 35 in Minden, Miners Bay, Moore Falls, or Coboconk, and make their way south via Lindsay, and Bowmanville.
Initially, passengers were dropped at Bay and Front Street. Then, they were taken to Union Station. In recent times, it’s been Scarborough Town Centre or Vaughn Metropolitan Centre.
At the moment, you can catch the bus in Haliburton at 8 a.m. and be in the city for 12.30 p.m. You can return the same day at 5 p.m. and get home about 9:25 p.m. The cost is $58.50 one-way or $117 return.
For many, it’s worth it, especially if they don’t own a vehicle or hate driving to the city. In a County full of senior citizens, the ‘hate driving to the city’ contingent is large and growing.
However, TOK Coachlines announced Nov. 6 it is discontinuing the service effective Jan. 31, 2024.
A spokesperson for the company said they are not subsidized by any government body. In other words, they get no federal, provincial or municipal funding.
Turning to the Ontario government today, let’s see what they are spending money on. Hmmm, four new GTA subway projects: the Ontario Line from Exhibition Station to the Ontario Science Centre, Yonge North Subway Extension, Scarborough Subway Extension, Eglinton Crosstown West Extension. Then there’s Hamilton Light Rail Transit. Billions of dollars. And, yet, the province of Ontario cannot help out a small, private company trying to get a busload of people from Haliburton to Toronto three times a week? Shame.
I guess there are precarious seats in the GTA the Ford government wants to ensure it retains, or wins. Not much fear about Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock. Dress a goat in blue and it will get elected.
I am also seeing more and more electric vehicle charging stations in Haliburton County. That’s great for the Tesla owners. Not so great for the seniors and young people who cannot afford cars. More and more we are seeing the haves and the have nots in the Highlands. Those Tesla’s are driving by as people line up for that TOK bus at the Shamrock.
So, what can be done?
Maybe MPP Laurie Scott can chat with her government about giving TOK Coachlines a helping hand. While not their mandate, maybe County council can step forward with some funds. They do have money in reserves for transport. This might provide temporary relief for the company to continue the service in the short-term.
But what is really required is a change in philosophy at the provincial government level. It must begin to consider its regional and rural residents in its decision-making. To say we are an afterthought is an understatement. We are not even a thought. And that has to change.
County must be at the table
Ontario is the only province in Canada with an independent, voluntary governance model for hospitals.
As mandated by the Public Hospital Act, a board of directors must oversee individual hospitals.
These boards serve in a governance role and have a fiduciary responsibility to the hospital when fulfilling their primary duties, which include financial oversight and developing a mission, vision, and strategic plan for the hospital.
Further, the Excellent Care For All Act, passed in 2010, strengthened the responsibility of boards, regarding oversight for the quality of care delivered within hospitals.
The Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) has traditionally struggled to get enough people to put their names forward for the board. We’ve heard from some applicants, seemingly good ones, who never got a call back.
Historically, the boards have tended to give much of their power to the president and CAO of the day. With all due respect to current and past members, in recent years, It has not been a particularly strong board.
That is partially why the closure of the Minden emergency department in June has garnered so much criticism. While the board has closed ranks to insist it was involved in every stage of the decision, it has opened itself to rebuke. If the job is to provide financial oversight, for example, why was HHHS allowed to amass a $4 million debt? Why did it allow the closure of a hospital ED with only six weeks’ notice?
For this very reason, County council is perfectly within its rights to demand two seats at the board table as a condition of giving HHHS $1 million to put towards a CT scanner and CT mammography unit.
The argument for not having a council rep in the past was fear of political interference. Yet, one or two members are not going to swing a vote on what is now a 12-member board.
The Ross Memorial Hospital board in Lindsay has a council appointee, ward 5 coun. Eric Smeaton, who is an ex-officio voting director. So, there is very close precedent for what the County of Haliburton is seeking.
Further, the County has financial skin in the game so should be there. It pays for a physician recruitment coordinator and leases homes in Minden and Haliburton to place doctors for the family health teams and HHHS.
Warden Liz Danielsen alluded to HHHS perhaps being amenable to having County representation but that it might have to wait until the 2024 annual general meeting.
Acting CAO Veronica Nelson wouldn’t comment on that when The Highlander asked the question.
However, with $1m dangling in the wind, we expect Nelson and the board to turn this around much quicker than next year’s AGM. Bylaws can be revisited and changed anytime. We encourage HHHS to do its due diligence, get a legal opinion if it must, but move quickly on appointing at least one member of County council to its board as soon as possible.
Take a moment to remember
Every year when I get a new calendar, one of the first things I do is go to Nov. 11 and use my red pen to designate it as a working day. No matter what.
There are few events more important, in my mind, to cover than the annual Remembrance Day services. I’ve done one every year since 2013 – first out in Bonnyville, Alberta; then a handful in Orangeville; and, for the past two years, the offerings here in Haliburton County. This year, I’ll be attending the service in Minden.
I always look forward to it. The services, especially here in Haliburton, are a spectacle. There’s typically 50 or so people who march from the Legion on Mountain Street down to the Cenotaph on Highland Street. Both roads are closed to traffic, and hundreds line the streets to pay their respects.
In many ways, I feel these services are more important than ever. We’re now more than 100 years removed from the end of the First World War. It’s been 78 years since the Allied forces declared victory in the Second World War. The number of people still alive, who can remember what times were like then, the impacts and long-term consequences of war, are dwindling.
In short, we rely on Remembrance Day services as the primary source to keep the memory of those who sacrificed so much in the name of peace and freedom alive. We owe everything we have and hold dear today to those who served.
I’m feeling it a bit this year, as this is the first time I haven’t been able to sit down and speak with a Second World War veteran. The handful of stories I’ve put together over the past decade are some of the most memorable and treasured pieces I’ve ever done.
In 2015, I had the pleasure of attending a ceremony honouring William McGregor, an at-the-time 92-year-old WWII veteran who served as a medic on the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day landings. He was surprised when, at the service, he was presented with the Knight in the Legion of Honour – the highest national order of France – for his efforts during the war.
I remember sitting down with him afterwards as he recounted some of the memories he’d done his best to suppress in the years since. Knowing what these people went through – many of them still kids at the time – always sends a shiver down my spine.
In 2017 I met Sir Fred Heber, a member of the 12th Field Royal Canadian Artillery Regiment. He was there on D-Day, storming Juno Beach with his brothers in arms. He was stoic as he recalled seeing countless friends cut down by German gunners, while he continued to push forward. He spent more than a year fighting in mainland Europe and was actually in German territory when the war was won Sept. 2, 1945.
In 2021, I met with Harold Rowden at the Haliburton Legion. Serving with the 3rd Division of the 13th Field Regiment, Rowden was a dispatch rider tasked with collecting messages from one checkpoint and delivering them to another. He survived the horror of Juno Beach and later was commended for saving a commanding officer’s life, after his unit had been shelled near Courseulles-sur-Mer in France. He was eventually discharged after being severely injured in the Battle for Caen.
Last year, I shared Cec Bailey’s story. A truck driver, charged with delivering weapons and ammunition to the front lines, Bailey also participated in the D-Day landings. Like every other veteran I’ve interviewed, Bailey didn’t enjoy talking about the war, and wouldn’t accept any credit for his efforts.
“I’m no hero, I just did what I had to do. What was right,” Bailey said.
Please, this Saturday, take a moment to remember. Without people like Cec, Harold, Fred, and William, we wouldn’t have the lives we have today.
Storm U15 silver stick champs
On Sunday, Dec. 10, the Pepper Mill Steak and Pasta House U15 LL team faced off against the Kemptville Royals at the A.J. LaRue Arena for the semi-final game of the U15 LL Silver Stick tournament.
In the first period, both teams were back-and-forth in each end but no goals were scored. Next, Eric Mueller finally scored his first goal of the game with only two minutes remaining in the period. It was 1-0 Storm going into the third period.
The third period started with Mueller scoring his second goal of the game. With five minutes left in the third, Brayden Hamilton scored to make it 3-0 Storm, propelling the team into the finals.
The championship game was against the Brock Wild.
The first and second period saw both teams battling to get a goal but neither could get one between the pipes.
In the third period, however, the Storm got a powerplay opportunity where Isaac Borgdorff scored a goal 33 seconds in. Unfortunately for the Wild, another penalty was called and the powerplay continued. The Storm capitalized as Mueller scored to make the final score 2-0, leading to the home town team heading to Niagara Falls in January for the Silver Stick International Finals.
Huskies hold on for fifth straight win
The hometown Huskies’ Izayah Luddington scored his third goal of the season Dec. 9 to secure a blue and white 3-2 win over the Pickering Panthers.
The assists on the game-winning goal went to a red-hot Patrick Saini, his 27th helper of the season, and Lucas Stevenson, with his 14th dish.
Saini was named Warrior East Conference player of the month for November, after he led the entire 24-team league with 22 points in 10 games.
“Those are cool awards to win. You never really see them coming but when you get them, it’s cool,” Saini said Dec. 11.
It was the captain who opened the scoring in this game at the S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena, potting one home at 9:05 from Stevenson.
In the second frame, Ty Petrou notched his eighth on the year, from Saini and Luddington.
While the Huskies looked to have this game in hand, the Panthers had other ideas. Joey Zhang scored at 9:32 of the second. Then, Joey Crngarov scored at 7:36 of the third to notch it at twos, before Luddington broke the tie and sent the Huskies to a record of 17 wins, 13 losses and two ties for 36 points, and seventh in the East Conference. It marked the Huskies fifth straight win.
Brett Fullerton was between the pipes, stopping 27 of 29 shots.
It was another three-point night for Saini, who now has 22 goals, and 27 assists, for 49 points on the season.
He felt the whole team “was going” and played with “excitement” Saturday afternoon. “It was a big game. We’re trying to climb the standings. We’re been playing really good. I think everybody was really working and motivated to get that win. Now we’re starting to look forward to this weekend as well, going into Christmas.”
Saini said coming back after giving up the two-goal lead – including the Panthers second on a bounce – was huge. “It shows how much we’ve grown as a group because those goals can be back-breakers and send you into a bit of a spiral. I think it brought us closer together and we made sure we were able to score not too long after and hold onto the lead.”
Saini said they are “not out of the race by any means. It’s such a close race that if you keep going on this tear, you might be able to jump up quite a few spots. I think we’re really starting to come together as a team. All the boys are close. We had a lot of younger guys at the start of the year. It was a whole new level for them. I think they’re really starting to figure out how they need to play in their role, the speed, and it’s starting to show on the ice for us.”
The Huskies are at home Dec. 16 to the North York Rangers. Puck drop is 4 p.m. The squad then travels to Markham Dec. 17 for a 1:30 p.m. tilt before heading into their Christmas break. After Christmas, they are home Dec. 29 to the Toronto Patriots at 7 p.m., and then Dec. 31 to the Wellington Dukes at 2 p.m.
New business about empowering women
When Wind in the Willows owner Sylvia Hollard noticed the former Evergreen Gallery was closing, she began to imagine a new space for women that would heal their mind, body and spirit.
The long-time Haliburton spa owner went to have a look at the soon-to-be vacant digs at 158 Highland St.
She recalls thinking, “you know what? We could have three rooms here. We could do this. We could do that.”
The ‘we’ included long-time Wind in the Willows client, and new employee, Shannon Feir, a nurse with more than 30 years’ experience.
They contacted the owner, the same owner of the Wind in the Willows building, to say they were interested in taking over the lease up the street, “and the rest is history,” Holland said.
History – or in this case herstory – was made the night of Dec. 7 as Willow Organics held its grand opening.
The Feir family did a lot of the renovating, with help from a drywaller, and finishing work by ACM Designs.
Holland and Feir are co-owners of the new enterprise.
“Shannon is the nurse and I’m the aesthetician,” Holland says while showing off the space.
One room features a new laser machine, and staff have been trained on how to use it for various treatments. Feir has been trained to do injectables.
“She’s great at what she does,” Holland says. “She has 30-odd years of nursing experience. That’s what I wanted.”
She added, “Shannon and I work very, very well together. Our mindset is very much the same in that we wanted to be eco-conscious. We wanted it to be organic.”
They are featuring an organic line of products from Hungary (Eminence Organic Skin Care) with a head office in Vancouver. Holland enthuses that the company plants a tree for every product sold. Another item is Chloe and Crown candles, with a pledge to feed a child for every product sold.
For Holland, who has been in business 30 years, the new venture is “exhilarating. I love what I do. I love working with people because when I give, I get.” She will continue to run Wind in the Willows and split her time between both businesses. Feir will also be at the spa doing non-organic injections.
Feir said for the two, it’s all about empowering women. “It’s more than just beauty. It’s just connectedness.”
For example, she said some women come in for Botox injections, and she sometimes talks them out of it, because she senses they have come because they are angry with their husband or struggling with their children and “they just want to feel better.
“From a nurse’s perspective, everyone’s nervous system is a hot mess. They’re putting chemicals on their face that are giving them cancer. It’s not healthy. If you look at organic services and organic products, we believe it’s about education about those products, and about the nervous system. Everyone is stuck in fight or flight, which causes chronic disease.
“So, if you can come into a place where you can drop your shoulders, take a deep breath, reset your nervous system, and learn how to do that in a place that’s safe, since a lot of people don’t want to go to counselling or other modalities. But they will come for what we offer.
“Women need to be empowered to put themself on the priority list. Coming in here for treatments is putting themselves on the priority list. It’s why we created memberships,” Feir said.
Holland agreed it’s all about nurturing. “Our nervous systems are up to here… if you can find a little sanctuary, somewhere you can go and be nourished, mind, body and spirit, whether it’s a laser… and I’ve done laser and had someone crying on the bed, which had nothing to do with laser – it was a safe place to let it go. We want to create that space where they can let their hair down, let it all out, or just let us hold a space for them. It’s a place where, when they walk out, they’re going to feel better than when they came in.”
Willow Organics is at 158 Highland St. Haliburton. You can find out about their offerings at willoworganics.ca. You can email them at info@willoworganics.ca or call 705457-1416.
Boshkung Brewing closing Lakeside locale
The Boshkung Lakeside retail operation in Carnarvon is closing permanently Dec. 31.
Once the flagship location for the Boshkung Brewing Co. brand, the space has been noticeably less busy in recent years, says co-owner Mathew Renda. A decline in sales, rejig of the company’s brewing practices, and renewed focus on food services, has rendered the site redundant, Renda added.
“It’s a difficult decision and not one we’ve taken lightly… this pivotal establishment has been the birthplace of numerous flagship beers over the years. But it was time for us to say goodbye,” Renda said. “It used to be super popular and busy, but that’s slowed down over time.”
When he and business partner, Mike Rae, bought the business earlier this year, one of their primary goals was to establish Boshkung as a leading player in the Highlands’ food and hospitality space. That was going to be a practical impossibility at Lakeside, given it operated out of the same building as Rhubarb Restaurant.
“We couldn’t do our own food there, so that limited us,” Renda said.
With Rhubarb being on the market, there was uncertainty over what a potential sale could mean for Lakeside, which Renda noted also factored into the decision.
Boshkung Brewing Co. was launched by Chris and Teri Mathews-Carl, who also own Rhubarb, in 2014. The brand expanded into downtown Minden in 2016, with the opening of Boshkung Social. After Renda and Rae bought the company, they brought Truss Foodworks into the fold, rebranding as Boshkung Smokehouse in fall 2023. The company has a restaurant located in Haliburton Forest, and a seasonal operation on Kennisis Lake during the summer.
Around 90 per cent of Boshkung’s business this year has been done at the Social and Smokehouse, Renda said.
Renda paid homage to the previous owners for helping to establish the Boshkung brand, in the Highlands and beyond.
“We are super appreciative for all they’ve done – they started the business; this was their vision and now we’re trying to push it forward. This felt like the right time for us to move out on our own and start to build our own empire,” Renda said.
Lochlin hall future in doubt
Minden Hills council, on Nov. 30, directed the Lochlin Community Centre advisory committee to meet to discuss the future of the beleaguered hamlet hall.
Manager of parks, recreation and facilities, Candace McGuigan, said, on Nov. 30, they’d hired Tulloch Engineering to have a look at the community centre and they have deemed it to be in poor to fair condition. They have recommended the township either repair it, at a cost of $366,000, or demolish it and construct a new centre, at a cost of $600,000.
The hall has been closed since the onset of COVID-19 for health and safety reasons, McGuigan said.
“Prior to 2019, the facility had issues with the roof leaking into one of the washroom areas. The repair to the roof had been budgeted, but due to staffing changes, and the pandemic, the necessary repairs were not accomplished,” she said in a written report.
“The result was mould growth in one of the washroom areas, which required remediation, and the removal of wall and ceiling materials in that area. This closed that washroom to the facility, and to date is in an unfinished state. The roof was subsequently replaced in late 2021,” she said.
In the spring of 2022, McGuigan said staff were preparing to open the facility for rentals once again, but during a cleaning inspection noticed there had been significant water leaks in the basement, and the kitchen area had some mould.
Staff contracted Pinchin Ltd. to investigate the mould and they said it was impacting the air quality in the whole facility. They also found other hazardous materials, including asbestos and lead paint, that will impact the remediation and necessitate precautions required by provincial regulations, in addition to those necessary for mould remediation.
Pinchin provided staff with a proposal to assist the municipality with the preparation of a scope of work, the selection of a contractor, oversite, and air monitoring of the mould remediation. The quoted price was $12,625, plus H.S.T. McGuigan said that does not include the actual remediation or removal of materials, as that pricing would be determined through the RFP process with Pinchin. She said subsequently, Tulloch was contracted and completed a building condition assessment on July 20, 2023.
In the interim, McGuigan said the heat is set at 57 degrees and unused appliances have been turned off and cleaned. Hydro has been reduced from 553 kWh to 150 kWh. Internet is still being supplied as a report from IT showed large outside usage from August to October, and minimal usage the remainder of the year. McGuigan added rodent control continues and staff are monitoring the building regularly.
McGuigan said $366,000 to $600,000 was a “substantial cost” and they need to know what the community is looking for in terms of a hall going forward.
Deputy mayor Lisa Schell suggested coun. Bob Sisson, who is the ward councillor, and sits on the committee, convene a meeting. She noted the committee was re-established in 2023. “Have a discussion. It (the hall) has a lot of history within the community. A lot of the members of the committee are not going to want a new building plopped on the property. It won’t hold the same. I think we need community input, especially from that committee, before this council makes any decision.”
Coun. Tammy McKelvey said she also sits on the committee and has been trying to get a meeting, with full reports.
Sisson added, “is there such a thing as getting a second opinion? Just taking it for granted that these people are saying $366,000, $600,000, whatever.” He suggested talking to a local engineering firm. “There’s a lot of old things that get repaired. Why are we just going to demolish it? It doesn’t make any sense.” He said a number of municipal buildings have faults. “I don’t understand why everybody is against this hall.”
He noted the community centre was declared an emergency shelter in flooding, so has a use. “I think we owe it to these people to let them know what’s going on. We’ve been dragging this on, and keeping it a secret from them for months. They need to know what’s going on.”
Mayor Bob Carter said the report was a starting point. He added he did not think anybody was against the hall, but it had been closed for over two years due to mould and asbestos.
He added, “the first step is to have this meeting, see where it goes, these people (the committee) can make recommendations but are not making decisions. Decisions will be made here.”
New waste contract ‘good news’ for Dysart
A new five-year contract for the hauling and disposal of construction and demolition (C&D) waste in Dysart et al could stand to save taxpayers around $2 million in projected costs.
Environmental manager, John Watson, said an agreement with York 1 Rosewarne Transfer Ltd. represents a 45 per cent decrease in hauling costs, and 61 per cent decrease in disposal costs compared to its current deal with Mid-Ontario Disposal, which expires Dec. 31.
The arrangement with York 1 will kick in Jan. 1, 2024, and run to Dec. 31, 2028.
Addressing council Nov. 28, Watson said the township received four bids for the contract, with York 1 offering haulage at $800 per trip, and disposal for $60 per metric tonne. Under the current agreement with Mid-Ontario, Dysart pays $1,442 per haul, and $152.44 per metric tonne disposed.
Year-to-date, up to Oct. 31, Dysart has collected 3,584.38 tonnes of C&D waste at the Haliburton, Harcourt, and West Guilford landfill sites, and had 94 trailer loads of materials shipped away, for a total cost of $681,893.
Under the terms of this new deal, those same numbers would run the township $290,262, so an approximate savings of $391,630.
“This is good news… there is definitely a cost benefit to us [in this] new agreement,” Watson said. He noted there would be annual CPI adjustments implemented from 2025 to 2028.
Dysart upped its C&D waste collection fees earlier this year, after the township saw its costs spike almost 38 per cent from 2021 to 2022. Furniture disposal doubled, rising to $20; the cost per cubic yard of C&D waste climbed from $60 to $100; while combinations of garbage, recycling, and C&D waste went from $120 per cubic metre to $200.
There is a plan to purchase and install a weigh scale at the Haliburton landfill, which Watson said earlier this year could see all C&D waste routed to the site in future. Currently, the township also accepts C&D waste at its Harcourt and West Guilford locations.
Electronics accepted
Starting in the new year, residents will once again be able to dispose of electronic waste (EEE) at all five landfill sites in Dysart.
Dysart entered into an agreement with Com2 Recycling Solutions in 2021 to handle the collection of qualifying materials in the township.
The company stipulated it would only collect from one landfill site, per new provincial regulations, forcing Dysart to stop accepting electronic recyclables at Harcourt, Kennisis Lake, West Bay and West Guilford landfills.
The company has proposed reinstating collections, starting Jan. 1, 2024. Watson said the company would install outdoor metal cages at all landfill sites, picking them up when they’re full. Watson noted this is a money maker for the township, with Com2 set to pay $110.23 per metric tonne collected.
To recycle, or not
Watson has pitched a revamp of the municipality’s mattress and box spring disposal protocols.
Currently, the items are processed as garbage at Haliburton, Harcourt, and West Guilford dump sites, with residents paying $20 per item. Watson is proposing Dysart work with Woodbridge-based company Recyc-Mattress to recycle them instead. He noted it would improve the township’s waste diversion rate.
The estimated cost is $15,650 per year based on bin rental, haulage, and recycling of 500 units. Watson said the township could recoup this by upping its mattress and box spring disposal fees to $30 per item. He proposed the program be implemented at the Haliburton landfill site only, with collections at Harcourt and West Guilford discontinued.
Watson added a similar program had recently been implemented in Minden Hills.
Coun. Pat Casey was worried increasing the fees for the second time in 12 months could lead to an increase in illegal dumping. Fearrey felt it was more cost effective to continue landfilling the items. The proposal will be discussed again in the new year.