A groundbreaking ceremony to officially mark the start of construction on the new Summit Wellness Centre was held July 6 in Cobobconk.

The centre will be a hub for community health, and community space for the underserved northern areas of Kawartha Lakes.

By renovating and expanding the historic train station building, the centre will offer more doctors and after-hours care, along with dental, physiotherapy, and many more services, while preserving an important piece of the area’s history.

City of Kawartha Lakes mayor Doug Elmslie said, “today is an exciting day. I’m pleased to share in this milestone event as we break ground on a new and much needed wellness centre. It’s also a reminder of what can be accomplished when Kawartha Lakes comes together with a shared purpose.”

Elmslie thanked the Coboconk, Norland & Area Chamber of Commerce for its leadership on the project. “And we recognize today the countless community members who have fundraised over $1 million so far through a variety of creative ways,” he added. “Thank you to all who have given time and resources to make today possible.”

Chamber board chair, Ian Forster, said, “this is truly a community-driven project.” He added, “the community identified the need for the services that will be housed in the new building and the community came forward with strong support to help make it happen through donations, volunteer time, and community partnerships that are focused on planning for service delivery when the doors open.” He said they were grateful for that, as well as the City of Kawartha Lakes’ “strong commitment to the project.”

During the construction of the building, the project team will continue to work with project partners to build on the gains made so far in the recruitment of physicians and nurse practitioners and other services identified as needed in the area. Fundraising efforts will continue as well to help equip the building.

The Summit Wellness Centre is a $16 million project and plans to open in Spring 2025.

For further information, contact: Jennifer Wilson, general manager Coboconk, Norland & Area Chamber of Commerce 705-3414183 jwilson@coboconknorland.ca. or go to SummitWellnessCentre.ca.

By Kimberly Strong-Knight and William Lebo

Vendors at the Haliburton farmers market say they continue to see less traffic and a downward trend in sales this year.

One of the main reasons, some think, is Dysart et al’s decision to move the market from Head Lake Park to Rotary Park.

Lauren Phillips, manager of the farmers market, said traffic is down as much as 75 per cent.

Keli Schmidt, of Haliburton Clothing Co., said people don’t like the new location.

“We are not visible anymore. It is an inferior location in terms of parking, accessibility, and washrooms. The ground is very uneven and makes it difficult for anyone who has mobility issues.” She also said anyone who has anything to sell knows it only takes making it a tiny bit more difficult to have a massive impact on sales and participation

Marchand Lamarre, of Garlic Clove, agreed, “it has been very discouraging to see the farmers market being singled out as other groups and events continue to use Head Lake Park.” He would like the market to be seen as a major asset to the community, and be prioritized for a permanent location, “as per the Head Lake Rotary Park Master Plan and the Haliburton Highlands 5-Year Destination Management Plan.”

Downtown businesses say they are also feeling the impact.

Laurie Bonfield, of Country Pickin’s, said market day (Tuesdays) was more like a Saturday in town when the market was at the Head Lake Park location, and she’s seen a significant decrease in sales.

Other businesses and restaurants are citing anywhere from a 30 to 70 per cent drop.

Bonnie Hoenow, owner of the Maple Avenue Tap and Grill, said they used to have to stock up for market day, but that is not the case anymore.

Amanda Conn, executive director of the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce, said she is keeping an eye on things.

The decision was made by Dysart over the winter and vendors only informed in the spring.

“We received an email just about two weeks before the market opened,” said Heather Bramham, of Esson Creek Maple. “I wrote to the council right away. I also wrote everybody on the board of directors for the farmers market.” The message she received back from the market manager, on behalf of the board, was they had been contesting the decision and trying to come up with alternatives, but council did not listen.

Phillips said she’s heard the vendors’ concerns and the board is still strategizing, as they want to “maintain a good working relationship” with the council. “We hope to return to Head Lake Park next year, but we will have to meet with the council again.”

Council cited construction of a new playground and potential liability as a result. However, to date, no construction has begun, according to Lamarre, while other groups and events continue to use the space. Dysart has also said the move is temporary, for a year. Some vendors, such as Schmidt and Bramham, are skeptical. “The whole vibe is just not the same,” said Schmidt. “Let’s hope the temporary relocation is true.” Manager of programs and events, Andrea Mueller, did not return phone calls.

Minden Hills is in the process of amending its official plan (OP) and zoning bylaws, with a focus on increasing housing in the township.

During a public meeting June 29, planner Amanda Dougherty of contractor D.M. Wills Associates, said the purpose of the OP amendment “is primarily to introduce more robust policies with respect to additional residential units.” She noted the province recently updated its planning act to make it easier for townships to permit more homes.

Specifically for Minden Hills, Dougherty said the amendments would allow a maximum of two additional dwelling units on a property, provided they are accessed by a publicly-maintained road, comply with other laws, such as the Ontario Building Code and fire codes, have adequate parking, are consistent with the local character, and provide adequate servicing.

The units would not be permitted on waterfront, environmentally-sensitive, or within 300 meters of an at-capacity lake. The new rules would align with the shoreline preservation bylaw and that legal noncomplying structures can be rebuilt on the same footprint, without planning permission.

“Expansions may be permitted but not where a reduction to the established shoreline setback would result,” she added. Dougherty said new lots can front on either a County or township road. She noted they are also looking into not permitting lot creation within one kilometre of a settlement area boundary.

Much of the zoning bylaw changes are housekeeping items. There are, however, proposed revisions impacting waterfront developments. Open decks can project up to 3.5 m into water or front or rear yards, and home industry-home occupations will be allowed in ancillary buildings with restrictions.

Dougherty said they’d had two written comments about additional residential units, “generally in support of those changes that are suggested…”

Ian Clendening, a former Minden Hills town planner who now works in Kingston, but still owns land in Minden Hills, made a delegation. He said while supportive in principle of the amendments for additional residential units, as well as housekeeping, he was concerned with “glaring omissions, a lack of detail and ambiguity.”

Clendening added, “I just wanted to highlight some cursory comments that would be very alarming if the council did choose to approve it. I added further comments that were submitted electronically. I welcome you to make the choice that you feel is appropriate having regard to all information.”

Builder Gary Burtch spoke. He’s also addressed Dysart et al and Highland East meetings on the need for secondary housing units.

He thinks people should be allowed to put a secondary residence on a property if it’s large enough. It could be for an aging parent, Burtch said.

He accepts that new units can’t be created on waterfront lots but said there are plenty of properties across Minden Hills that could be ripe for this sort of development.

He told council he’s thinking of something small, between 800 and 1,200 sq. ft., adding he believes these units should be allowed to have their own septic and well systems installed.

The file is scheduled to return to the council’s July 27 meeting for a second public meeting. For more information, see the report on the Minden Hills council June 29 agenda.

Two Highlands environmentalists are criticizing Dysart et al council for an education-first approach to protecting waterfront and environmentally-protected zones.

Terry Moore, vice-president of Environment Haliburton! said since the Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners’ Associations (CHA) Love Your Lake project, “it’s mind-blowing to me that Dysart can still be seriously debating education versus regulation while natural shorelines keep on being hammered by development pressure.

“Everyone agrees that education about the importance of natural shorelines is essential but it is patently obvious that it is not sufficient.”

Moore added after the Love Your Lake assessment, and despite continuous lake association and CHA educational efforts, “things have not improved one iota and development projects continue to eat away at what’s left.”

He is hopeful the County shoreline preservation bylaw, which went into effect April 1 in Algonquin Highlands, Highlands East and Minden Hills, will start turning that around in “some small way, at least with respect to future major projects.” Dysart et al opted out of the County bylaw for its own made-in-Dysart model.

Council decided at a June 22 meeting to first focus on education and then work to pass a bylaw, with at least one councillor questioning whether a bylaw is actually needed.

Moore said, “we cannot educate our way out of the natural shoreline crisis any more than we can educate our way out of the climate emergency.”

In his opinion, Dysart mayor Murray Fearrey and his council “are just ragging the puck while the same old game grinds on. Travesties like clear-cutting cry out for a site alteration bylaw with teeth in addition to a strong natural shoreline preservation bylaw.”

County director of planning, Steve Stone, confirmed for The Highlander July 10 that there had been a recent clear-cut on Kennisis Lake in which 14 mature trees were felled. Stone said a fine and restoration order had been issued under the County’s tree preservation bylaw.

He added the County is investigating seven additional works without a permit. He did not say in which municipality.

Stone said several exemptions have been granted, and the first permit application was filed last week under the new shoreline preservation bylaw.

Alex McMaster has become the County’s first permit administrator/bylaw compliance officer. He started July 10.

Moore said society doesn’t rely exclusively on education to slow speeding drivers and, “we shouldn’t put all of our eggs in the educational basket when it comes to protecting the ecology on which the entire County’s future depends either – including our precious natural shorelines and wetlands.”

With Dysart having the largest percentage of privately-held land in the County, Moore noted what happens there will have an outsized impact on shorelines, water quality, and biodiversity across the entire region.

“We can’t afford this nonsense and the community will pay dearly for their astounding lack of leadership.”

The Land Between and Turtle Guardians’ founder, Leora Berman, was also critical of Dysart first promoting education with a bylaw not yet in place.

“While education is important, it doesn’t work without pragmatic or enforceable solutions. That has been our experience, and that of our partners at Watersheds Canada, who are the designers of the Love Your Lake program.”

She added, “there have been ample resources, including educational resources, in Haliburton County, thanks to multiple groups, for at least the last 10 years. That has not stopped the over-development of shorelines and the loss of significant fish nurseries and wildlife habitat.”

Highlands residents will be able to get CT scans and mammograms at Haliburton hospital beginning next spring.

Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) acting CEO Veronica Nelson announced July 7 the province had approved its application for a CT scanner.

Haliburton Highlands is the only county in Ontario without one.

In a hospital room that will house the two machines, Nelson said, “the ability to support our patients from the moment they enter our facility, to the instant we have the diagnostic information to treat them, HHHS will soon be able to provide end-to-end diagnosis that truly puts our patients first.”

She handed the podium to MPP Laurie Scott, who said, “we know that early detection and diagnosis of a health issue is more than just a matter of convenience. It has an immense benefit on a person’s quality of life, prognosis and treatment plan. With this new equipment, people in Haliburton County and surrounding areas can expect to receive quicker access to the diagnostic imaging services they need closer to home. Not only will this equipment directly help our community receive diagnostic services but it will alleviate the pressures faced by our local EMS teams and allow them to reduce transportation time outside the area.”

Mammography unit also coming

County EMS chief Tim Waite said the news “was better than Christmas for us.” He added he could not emphasize enough how “game-changing” it was for his paramedic service. “Presently we transport more than 350 patients a year outside of the County to receive specialized diagnostic care. That represents over 2,000 hours that ambulances are outside the County. We will have more ambulances remaining in the County to provide that 911 coverage to all the residents and visitors of Haliburton County.”

Deputy-warden Dave Burton, on behalf of the County, said it was “excellent news, and pretty much all I have to say is ‘wow’.” He added it would go a long way towards furthering efforts to recruit and retain new physicians to the area.

Expertise in diagnostic imaging

Scott singled out Nelson for her work in getting the tools. She said the acting HHHS president has expertise in diagnostic imaging, and her assistance was beneficial to the process.

Nelson said CT scanning has become the standard of care for the diagnosis of many life-threatening conditions, such as stroke, trauma, lung blood clots, and in the investigation of abdominal pain. She added physicians are being trained with this in mind and expect hospitals to have these services available to them.

“If your parent, sibling, or friend falls and hits their head and requires a CT scan, they will no longer have to be sent by ambulance to the nearest CT scan over an hour away. Instead, they will be wheeled down this hall, into this room, to have their CT in that corner. Those images will be electronically sent to a radiologist immediately after they’re taken and reported. If warranted, the emergency physician can immediately access a neurosurgeon who has access to view those images at the same time through the Emergency Neurosurgery Image Transfer system. This expedites care decisions and referral to tertiary centres.”

Nelson added mammography is one the most effective ways of detecting breast cancer in women, and the application was supported by Cancer Care Ontario. With the addition of this service, she said it would benefit more than 6,000 at-risk women who live in the Highlands.

“In this room, when your mother, your wife or you require immediate detection services, they will access mammography in this very room, in the corner. They will get the answers they need to manage their care close to home.”

Since the province does not fund capital equipment in hospitals, the Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation (HHHSF) will be tasked with leading a community fundraising campaign.

Executive-director, Melanie Klodt Wong, said, “we are thrilled to see this approval come through and we are committed to raising the funds needed with the support of the community.” Nelson estimated the cost at between $3-3.5 million.

Klodt Wong added the foundation is working towards launching a major capital campaign in the “near future” now that HHHS has the go ahead.

Mixed feelings over announcement

Patrick Porzuczek said he was at the Haliburton ER when the announcement was being made elsewhere in the facility last Friday.

He claimed, “the HHHS site is a standing waiting room at the moment. This, unfortunately, is not accessible, quality health care. This is chaos.”

The face of Save Minden Ontario Emergency Room added “no CT scanner or other new technology is going to bring nurses and doctors here when the hospital lacks the priorities and abilities to make it work. Put the money back into the Minden ER where it was working.”

He reiterated a call for the HHHS executive and board to resign, calling on the ministry of health to put a supervisor in place.

Chris Kaye posted to the Save site anticipating “flack” for commenting, “it’s my personal opinion that the County of Haliburton needs a CT scanner. Sure, you can get sent to hospitals in Bracebridge, Huntsville, Lindsay, Peterborough. However, if you’re in rough shape, or it’s a major snowstorm, it’s added pain, stress and worry for the patient and their family.”

Kaye went on to say, “I do not believe it should be an either/ or decision. It almost seems like the PC government is giving residents a golden carrot (by approving the scanner). There’s no mention of reopening Minden hospital ER. They are playing political games here folks. We need both hospitals and a CT scanner.”

Dysart et al has yet to table a draft site alteration bylaw, with council saying it wants to focus on education first.

Mayor Murray Fearrey called a special council meeting June 22, saying he believed public education was a “prerunner” to a bylaw. “I know staff have been putting some ideas together,” he added.

CAO Tamara Wilbee said they’d created Facebook posters and have a web page dedicated to shoreline health.

Fearrey suggested doing up a flyer with simple tips, such as how to restore a natural shoreline.

Chief building official, Karl Korpela, said staff are promoting the Ribbon of Life campaign, and Don’t P (Phosphorus) in the Lake, along with videos. He said they are “piggybacking” on available resources but, “once we get an actual bylaw in place, we can give actual information as to what’s required through the bylaw.”

Fearrey said the videos are “great” but, “just come out with something in plain English that says, ‘don’t run your eavestroughs directly into the lake’, ‘plant trees if you’ve taken trees out’.” He suggested a sheet go out with tax bills, get handed out by building and planning departments with permits, and given to lawyers and real estate agents.

Deputy mayor Walt McKecknie said he believed there was too much emphasis on only afew instances of clear-cutting. He added council was “going down the right path… there are going to be some people extremely happy, and some won’t be that happy, but we can listen after this policy has been passed and learn from it.”

Korpela: bylaw needed to protect wetlands

He added it’s about educating people not to clear-cut to the waterfront on new lots or fertilize lawns.

He added the septic re-inspection program is already contributing to better lake health. “I hope people will be patient with us and accept it.”

Coun. Barry Boice said he’s all for education but that doesn’t mean walking away from a bylaw. “Let’s keep an eye on things. If we have to readjust, then we readjust. We get the education part out there, we watch things, and see how it goes.

Coun. Carm Sawyer said based on his understanding of the Love Your Lake survey, the County’s lakes are “plateauing out… with some going up but most staying even… that’s proven that what we’ve been doing is working …”

Coun. Pat Casey said education was “95 per cent of the cure,” with there being other regulators, such as the Ministry of the Environment.

Fearrey said, “we need to do this ASAP to get it out, and then the bylaw will come after that.”

Casey asked if they could delay a bylaw until next year, after seeing how the public education campaign works, but Fearrey said, “I don’t know we can do nothing until next year but that will be council’s decision.”

Wilbee suggested a presentation to council in July on the education plan.

As for the bylaw itself, Korpela has a draft in progress but added, “I don’t have the vision yet, but hopefully I’ll get there shortly.”

Korpela said one of the biggest things he comes across is piles of dirt within the shoreline setback, affected by torrential rain and high winds. “Where is that sand going?”

He added, “we have the environmentallyprotected lands. We don’t allow anybody to build within the EP lands, but things like fill within the EP lands, those are things we can’t control at this time. They are not things that happen every day but it does happen. We need a bylaw to regulate something like that.”