The United Way kicked off its 2023-24 fundraising campaign Oct. 19 with an event at the Haliburton library.

“We are excited about the upcoming campaign,” co-executive director, Shantal Ingram, said before the reading of a land acknowledgement recognizing that in Haliburton County, they are on Anishinabek land.

Board chair Paul Murphy was unable to attend but said he was proud of the United Way team, which he said embraced change in the past year while delivering great results. One of those changes saw long-time executive director Penny Barton Dyke retire.

“The team continues to support our community with initiatives that include the launch of two new grant streams, their ongoing great work at the (Edwin Binney’s community farm and education centre) supporting our food security initiative, and participating and putting on several events to enhance our presence in the area,” Murphy said.

He added he continued to be motivated by the dedication and generosity of the community, thanking donors, volunteers. agencies and supporters, as well as his board, all “who have made a positive impact on the lives of those in need throughout the past year. “

Looking to the coming year, Murphy said he is excited about the possibilities. “With your continued support and our collective determination, we can build an even stronger, more inclusive community where every individual has the opportunity to thrive.”

Ingram and Beall talked about how grants for not-for-profits had benefitted the Highlands.

Programs supported in 2022-2023 by the community capacity grant included Big Brothers Big Sisters KLH, providing services for families and connecting them to appropriate community services.

Point in Time Centre for Children, Youth and Parents received money for its ‘coming full circle’ program, to engage people who are disenfranchised and or marginalized and disconnected from community and services due a variety of factors.

SIRCH Community Services received funding to support their Community Kitchen program which prepares, packages and freezes nutritious meals and soups for residents most in need. The grant will allow them to fill a funding gap from mid-October until the end of December.

Point in Time also got a matching collaborative grant for the VOICE peer advisory group. And SIRCH received funding to support the Community Kitchen under that grant.

Ingram and Beall noted that since 2015, LCBO stores in Haliburton, Gooderham, Minden and Wilberforce had raised $160,770.45 for children and youth programming in Haliburton County, such as EarlyON Child and Family Centre, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Point in Time Food for Kids.

Other money went to emergency pandemic support for the Central Food Network, Rotary Club of Haliburton, SIRCH and the Minden Community Food Centre. Other agencies benefiting included Point in Time, HHHSF and SIRCH, BBBS and Kawartha Haliburton Victim Services.

In addition, the Edwin Binney’s Community Farm & Education Centre harvested and donated 17,579 lbs of fresh produce, with HHHS and SIRCH receiving 2,607 lbs of fresh produce. “With rising food prices due to excessive increases of inflation, this produce has a financial impact of $7,684 for the community,” Ingram said. Further, the nutritional benefits of these donations equate to nearly 300 meals, she added.

While “honoured” to be named Highlander of the Year, David Zilstra said one of his big takeaways from the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce awards Oct. 20 was the youth entrepreneurial spirit.

“It was inspiring to see,” said The Haliburton Echo and Minden Times publisher, who currently sits on three boards and is a member of the Rotary Club of Haliburton.

Zilstra added he could not count how many hours he had committed to community service over the years, but does it out of love of the Highlands.

“It’s about making this a better place to live, work, and play,” he said.

He congratulated all of the nominees and winners, the young entrepreneurs in particular.

Zilsta is currently on the board of the Haliburton BIA, Highlands Summer Festival and the Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation, as well as being an active Rotarian.

“I get involved partially because of my work,” he said, adding, “I have a unique ability in my role at the papers to help other people as well, that I’m not on the boards of.”

For example, he said it was through his connection to former Times publisher, Jack Brezina, that he got involved with the Highlands Summer Festival. In addition to the board, Zilstra enjoys acting. He works with downtown Haliburton businesses so it was a natural to join the BIA board.

I like events, and putting on events, and I’ve been doing that my whole career. Putting on an event from start to finish, I enjoy doing that type of thing, it’s fun, and that’s how I get involved. Same with the hospital foundation, I like to focus on a task that needs to be done, and you just go from there and you roll from item to item.”

The young entrepreneur theme played out throughout the awards ceremony. Jason Bradley of Haliburton County Chiropractic and Rehabilitation said he and partner Kassie Wright had come to cheer on young, new entrepreneurs so were surprised to win the customer first – business award. They were voted best new business and young professional of the year at the 2018 awards.

Rebecca Neave of Beauty Basics by Amy won the customer first-employee award.

The audience heard that when a long-time client could no longer drive to the shop, Neave took it upon herself to pick her up for appointments and drive her back home and that the woman had become family.

Business woman of the year award-winner Brandi Hewson of Kohara + Co told young entrepreneurs in the room she had been working 14 years to get her business to where it is today. She said people had tried to talk her out of it. She wished those just starting out “good luck” and encouraged them “to keep at it.”

But it wasn’t all about the youth movement with veteran Highlands businesspeople also being honoured on the night. For example, Sylvia Holland of Wind in the Willows Spa won the business achievement category. She’s been at it for more than 30 years, telling the audience she first joined the chamber in the early 80s. She said community service is part of her life and it has been rewarding. “I’m very happy and very glad to be able to do what I do.”

Haliburton County Huskies captain Patrick Saini believes a morale boosting 2-1 win over the table-topping Trenton Golden Hawks Oct. 14 can be the catalyst for the hometown team to turn their season around.

Welcoming the eastern conference’s first place team to Minden on Saturday, the Huskies put on a show for the 511 fans in attendance, dominating much of the game. The win, their first in three games, saw their season record improve to 6-5-2, good enough for 14 points and eighth place in the league standings.

“We’ve been struggling as of late, we’ve not really had the ability to hold onto a lead, so this is a huge win. It’s a confidence booster for sure, and a bit of a statement. The performance, as well as the result, shows what we’re capable of,” Saini said.

The Golden Hawks got the better of the early exchanges, with David Fournier giving them the lead four minutes in after a scramble in front of the Huskies net. There was frustration on the ice and in the stands as it appeared the goal had come off the spikes before the puck crossed the line, though the officials waved away complaints.

A flurry of penalties, nine in total, led to a stop-start feel for the rest of the period.

The home team started the second on the penalty kill and had goaltender Vlad Visan to thank for keeping it a one-goal game, the 18-year-old flashing the glove to keep out an Adam O’Marra shot from the point, then sprawling to deny Fournier on the rebound.

Back at regular strength, the Huskies took over. Saini fired narrowly wide after finding space off the boards, and blueliner Jack Staniland saw a screened shot from the point go narrowly over the crossbar. The home side’s persistence paid off midway through the period – Ty Petrou backhanding a rebound in at 10:22 after Saini had another shot saved.

Rhyse Brown went eye-to-eye with Bonisteel a minute later but couldn’t find a way through. Josh Rumolo, playing in his third game as a Husky after moving from the Burlington Cougars last week, saw a shot from the point, tipped by forward Antonio Cerqua, flash agonizingly wide, and Charlie Fink then struck the iron with a rasper from the point. Aidan Yarde then saw a low shot blocked in the late stages, sending the teams in tied at the end of the second.

The Huskies peppered Bonisteel in the third, with Lucas Stevenson, Johnathon Mead, Raine Nadeau and Rumolo all having opportunities early in the frame. Visan then stood tall to deny Matthew Lee on a breakaway, sending the Huskies down the ice on a two-on-one opportunity of their own. Petrou found an open Fink, who made no mistake with the finish, but the goal was called back by the officials who felt the Trenton goal had come loose.

Boos rang out through S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena, which seemed to drive the home side forward. After Yarde spurned a good opening at the 10-minute mark, Saini took centre stage, tipping a Staniland shot in over Bonisteel’s blocker at 11:08 to spark mass celebration on the ice and in the stands. “It was an emotional moment – there’s a lot of history between us and Trenton, so I let things show a little more than usual,” Saini said, commenting on his oneknee celebration.

“It was a big moment in our season, too. I think we’ve been a bit unfortunate to lose some of the games we have, so getting the goal that our play deserved was huge.”

The Huskies defended their zone well to close the game, with Visan making six stops in the final two minutes after Trenton pulled Bonisteel, earning the Huskies a muchneeded win.

“That was our best game as a group, no doubt. We were dialed in for a full 60 minutes, which is something we’ve struggled with,” Saini said. “To dominate against arguably the top team in the league, it shows how good a team we are. We just need to work and make sure we’re at this level every single game.”

The Huskies are on the road this weekend, with away games against the Aurora Tigers Oct. 20 and the Golden Hawks Oct. 22. They will be back in Minden Oct. 24 to play the Milton Menace. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m.

With a relatively busy exhibition schedule wrapping up, the Haliburton Timber Mart U15 Rep Storm kicked off their home schedule during primetime Oct. 13 at the A.J. LaRue Arena against the Lindsay Muskies.

In the first period of the 7 p.m. tilt, spectators were treated to stellar team play by the Storm, with strong skating, and solid puck movement that kept the Muskies chasing most of the period.

After the flood, the Storm had clearly reset and came out focused on locking in a win, with hard work to start the period. Brody Harrison chugged through the Muskies to score unassisted at 11:42. The Muskies pressured play throughout most of the third period, but faced strong and hard defensive play by all six Storm defence. There were timely shot blocks by Jack Peters that limited chances on goalie Braun, much to the Muskies’ frustration.

In frame number two, the Muskies pushed back with balanced play and effort throughout the period. Through a series of penalties balanced on both teams, the battle ensued to the end of the period until the Muskies’ snuck one by goalie Carter Braun to make the score 2-1 after the second.

After the flood, the Storm had clearly reset and came out focused on locking in a win, with hard work to start the period. Brody Harrison chugged through the Muskies to score unassisted at 11:42. The Muskies pressured play throughout most of the third period, but faced strong and hard defensive play by all six Storm defence. There were timely shot blocks by Jack Peters that limited chances on goalie Braun, much to the Muskies’ frustration.

Hartwig potted a fourth for the Storm with 6:01 remaining in the game, fed with a long, heads-up pass from Ethan Decarlo from his own zone. With the Muskies down 4-1, the penalty box loaded up and the Storm cruised to their first home win safely on the powerplay.

The Storm are home on the weekend of Oct. 21-22 for their home tournament at S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena in Minden.

Almost 20 years after participating in a “life changing” mission trip, providing a sustainable water source to a village in Guatemala, Haliburton resident Rebeka Borgdorff is preparing to make new memories with her family after planning a similar expedition next spring.

The Haliburton Highlands Secondary School (HHSS) teacher will travel to Guatemala again in February, flanked by husband Graham and her three children – Annabelle, 16, Isaac, 14, and Gideon, 13. The family will spend a week drilling a water well for a small community outside San Antonio Palopo in the impoverished Central American nation.

The project is one of many under the Water Ambassadors Canada umbrella to be completed next year. Founded by Haliburton residents Barry and Heather Hart in 2002, the organization has led more than 1,000 water projects over the past two decades, helping more than 500,000 people from 25 countries.

The Harts, Rebeka, and Annabelle were joined by 20 others for a water walk fundraiser at Glebe Park Oct. 14. The event raised the $14,000 needed to pay for the well.

“Contaminated water is the biggest cause of death and disease in the world, yet it’s the easiest problem to fix – you just have to give people clean water,” Barry told The Highlander. “About a billion people drink swamp water out of ponds and puddles every day. So, we do what we can to help these people, provide for them, and provide for their children.”

Participants were asked to complete several circuits of the Glebe Park trail on Saturday to emulate the distance, between four and six kilometres, millions of people travel daily to collect water for their family. Some carried water jugs and other items to duplicate the weight of those buckets.

“A five-gallon bucket of water is about 50 pounds – that’s the same weight as a checked bag at the airport. For people in Haliburton, that would be like walking to Donald while carrying all that extra weight,” Barry said. “It’s often women and children making these trips – so kids can’t go to school, do chores, or even play. And the worst part is that the water isn’t clean. It’s not safe to drink.

“Giving folks a potable water source near home is just about the greatest gift you can give. It resolves so many issues,” Barry added.

David Lowry participated in the weekend event alongside his wife, Ann. He said they’ve been long-time supporters of Water Ambassadors.

“It’s an amazing organization. We live in a part of the world where we take clean water for granted. We have so much fresh water all around us. I connected with Barry about seven years ago and his mission really resonated with me. I can’t think of a better cause than raising money to help people have access to clean drinking water,” Lowry said.

Prior to their weeklong well build in Guatemala, the Borgdorffs will be spending a week in Colombia, where they will help to build a new school. They are fundraising for their portion of the two-week adventure, slated at around $17,000. For Rebeka though, the money is secondary – her primary focus is on setting an example for her children.

“Helping people who, perhaps, are not as fortunate as we are, is a remarkable, lifechanging experience. We want to show our kids how others live in the world, what their needs are, and how they can help,” Rebeka said. “We want to do what we can to spread some love around the world.

“Helping people who, perhaps, are not as fortunate as we are, is a remarkable, lifechanging experience. We want to show our kids how others live in the world, what their needs are, and how they can help,” Rebeka said. “We want to do what we can to spread some love around the world.

When Mary and Vanessa Douglas opened Mostly Her, a women’s boutique in Minden, earlier this year they had a vision of offering more than just clothing and undergarments to their customers.

Having recently celebrated their sixth-month anniversary in the community, the pair are partnering with a Burlingtonbased clinic to bring post mastectomy services to Haliburton County.

On Oct. 27 and 28, the business will open its doors to Barb Daize and Anne Thompson of Bodymed Boutique, who will be in town conducting specialty bra fittings.

“This is something we’ve been really passionate about for some time – I think bringing a clinic like this to the County is going to help so many people. It’s a service that is not easily accessible for people who live here,” Mary said. “I think this is going to be an incredible learning opportunity for us, and for a lot of our customers.”

Daize, an RPN, and Thompson, a breast cancer survivor, have been working together for about 15 years educating women about the mastectomy process and how they can move forward with their lives post-procedure

“A mastectomy is major surgery that removes the entire breast following a cancer diagnosis,” Daize told The Highlander. “It’s a very personal surgery and can often lead to women mistakenly feeling embarrassed about their situation… we’re here to tell you, there’s absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Thompson added, “I can relate to people’s stories, what they’re going through after beating the cancer. How they’re feeling mentally and physically. Part of the reason I do this is to share my story and let people know there is a path to feeling comfortable and confident in yourself again.”

Daize, who cottages in the area, said she reached out to the Douglas’ shortly after Mostly Her opened in the spring. While they weren’t ready to host a clinic right away, the possibility piqued their interest. They started planning for an event in the fall.

Private fittings are available by appointment or walk-in. Douglas said she has two scheduled already.

“The event is already a success, because we have people booked already,” Daize said. “It’s at least an hour and a half drive for most women to get to a specialized mastectomy store, so we’re really pleased to be offering this. The education piece is important for us, because Anne and I know of many women who, after a surgery, will continue to wear normal bras, and stuff them with socks or toilet paper.

“Nothing is more sad to me, because these people deserve so much better, to maintain [their dignity],” she added.

Fittings are complimentary, while the Mostly Her team will be on-hand with options should women decide to make a purchase.

And if you can’t make this month’s event, there will be further chances in the future. The Douglas’ have committed to hosting four clinics annually, which Daize said she’s really excited about.

“It means we’ll have a continued presence. We know this is a very intimate thing and people might not be quite ready – there will be other opportunities,” Daize said. “Even though you feel different now, you feel a loss, it doesn’t always have to be that way.”

To book an appointment, contact Mostly Her at 705-2864233

CanoeFM, Haliburton County’s non-profit community radio station, turned 20 recently, with volunteers spanning two decades attending the station Sept. 26 to mark the occasion.

Among those was Joan Cameron – widow of Don, whose idea it was to bring radio to life in the Highlands.

Cameron said her husband was, “like a dog with a bone… tenacious” once he decided to launch the station. He enlisted the help of Dave Sovereign and, later, Jack Hewitt, with the trio coming together in March 2001 to conceptualize how to bring their dream into reality. They incorporated Canoe as a nonprofit later that year.

Dysart et al authorized the use of the Canoe building in July, and the group of volunteers, which had grown to include a handful of other names, such as former Algonquin Highlands mayor Carol Moffatt and community stalwarts Wendy Bartlett, Eric Beaulieu, Russ Hemphill, Ray Miller, Caryl Ann Moulton, Al Sheridan and Harry Southworth, started to fundraise.

Start-up costs were pegged at $125,000 – for a transmitter, antenna, transmission line, stereo generator, and audio processor. They utilized a tower in Eagle Lake to broadcast a signal across the County.

By mid-2003, the station had received the go-ahead from Industry Canada. On July 8, it had its first unofficial broadcast, celebrating its grand opening on Sept. 26. The first song broadcast, ‘The Impossible Dream’, was a direct nod to Cameron.

“His whole life revolved around that station at the beginning,” Joan said. “And, as a consequence, so did mine.”

Joan played a pivotal role in the early years. She was Don’s chauffeur – he had to give up his driving licence after suffering a stroke in the late 1980s – and, later, became one of Canoe’s most celebrated voices. Getting her start on the ‘Women, Weeds and Wisdom’ show on Tuesdays, Cameron blossomed as an on-air personality. Her most famous role was as “the story lady”, where she read Junie B. June tales to listeners.

“I still get stopped by people who recognize my voice,” Cameron said.

During those early years, there was no guarantee the station would be celebrating a 20-month anniversary, let alone 20 years, said Dave Allen, long-time sales representative. He joined Canoe weeks after the station’s official launch. It may seem surprising now, but back then not everyone was convinced about the station’s long-term viability.

Allen remembers when, upon returning from sales meetings, Don would greet him with a big smile. “Do you have a cheque for me?” Don would ask.

“Things were really tight back then,” Allen said.

Greg Roe was one of the first people to come forward in 2002 once word about the station’s formation got out. He’d always had a passion for radio, dating back to his formative years when, growing up in Scarborough, he’d tune into stations across the border that played his kind of music.

The ‘It’s Only Rock and Roll’ show has been running for as long as Canoe has been on the airwaves. Roe still gets excited when, on Friday nights, he escapes to the studio, closes the door, picks up his headphones, and goes out to people across the County.

“Things have changed a little over the years, but that feeling remains. Canoe has been such a big, wonderful part of my life. I don’t know if there will ever be a time when I don’t want to go on, on a Friday night,” Roe said.

While Cameron doesn’t get out to the station much anymore, she’s still a keen listener. She said the 20th anniversary celebration was a special day for her, as she got to reconnect with dozens of friendly faces from years past. One of those was station manager Roxanne Casey. Originally joining Canoe as an on-air host in 2004, transitioning to her current position in 2008, Casey has spent almost 19 years helping shape the station’s programming.

“Canoe is a wonderful story of what can be achieved when a community pulls together,” Casey said. “There’s been a lot of people who have come through those doors over the years, and each one has contributed in their own way. It’s been quite the journey.”

Her focus now is on ensuring Canoe is still around for another 20 years. Growing from that initial team of 10 or so volunteers, the station now has around 125 people who contribute in different ways, including 40 who frequently appear on-air. She noted succession planning is underway, to ensure the next generation can keep Canoe going.

Looking back on the many success stories, Casey said there’s nothing quite like radio bingo. Since its inception in 2012, it has raised more than $1 million – with half of that being donated back into the community, supporting dozens of causes over the years.

“It’s a nice feeling knowing how much of a positive difference that money has made in the community,” Casey said.

After spending so much time herself, and watching Don give so much to ensure Canoe got off the ground, Cameron said it’s amazing to see the station still thriving all these years later.

“It’s a testament to Haliburton, it’s a testament to all the incredible people who have contributed over the years, and it’s a testament to Don, Dave, and Jack, who didn’t give in even when everyone thought they should,” Cameron said. “This community is a much better place thanks to 100.9 CanoeFM.”

With the design bid build RFP for a new municipal office coming in substantially over budget, council paused the project at its Oct. 10 meeting.

The municipality budgeted $100,000 in 2023 towards the pre-construction work. However, costs as prepared by successful bidder, The Ventin Group, from Toronto, came in at $376,890 plus HST.

The work on offer is developing a detailed municipal office design and parking lot and then assisting the township in putting the construction of the project out to tender, with building starting in 2024 and concluding in the fall of 2025.

Deputy treasurer, Brittany McCaw, said the balance of monies would have to be included as part of the 2024 budget if council were to proceed. She added there was surplus money available. She noted they had been putting money away for the past seven years, with more than $930,000 banked, not including the previous years’ surplus. She added the cost will only increase if they wait. Further, she argued they need shovel-ready projects for future funding applications.

She told council, “I understand there may be some concerns around the dollars,” but said staff have been lobbying for some time that one facility housing all municipal staff would: aid financial stability; be cost effective; conserve energy and increase accessibility; ease operational defragmentation; help human resources management, and there’s the potential to convert the current municipal buildings into housing units or office space.

“Currently, we cannot meet or exceed our current levels of service, which is desired by ratepayers of council,” she said. “If ratepayers are required to visit the office… they need to visit multiple offices depending on the service. So, we have a building department down in Gooderham, and then if they require planning assistance, or need to pay their taxes, they need to come up to the office in Wilberforce.” She noted they also have no permanent council chambers.

McCaw added the current buildings are at-capacity for additional staff and make it hard to plan other service models.

Coun. Cam McKenzie said, “these numbers just blew me away. We were talking about $100,000. Now, we’re into, with tax… $425,000 to get a plan and oversight. We’ve been putting money away for seven years, with $938,000 in reserves for this project. We’re going to spend half of that on the plan and the oversight… and I know that’s important, and we haven’t bought a cement block or a two-by-four… I have a hard time getting my mind around this.”

Coun. Cec Ryall said no one is arguing the need, or the return on investment, but “I think the cost is unbelievable.”

He said when they last discussed the item, he suggested working with one of the community colleges or universities on design bid build and assumed that had not occurred. He said it would not have cost $400,000.

“There’s got to be a more financial, palatable, way of doing this than $400,000 up front. This building is going to cost us $2 to $3 million bucks on the short side. Where’s that coming from? We’re going to have to borrow money or something …”, Ryall said.

Council opted not to proceed at this point.