Haliburton Highlands Health Services’ (HHHS) emergency department consolidation plan was shared with the public via County council May 16 – with Minden representatives expressing little confidence in the proposal going forward.

HHHS CEO Carolyn Plummer and board chair David O’Brien faced councillors and some members of the public in the gallery in council chambers in Minden this past Tuesday.

Plummer said the plan is based on the emergency department protocol initially developed in the fall of 2021 when they were first faced with the prospect of multiple, temporary, short-notice, closures of one or both of the County’s ERs due to staffing shortages. She added the protocol had been refined multiple times since “to ensure it would provide as smooth a closure process as possible.”

Plummer said it was only being presented about two weeks out from the Minden ER closure – June 1 – as they wanted to confer with staff on the best way forward.

CEO: ‘staffing will be assessed regularly’

She walked council through staffing plans, physical space changes at the Haliburton site, parking, equipment and supplies, as well as communication.

As for doctors, she said they will have their current staffing prior to the consolidation at the Haliburton site, including one physician from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and one from 6 p.m. until 8 a.m. “With this transition, we’re going to be maintaining that, but also adding one additional physician from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. to deal with the highest volume portion of the day for patients,” Plummer said.

She added they currently have two registered nurses from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and two from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. One registered practical nurse is on 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. She noted the plan calls for an additional RN from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. in summer, an additional RN 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and one from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., with access to an additional RPN 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. to be shared with the acute care unit. Plummer said there would be an additional nurse in summer and a charge nurse for the day during the transition period.

“Staffing will be assessed regularly and adjusted as needed,” Plummer said.

Minden mayor Bob Carter, during question time, said prior to consolidation there was one doctor in Minden and one in Haliburton at all times, but the new plan calls for 1.5 doctors, “so we are reducing the total emergency doctors…and you feel that is sufficient?”

Plummer answered it was something they had talked about with their physician group. “The coverage we have to operate two emergency departments, and to make sure there’s availability of physicians 24/7, requires two physicians. In a single emergency department, with the combined volume, depending on the time of day, doesn’t always need two physicians. We have added the second physician during the busiest volume time of the day. Our physicians have agreed that in the overnight period, a single physician coverage model is sufficient to manage any additional volume we might experience overnight with this transition.”

Carter pressed Plummer on her comments that the consolidated site was “fully staffed” with doctors.

Going into June, he asked if all 90 shifts were filled. She replied they were still “populating” the schedule. “We have confirmation that we can support that schedule. I’m very pleased actually with the uptake of shifts that have been picked up so far, but right now we are in the same place as we normally would be with filling the Haliburton emergency schedule.”

Carter queried shift coverage for July and August. Plummer said, “we received confirmation last week to go ahead with the schedule as planned and so we will be posting those schedules.”

Carter pointed out that meant no positions were filled as of now. Plummer said they were in the same position they would normally be for the Haliburton site at this period of time. He asked if they had a plan in case the Haliburton site has to be closed this summer, and she said they did.

Plummer said they were working closely with the Ontario Health emergency department locum program and “we’re confident we will have those shifts filled between our own physicians and the emergency department locum program, as we have for the last several years.”

Speaking to other staffing plans, Plummer said diagnostic imaging at the Haliburton site will remain as is, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with on-call coverage after hours. She added there will be increased hours at the Haliburton site for patient registration, lab services, and security. Minden will still do X-rays and bone density testing by appointment. There will be no job losses.

Non-staffing plans

Plummer said emergency department spaces are increasing from nine to 14 or 15. She said a new trauma bed would be added to the existing two. There will be a new procedure/ treatment room with one stretcher, two to three chairs and the ability to interchange one to chairs with a stretcher if needed.

There’ll be a new fast-track/rapid assessment room with exam table and physician work space. Waiting room space is increasing from 14 to 27. Lab space is also being expanded.

Coun. Jennifer Dailloux asked about wait times and Plummer said, “we do anticipate we may see a slight increase in patient wait times.” However, she said it’s hoped the fasttrack and having a second doctor at critical times will keep that increase to a minimum.

The plan is for 15 additional parking spaces.

Coun. Walt McKechnie said he felt for the Minden community but asked how they would feel if both EDs were being closed. He said they had to give credit to HHHS for a decision they did not want to, but had to, make. “I know people are not going to be happy with what I’m saying here, but I’m just trying to be realistic.”

A couple who owns land in Tory Hill are second-guessing their decision to relocate to Haliburton County permanently after twice being targeted by thieves over the past month.

Laura Hamilton and Michael McCarrey purchased property near the IB&O rail trail in 2021, with plans to build their dream home and move north to raise their two young daughters. While they worked on design plans and finding a contractor, the couple stationed an RV at the site to give them a seasonal destination to escape the city.

“We love hanging out in nature, having campfires in the woods, staring at the stars at night. It’s a really peaceful spot up there, totally different from what we’re used to living in Kitchener,” McCarrey said. “We settled on this place because of the geocaching for the kids, the nice hills, scenery, beautiful trails. It seemed the perfect fit for our family.”

Things turned sour last month when, on April 23, a lone man hopped the fence of the property and helped himself to McCarren’s fishing gear, including two rods and a 35-year collection of fishing lures. The man returned May 4, damaging the fence and stealing a generator. McCarrey estimated the value of goods stolen to be around $2,500, but that much of the fishing gear held sentimental value, being passed down by family members.

McCarren installed security cameras at the site last summer and has submitted footage to the OPP. He said two of his neighbours have also reported thefts in the past two weeks. Attempts to reach the neighbours for an interview were unsuccessful.

Cst. Matthew Taylor of the Haliburton Highlands OPP said police had responded to break and enters at two properties along the IB&O rail trail in Tory Hill recently.

“These are still ongoing investigations… we are looking for witnesses to come forward with any information,” he said. “A good reminder to the community would be to lock it or lose it, as it is always important to lock vehicles and residences.”

Taylor said the incidents are being investigated separately. He declined to reveal if the police had any suspects.

Hamilton said they do what they can to keep seasonal items locked away, noting the culprit used bolt cutters to break a cable lock on the generator. She said the whole situation has left her feeling uneasy.

“I definitely feel vulnerable. I worry about them coming back. Are they going to come while we’re there with our daughters? It’s just so heartbreaking and invasive,” she said.

We’re coming forward with this because we want to alert the community about what’s happening. Lock your stuff up if you’re able to, keep an eye out. Just because it’s not happened to you doesn’t mean it won’t. We didn’t think this kind of thing would ever happen to us.”

McCarrey said there is one silver lining to take from the ordeal.

“My neighbours and I have kind of bonded over this, it’s helped bring us together. I won’t lie, this has taken the wind out of our sails a little bit, but I don’t want to judge the area on this. This kind of thing could happen anywhere. It’s just disheartening to have people invade our privacy and personal space like this,” he said.

Haliburton County is under a total fire ban after five blazes within a 12-hour period May 15 saw the region’s four fire chiefs come together to declare an extreme fire risk.

The ban came into effect 12:01 a.m. May 17. In a release to media, the chiefs say dry conditions, high heat and lack of forecasted rain played a factor in their decision.

So too did three fires in Minden Hills and one each in Algonquin Highlands and Dysart et al Monday.

Minden chief, Shain Duda, said firefighters first responded to a structure fire along South Lake Road, fronting Canning Lake, at approximately 11:15 a.m. Eleven volunteers responded, while Duda called in Dysart for mutual aid. Eight firefighters from Dysart attended.

“It was a total loss of the property. It started as a structure fire and worked its way into a small bush fire. We were able to push everything back and save two buildings on properties side-by-side to the fire,” Duda said.

As his team were wrapping up, they received another call at around 2:45 p.m. for a bush fire on Black Lake. By the time Duda arrived, he estimated the fire was around one hectare. He called in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry for assistance, with staff flying in a water bomber to help tackle the blaze. Once MNRF officials arrived, it was determined the fire was on provincial land, so they took control of the situation.

Duda said by 6 p.m. May 15 the fire had grown to 2.5 hectares, and by 4 p.m. May 16 was approximately nine hectares. MNRF staff in Stanhope said the fire was still raging as of 1 p.m. May 17, spanning approximately nine hectares. A cause has not yet been determined.

Minden Hills coun. Pam Sayne said the fire came close to claiming a bunkie on her cottage property. She was attending a meeting in Lindsay when her phone started pinging with notifications that the sensor on a camera she has installed on her property was being set off.

Open fires, campfires, fireworks banned

“The camera showed dense smoke in the air. I called 911… after the water bombers quit loading on the lake, I went over to evaluate the situation. Several cottages were saved,” she said.

Duda responded to a third call just after 6 p.m. for a small bush fire on Mountain Lake. That was caused by a tree falling on a hydro pole and was extinguished by around 8 p.m.

“It’s been one of the busiest days I’ve had as fire chief. I want to thank our crew for working all day, not just on one fire, not just doing one task, but sticking around for all three incidents. They did an amazing job and I’m proud of them,” Duda said.

Algonquin Highlands fire chief Mike French said he had five stations and 35 firefighters respond to a bush fire off Hwy. 35 near the intersection of Kawagama Lake Road at around 2:15 p.m Monday. He said the fire threatened multiple structures, including the Dorset Tower.

“We tackled it well. There were no injuries, no structural damage. The fire ended up being five hectares and all bush,” he said, noting it wasn’t being treated as suspicious.

French thanked local employers for releasing volunteer members to tackle the blaze.

“It could have been a lot worse [without the] response we got,” he said.

Shortly after returning from assisting with fires in Minden Hills, Dysart chief Dan Chumbley received a call about a small bush fire along Chalet Road near Eagle Lake at around 4 p.m. Firefighters were on site for two hours, with the half-acre blaze extinguished by 6 p.m.

Due to the fire ban, all burn permits are cancelled while open fires, campfires and fireworks are prohibited. The ban will remain in place indefinitely, with Duda saying the four chiefs will touch base daily to reassess.

“Conditions are extremely risky for fire right now. We saw with the Black Lake situation how quickly a fire can spread. The chiefs will keep our communication lines open, see what’s going on, what the weather is looking like and will provide updates as and when necessary,” Duda said.

Haliburton County will soon be under a total fire ban after five blazes within a 12-hour period May 15 saw the region’s four fire chiefs came together to declare an extreme risk to the community.

The ban will come into effect 12:01 a.m. May 17. In a release to media, the chiefs say dry conditions, high heat and lack of forecast rain played a factor in their decision.

So too did three fires in Minden Hills and one each in Algonquin Highlands and Dysart et al Monday.

Minden chief, Shain Duda, said firefighters first responded to a structure fire along South Lake Road, fronting Canyon Lake, at approximately 11:15 a.m. Eleven volunteers responded, while Duda called in Dysart for mutual aid. Eight firefighters from Dysart attended.

“It was a total loss of the property. It started as a structure fire and worked its way into a small bush fire. We were able to push everything back and save two buildings on properties side-by-side to the fire,” Duda said.

As his team were wrapping up, they received another call at around 2:45 p.m. for a bush fire on Black Lake. By the time Duda arrived, he estimated the fire was around one hectare. He called in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry for assistance, with staff flying in a water bomber to help tackle the blaze. Once MNRF officials arrived, it was determined the fire was on provincial land, so they took control of the situation.

Duda said by 6 p.m. May 15 the fire had grown to 2.5 hectares, and by 4 p.m. May 16 was approximately nine hectares. A cause has not yet been determined.

Minden Hills coun. Pam Sayne said the fire came close to claiming a bunkie on her cottage property. She was attending a meeting in Lindsay when her phone started pinging with notifications that the sensor on a camera she has installed on her property was being set off.

“The camera showed dense smoke in the air. I called 911… after the water bombers quit loading on the lake, I went over to evaluate the situation. Several cottages were saved,” she said.

Duda responded to a third call just after 6 p.m. for a small bush fire on Mountain Lake. That was caused by a tree falling on a hydro pole and was extinguished by around 8 p.m.

“It’s been one of the busiest days I’ve had as fire chief. I want to thank our crew for working all day, not just on one fire, not just doing one task, but sticking around for all three incidents. They did an amazing job and I’m proud of them,” Duda said.

Algonquin Highlands fire chief Mike French said he had five stations and 35 firefighters respond to a bush fire off Hwy. 35 near the intersection of Kawagama Lake Road at around 2:15 p.m Monday. He said the fire threatened multiple structures, including the Dorset Tower.

“We tackled it well. There were no injuries, no structural damage. The fire ended up being five hectares and all bush,” he said, noting it wasn’t being treated as suspicious.

French thanked local employers for releasing volunteer members to tackle the blaze.

“It could have been a lot worse [without the] response we got,” he said.

Shortly after returning from assisting with fires in Minden Hills, Dan Chumbley received a call about a small bush fire along Chalet Road near Eagle Lake at around 4 p.m. Firefighters were on site for two hours, with the half-acre blaze extinguished by 6 p.m.

Due to the fire ban, all burn permits are cancelled while open fires, campfires and fireworks are prohibited. The ban will remain in place indefinitely, with Duda saying the four chiefs will touch base daily to reassess.

“Conditions are extremely risky for fire right now. We saw with the Black Lake situation how quickly a fire can spread. The chiefs will keep our communication lines open, see what’s going on, what the weather is looking like and will provide updates as and when necessary,” Duda said.

The Save Minden Ontario Emergency Room and Minden Matters group descended on Queen’s Park May 10 – bringing their fight to save the Minden ER to the Ontario Legislature.

The group, led by citizens Patrick Porzuczek and Richard Bradley, left Minden Wednesday morning on one bus, some by public transit from Peterborough, and others carpooling.

They also donned yellow ‘Minden Matters’ T-shirts in the hopes of attracting media attention in Toronto.

Porzuczek said via the Facebook page, “we want everyone to be heard and seen. This topic of the ER closing is not in the best interests of our community. It does not give us accessible health care and it will also reduce quality health care.

“Nurses will be pushed beyond their limits. One site will be overwhelmed. Air ORNGE will need to respond to one site with possibly double the numbers of flights. EMS will double, if not triple, the number of trips into Haliburton, plus those making their own trips to the ER.”

The group leader added, “let’s stand together. We are running a marathon at the speed of a sprint. We have 22 days to achieve our goal.”

The group was planning to attend Question Period and the reading of a petition that now has more than 17,000 signatures.

On May 6, many of those same residents attended a rally at the Minden fairgrounds.

Minden Hills council also put out a press release May 5.

In it, the township said, “the fight to save the Minden Emergency Department continues. Minden Hills council continues to look for a solution and denounces the decision made by CEO Carolyn Plummer and the HHHS board to permanently close as of June 1.”

In the release, the municipality added, “our objective is to work with HHHS and all of the stakeholders to pursue a long-term solution. However, we repeat our appeal for a moratorium on the June 1 closure date. Although that request was denied at an April 27 meeting, council maintains that this date (June 1) is unreasonable and imprudent.

“There will be no stone left unturned as we work together to save the Minden ER.”

Water Depot in Minden has moved to a new location.

Now pitched at the corner of Newcastle Street and Hwy. 35, where Spa in the Highlands used to be, the new store has been completely remodeled to better serve customers, says co-manager Krysta Neave.

“We’re super pumped to get into this new space. It’s a different layout than we had before, but we think this is the perfect place to expand the business,” Neave said. “Maintaining access off the highway was a big deal for us. We think we’ll have great visibility here.”

They took ownership of the space last September and have spent months renovating. Much of the work inside has been complete, with the space opening May 8.

A new six-tap water table has been installed, featuring both reverse osmosis and alkaline options, while Neave said there’s more space to showcase some of the water treatment equipment Water Depot stocks, such as ultraviolet systems, replacement bulbs and filters, iron reduction units, water softeners, reverse osmosis systems, and chlorine reduction units.

Neave said the store is maintaining its hot tub services, including sale of units, installation, and maintenance. A new addition is the Chilly Moose line of reusable water bottles and coolers.

Locals will be able to get water at all hours, with a new outdoor station installed May 9. Neave said the unit can be accessed 24 hours a day.

While securing the new space has been a sizeable investment and represents a change in business model – Neave noted the building has been purchased, while the previous location was rented – there’s more work to come. She said the siding on the building will be replaced later this year.

“We see this as securing our future [in Minden]. We now have a space to call our own, and we’ve made it really welcoming for customers. It’s much brighter when you walk in here. We couldn’t be more excited about the move,” she said.

For more information, visit waterdepot. com/locations/minden.

Local film buff Keith Stata is optimistic for another successful season as Kinmount’s Highlands Cinemas reopens for its 44th year.

The theatre welcomed guests back May 5 with screenings of The Super Marios Bros. Movie and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It was the culmination of weeks of work for Stata, who began preparing for the new season in March.

“It’s been 100-hour work weeks for me – it’s a frightening time in early spring. All the stock comes in and has to be put away, the theatres have to be cleaned, the equipment serviced, we have to clear everything up outside,” he said. “I do it because I love it, but it’s a lot of work.”

There was a point not so long ago where the future of Highlands Cinemas was in doubt. After being shuttered through the first two years of the pandemic, Stata reopened to much fanfare in 2022. It was that response, he said, that helped him to keep going.

“I was besieged with people telling me how much they enjoy the theatre and how glad they were to be back. There was one guy, around 25 or so, who stopped me on his way out. He said he’d been coming to the theatre since he was six years old and just loves the place. He couldn’t imagine going anywhere else to see a movie,” Stata said. “Those are the stories that make it all worth it.”

The five-screen 550-seat cinema is one of the most unique in the country. It features items and memorabilia from more than 450 theatres across the continent, which Stata showcases in his main foyer, halls, and an adjoining 4,000 sq. ft. museum.

He has life size replicas of vintage characters such as Pennywise the Clown, from 1990’s It, Alien from the 1979 movie of the same name, and the Pink Panther, from the 1963 classic. He also has an extensive collection of old-school projectors, including an early 1900s Lumiere from Paris, France, and a rare Motiograph F that he secured from a closing theatre in northern Ontario in the 1980s.

“I don’t look at projectors like other people do. You look at one of these machines and you see a rusty piece of metal. I look at them as memories,” Stata said. “Millions of people sat in the dark watching things like Bambi’s mother dying, or the chariot race in Ben-Hur. I cherish these things for what they are.”

There are some big releases slated for this year. Starting May 12, Book Club: The Next Chapter, starring Jane Fonda and Diane Keaton, will be a big hit among seniors, Stata said. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth movie in the franchise, debuts June 30, with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One coming July 14.

“Those will all do really well. I’m thankful there’s some good movies coming out, because the industry has taken a big hit with the emergence of streaming,” Stata said.

He hopes to have all five screens open sometime next month. While he’s traditionally kept the cinema open until Thanksgiving, Stata said he may close early this year.

“Last September we were dead. If there aren’t any movies people will come out for, I’m not staying open. It’s just getting too expensive,” he said. “It costs me $40,000 just to open in the spring. The price of everything has gone up.”

For more information on shows, visit highlandscinemas.com. The theatre is open Friday to Monday, with ticket prices $10 for adults and seniors and $12 for adults 13 and up.

The Haliburton Highlands LongTerm Care Coalition gathered near the Minden hospital May 4 to promote an upcoming Ontario-wide referendum on privatization of the province’s public hospitals.

Spokesperson Bonnie Roe said they’re connected to the Ontario Health Coalition, which is spearheading the effort May 26 and 27.

“Every community will be having a voting station,” Roe said, adding, “we are so happy we have 29. Some big towns only have two or three so far.”

She believes that is indicative of community support.

Roe provided a few examples of why her group and the Ontario Health Coalition is concerned with the way the province appears to be heading.

“Ontario spends the lowest amount of money on health care of any other province in Canada. Our current government refuses to withdraw Bill 124 and enable our nurses to receive a decent salary and be respected. Bill 60 is being passed to give this government more power, not that it needs it, and give citizens less power. This is being done without community engagement and with no democratic process. It’s just not appropriate.”

She touched on the closure of ERs across the province, including one announced for Minden effective June 1.

Roe added it’s been “proven that private for-profit clinics are not the best way to go. They are not cheaper. They often double bill … there are many stats that say they don’t only double bill, they bill OHIP and they bill the patient and charge them two and three times what it would be charged if it was going through our OHIP. It totally contravenes the Canada Health Act.

“That’s why we’re here. We need to fight against that. Because it’s no longer a slippery, slippery slope. It’s a whole collapse of this system and we’ve got to really make this referendum work.”

Online voting started May 2 and there is a QR code on a flyer the coalition is handing out. Voting stations will be set up across the Highlands May 26-27. The referendum question reads ‘do you want our public hospital services to be privatized to for-profit hospitals and clinics? Yes, or no?’

“We’re really trying to promote, let’s go Haliburton (County). Let’s do this,” Roe said.

For more information, email hhltccoalition@gmail.com or call Roe at 705-457-6579.