Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) CEO Carolyn Plummer said despite the Minden physician group publicly saying it will not staff the new consolidated emergency room in Haliburton, HHHS is “making fantastic progress” towards ensuring doctor coverage come June 1.

However, in a May 9 interview with The Highlander, Plummer said she could not share details as HHHS is still working on a final staffing plan.

She told the paper this week, “the physician schedule is close to being completed. We’re continuing to work with our management team, with Ontario Health, and with Health Force Ontario to make sure we can confirm things before we’re able to share them publicly.”

Her comments came after Dr. Dennis Fiddler told The Highlander his Minden team will not be going to the consolidated Haliburton ER site.

He said during 18 months of talks about staffing shortages and temporary ER closures, they told HHHS they could not support a full closure of one of the EDs.

“The Minden ED physicians knew it would be the end of our ability to provide the highest standard of care [for patients].”

HHHS ‘very, very close’ to finalizing staffing model for Haliburton site

Dr. Fiddler went on to say, “over the years, increasing ED volumes have made these shifts more challenging, however a 24-hour shift [available in Minden] was still feasible to do and provided a balance that made the long drive from our home bases acceptable. We told the HHHS executive and board in February 2022 we could not provide physician coverage if one of the EDs were going to close, and it is still the case today.”

Plummer said the group had made it clear that if the Haliburton emerge were to temporarily close as a result of a physician shortage, the Minden emerge would also have to close at the same time because they wouldn’t be able to provide coverage.

“They indicated it wouldn’t be safe … for them to provide medical coverage for the whole community with that 24-hour shift coverage model …” She added that meant both emergency departments would have had to be closed at the same time, “and I don’t know that people have really realized that before.”

Pressed as to how they will staff the consolidated site, Plummer said, “we are certainly very grateful for the ongoing support that we’re getting from Ontario Health and from the Health Force Ontario Emergency Department locum program, and we’re continuing to work with them to establish a model going forward. We’re very, very close to having a plan. It does take time to work these things through.”

Pressed for details, such as the number of doctors signed up, Plummer said, “I can’t share the details quite yet. I should be able to do that very, very soon.” Asked how soon “very, very soon” was since the new model goes online in three weeks, she said “days. I would love to be able to tell you more. At this point I just can’t. I can tell you that we have made very good progress and that we are very, very close to having a plan finalized, but I can’t give you the details of that quite yet.”

Asked why not, she said she cannot discuss contractual arrangements involving the Ministry of Health and the Ontario Medical Association. “But we are getting very close to being able to share what the staffing model is going to look like.”

As for the nursing schedule, Plummer said, “I do believe that’s been worked out.”

On-site works

Plummer said when it comes to work at the Haliburton site, “there’s regular meetings happening and there is work being done to some of our spaces now to prepare for this.”

She reiterated that with planning for possible temporary closures the past 18 months, they’ve had different options mapped out to deal with increased volumes at the single site and things such as the need for additional parking.

“Work has already started to modify the space.”

Plummer shared some information on the layout of the new emergency department. For example, she said they are working on a space for people who have traditionally come in who do not have a local family physician for things that are not deemed an immediate emergency. She said it will allow them to be “fast-tracked,” with a separate waiting room for emergency patients.

She added they have made room for two additional stretcher spaces from a pre-existing storage room, and another space for minor traumas.

Minden site

Plummer said they are focused on the transition plan for June 1 at Haliburton but in the background are still thinking about what could potentially be done at the Minden site. She had no further details.

She also addressed air ambulance coverage and the helipad in Minden. She said they will still be calling for ORNGE to take patients out of the County to other hospitals. She said they would also continue to maintain the Minden helipad “at least for now.”

She said it may be used as a rendezvous point, but that County helipads are sometimes used by OPP and the military.

Plummer repeated the HHHS rationale that, “this was an operational decision. If this was a decision that we thought we didn’t need to make, or we thought could be delayed, we would have delayed it. We couldn’t. It just wasn’t feasible. It’s not feasible for us to continue with two emergency departments. This is not something we wanted to do. It’s not a decision that was made lightly by any means. We needed to make sure we were making the right decision to preserve health services in this community.”

She said she and HHHS board chair David O’Brien live in the County and the decision affects them, and their families, too.

O’Brien added, “if we continue to operate both sites, and one had to close due to staffing shortages, both would close because there’s not enough doctors a

When that first splash of colour starts to push through in the spring after a long, cold winter, Carnarvon’s Larry Parsons is one of many locals just itching to bring their toys out to play.

There’s another 1947 Ford Coupe, this one a two-door sedan, which Parsons fixed up for his son. His wife, Cheryl, has two cars – a 1964 Checker Wagon and a 1947 Ford convertible. He also has a fully rebuilt 1937 Willys Jeep and is in the process of restoring a 1947 Studebaker.

“I just love old cars, the really classic ones,” Parsons told The Highlander.

He does all the work himself, from fixing the body to replacing the mechanical components. He does all the paint jobs, too.

“Lots of trial and error – if you break something, you just keep doing it until it comes out right,” he said when asked how he had learned.

His pride and joy is his stunning blue Coupe. While most people clamoured for a Camaro or a Mustang back in the 1960s, Parsons wanted something a little different. He stumbled upon the Ford while out in Whitby. It had been abandoned in a field, but the then-teen saw its potential.

“I was pulling in and there was this guy behind me trying to flag me down, so I got out and asked him ‘what’s up?’ He said he had a car just like that when he was younger. At the time, I had 1962 Volkswagen taillights on there, and a Studebaker hawk dash. He took a closer look and decided this didn’t just look like his car, it was his car,” Parsons said.

Before taking any of his cars out onto the road, Parsons has a spring-cleaning checklist he likes to run through to ensure optimal performance.

The first step, he said, is to check the dip stick to make sure the oil level is where it should be. Top up if necessary. While there, he suggested a quick trick to make sure antifreeze hadn’t gotten into the motor.

“If antifreeze gets into your oil and you try to run the car, it can destroy your engine, Parsons said. “Take a wrench and just crack the oil plug underneath the motor. Give it a turn and wait a minute. If there’s any antifreeze in there, it’s the first thing that comes out. If it starts dripping oil a little bit, then perfect, you’re all good.”

He suggested charging the battery, checking the master cylinder to make sure everything is OK – during the winter rodents and small animals looking for somewhere to hibernate may take up shop there, Parsons said he’s had to replace several hoses and belt lines that have been chewed through.

Old wiring can become brittle, break or corrode and become a fire hazard, so Parsons suggests giving everything under the hood a once over. Check all fuel lines and hoses leading from the tank to the carburetor or throttle body. Look for leaks, corrosion and dry rotting. Make sure the throttle linkage is moving freely and not binding up.

Ensure your tires are in good shape and have enough air in them. Lube the chassis, check for play in the steering wheel, and move the front wheel by hand back and forth to see if there’s any play in the wheel bearings or tie rods. Finally, make sure all lug nuts are torqued to spec.

Parsons also suggested giving any aluminum intake a once over with a wrench, making sure they’re snug. After that, fire the car up and take it for a test drive.

The Time Travellers will gather for its first meet of the season June 8 in Minden. The group runs shows weekly on Thursday evenings, alternating between Minden and Haliburton. The club has grown to more than 100 members in recent years, with Parsons saying anyone is welcome. Membership is $25 per year.

For club updates, visit facebook.com/ haliburton-highlands-time-travellers.

Authors Marie Gage, Kathy Purc, Janet Trull and Brenda Peddigrew joined Kathy Stouffer in celebrating Canadian Independent Bookstore Day April 29 in Haliburton.

It is an annual day when readers, writers, illustrators and publishers come together to celebrate indie bookstores across Canada.

“In Haliburton, we are lucky to have Master’s Bookstore, owned and operated by Kathy Stouffer for over 30 years,” Trull said. “Her extensive inventory is stacked to the ceiling with international best-sellers, Canadian literature, and children’s books. Kathy maintains this welcoming space for readers, and she generously supports authors and poets by featuring their novels, memoirs and poetry collections.”

There was a snack table, a chance to meet and learn from the authors, and prizes.

“Over the years, Kathy has been carrying books that reflect our Highlands spirit,” Trull added. “This was our chance to show our appreciation.”

People came in to browse, have a snack, select their summer reading material, and meet with the authors.

“It was a time to exchange reading suggestions with other book lovers, chat about their favourite authors, connect with readers and writers, and say thank you for this important service in our community,” Trull said.

Remembrance was front and centre on a special night at the Haliburton Legion April 28.

The local branch welcomed around 50 people for its 2023 student awards celebration, commemorating the 68 youth who participated in this year’s Remembrance Day literary and poster contests.

The tradition has been running for more than 20 years, encouraging students from Stuart Baker and J.D. Hodgson elementary schools and Haliburton Highlands Secondary School (HHSS) to honour the sacrifices of Canadian veterans through personalized works.

Legion member Carolyn Millard organized this year’s event – the first the Legion has run since 2019.

“There’s so many ways that we can remember those who served our country… the students’ participation helps make sure we never forget the sacrifices that have been made to keep our Canada strong and free,” she told the crowd.

“Sometimes, it can be easy to think the war was long ago, but there’s always a way to link the present to the past,” she added.

Millard shared the story of her father, Jim, who served in the Navy during the Second World War. After enlisting in Hamilton, he completed basic training in ‘Hammertown’ and was assigned to be a submarine detector. He shipped out to Parry Sound and was eventually deployed to Europe.

Millard said her father spent years overseas and documented his service in a series of memoirs.

“My dad was a very humble man. He said he didn’t do too much in the war – I guess being a submarine detector was not as dangerous as some other roles. But it’s because of people like him that we have [the life we have] today. It’s stories like this that remind us why it’s so important for us to remember,” she said.

HHSS student Sophie Longo won first place in both the zone and district competitions for her entry in the poem contest. Millard noted Longo’s submission was now being judged at the provincial level. Results were unavailable as of press time.

Alivia Brown, a student at JDH, won first place in the local intermediate poetry category, for those in Grades 7 to 9, with classmates Azarra Steward and Brianna Vanderstarre finishing second and third. Brown also finished third in the zone competition.

JDH student Annika Gervais placed first locally and third at zone in the intermediate essay contest, with Macie Bielis finishing second and Alivia Brown third. Brooklyn Bielis won locally in the junior category, for Grades 4 to 6, while also placing first at zone and third at district.

Brown won first locally and at zone in the intermediate colour poster contest, with Gervais coming second and Dineke Verstegelsa third. Jordyn Braun placed first locally in the junior category, with Mia McCarty coming second. Stuart Baker student Luna Scuhr Marziali secured first in the primary category, for Grades 1 to 3, and second in the zone competition, with Campbell Adlam coming second locally and Mikayla Keller third.

HHSS student Isabel Hill placed first locally and at zone in the senior black and white poster contest, also finishing third at district. Brown won the intermediate category, with Mazey Robinson coming second and Connor Iles third. Claire Lynch won the junior category, with Anika Suke placing second and Claire Hamilton third. The primary category saw Melcolm Lynch finish first and Everly Cox second.