It’s not often we toot our own horn. Generally, we just go about doing our business, whether it’s writing stories or selling ads.
We work hard and try to be a good community newspaper. We never really know how we stack up against the competition until things such as the Ontario Community Newspaper Association (OCNA) awards come around.
On Friday, we learned we had won four categories, were runners up for two others, and also garnered a couple of third places.
Being named the best paper in our circulation size – again – is always a good indicator that we remain on the right track. Looking at the judges’ breakdown for the general excellence awards, we very easily beat 15 other papers, some from much larger towns.
“It’s as if you meet the whole community in the pages of this paper,” the judges said.
Since day one, when owners Bram Lebo and Simon Payn brought this independent paper to the Highlands, that’s been our mission. We print our mission statement in every edition, on the top of page 8, to remind us why we are here. It is, “to tell the story of Haliburton County each week. To be a source of information and inspiration through stories and ideas. To report on issues, people and events important to the community. To reflect and promote pride in the culture, people and landscape of the Highlands. To encourage Highlanders to believe in themselves, in our community, and in their power to make our place in the world better every day.”
It’s that mission statement that steered us to amp up our municipal election coverage in 2022 with both podcasts and print stories. It won us a first place for online special initiative.
Sam Gillett, who left us in 2022 to try some new things, took a couple of firsts. One was for arts and entertainment, a genre he excelled at. The other was for a first-person account of taking part in 8 Hours of Hurtin’ in the Forest.
I was pleased to be named runner-up for reporter of the year. The judges noted a strong knowledge of the different topics and styles of story submitted and were happy to see my photos complete the package.
Mike Baker was awarded a second for an excellent piece he wrote on a woman who had nearly died from Lyme Disease but is now on the road to recovery. The judges found his story both well-researched and written. They also felt it was relevant to the community.
Gillett was recognized for a heart-wrenching tale about a dog and its puppy being shot. And our head of production, Tania Moher, won a third for an ad the judges found to have a clever use of white space.
It’s nice to know that we stand out from the crowd. We don’t do it for the awards, mind you. We do it for our community, for our readers and our advertisers. It might sound trite, but we really couldn’t do it without you. So, these awards are for all of us.
Awards for all of us
Communication is key
For readers who are wondering why The Highlander hasn’t reported on a pair of serious incidents that took place at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School this month, there is a simple explanation.
A complete and utter lack of communication on the part of Trillium Lakelands District School Board.
I was a little embarrassed when, on April 4, I received a couple of phone calls from local residents looking for information about an apparent hold and secure that took place at the high school earlier that day. I had nothing.
I reached out to the board’s communications department that evening asking for any details that I could pass on to the community. Almost 24 hours later, I received a response confirming an incident had occurred, but that no further information would be released.
I reached out again to ask why. By this point, all sorts of rumours were swirling around town. I’d heard a student had been caught with a gun in their locker, a student was seen running through the halls waving around a replica weapon, someone had been caught with a large knife in their backpack, and that a student had been attacked.
TLDSB insist parents were notified of the incident, but The Highlander has heard from several who still claim to have no knowledge of what happened that day.
After being pressed again for details this week, the board said they were remaining tight-lipped at the behest of the responding OPP officers.
“We have been instructed not to include detail as it often encourages copy-cat behaviour,” was the direct quote.
This raised alarm bells and got me thinking something really serious had happened. And in such an event, I didn’t think it was right the community was being left in the dark. So, I reached out to the OPP on Monday to ask if this was true. Within hours, a press release had been posted to the force’s public portal addressing the situation. It didn’t anwer my questions, but it was something.
In its release, the OPP claims it did not locate any weapons at the school. There were no injuries reported. The investigation is still ongoing.
That it took two weeks for this information to see the light of day is disappointing. I feel a lot of misinformation, and stress, could have been prevented if all of this came out, say, the day of, or at the latest, the day after the event.
There was another incident this week that I learned about through second-hand sources. A parent posted a notice to Facebook on Monday, stating the science wing had to be evacuated after a small quantity of a toxic substance, described as “possibly arsenic”, was spilled during a class.
A student was sent to hospital, while the Peterborough Fire Department’s hazardous materials management unit were brought in to investigate.
Again, I reached out to TLDSB for details. Again, the silence was deafening. I didn’t receive a response until a full day later.
We don’t expect to be the first call, certainly not in the event of an emergency, but a heads up so that we can, at the very least, calm worried parents or family members, or nip dangerous rumours in the bud, would be appreciated. In fact, I’d say the board has a responsibility to do so.
Communication is key in these kinds of situations, and I feel our public school board, and the OPP, owes it to the community to make sure it does a better job of keeping people in the loop moving forward.
Haliburton Forest to protect old-growth trees
When Kristyn Ferguson first saw 20-hectares of old-growth at South Freezy Lake in Haliburton Forest, she was impressed by the 150-year-old trees.
The Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC) employee remembers bird song ringing out from the canopy, butterflies fluttering around her, an amazing diversity of plants around her feet, and the wetlands that ringed the site.
“I remember how special this place was. I could feel it. I could feel the history there and it just immediately became apparent that this was the project to be working on,” she told a gathering at the Wolf Centre April 27.
The project between NCC and the Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve has led to the first recognized ‘other effective area-based conservation measure’ (OECM) within a privately-owned commercial forest in Canada.
It means the old-growth forest, which features sugar maple, eastern hemlock, American beech and white pine, has been set aside from timber harvesting and other industrial activities.
It’s all part of reaching Canada’s goal of protecting 30 per cent of its lands and waters by 2030.
Ferguson said she first visited the Forest in 2019 and the South Freezy Lake old-growth in 2020, and the designation was recently made. She added it was precedent-setting so took a bit of time.
Cockwell: ‘ecological significance immense’
“This is important. This is the country’s first OECM on private, managed forest, and it’s also the first that is led by the forest industry. These are huge. This gives a chance to inspire others to come along for a similar journey.”
The forest within a forest will be monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure it continues to deliver conservation outcomes. This includes things such as the presence of certain wildlife, forest structure and lack of disturbance.
Managing director of Haliburton Forest, Malcolm Cockwell, said the Forest has been on the leading edge of sustainable forest management. For example, tree marking and being the first in Canada to be certified as sustainable by the Forest Stewardship Council. However, while proud of their accomplishments, he said they had not been satisfied.
“We always want to continue to do better and to find new ways to innovate and be more sustainable in our practices.” He said their motto is, “we haven’t figured it out yet, we have to try something different.”
That’s when the partnership with NCC came along and Cockwell said, “we have figured it out.”
He said South Freezy Lake has never been subject to industrial activity, and only minimal hiking and hunting. “As a result, this area has many of the classic old-growth features. It’s quite impressive when you get into,” Cockwell said, “with big old trees, a lot of dead wood, critical habitat and the soil structure.
“While the geographic area represented by the South Freezy Lake old-growth forest may be small in the grand scheme of Haliburton Forest, its ecological significance is immense and we hope its conservation inspires other landowners in the future.”
The province acknowledged the celebration. Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, David Piccini said, “the OECM is an innovative way to support and strengthen our province’s rich biodiversity and conservation of our greenspaces through partnerships between the forest industry and conservation organizations to promote healthy spaces for generations to come.”
Charges laid in Haliburton robbery
Haliburton Highlands OPP have arrested and charged one person in relation to a robbery which occurred in Dysart et al earlier this month.
On April 3, at 4:21 p.m. a lone individual entered a business on Hops Drive. The person displayed an edged weapon and obtained a quantity of cash and alcohol.
On April 26, at 2:32 p.m., police received a call at a business on Hwy. 35 in Minden Hills. An alert employee observed suspicious activity at the business and contacted police. Responding officers immediately began an investigation and a suspect was located and arrested a short time later.
As a result of investigation into both incidents, a 56-year-old Dysart man has been charged with:
- Possession of Weapon for Dangerous Purpose (two counts)
- Disguise with Intent (two counts)
- Robbery with Weapon
- Attempted Robbery with Weapon
- Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)
The accused is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Lindsay on April 27.
Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or have information that might assist with this ongoing investigation is asked to contact Haliburton Highlands OPP at 705-286-1431 or toll-free at 1-888-310-1122. You can also provide information anonymously by contacting Kawartha Haliburton Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at https://www.khcrimestoppers.com.
Youth curling program offers roadmap to success
Dave Ablett has been curling religiously for over a decade. Now, he spends time each winter passing his knowledge and experience down to kids through the Haliburton Youth Curling program.
The initiative, which has been running for over 15 years, returned in 2022 after an enforced three-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Ablett said 16 youth completed the program, which started last fall and wrapped up in March. It ran every Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
“It’s been a great year – we had nine first timers come out and stick with us for the full season. It’s been really encouraging seeing how much these kids have taken to curling,” Ablett said.
The purpose, he said, is to expose young people to a sport that can be played by anyone.
“I’m 75 years old and I still get out and curl at least once a week, and I’m nowhere close to being the oldest guy in the club. There’s a lot of people who curl into their 80s,” he said. “We just love the sport so much and want to share it with other people.”
The club received a grant from the Canadian Tire Jumpstarter fund this year that allowed them to offer the program for free. The money covered the cost of registration, equipment and transportation.
Ablett said the first few weeks were spent teaching the basics – like how to slide, throw a rock and sweep. The rules of the game are also explained, as well as safety protocols. He noted youth are also taught about what he calls “curling culture.”
“I’d say that’s one of the more important things we do – impress upon them how to approach the sport. Anytime I’m in a rink, everyone is smiling and having a good time. There’s never any ill will towards another player. It’s about like-minded people getting together and having fun,” he said. “Sure, you can be competitive, but it’s important to be a good sport too. That’s what curling is all about.”
There is a small team of coaches who assist with sessions each week, including Russ Duhaime, Susannah Moylan, and, new this year, Owen Nicholls.
The 18-year-old Nicholls has developed into one of the country’s top up-and-coming curlers after getting his start with the local program several years ago. His coaches made a huge impression on him while he was growing up, and he wanted to give back.
“It was quite the full circle moment for me, being on the other end of the ice. I remember what it was like for these kids just starting out, because that was me not so long ago,” Nicholls said. “I had a lot of fun helping. It was good for the kids too; they were able to see that someone from their town came through this program and is now having some success. I think it opened their eyes a little bit, to see what’s possible.”
He brought his competitive teammates from the London-based Team Stratton along to assist with a practice in March, something Ablett said “wowed” the kids in attendance.
Nicholls is far from the only local success story. National college championship silver medalist Liam Little graduated from the program in 2019, while sisters Jessica and Savannah Byers have made a name for themselves on the women’s youth and college circuits in recent years.
The crown jewel though is Jacob Dobson, who this year claimed wins at the Curling Canada College Championships and the Swiss Junior Cup.
“My coaches in Haliburton provided me with such a strong foundation. They made it easy to fall in love with the sport. They inspired me, taught me how to play and showed me what I needed to do to keep improving,” Dobson said. “You don’t usually find this sort of a program unless you’re in a big city, so the fact something like this is available in Haliburton is amazing. It gives us small town kids an opportunity to chase our dreams.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without that program. I’d encourage any kid to give it a try,” he added.
Ablett said the steady stream of success stories to have graduated in recent years shows the local group of coaches are doing something right.
“There’s a limit to what we can teach them, none of us older guys are professionals by any means, but we give them the basic tools they can then take and build on elsewhere. Seeing how many kids we have competing on the provincial, national and international level, I think that speaks very highly of the program.”
Celebrating 50 years answering the call
Even before joining the Oakville Fire Department, Tony Aymong stopped for roadside accidents. “Hardwired to help,” he is into 50-plus years with emergency services.
It all began in 1972 when 22-year-old Aymong saw an ad in an Oakville newspaper looking for firefighters. He applied and got the job.
A self-described “hands-on person,” he said it was exciting. The fire department quickly recognized his jack-of-all trades ability and one of his first jobs was helping to repaint a truck. Then they asked him to retrofit a door from a cement block wall. “Ninety-five per cent of your work at the fire hall is cleaning and preparing for the five per cent of calls,” he noted.
His schedule involved working four nights, followed by seven days off, so it afforded him time to come up to the family cottage on Boshkung Lake.
He recalls his first fatality, with the alarm going off at 5 a.m. one morning before heading north. They responded to an accident on the QEW. A three-ton cucumber truck going to market in Toronto was involved and the husband and wife killed.
He worked with Oakville for a couple of years, but said his real dream was to become a police officer. He realized that goal in joining the former Mississauga police department. That career lasted 18 months as the call of the County brought him back permanently to the cottage despite still working in the city for many years.
“I love Haliburton County,” he said.
He got an electrical apprenticeship with Yake Electric and joined the volunteer fire department in Minden because his journeyman was a captain there.
When the Toronto Fire Department put out a call for career firefighters, Aymong applied, was hired, and spent the next 25 years working all over the city, including on the William Lyon Mackenzie fireboat and Toronto Island.
His first big fire was during the first week of drill school when the Eaton’s Annex building, at Albert and James streets, caught fire. The fire was so big that the recruits were pulled out of class and sent to help. Aymong said he was “excited” as several vans transported the rookies to the fire.
A couple of years into that career he stopped at a structure fire at Hwy. 118 and Hewitt Road near Carnarvon. George Wilson was the Stanhope Fire Department chief and when Aymong asked if they needed a hand, Wilson said ‘yes’.
“Someone threw me a petch coat and that was the beginning of being on the Stanhope fire department.” He’s still there more than 40 years later, noting that when he moved up permanently, he was asked to join various service clubs, but chose to dedicate his time exclusively to the fire service.
“John Hogg and I went into that building … the phone had melted, the fan had melted. We knocked the fire down really fast, and my air alarm went off. I ran out, changed bottles and ran back in.”
By that time, Aymong was a career and volunteer firefighter, known as a two-hatter; and he had purchased Yake Electric, which he ran for 25 years. At Stanhope, he was a captain for many years and then deputy chief. However, being a paper pusher was not his thing, so he happily stepped back to being a firefighter.
He’s glad he joined Stanhope, saying, “I think I’ve been a benefit to the community.”
At 72, he is transitioning from the front lines to more of a supporting role. He still responds to calls, but is more likely to ferry air bottles than enter a burning building. He’s also the guy the chief asks to take the fire department boat in for servicing, make minor repairs and annually organizes the hose testing. “There’s a role for everyone, at any age,” he says.
Aymong said there’s a big difference between urban and rural firefighting. In Toronto, they’d respond to an accident, help paramedics and go back to the station for a coffee. He said they never heard about it again, except maybe a snippet on the TV news.
By contrast, he said volunteer firefighters are often called to the homes of friends, family and neighbours, which can be tough. His first experience was going to someone with chest pain to find an elderly neighbour whom he comforted until the ambulance came. The next week, he attended the same man’s funeral. That was the first of many such experiences.
Asked what he would tell would-be firefighters, Aymong said, “it’s a great job. It’s also good money. You can go from volunteer to career firefighter.” And many career firefighters continue to volunteer once they’re on a bigger department.
But for him, it all comes back to that helper mentality.
“It’s been great to serve the community all these years.”
Rotary nixes carnival, expands music
Haliburton Rotary president Ursula Devolin said she’s choosing to focus on the positives after the club was forced to cancel its 2023 carnival, with no guarantees it will ever return.
The event was last held in 2019, and while there were plans to bring it back this year, Devolin said she has had great difficulty trying to find a midway operator willing to come to the County. Kitchener-based Homeniuk Rides ran the event for years, but shut down during the pandemic.
“We just can’t get a provider. We’ve tried for two years in a row,” Devolin told The Highlander. “We’ve contacted every provider in Ontario – this isn’t a huge industry, and all the operators still standing after COVID have full circuit schedules. It’s disappointing, but we’ve accepted there’s nothing else we can do.”
The celebration, typically held in August, has been a summertime staple in Haliburton for decades. Devolin said some of her favourite memories growing up came from attending the carnival with her family and friends. In recent years, with kids of her own, she’s planned her family’s whole summer around the event.
“The carnival has been a big part of my life, and a big part of a lot of people’s lives in Haliburton,” she said.
Devolin noted she’s remaining optimistic it could return in the future.
“My realistic side says everything I hear from the amusement operators is that this industry is not growing. More of the operators seem to be slowing down or shutting down completely,” she said. “I hate to say it’s unlikely [the carnival returns] though. I’d like to keep the door open.”
Devolin announced Rotary is expanding its Summer in the Park schedule, with 10 shows lined up this year.
“We asked ourselves as a club, ‘what else can we do?’ The one thing we’ve been super successful at is Music in the Park. So, we decided to build on that,” she said. “Last year, we would get between 300 and 350 people out. There’s nothing better than sitting beside Head Lake on a warm summer night, enjoying some live music.”
The season will kick off June 27, when The Ya Babys take to the stage at the Rotary Bandshell in Head Lake Park. Shows will run weekly through to the end of August, every Tuesday beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Other confirmed acts include: Nick & Benton, July 4; The Rockin’ Bobs, July 11; Rick Fines, July 18; Gary & The Rough Ideas, July 25; Adverse Conditions, Aug. 1; Jeff Moulton, Aug. 8; Sandra Bouza, Aug. 15; Ragged Company, Aug. 22; Suzie Vinnick, Aug. 29.
While the date is still to be confirmed, Devolin said there are plans to make one of the August shows “a little more special.” A children’s entertainer will be brought in, with Rotary announcing the winner of its annual car draw.
“It won’t be the same as the carnival, but it’ll be a little something for the kids and for families,” Devolin said.
A family affair at Coneybeare’s butcher shop
For years, Chris Coneybeare had no idea what he would do with his downtown Minden butcher shop when he retired.
While his kids, Lily and Mckay, had spent some time working at the store, located at 10 Milne St., during their childhood, the pair left the community after graduating high school. Lily attended Queen’s University, where she studied chemistry, while Mckay moved to Ottawa to pursue a business degree.
“There really was no succession plan. I never wanted to put any pressure on them to take over the family business,” Chris said in a recent interview.
He noted Coneybeare’s has existed, in some form, since the early 1940s. Originally a butcher shop, opened by the Easton family and Bill Coneybeare – Chris’ grandfather, it transitioned into a grocery store later that decade before Chris’ dad, Al, got involved in the 1960s. He transitioned the space back to a butcher’s operation, fronting Main Street. After having the idea to open a travel agency, he repurposed the building to house his new endeavour at the front, and butcher shop at the back.
Chris took the business over in the 80s and has been running it ever since.
Since the onset of the pandemic though, he’s had a little help. After completing their post-secondary studies, Lily and Mckay have returned home. Over the past 12 months, they’ve each taken a more active role in managing the business, leading to Chris’ decision earlier this year to partially retire.
“We both kind of went out into the world and saw what was out there, but I think that helped us realize what we had here,” Mckay said. “When you’ve got a business like this that has been in the family for so long, you want to keep it that way.”
Lily added, “I didn’t realize how much I missed this place until I left. It’s home.”
The two are now working full-time at Coneybeare’s. They oversaw extensive renovations of the retail space in March, giving it a fresh, new look.
“The floors needed to be redone, so we leveled them out and installed some new ceramic tile. We gave everything a new paint job, installed new trim. We felt it was important to spruce things up a little bit. There probably hadn’t been any renovations done for about 30 years,” Lily said.
Chris admitted it has been “pretty cool” watching his kids take over the business.
The response has been overwhelmingly positive from customers too, Mckay noted.
“We’ve had people coming in who say they remember when we were just little kids, and how nice it is that we’re carrying on the Coneybeare legacy,” he said. “I’m in this now for the long haul. You develop relationships with people so quickly and I really feel part of this community.”
Young post-COVIDjob seekers struggle
With plenty of interest in their summer camps this year, staff from Camp Wanakita attended a Fleming Crew job fair in Haliburton April 19 “looking for talent,” according to Ketziah Rhule.
They weren’t alone as the hall was filled with employers looking to bolster their ranks for not just the summer season, but beyond. At times, there were far more people looking to hire than those looking for work.
“We have 60 openings right now at Wanakita,” Rhule said. “We have about 300 to 400 campers who come through in the summer months, so it’s a big push. We’re definitely looking for kitchen staff, maintenance and folks that are licensed as lifeguards.”
One advantage Wanakita has is staff housing. However, Rhule said it’s still hard to find workers. For example, she said there is a Canada-wide shortage of lifeguards.
Asked why she thinks that is, Rhule halfjokingly said, “kids are much better at being YouTube stars … influencers … and it makes money.”
However, she thought attending the job fair was worthwhile.
“Hopefully it’s awareness, hopefully we can build connections with the college and with the community and hopefully we can get our jobs filled.”
Job seeker Kylie Brohm, 18, attended the fair as she is looking for a second job to save up for college and prepare for a career. She’s been working at The Independent bakery throughout high school.
She came, “just to see what was around Haliburton instead of looking online … being in-person, getting to talk to people … get your face out there.”
She is fortunate that she has her own car and lives with her parents, so housing and transportation are not current challenges.
Interested in travel and helping people and animals, care-giving type jobs appeal and she picked up an application for Gardens of Haliburton.
When asked why more young people don’t appear to be looking for work, she said her generation has finished high school and early career years during a global pandemic.
“Sometimes it’s hard to get out there and want to talk to people based on how things go. It’s a scary place in the world especially having COVID during a lot of the years that people would be developing and getting into jobs. A lot of my friends struggle with wanting to get out there and getting to know what’s out there because they’ve been kept inside.”
She added, “I’d say we want to work. It’s just we don’t want to work the way we’ve seen our parents work. It depends how you want to live your life. I like switching it up sometimes. I took two months off and just got myself a little better. I had to get my health right and whatnot.”
MH takes 4.79 per cent hike to taxpayers
Minden Hills council will bring a projected 4.79 per cent tax hike to a public meeting April 27.
Council finalized its last draft of the budget at an April 20 meeting.
To get to the estimated figure, they further increased some fees and charges, by $60,000, to whittle the final draft down from 5.4 per cent. The township is looking to collect even more money now for compliance letters, fire calls and construction tipping fees.
Coun. Tammy McKelvey recommended the increased fees and charges, in an attempt to bring the levy down as she felt, “taxpayers are not going to be happy with five per cent.”
She also queried reductions in gravel resurfacing to further erode the tax hit. However, council left the roads spending intact from the last draft of the budget.
Finance director Greg Bedard noted council was putting $870,000 into reserves this year, but drawing more than $2 million. He cautioned, “our reserves are being used for well and good intentions this year for public works projects that we need to do on an urgent basis, however the continued draw on our reserves of this magnitude isn’t sustainable.”
But mayor Bob Carter said, “we have contributions to and from reserves this year. The net usage of those reserves is less than 15 per cent of our reserves going into extraordinary projects that absolutely need to be done. This is why we keep reserves. To be able to do them (projects). It’s a unique year, hopefully.”
Self-contained breathing apparatus, Brady Lake culverts, and Scotch Line landfill fill and closure were all shifted to reserve financing, from borrowing money, on April 6.
When McKelvey suggested reducing gravel coverage from four inches to two inches on some roads, director of public works Mike Timmins said he would not advise it. He said it would affect the longevity and life of roads.
Carter agreed council should not tell public works staff how to maintain roads but, “give them enough product so they can continue to work the product over the next number of years, so we don’t have to do this again.”
Deputy mayor Lisa Schell said 95 per cent of council complaints are about roads. “In the past, they’ve been neglected … based on money put into the budget … no one likes swallowing the 5.4 per cent, but if that means having our roads brought back to where they should be, I will support it.”
Council is borrowing about $3.5 million for work on Scotch Line and Bobcaygeon roads.
Coun. Pam Sayne said she hoped decisions being made now will help to lower tax rate increases in future.
In finalizing the last draft and bringing it to a public meeting, Carter said, “we need to get on with governing and all of the other projects in the municipality. We’re never going to make it (the budget) perfect.”
Go to the Minden Hills website for information on attending the meeting. However, people must pre-register by 8:30 a.m. April 27 if they want to make comment. The public can also watch the meeting live.