Algonquin Highlands council has decided against supporting a proposed 60-metre cell tower to improve service around Oxtongue Lake, though the project isn’t completely dead in the water.

The tower, slated for installation at 4539 Hwy. 60, was discussed by council April 20. It is the latest proposal in the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) Cell Gap Project, aiming to increase cell phone coverage and capacity for 99 per cent of residents in eastern Ontario by 2025.

In a tied 2-2 vote, councillors Lisa Barry and Sabrina Richards voted against the application, brought forward by Rogers. The telecommunications giant is partnering with EORN and the provincial and federal governments on the $300 million project. Mayor Liz Danielsen and Coun. Julia Shortreed approved the proposal.

Deputy mayor Jennifer Dailloux recused herself from the discussion and vote, citing a conflict. Her home is approximately 150-metres south of the proposed tower location.

In the event of a tie, a motion is defeated.

Speaking to The Highlander following the vote, Danielsen expressed her disappointment over the decision. The mayor has been a vocal supporter of improved cellular and internet service in the past.

The issue was back on the agenda last week following a prior discussion March 16, where township planner Sean O’Callaghan recommended the project be approved. Council deferred a decision, calling on Rogers to address concerns levelled against a public consultation process the company initiated in February. Issues were also raised about the tower location.

Jason St. Pierre, EORN president, told council last week there are five new tower builds planned across Algonquin Highlands. So far, none have been completed.

He noted denial of a single tower could impact the whole project.

“If an area is denied and we are unable to find a suitable location to move it to, it creates a hole in the network. There will be a dark spot… an unserviced area,” he said.

Richards indicated she might be in favour of the tower build moving ahead in a different location. She asked how long it would take to find an alternate site, with Eric Belchamber, representing Rogers, saying it would take “months and months and months.” St. Pierre added that was time EORN didn’t have.

“For us to restart this process… it would be very challenging for us to meet our target goals,” he said.

Barry was hung up on the proximity of this proposed tower to several residences, highlighting municipal policy states any structure should be 1,000 metres away from any home. Belchamber said he feels that policy is outdated.

“When these protocols were enacted 10-plus years ago… that was when there were fewer users on the network, and people weren’t using HD data,” he said. “Placing a tower one kilometre away from where people live, work and play simply isn’t viable and will not achieve our coverage objectives.”

While she admitted to having some concerns over the location, Danielsen said she would support it “out of the greater good.

“There are more people that are going to be wanting this service than there are those concerned about it,” she said.

Shortreed said the denial was a major loss for students hoping to enroll in online classes from home.

“I know numerous kids who couldn’t get [into a college or university] residence so couldn’t go to school because of that. We must remember this effects people in different ways. Everyone should have the option to use this technology,” she said.

Municipal councils do not have the power to approve or deny these projects – that falls to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Belchamber noted the federal agency does take a municipality’s decision into account, but only when a valid reason is brought forward.

“If we had positioned this in a wetland or an area of natural interest, there were migration issues or butternut trees located on the site, there would be grounds to say [we’ve] found an inappropriate location… While some people may not want to see it or look at it, that extends beyond the jurisdictional role the municipality plays,” Belchamber said. “Based on the staff report [tabled by O’Callaghan], we’re not sure why concurrence wouldn’t be provided.”

Minden Hills mayor Bob Carter and deputy mayor Lisa Schell have criticized HHHS and its board for what they say is a total lack of consultation on the decision to close the Minden ER. They have also questioned how management and the board operate.

“We had zero consultation and input into this,” Carter said.

However, HHHS CEO and president Carolyn Plummer, and board chair David O’Brien, told The Highlander, “HHHS has engaged broadly with our local elected officials many times over the past 18 months as we have struggled to deal with our serious staffing shortages. We have been open about those challenges with each of the four townships in Haliburton County, and recently consulted local elected officials through a robust strategic planning process to understand what they wanted to see from HHHS over the next three to five years.”

The Minden mayor alleges the hospital’s executive committee makes decisions, and not the board, during in-camera meetings. He maintained, “the fact is we had absolutely no consultation and we, the elected officials who represent the people … and community well-being is part of our mandate … this was probably one of the most consequential decisions that has been made and we are not part of it. It’s made by an unelected board acting on its own.”

Plummer and O’Brien said the board regularly deals with confidential matters that cannot be discussed in public, such as legal, human resources, property acquisition and disposal, negotiations, and other sensitive items. They said regular board meetings are open to the public and the media, and the board always asks for questions from those in attendance during meetings.

Carter added County council has wanted a representative on the hospital board for some time, “and they have absolutely refused to allow that.” He said in an attempt to improve communications, County council has more recently met with HHHS. The first was about communications, the second on HHHS’ strategic plan, the third on Ontario Health Teams, and this last one on the consolidation.

Plummer and O’Brien said it is not common practice for local elected officials to sit on hospital boards, and across the Ontario Health East region, the vast majority of hospitals do not have municipal politicians on their boards.

“Members of hospital boards have a fiduciary responsibility to the hospital organization itself, which can create conflicts for local elected officials who must represent their particular communities,” they said.

Carter also lambasted HHHS for recruiting management, while cutting back on frontline operations. “There’s something fundamentally wrong with that model.”

But Plummer and O’Brien retorted, “according to metrics from Ontario Health, HHHS’ administrative costs were 13 per cent in 2021/2022, which is lower than most other comparable small-to-medium rural hospitals, whose costs were eight per cent, 16 per cent, 17 per cent, and 19 per cent. It should be noted that HHHS’ administrative costs also include those mandated by the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021, as we are required to have certain leadership positions for each long-term care home.”

Carter further said that Minden emergency operates differently than Haliburton, with 24-hour shifts, versus 12. He said out-of-town doctors attracted to the Minden emergency model won’t go to Haliburton. “Now, you’re going to have to go and replace those 9,000 hours.”

Plummer and O’Brien said HHHS recognizes that patient volumes in the consolidated Haliburton emergency department will be higher overall, which will require a change to their staffing models.

“It should be noted there are currently 10 and 14-hour shifts at the Haliburton ED, and some physicians do work a 24-hour shift in Haliburton. HHHS will continue to work closely with Ontario Health East, the Ministry of Health, and HealthForceOntario to ensure we have the physician coverage that is needed, and these organizations are well aware of our coverage needs.”

Minden Hills politicians and residents are fighting a decision by Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) to close the emergency department at the Minden hospital.

HHHS announced April 20 it is shuttering the Minden emergency and consolidating services at the Haliburton site effective June 1.

Minden Hills mayor Bob Carter and deputy mayor Lisa Schell have publicly expressed their outrage at the move and the town has rallied with a Save Minden Ontario Emergency Room Facebook group, a GoFundMe, and a petition.

In an interview with The Highlander, Carter said, “Every one of us knows people in our community that are walking this earth today because of the availability of that Minden emerge and the dedicated staff that work there.”

Carter said the closure would greatly impact his constituents. “We have the person in Miner’s Bay who’s in a real tough spot. They have to start going off in different directions.” It’s been suggested some patients living in the south and west of Minden Hills may have to be taken to hospitals outside of the County.

There will be a number of repercussions, the mayor added.

He said residents of Hyland Crest long-term care home, who used to be wheeled down the hall to the emergency department when they needed attention, will now have to be taken by ambulance to Haliburton. He fears they will face long wait times.

As a County councillor, since the County is responsible for land ambulances, he also decried that EMS was only informed April 20, despite being in the midst of developing a strategic plan for the future of the service.

County of Haliburton CAO Mike Rutter said EMS chief Tim Waite met with his management staff April 20 to discuss how the changes may impact them. “I expect those discussions will extend to front line staff over the next few days.”

Carter doesn’t like the timing, either.

“This is just such a poorly-planned decision. Here we are with six weeks notice… and we’re going to introduce it when? Just at the start of the time when our population triples.”

He noted Minden Hills is also the fastest growing township in the County, with the 2021 Census pegging growth at 7.7 per cent since 2016. He said he personally would not move to Minden Hills if he knew it no longer had an ER.

He added Minden Hills council is not going to take the decision lying down.

“We are going to stand with the community to fight this. I termed it as ill advised, ill timed and ill planned and the problem is all those ills and there’s no emergency room to go to. They may think it’s a done deal and so on … and we don’t know all of our options … but we’re not going to let this stand. We certainly cannot let an unelected group of people (HHHS management and the hospital board) make such huge decisions that affect all of our lives.

Schell was equally critical. She took to Facebook to say, “the decision by the HHHS board and CEO to close Minden Emerg as of June 1, is very short-sighted and difficult to understand. Minden is listed as one of the fastest growing communities in the country. This will cause health and economic harm and is absolutely shameful. The community has had zero opportunity to engage with the board before this decision was made. I am speechless.”

She further updated her post to add that in a news article published in 2022, Haliburton emergency department saw 9,766 visits, while Minden’s emergency department saw 12,768.

Warden: existing model unsustainable

County warden Liz Danielsen acknowledged the HHHS decision is difficult, but ultimately believes it is the right thing for the County’s long-term health care needs.

Danielsen said while it has “caused waves of anger and anxiety across the County… unfortunately, the possibility of temporary closures has been looming over us all for the past year, and we are fortunate that we have managed to continue to keep both facilities open so far.

“I believe that the financial challenges that HHHS has been facing, along with the inability to maintain adequate staff in place, has finally proven that the existing model can no longer be sustained.”

The warden did say, however, that, “enhanced communications on a number of levels would have been beneficial.”

But, “we must face this new challenge head on. County council will continue to maintain close contact with HHHS in efforts to mitigate the impact on our community as well as monitor closely just how seriously this decision will impact the delivery of emergency services overall.”

MPP Laurie Scott has endorsed HHHS’ decision to consolidate services at Haliburton hospital.

The Highlander asked Scott about a $3 million HHHS deficit, created in part by delayed transfer payments; the Ford government not allowing nurses’ salaries to increase by more than one per cent a year over three years; and it allowing agency nursing in the province.

Scott said when it comes to transfer payments, the process has not changed. She said the province has tried to make it faster but it is similar with all transfers from government to agencies. “It takes a little bit to do the catch up.”

She further said the Ontario government is in the midst of negotiations with Ontario nurses “so, that’s evolving.”

As to agency nursing, she did not directly answer the question.

Rather, she said, “I think what they did in Haliburton was look at the fact of how many nurses and doctors they have and the reality of ‘we’re more stable in one site, that we can provide more nursing care. There’s more nurses if we pool it together.’ I think you’ll see that we’ll have a stronger emerge and we’re going to have to develop Haliburton a little bit more.”

She mentioned the ask for a CT scanner is now before the Ministry of Health.

Scott said there is a global staffing crisis and the province is taking action, such as investments to expand family health teams, increased hospital beds, more than 12,000 nurses being registered this year alone, and last fall more than 109,000 students entering the nursing field, but that it will take time.

“You can’t, when you’re dealing with this, say ‘stop agencies’,” she said. “Other areas have different needs. Lindsay doesn’t necessarily use agency but they have more flexibility. They have more staff to pull from.”

Pressed by The Highlander that if they paid public sector nurses more, they might not need agency nurses, Scott said, “there’s two emergency rooms in Haliburton County. And I know the population fluctuates in the summer time. But that’s lots of access to emergencies.”

She was further adamant HHHS’ decision was not about funding.

“The hospital will stabilize because they’ll be able to hire more. There’s lots of positive things on the horizon.”

Scott added with a “great” community paramedicine program and pharmacists treating more common health care conditions, it deflects the need for more emergency department visits. She is also looking forward to hearing HHHS’ ideas for the Minden site once the emergency department closes.

Agency nursing has been around for years, but boomed during COVID. Liberal MPP Adil Shamji is pushing for a Private Members Bill, the Temporary Nursing Agency Licensing and Regulation Act, to include mandatory licensing for temporary nursing agencies, a ban on “unconscionable pricing” and restrictions on how they can recruit.

During Question Period at Queen’s Park April 26, health minister Sylvia Jones was asked about the Minden ER closure. She said it was a hospital board decision “in the best interests of the community.” She added it was independent of ministry decision-making.

Minden ED slated for closure

The Minden emergency department is closing, with all emergency and in-patient services to be consolidated at Haliburton hospital, effective June 1.

Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) made the announcement April 20, saying Minden and the surrounding area will be able to access emergency services at the Haliburton site, and staff working in the Minden emergency department will be transferred to the Haliburton emergency department.

Chair of the HHHS board of directors, David O’Brien, said, “this was an evidence-based decision, which was made in the best interest of our community. Today is an important day for HHHS, because it means that we will continue to be able to provide the high-quality health services that Haliburton County residents and visitors count on.”

President and CEO, Carolyn Plummer, added the move, “is really related to our health human resource crisis.” She said the shortage of nursing and medical staff has meant the organization has needed to take “extraordinary” measures to keep both emergency departments operating, “which has required significant personal and professional sacrifices from staff.

“By bringing together HHHS’ emergency services at one site, there will be more staff available to help create a more stable and effective staffing situation overall.”

She said there would be no job losses and the service will still need to recruit approximately five to six full-time equivalent nurses.

The service has had to rely on agency nurses, which has contributed to an approximate $3 million deficit as of the last board meeting. Plummer said the decision isn’t about money but, “it will certainly reduce the need for agency nurses and the associated cost, but this is really about making sure that we’re making the best use of the resources we have.”

Acting chief of staff, Dr. Norm Bottum said consolidations are not new. They have occurred in Peterborough, Cobourg and Port Hope, and led to those consolidated sites being able to expand their services, he said.

“There’s been a limit to maintaining services at both sites,” he added of Minden and Haliburton. “As medical staff, I’ve sat in on many strategic plans where we thought it would be ideal to be under one site. There’s lots of efficiencies.”

He added while the board has “gone above and beyond” to keep both Minden and Haliburton emergency departments operating, “the writings’ been on the wall.” He referenced the check-stop-go put in place in case of temporary emergency room closures and, “things have gotten worse over the last year rather than better. It’s something we anticipated would happen a lot sooner.”

Difficult for Minden community

Plummer acknowledged, “we know this is going to be a very difficult message for the Minden community. We’re very cognizant of that.

“This was a very tough decision in that regard. It certainly wasn’t made lightly. We’ve been talking about this and looking at options for quite some time. This is the decision that we needed to make in order to continue to provide health services in the County and make sure that everyone in the County has access to those services, and to give us the opportunity to build a really robust emergency department and hospital service. [This will] give us the opportunity to grow and evolve in the future to meet the growing needs of our community.”

Asked about the fact Minden has more ER visits than Haliburton, Plummer said they needed to make sure their consolidated emergency department was attached to in-patient beds. There are 15 in Haliburton. Shifting to Minden would have required ministry approval, delays, and costly renovations, she added. The Haliburton site will require a few minor alterations.

Plummer said Haliburton is also “a little more central in the County as well from an EMS response perspective and travel distance perspective.”

As for the future of the Minden site, Plummer said, “we’re going to look at lots of different opportunities for that site and what might help better meet the needs of the community.”

Dr. Bottum added, “in the long run, for the benefit of the organization, consolidating to one site and being able to optimize those services is going to be a bonus for the County for years to come. Instead of splitting money between two sites, which was politically nice, but from a medical standpoint, we’ve supported the idea of a single emergency department for 30 years.”

He also said it made sense to have a consolidated site to better recruit personnel and a primary emergency site to bolster the application for a CT scanner.

Plummer said since they have been planning for near closures for months, a lot of the legwork has been done for the transition. However, she said there would be adjustments for staffing, space, patient flow, equipment and parking, to name a few.

They are also rolling out a communications strategy that will include signage at Minden hospital and on highways, and staff on-site in Minden to redirect patients when needed.

“This decision is about maintaining the safety of our patients, the sustainability of our services, and the care our patients receive, and the well-being of our staff teams,” Plummer said.

Patrick Porzuczek told a packed house at the Minden Community Centre April 25 he’d never organized anything like the ‘Save Minden Ontario Emergency Room’ Facebook group.

However, he said since moving to the town seven years ago, he’d found a community and extended family. And that included the Minden emergency room after having twice had his abnormal heart beat return to a normal rhythm.

“My wife got in the car with our three kids and drove me to the ER while I was in an arrhythmia so I could be shocked. There’s many people in this room that know of, or have had, emergency services at the Minden ER. There’s many heart attack patients, cancer patients, patients that had an accident at home that used these vital services and saved our lives,” he said. He added his six-year-old daughter also received excellent care when she had a recent heart issue.

He urged the crowd, that numbered in the hundreds, to look around the room and asked, “if we didn’t have that emergency department in Minden, would that person sitting beside you be here today?”

The community came together to share stories of their life-saving interactions with Minden emerge, sign a petition, donate money, collect signs, and begin organizing next steps in their fight to keep the Minden ER open.

I want to create awareness. I want to get these signs on lawns. I want to get the conversation started. I want all of you to go out there and write your letters to [HHHS CEO and president] Carolyn Plummer,”

Organizers vow to fight HHHS closure decision

Porzuczek said. “Carolyn, we need you to come to Minden, face us face-to-face, tell us your plan. Tell us what you’re doing and why and how you’re going to handle it. We want to know how you made this decision, on all our behalf, without consulting any one of us.”

He added they’d like answers as to anticipated wait times at Haliburton emerge, for 911, or if there is a major car accident on Hwy. 35, “how they will get immediate care having to drive 25 minutes or more to Minden?”

He said Plummer and the hospital board had made a decision, “that is going to affect us here in Minden for the rest of our lives. We cannot let this hospital close. Let’s fix it. Not close it.”

He vowed his group would do whatever it takes to save the Minden ER. Porzuczek plans to drive the petitions to Queen’s Park this week.

Mayor Bob Carter said they “knew the decision was wrong” and he’s concerned about the timing, with the closure coming June 1, at the beginning of a busy County summer. He added it’s one of the oldest populations in Ontario.

“As you get older, you need those hospital services, so this decision in inexplicable.”

He said they had to continue the momentum in the hopes of pausing the decision. He noted Plummer and board chair David O’Brien will be addressing Minden council today (April 27).

Members of the crowd talked about the impact of COVID vaccine mandates on health care workers leaving their professions, the province mismanaging health care and allowing agency nurses and a move to privatization, while others said Haliburton’s ER will be greatly impacted and that Minden serves people living south of the town.

Richard Bradley said Minden has successfully fought daycare and Service Ontario planned closures.

“It sounds like a Moses thing here. We have done floods…we have survived all of those things …”

Former HHHS health care worker Christina Allore advised the group as to what to focus on.

“We are entitled as Canadians to accessible and safe care. Those are the two key points that you have to press because moving up to there [Haliburton] is not accessible and it is not safe.”

Go to Save Minden Ontario Emergency Room on Facebook for more information on the group.

Canadian roots powerhouse duo, The Small Glories, are headed to Haliburton County Saturday night, as the folk society presents Cara Luft and J.D. Edwards for the first time ever in the Highlands.

Hailing from Winnipeg, Luft told The Highlander this week, she and Edwards are musical partners only. “It’s like singing with a sibling, our voices work really well together. And we’re troubadours. We love to go from town to town and tell stories from other places we’ve been and share things with new audiences. It’s not just about the music for us. It’s about the whole thing.”

Like most musicians, the Small Glories did not tour for a couple of years due to the pandemic. However, they’ve had make up dates from cancelled shows that have recently seen them primarily in the United States.

In talking to their agent, Luft said, “we haven’t played Ontario very much. Because of the pandemic, the last time we were in Ontario was in 2019, so let’s look at spring of 2023.” The Haliburton County Folk Society, meanwhile, was looking to book in a spring show.

“So, our agent put the call out as we had a small timeframe that we could come to the province. And the Halliburton County Folk Society was one of the organizations and one of the communities that really wanted us to come.”

Luft added despite having played in larger towns and cities and in front of big crowds, they love playing for people, “no matter where they are, and no matter the audience size. We just want people to come who want to be there. It’s great to play for a full house but even when it’s not a full house, the people who are there, they get a unique experience.”

The Small Glories said fans can expect a lot of original material, but also some traditionals and covers.

“We’re really big believers in when you find a great song, regardless of who wrote it, it needs to be shared. So, we do a lot of interpretation that way. But we really love to engage with the audience. We love telling stories. We get people laughing, sometimes we get them crying, sometimes they get up and dance. So, it’s definitely really special.

“Every concert is unique and different and always very special. So, I think people will expect great music, a great respite and relief from whatever woes they may be experiencing, and just a really great time with community.”

The show is at 7:30 p.m. at the Haliburton Legion with opener Albert Saxby. Ticket information can be found at haliburtonfolk. com.

The Friends of the Rail Trail (FoRT) is inviting County residents to attend an evening of socializing and education through the third iteration of its ‘Spokes and Species’ series.

Taking place in the clubroom at the Haliburton Legion April 26, the event will feature two guest speakers broaching subjects around cycling and the environment. Organizer Pamela Marsales said it will be a fun-filled evening jam-packed with information.

“We imagine there are lots of people out in the hinterlands in Haliburton County, cottagers and new residents who are interested in cycling, nature, rail trails or all of the above. This is a great opportunity for them to come out, meet new people and have a social evening,” she said.

Cara Steele, an ecologist at Abbey Gardens, will speak about the ecological restoration that has been ongoing at the site, touching on livable green spaces and habitat biodiversity.

The main presenter is Brendan Matheson, a coordinator with Tourism Simcoe County (TSC). Marsales said he’ll be talking about a new cycling tourism strategy he’s working on for TSC, with the key feature being a 160-kilometre rail trail loop connecting Barrie, Midland and Orillia with Georgian Bay, Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching.

“That would be of interest to many people here… the concept of cycling tourism is something that’s yet to be fully imagined and realized in Haliburton County,” Marsales said. “We’re excited to think about the possibilities. Brendan has helped create a loop trail that has become a real destination and economic driver for Simcoe County.”

Marsales said while the County has its own 35-kilometre rail trail, it’s often overlooked in favour of what she called better systems elsewhere.

She’s eager to see work continue on a proposed Toronto Algonquin Greenway (TAG) initiative that would connect the Highlands to Algonquin Park and the GTA. The 200-kilometre route would incorporate five separate existing trail systems and promote hiking, cycling and paddling.

“All the groundwork has been laid for this TAG concept to be developed as a sustainable, multi-community tourism product, but there’s still work to be done,” Marsales said, noting the project was put on hold in 2020 due to the pandemic. “I think that would really help to direct a lot of people to Haliburton County.”

The ‘Spokes and Species’ event will start at 7 p.m. Admission is by donation, with proceeds supporting FoRT. Attendees are asked to enter the Legion through the side door.

Haliburton County’s district 11 organizers are looking forward to hosting Ontario Senior Games Association (OSGA) 55+ events this summer.

Spokesperson Mary Johnson said April 20 (today) is the last day for planners to receive mailed registrations prior to the games kicking off May 4 and running until June 20.

Johnson added the games are open to men and women who are 55-plus years of age as of Dec. 31, 2023.

The event features cards, including euchre, bid euchre, contract and duplicate bridge as well as cribbage, and sports such as golf, pickleball, shuffleboard, tennis and walking.

Johnson said the games are about being active and getting involved in the community, not necessarily competition.

“Do you have the time to have fun in a competitive, non-threatening setting? Are you seeking opportunities to socialize and meet new friends? Do you feel young and energetic?” she said of the OSGA mission statement.

However, people can qualify to go on to regional games and Ontario 55+ games. There are 36 districts across the province, with more than 9,000 participants and over 500 volunteers. The games were incorporated in 1997 and there are traditionally 18-plus summer and 10-plus winter events. District 11 comprises Muskoka and Haliburton.

This year’s schedule sees bid euchre first up, May 4 at 1 p.m., at the Cardiff Community Centre and then May 8 at 1 p.m. at the Minden Curling Club. The finals will be in Gravenhurst June 9.

Euchre will follow May 15 at 1 p.m. at the Minden Curling Club and June 1 in Cardiff. The finals are June 2 in Gravenhurst.

Cribbage is scheduled for May 18 at 1 p.m. at the Kinmount Legion. The cribbage finals will be played in Kinmount June 15.

Duplicate (9 a.m.) and contract (1 p.m.) bridge will be played June 5 at the Stanhope Community Centre.

Shuffleboarders will hit the courts in Minden June 6 at 9 a.m. The finals are in Gravenhurst June 8.

Golf will again return to the Blairhampton Golf Course, on June 7, with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. Walking then takes centre stage. It is slated for June 8 beginning at 9 a.m. from the docks in Haliburton. Tennis will be next up, at the Haliburton courts, June 13, with an 8:30 a.m. start.

And, finally, the ever-popular pickleball is slated for June 20 at the Haliburton courts.

For more information, contact Mary Johnson at 705-754- 1884.