Almost two years to the day since joining Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) on an interim basis, president and CEO Veronica Nelson has announced she’s stepping down from her position effective Sept. 5.

Nelson took the reins at HHHS during a difficult time, two weeks after the shuttering of the Minden ER. She set about righting the ship, changing the culture at HHHS and improving public relations through enhanced community engagement and planning.

Board chair Irene Odell said Nelson has been “a transformational figure,” reducing the organization’s reliance on agency staff by fostering a healthier, happier, work environment for existing staff and new hires.

She also oversaw a revamp of diagnostic services, successfully lobbying the Ministry of Health for approval of new CT and mammography units, which were paid for by the community and opened last year.

Recently, she played a key role in getting the conversation started on a long-term master plan, filing an application with the Ministry of Long-Term Care to expand Minden’s Hyland Crest, and visited the Netherlands as part of a delegation exploring green care farms as an alternative model to supporting dementia patients.

“Veronica has guided the organization through a period of tremendous growth and renewal… her deep commitment to patient care and community health has led to the recruitment of new physicians and the formation of a strong and collaborative leadership team,” Odell told The Highlander.

“It will be difficult to fill Veronica’s shoes as she was a very impactful leader, but we are committed to finding a new leader to carry the positive momentum, building on the foundation she has put in place,” she added.

Nelson will re-join Ross Memorial Hospital (RMH) in Lindsay, where she spent 25 years, mostly in diagnostic imaging, before leaving for HHHS in 2023. She spent time as Ross’ interim president and CEO between 2019 and 2020.

Haliburton County deputy warden Liz Danielsen has gotten to know Nelson well over the past year through her role on the HHHS board, saying she was “terribly disappointed” to hear of the CEO’s impending departure.

“Veronica has made so many positive changes since her arrival, working tirelessly and, to some extent, going a long way to healing the community’s frustration over the loss of the ER,” Danielsen said.

Despite leaving a sizeable hole, Danielsen said she isn’t worried about Nelson’s departure impacting the work already underway on strategic planning and long-term care expansion.

“I think she’s got momentum going sufficiently and there will be people who can continue that process on all fronts. It might take a little bit longer, as we have to find a replacement, but I think we’re on the right path,” Danielsen noted.

‘Thank you Haliburton County’

Nelson said she has a lot to be grateful for. “My staff, our volunteers and the community who welcomed and trusted me to create a vision for health in the Highlands.”

She recalled her first town hall, in June 2023, where she heard area residents didn’t like the path HHHS was on. So, she went about changing it, creating an “open and transparent” process where people could express their concerns.

It was a similar story within the organization, with Nelson implementing new systems to improve worker morale. In April, she said a survey noted a 47 per cent improvement in staff satisfaction between spring of 2023 and 2025.

“Seventy-five per cent of our staff now rate HHHS as a great place to work – we know this has contributed to our ability to recruit and retain wonderful professionals,” she said.

Nelson added watching the new CT scanner get wheeled through the front doors last summer is her best memory.

“Knowing just how much work was done to make this a reality… that’s something that has been etched into my heart forever,” she said.

Odell confirmed there is no succession plan currently in place, noting all applicants will be considered.

Highlands East is looking to move ahead with a short-term rental (STR) licensing dashboard – while hoping to avoid some of the flack Dysart et al received when they publicly posted information about STRs in their township.

Junior planner Kim Roberts presented a report to a June 17 council meeting, asking elected officials to direct staff to publish the interactive GIS Dashboard on the municipality’s STR licensing webpage.

Dysart released its on May 12 and eventually all four townships are planning to do the same.

The dashboard shows the location of licensed STRs countywide.

Roberts said, given the concerns raised after Dysart et al released its map, staff wanted to bring information on the map, its purpose, and relevant information about personal privacy to councillors.

She said under the Municipal Act, townships are allowed to both issue licences and licence details may be posted on the municipality’s website.

She said most cottage country municipalities that licence STRs provide a list or map, including Tiny Township, Huntsville, Ramara, Bracebridge and Lake of Bays.

She said staff see three benefits.

“It allows the travelling public to quickly and easily confirm that the STR they are intending to book has a valid licence; provides residents with a resource to know whether or not a STR being operated in their neighbourhood is licensed and is in compliance with the requirements for fire safety, parking, and septic capacity; and allows prospective purchasers in a neighbourhood or lake to know if there are any/many STRs in the area before purchasing.”

Roberts said staff have received feedback from operators and the public with concerns about personal privacy and security, and indicated they would complain to relevant privacy bodies.

She said the Privacy Commissioner’s Office (IPC) decisions “have long recognized that information required for business licensing is not considered private or personal information, even if that business relates to the individual’s dwelling.”

Roberts added land ownership information in Ontario is not private information, and can be accessed via the Ontario Land Registry Office, and people can look at roll books at township offices for MPAC ownership information for free.

“The STR dashboard will only provide a STR licence number and a civic address,” she said. Roberts added although many municipalities provide identifying information of the ‘responsible person’ for licensed premises, enabling direct contact by the public, staff have opted to direct complaints or concerns to the 24/7 hotline or complaints dashboard so only an address or licence number is required to process a complaint or concern.

She said some operators are worried about being targeted by thieves or people not supportive of STRs. She said staff could find no evidence of this.

Roberts said there is a small body of research that demonstrates the presence of STRs in a neighbourhood can increase crime, but mostly in urban areas. Theories around cause include neighbours not knowing one another, eroding the community’s ability to police itself, increased traffic and a transient population.

“Staff are of the belief that disclosing the locations of licensed STR accommodations will foster trust and transparency in the neighbourhoods where these operations are situated.”

Mayor Dave Burton said if people are properly licensed, he would think they would want the address public for promotion.

Coun. Cec Ryall said several STR operators had contacted him. He anticipates “kick back.” He asked for even more information before they go live. Roberts said once the site is ready – they hope for the end of the first week in July – staff would be happy to circulate a private link ahead of time to councillors, and do a demonstration at the July 15 meeting.

CAO Brittany McCaw said they could also alert the public it’s coming, with relevant information on why they are allowed to do it.

Roberts said they had 66 applications to date, 33 approved, four rejected, and 26 pending. She added they had collected $8,487.18 in MAT tax; and $33,000 in licensing fees.

OPP officer Deb McClure will always remember the call; to a report of a 17-yearold male drowning.

Driving to the location, she was picturing a teen flailing in the water. She arrived to a pond on a rural property where members of a large Mennonite family yelled, “our brother is in the water.”

She didn’t see him. Not thinking to remove her heavy gear, she jumped into the water. Nothing. Her clothes and equipment started dragging her down. She felt like she was going to drown at one point.

Back-up arrived. She was able to strip off some of the weight and was tied off from shore. She dove in again, this time finding the boy. She brought him back to the surface.

“We did revive him, but then, unfortunately, about three days later, he passed away.” She received a Commissioners Citation for Bravery award.

McClure is seated at her desk at her new job: detachment commander for the Haliburton Highlands OPP.

“I definitely realize I have a lot to learn as a commander, but I can relate to the guys,” McClure says. “I’m okay to share those adversities I’ve been through. It’s not an easy career. I think the fact I’m able to talk at their level … I’ve had to take a knee before, I’ve seen some bad things; I think my openness and genuineness with individuals, that’s a skill.”

She said when she joined the police force more than 20 years ago, officers didn’t talk about mental health, or the need for selfcare. She said she was told, ‘you shut up, and you suck it up’. “And that’s what you did …to my own detriment. It came to a boiling point numerous years later. Now, I just want to remind my guys it’s okay to talk about it. I’ll share my journey.”

She hopes to extend those people skills to community members, too. “I can’t wait to get settled and actually out and be involved off-duty. It’s not just going to be a job for me. I think that’s what I’ll bring to the table. The other stuff I can learn. I can learn to write a report…”

She has come from the South Bruce OPP detachment, where she was detachment manager. She began her career with the Toronto Police Service in 2002.

Cottage country posting

As a teen, McClure grew up in Bancroft, where her family had a motel – so she knows about living, and working, in cottage country.

“I spent every summer up in this area and just loved it. I basically said after that ‘I’m going to live there one day’.”

That opportunity presented itself earlier this year with Mike Cavanagh leaving the detachment.

“When I finally did bring it (the idea) home and started talking about it with my children and my partner, the very next day I went onto our site for jobs, and it (the Highlands post) was there and I thought, ‘this is my dream, I’m going to go for it’.”

She likes that it is “a very junior detachment.” She did some homework and came up to spend a few days with Cavanagh.

“I liked that I was going to have a challenge of recruiting people here because I do really feel as soon as you get here, it’s a hidden gem. It is beautiful here, Haliburton, Minden, it’s all gorgeous.”

It’s early days, less than a month, and McClure said she is watching, observing and listening. She said the team is “very keen and eager and they’re out there. I would love more community engagement but, again, the issue with a smaller detachment is there’s calls to be done.”

Asked about a bit of a “revolving door” with commanders in the Highlands, McClure said one never knows what the future holds, including her personal life, or OPP plans for her.

However, “all I can say to you, community members and my family here now is that I have moved. I am four hours from my dad and sister, my (grown up) kids…I’m invested that way. I have less than seven (years to go) and I’d like to retire here, but I can’t promise that. I have no control.”

Members of the Haliburton Highlands OPP Detachment Board expressed interest, at their June 18 meeting, in a provincial government OPP billing review.

Members appeared to be unaware of the review that was announced May 22.

However, it was mentioned during a delegation from the municipal policing bureau.

In a letter to impacted mayors and CAOs, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) said the Ministry of the Solicitor General (SOLGEN) had announced the review, which is expected to be finalized in time for the issuing of 2026 annual billing statements, and opportunities for engagement with municipalities in June.

AMO posted the news to its website May 23 saying, “AMO understands the impact of rising police costs on municipalities across Ontario, including both those with OPP and municipal police services. AMO looks forward to working closely with SOLGEN on this review and putting it within the context of the need to reform the broader provincial-municipal fiscal relationship.”

Lisa Rotar and Janet Feaver, municipal policing specialists for the Central Region, came to the board meeting to discuss a myriad of OPP information, including annual billing statements.

Member Liz Danielsen queried billing costs per household, due to the large seasonal population in the County.

“This is something that Haliburton County has made significant arguments about in the past when the billing formula was changed. Although the bill is x amount of dollars per household, we’re unique in that half of our households are seasonal and they don’t require the same level, I believe, of service, but no adjustments are made for what’s required for service. MPAC knows how many seasonal residents (there are). I don’t understand why they’re all billed at the same amount.”

Rotar then mentioned the review, noting last year a large discount was given. She added OPP have no say over billing, but it is a SOLGEN decision. She suggested local municipalities provide feedback to the ministry this month.

Danielsen replied, “we made some significant arguments in the past (that were) completely ignored.” She said she would like to put faith that the County’s concerns will be considered in the review. “Residing two to three months a year versus 12 is considerably different.”

Member Bob Carter agreed, saying there are more than 7,000 properties in Minden, but fewer than 7,000 people. “Everyone in Minden has more than one house according to the regulations.

“In our base service, we’re paying more than we are getting, and even having the potential to get. The numbers are huge for us. You are our largest single supplier, at $2 million. It’s a lot of money. This would make a significant change. This is something that really needs to be addressed. We cannot continue to support this type of a situation. Your costs go up every year. Our ability to continue to pay this, unfair model, is not sustainable. It’s not a minor thing. It’s big.”

Rotar said OPP recover costs, and don’t make money on the essential service, “we provide when needed, there, readily available. It is a big bill to pay but it’s essential.”

She reiterated they’ve heard from other municipalities with the same concerns which is why the review is underway. She said they convey issues to the province, but the County should too.

OPP in schools

Rogan added OPP have recognized they need more staff and are recruiting.

Member Walt McKechnie said he would like more police presence in schools.

“We don’t talk about our youth enough.” He said young people need to gain a respect for police, who can educate them on the pitfalls of drugs.

Detachment commander Deb McClure agreed, saying the OPP school resource officer is returning after a hiatus. “I agree, Walt, it is very near and dear to my heart, too.” She’d like a presence, even for evening events, and to do recruiting nights at the high school. However, she said staffing is tight in small detachments such as Haliburton, so it is a balancing act.

As McClure presented the statistics for March to May, Carter said in future he would prefer she highlight worrying trends.

And member, Andrew Hodgson, talked about allocation of resources, asking, for example, why OPP would be out on the water on a Wednesday, when few boaters are on the lake, when “kids in high school are selling drugs. Allocation of resources… the best way of spending our policing dollars. Bang for the buck is critical to our citizens.”

The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 24.

Helen Parker returned to her Hwy. 118 home June 17 to find a sign by her driveway warning that pesticides had been sprayed by Fowler Construction.

When she got out of the truck, she said she could smell and taste the chemical.

“Under the back of my tongue, I could feel a sensation. It is deeply offensive to me that, without notice, without scientific justification, without due diligence, a toxic pesticide was sprayed in the vicinity of my home and sensitive waterways,” she said.

Parker said the back of the sign gave no indication of why the spraying had been done, or what had been sprayed.

When she called Fowler’s 1-800 number on the sign, she claimed she was told they used Roundup – sprayed for phragmites, and ordered by the Ministry of Transportation (MTO).

Parker said they have a pond on their property and there are wetlands next to the highway. She added a large culvert allows water to flow to a tributary that feeds into local lakes. She added their home has been identified as a significant painted turtle and snapping turtle breeding area.

“A two-kilometre stretch both east and west of our home sees a waterway in most parts of the ditch on both sides of the highway. I have seen many dead turtles due to traffic hits. The last thing these turtles need in peak breeding season is Roundup,” Parker said.

She claimed there are “zero significant phragmites” in the waterway on their property, but said there are phragmites towards Carnarvon, some 10kms away.

A spokesperson for the MTO told The Highlander June 24 the ministry “has an established program to control invasive species along provincial highways to limit the spread of phragmites through a combination of herbicide application and plant cutting when conditions permit.” She added that when working in areas where invasive phragmites are present, their contractors must implement several environmental protection measures as detailed in the 2025 Environmental Guide for Managing Invasive Phragmites.

She said ministry staff confirmed the contractor complied with regulations. “Spraying was completed within the ministry highway right-of-way to control vegetation growth and improve sightlines to ensure the safety of all road users. No spraying occurred within 15 metres of a waterway.”

However, she added, “the contractor has been reminded that all signs must be properly filled out. Ministry staff will be monitoring for compliance.”

Connor Frazer, an environmental compliance officer for the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks in Peterborough, said on June 24, the ministry had not received public complaints about the spraying, or Fowler Construction.

“Although we cannot speak to the requirements and work ordered by the Ministry of Transportation, we can confirm the contractor has a valid Pesticide Operator Licence and licensed exterminators on staff to conduct roadside spraying. There are legislative exemptions for notification requirements when spraying roadside ditches for road maintenance. Ministry staff will follow up with Fowler Construction to discuss product(s) used and their application practises,” he said.

But Parker remains adamant pesticides should not have been sprayed.

“It’s sad that the first go-to is to spray poison near wetlands before asking is this necessary?

“My photos of dead vegetation show they did, in fact, spray within 15 metres of a wetland. For years, people thought asbestos was a terrific building product – now we know otherwise. Roundup is toxic – that’s why they erected the signs.”

Carolyn Langdon of Haliburton County Master Gardeners said it seems early in the year to be applying herbicide. “It is done before the grasses set seed. I hope it wasn’t a windy day or a hot day as this affects the uptake of the herbicide.

“Herbicide application in sensitive habitats should be restricted to late summer through to early fall. This timing coincides with senescence of most native plants and reduced activity of native wildlife and species-at-risk and allows for the herbicide to be translocated into the root system.”

She added, “HCMG agree that spraying in wetland areas needs to be assessed and done with great care. Applying herbicide in these habitats should be the last option of treatment. Plants can become resistant to herbicides so if herbicides are to be used, it is important that it is done properly.”

There will soon be a new nature-focused feature greeting people as they arrive at Archie Stouffer Elementary School (ASES) – and it has the entire school community abuzz.

The Minden facility recently secured Bee School status, following in the footsteps of its home township, which was named a Bee City in April 2024. ASES parent council member, Aurora McGinn, said the designation has been in the works since last fall.

“There were some really mature white pine trees cut down in the school’s parking lot last year – they were danger trees, so it had to be done, but the parent council really started talking about how we might beautify the area,” McGinn told The Highlander. “The purpose of the school council is to enhance student achievement. So, we began to think about how we can make this area pretty while also encouraging education.”

They landed on establishing a pollinator garden where the trees had once stood. It will be divided into two sections, with room for future growth. McGinn said the idea is for ASES to utilize the space during class time and after school.

““We want to put in native plants, which will help maintain biodiversity and balance the eco-system. ASES students are already connected to the environment in so many great ways, so this will be just another avenue for them to nurture that relationship, to get their hands dirty, have an outdoor classroom and get connected with nature,” McGinn said.

“Hopefully, we’ll provide them with the tools they need to create their own gardens at home – whether now, or when they’re older,” she added.

Key pollinators include bees, hummingbirds, beetles, flies and ladybugs, which move pollen from one flower to another, enabling fertilization and the production of seeds, fruits and vegetables. They’re a vital part of our food system, McGinn said.

McGinn noted several ASES teachers are involved in the project, with pollinators forming a key part of the elementary science curriculum. Talks are ongoing to establish a school garden club, in partnership with the Minden Junior Horticultural Club.

The Haliburton County Master Gardeners is assisting, offering suggestions for suitable native plants. McGinn said there will be lots featured, including scarlet beebalm, spotted joe-pye weed, American brown nut, biennial bee blossom, brown fox sedge, sweetgrass, wild chives, black-eyed Susan, slender mountain mint, New England aster, sky blue aster, tall sunflower, Prairie smoke, swamp milkweed, anise hyssop, white heath aster, and zigzag golden rod.

The team will begin planting flowers next fall. Now, they’re looking for the community to pitch in with tarp and mulch to prepare the site.

“We really think and hope this garden will be a community endeavour, and that we can inspire a sense of pride and ownership for the entire town. It would be lovely if this were here for the next 20, 30 years.

“Once it’s established, it really won’t need much care. These plants thrive on their own – they won’t need to be watered throughout the summer. We’re doing the work now, so that nature can take over,” she said.

Highlands-based charity Turtle Guardians has moved into new digs in Haliburton village, with lead Leora Berman hoping the relocation provides the non-profit with more of a presence in the community.

Staff and volunteers have spent months redesigning the lower level at 235 Highland St., creating a welcoming space for people wanting to learn more about one of the world’s oldest reptile species. The charity was located at the Haliburton fish hatchery on Gelert Road for about seven years, vacating the space in January.

“We’ve been looking for a new home for three years. Space was a challenge where we were, but the biggest problem was we didn’t have running water,” Berman said.

Berman said she loved being part of the community hatchery, but noted it was costing $800 a month transporting water to the site, while staff have been injured lugging around heavy buckets.

With about double the footprint to work with now, Berman and her team have given Turtle Guardians a fresh look. The main foyer was designed with children in mind. Bookcases line the walls, while there’s colours and decorations intended to mimic the outdoors; a structural support has been turned into a paper mâché tree, with the bright blue walls mimicking a clear summer day sky.

There are six rooms – some office space for staff, but also ones dedicated for turtle rehabilitation, turtle feeding, and youth programming. There will also be an “interpretive room” that Berman said will feature rolling exhibitions about things like turtle biology and behaviour.

Tours lasting 45 minutes are available during regular hours – Tuesdays/Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesdays/ Thursdays from 1 to 6 p.m. – and are $10 for people 15 and older, and $7 for children.

“Each one will be different depending on what your interests are. But there will be lots of learning opportunities – we’ll show you how to safely handle a turtle, and how to work with snapping turtles,” Berman great variety of music, local news & info! said. “I don’t know a kid that isn’t inspired or intrigued by turtles.”

All of the 20 turtles in the charity’s care arrived from the Ontario Turtle Trauma Centre and other facilities because they were disabled. Berman regards them as ambassadors, or “teaching turtles.”

Turtle Guardians is the third largest incubator in Ontario, Berman said, providing a controlled environment for the care and protection of nests that were in risky spaces. They have volunteers out in the community daily responding to incidents involving turtles on the road.

The group has over 180 registered volunteers and six sister chapters across the continent, in Ontario, Texas, California and Florida. Turtle Guardians also works with the OPP and several Canadian municipalities on training and strategies to ensure turtle nesting sites aren’t disturbed during road maintenance.

She said it’s important to save as many turtles as possible as it can take up to 60 years to replace fully-grown adults, which play a “vital role” in our lakes.

The group carries out lengthy research projects, too. Michaela Bouffard, a biologist and road ecologist, has been working with Turtle Guardians for the past year investigating how adult pheromones impact hatchling turtles. Recently, staff have noted an increase in egg implosions when they’re excavated from nests.

“We want to do some analysis to figure out why that is – whether it’s down to calcium deficiencies in the environment, the presence of microplastics or glyphosatebased herbicides,” Bouffard said. Berman noted the Highlands region is the only one in the province reporting this type of issue.

The charity is also finalizing testing for a turtle eco-passage fencing prototype, which Berman said can be installed at known road crossings where there are existing culverts. She hopes it will limit the number of turtles being hit by cars.

“We just have to get engineer [approval] and they’ll be ready to roll out across Ontario.”

As of June 22, 11 crews, consisting of 56 fire rangers and 13 overhead staff, have been deployed from the Haliburton Fire Management Headquarters (FMH) to wildland fires in the northwest region of Ontario.

Shayne McCool, fire information officer northeast region, said four crews and two overhead staff are currently in the field from the Haliburton FMH.

So far this season, Haliburton staff have been deployed to Kenora, Red Lake, Fort Frances, Sioux Lookout and Nipigon.

A deployment is typically a two-week fire assignment, which can extend to as long as 19 days with travel time.

There have been three wildland fires in the Haliburton forest management area this season.

The last was Haliburton 3 at 40.7 hectares. It was located in the northeast corner of Algonquin Park, and was confirmed out on May 12.