Haliburton Highlands Outdoors Association takes stock of 2022 fishery management

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December 15, 2022

It was another busy year at the Haliburton Highlands Outdoors Association (HHOA), president Dan Smith told the organization’s Nov. 27 AGM. It’s been 30 years since founding, but COVID-19 restrictions hampered celebration plans for this year. Smith said the association hopes to mark the milestone in the coming year.

The pandemic also prompted a change to HHOA fundraising, with traditional events such as the wild game dinner off the table. “At the same time, businesses in town have shut down during COVID,” Smith said. “How are we going to go ask for money?”

He said new fundraising initiatives such as the Catch the Ace have been successful, with the 50/50 cash raffle seeming like a good bet for the future. “To keep the lights on and feed the fish… we had to change the way we think,” Smith said.

Another focus has been spreading awareness of the group through social media, news sources and the group’s website.

“We need more members and volunteers,” Smith said. Currently, the association sits at 100 paid members and 84 volunteers. Volunteers who work more than 50 hours per week receive a free membership. The Ontario government’s proposal to shorten the ice fishing season on certain lakes could impact fishing on lakes the HHOA has stocked.

“For us, there are only three lakes on the list which might be problematic,” said hatchery manager David Poirer. He is seeking clarity on how the rules would impact the association’s stocking license on Salmon Lake, Lake Kashagawigamog and Kushog Lake.

Poirer referred to studies that show limiting the fish anglers can keep tends to be more effective than limiting time on the ice. Smith said, “we haven’t put our heads together to give our group’s feedback, because that’s not our group’s purpose at this time.”

Haliburton County Huskies’ identity shines through rocky clashes

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Sam Gillett

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December 15, 2022

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It only took a few minutes for the ice at the Minden arena to reach a boiling point Dec. 11, as the Haliburton County Huskies faced off with the rival Cobourg Cougars.

While the referees were kept busy with 27 penalties and plenty of fiery confrontations, the Dogs battled to a 5-1 win. “We wanted our players to respond,” said coach Ryan Ramsay.

He said it was a strong performance coming off the back of a tough 5-3 loss to the Trenton Golden Hawks Dec. 9. “I didn’t like the outing that we had on Friday night. So, it was a good response from our guys and obviously, it’s a good rivalry with Cobourg,” Ramsay said.

Six minutes into the first period, Boyd Stahlbaum and Isaac Sooklal picked up a deflected shot from behind the net, passed it to Marco Iozzo – a recent acquisition from the Milton Menace – and he slotted it past the Cougars’ goaltender.

Two minutes later, Christian Stevens intercepted a Cougars’ pass and flicked the puck up to Lucas Rea. With clear ice ahead of him, Rea turned on the jets and flicked the puck between the goalie’s pads, leaving two Cougars’ defenders helpless behind him. “Our identity is a lot of team speed and skill, with some physicality. There’s also a sense of familiarity playing with each other,” Ramsay said.

The Dogs exploited cracks in the Cougars’ defence for the rest of the game. Stahlbaum notched two more goals in the third period, alongside one from Rea, assisted by Lucas Marshall and Zack Terry.

Hockey wasn’t the only focus, however. Volunteers from the Minden Community Food Centre hosted a 50/50 raffle, toy drive and silent auction. After the game, kids had a chance to hit the ice with their Huskies heroes. Ramsay was disappointed with how his team started the game against Trenton.

“If we would have played the first or second period like the third period, we would have won,” Ramsay said of the squad’s away loss to Trenton.

After going down 3-0 in the first period, the Huskies battled back with two goals from Ty Collins and one from Stahlbaum. “You can’t just show up and play one period and expect to win… but good on [the team] to show some character and try to battle back,” Ramsay said.

The Dogs play at home against the Toronto Patriots Dec. 17, away against St. Michael’s Dec. 18 and ring in the new year back at the S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena with a tilt versus Aurora Dec. 31.

Projected voices in magical places for 2023

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Sam Gillett

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December 15, 2022

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Tickets are on sale for the Highlands Opera Studio’s (HOS) 17th season, in which emerging and established talents will explore indigenous stories, operatic comedies and host multiple community-focused musical events.

“Join us to listen, learn, reawaken your senses, and celebrate together,” said general and co-artistic director, Valerie Kuinka, in a media release.

Mishabooz’s Realm, a 2017 opera written by Cree composer and creator Andrew Balfour, is set to swoop into the Northern Lights Performing Arts pavilion Aug. 17 and 18. HOS said it’s a “powerful and important” production and, unlike the vast majority of stories in opera, takes viewers outside the realm of European storytelling.

Balfour produced the opera in 2017, in collaboration with HOS and the l’Atelier lyrique de l’Opera de Montreal. “Mishabooz’s Realm takes us on a journey from an Indigenous perspective through creation, colonization, and, ultimately, hope for the future,” said HOS.

The Elixir of Love, a romantic comedy, follows the misadventures of a villager in love with a wealthy heiress.

Along with full-length productions, the studio has scheduled multiple paywhat-you-can events through July and August, as well as operatic masterclasses.

Holiday pricing is in effect until Jan. 20, with tickets and season passes available at highlandsoperastudio.com.

Master Gardeners continually protecting Highlands environment

By

Mike Baker

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December 15, 2022

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“Every community should have a Master Gardeners group,” said Carolyn Langdon, a long-time member of the Highlands-based horticultural organization, which recently celebrated 20 years of green-thumbed service in Haliburton County.

he brainchild of friends Eileen Hughes, Winnie Kasepchuk and Pauline Plooard – who each remain active members – the Haliburton County Master Gardeners (HCMG) has played a pivotal role in environmental protection and education for the past two decades.

The group develops specialist materials and programming to assist local gardeners with overcoming challenging growing conditions in the Highlands, while promoting the importance of maintaining naturally thriving species.

“We solve problems and answer questions people have related to gardening, or anything to do with nature. Really, it’s about giving sound, environmentally-friendly advice to property owners on how they can best support and care for their land,” Langdon said.

The most popular service the group provides is on-site property consultations, completing 50 since 2020. Langdon said the biggest call for help in recent years has been how to conserve or restore a shoreline or other area of a property that has little vegetation or has been overrun with invasive plants, such as goutweed or periwinkle.

“We usually have two or three members that will go and they will spend a few hours on-site, walking people through any issues or problem areas. Then we’ll put together a report that people can use to bring out the best in their property,” Langdon said.

HCMG played a key role in the redesign of the Minden Village Green in 2012 and has worked with Nature’s Place on multiple local initiatives. Langdon has been with the organization for 10 years, learning about them after moving home to the Highlands in 2012.

Since then, she’s taken an active role in the group’s leadership and has helped with the development of a new website, and programs such as the Heritage Apple Project, launched this year in partnership with the University of Guelph. HCMG was named a Haliburton Highlands Land Trust ‘Enviro Hero’ in 2022 for its contributions to several public education initiatives, such as teaching County homeowners about the importance of native plants. “All gardens should be at least 70 per cent native,” she said.

Plans to introduce a self-guided audio tour in the new year, highlighting the different plant life people can find along the Minden Boardwalk, are underway. The group is actively looking for new members, though it’s not as simple as just signing up.

Any potential member must complete a condensed Master Gardener university course and put in a minimum of 30 volunteer hours with a local chapter before being accepted. Courses are offered virtually at Dalhousie University and the University of Guelph and cost several hundred dollars. “It’s a worthwhile investment.

Being a member of Master Gardeners has been a treat for me,” said Hughes. “I’ve divided hostas and rescued native lupines from the ditch for our annual plant sales, made presentations to our local horticultural society… I’ve loved being a part of this group, and the work we do is meaningful. And I’ve met a lot of lovely people along the way.” To learn more about HCMG, visit haliburtonmastergardener.ca.

Minden shopping destination gets a refresh

By

Sam Gillett

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December 15, 2022

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A downtown Minden landmark will look just a little bit different next spring.

Under new ownership, Stedmans V&S Department Store is planning to close its doors in January for extensive renovations, lasting until spring.

Faisal Rasool, who purchased the business from John and Robyn Thomas in September, said he’s excited to expand the store’s selection of craft supplies, stationary, sweet treats and seasonal products for Christmas, Halloween and more.

To make room, the store will be expanding into what was a storage area.

While the store might look different inside, Rasool said he’s eager to continue the Stedmans tradition.

“[The store] means a lot to people, especially elderly people, because it’s kind of like their childhood store. It’s a store for everything,” Rasool said.

“Clothing is so important for people. Yarn is important for them and there’s lots of other stuff they rely on. So, we’ll try to meet their requirements.”

He originally planned to change the name, but customers convinced him it was important to carry on the Stedmans legacy. “I’m like, ‘a new name is not going to do any good for me. We’ll keep the same name’… people are really happy about it.”

Rasool, living in Bowmanville, operates stores in communities such as Bobcaygeon and Lindsay.

He said he’s enjoyed getting to know Minden Hills. “I’ve been coming to the area for quite a few years,” he said. “And I always loved it, it’s beautiful.”

Creating a positive experience for shoppers of all kinds is a key value he brings to his stores, he said. “Serving people and seeing them happy going out the door, it’s really satisfying.”

Commercial rent squeeze

By

Lisa Gervais

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December 15, 2022

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We’ve written extensively about a housing crisis in Haliburton County. The high cost of rent has contributed.

However, we have not delved into the commercial side of things. Yet, we are seeing landlords being forced to raise their rents to cope with the inflationary pressures we are all experiencing. We are also witnessing commercial properties remaining vacant because would-be tenants cannot afford the rents.

In today’s Highlander, we look into concerns over a landlord increasing rents at a Minden commercial building that houses the Shell as well as Fast Lane Bowling, Pet Thyme-Animal Krackers! and Sonya’s Unisex Hairstyling. The roofing business no longer appears to be in the complex. The owners of the bowling alley told us they were informed earlier this month that their rent would be going up 140 per cent in the new year.

They said the hike would force them to close. A GoFundMe has been launched in the hopes of getting them through the winter season, but is obviously not sustainable long-term. While it would be easy to vilify the landlord, it isn’t black and white. The landlord told us he didn’t want to up the rents, but he had no choice.

He said the rent had not been raised by the former landlord and was far below market rent. It’s hard to figure out an average for Minden Hills as rents vary based on square footage and other factors.

For example, if you look on realtor.ca, there is a small sample size. But it would indicate that the landlord was undercharging. The landlord’s costs are going up too. He has experienced seven Bank of Canada interest rate hikes in six months.

He is looking at paying an additional $800-a-month in mortgage payments. We understand the tenants’ concerns, too. Big rent hikes will undoubtedly ruin their bottom line, or worse, force them out.

Right or wrong, less government protection is afforded commercial renters.

Even though there are a few commercial rent increase guidelines in Ontario established by the Commercial Tenancies Act, rents are mostly determined by the market rates and negotiations between landlords and tenants. And, legally speaking, there’s no limit on how much a landlord can increase the rent by every year. However, we do urge the landlord to take into consideration the tenants’ business and the economy.

We know that business revenue at a bowling alley varies. It’s busy in the winter and dead in the summer. He is also gambling in terms of trying to balance the need to retain the tenants with their capacity to pay. That’s why we see empty shops in our villages.

We encourage the landlord to negotiate with the tenants, which seems to be happening now. It would be ideal if the landlord can reach a win-win with the tenants. In this case, the landlord lives out of town so doesn’t know the impact of a closure of a bowling alley.

With four leagues, including Special Olympics, open bowling, and parties and fundraisers, Fast Lane is an important part of our community.

We urge all commercial landlords in the County to add an escalation clause to their lease agreements – in talks with their tenants. It gives them the right to increase the rent when the cost of operating the property goes up. That way the increase is considered fair, and not in the 75-150 per cent range as in this case.

Residents can have their say about Haliburton County tourism planning

By

Lisa Gervais

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December 15, 2022

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The County of Haliburton’s tourism department is asking residents for their opinion on the Highlands visitor economy.

Tourism manager Tracie Bertrand said, “research shows that people want to visit a place for the very same reason people want to live in a place” and “great destinations are using a community-based approach to responsible tourism development.”

The first annual resident sentiment survey (RSS) comes on the heels of the five-year destination management plan (DMP), adopted by County council in 2002-21.

The plan is a framework to help optimize the economy year-round, provide greater benefits for all residents across the County and manage the destination for future generations to enjoy, Bertrand said.

The public might remember the town halls held between May 2019 and December 2020, which helped to formulate the plan. The three strategic priorities that emerged from the plan were strengthening community collaboration, diversifying destination development, and enhancing the destination brand.

Since then, the County has brought on board director of economic development, Scott Ovell, and Bertrand. “In 2022, staff began to execute on the DMP,” Bertrand said. She noted she has had an opportunity to meet and speak to many tourism stakeholders, has provided visitor experience and destination training to welcome centres and was involved in the first annual tourism and business summit in collaboration with HaliTAC at Sir Sam’s Ski/Ride. She added the tourism website continues to be updated and innovated for an “exceptional” visitor experience, and there’s now an industry page for stakeholders to find what they need in one place.

Bertrand said the next logical step was to reach out to residents of the Haliburton Highlands. “The goal is to collect resident opinions on the visitor economy to inform decisionmaking around sustainable and responsible development of the tourism sector and managing Haliburton Highlands as a destination,” she said.

The tourism manager added the key objectives are: engaging a breadth and diversity of residents; gauging residents’ attitudes and opinions on the visitor economy; gathering insight on desired actions related to the visitor economy in the future; and benchmarking and tracking resident sentiment about the visitor economy over time.

The survey is available on Wade In Haliburton, on social media, or go to surveymonkey.com/r/COHResidentSentimentSurvey. Paper copies can be found at the township office in Minden (705-286-1333) and local libraries. The survey closes Sunday, Dec. 18.

Dorset rec centre still months from reopening

By

Mike Baker

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December 15, 2022

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Algonquin Highlands staff are hoping to reopen the Dorset Recreation Centre by the end of next year.

Speaking at a Dec. 8 council meeting, Adam Thorn, public works manager with the township, said it was difficult to provide an exact date for when the facility could reopen considering there’s still some investigation to be done before repairs can begin.

“As much as we want to have this open for the public tomorrow, it’s something we need to make sure we’re thorough with… I would love to say [we’ll be in a position to reopen] somewhere between six and 10 months from now,” Thorn said.

The facility has been closed since March 2020 after staff found extensive mold and moisture damage while carrying out a small renovation in a downstairs bathroom. Further investigation showed the issue was prevalent throughout the building.

The centre is home to an air-conditioned squash court, weight and fitness room, meeting rooms, two kitchens, showers and a gymnasium equipped with volleyball, basketball, floor hockey and pickleball equipment. There are also public computers on-site.

Thorn noted that, prior to its closing, the building was used mainly for recreational purposes, though was available for people to rent to host meetings, workshops, dances and weddings.

Dorset resident Dave Mullins feels the community has been waiting far too long for one of its main hubs to reopen. He delivered a petition to Algonquin Highlands council, signed by 388 people, calling for the township to make the renovation a top priority.

“The citizens of Dorset have been eminently patient regarding the closure. The patience has worn thin,” Mullins wrote in his submission.

“This venue is used by people from Port Sydney to Huntsville, through Baysville and the south shore of Lake of Bays. It draws in the large population on Kawagama and the surrounding smaller lakes down Hwy. 35… In a small village like Dorset, the rec centre serves as an important meeting place for the community, yet it remains shuttered with no clear indication of when, or if ever, it will re-open.”

Mayor Liz Danielsen said she was very concerned about the amount of time the building has been closed, but that staff had to follow the correct processes to ensure any renovations are properly completed.

Thorn said, before any work can begin, the township should bring someone in to take another look at the building.

A previous study was completed by consulting and engineering firm Cambium last winter, but Thorn noted the mold had likely worsened since then.

“I would really like to not have to come back here in three, four, 10 years and say ‘we missed something’, so taking another look is important,” Thorn said. A previous cost estimate of $900,000, pitched last summer, now appears low, though Thorn stopped short of providing a new projection.

Thorn has been working alongside Travis Wilson, a consultant with Peterboroughbased Engage Engineering, to come up with a plan to redevelop the centre. Addressing council last week, Wilson said he put out an expression of interest to firms interested in taking the project on. He received five responses.

All companies were asked how they would proceed with the project, and when they could expect to start and complete the work. All five companies said they could begin early in the new year, with only three providing completion dates – one being six months, another 10 months, and a third giving a completion date of Aug. 23. Wilson said he will work on putting an official RFP out by mid-January, with a final recommendation coming to council later that month.

Staffing remains ‘major issue’ for Haliburton Highlands Health Services

By

Mike Baker

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December 15, 2022

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It has been a precarious year for Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS), with the organization reporting there have been more than two dozen “close calls” in 2022 where emergency departments in Haliburton and Minden have been on the brink of a temporary closure.

President and CEO, Carolyn Plummer, told a Dec. 8 board meeting that staff shortages continue to be the number one challenge facing HHHS, with the Haliburton department most impacted. The organization is spending approximately $290,000 per month on agency nurses to keep its services operational.

“On the nursing side, we’re between 40 and 50 per cent of our total nursing hours being provided by agency staff right now. This is happening mostly in emergency, but we’re also using agency on the inpatient side as well,” Plummer said. There’s a shortage of physicians too, Plummer noted.

Around 60 per cent of all doctor shifts in Haliburton are being covered by temporary workers through the Ontario Physician Locum Program. To maintain adequate service levels across its emergency departments, HHHS mandates that one physician and two registered nurses (RNs) must be on-site at all times. During daytime shifts, the hospital also retains a registered practical nurse (RPN).

“The reason we’re running into so many issues is that we have five mobile physicians that provide emergency department care in Haliburton, with three of them also providing primary care across other services. So, they often have limited availability,” Plummer said.

Issues surrounding potential closures arise when physicians or nurses call-in to cancel a shift, Plummer added, leaving senior administration scrambling to fill shifts.

Board chair David O’Brien told The Highlander it has been a challenging 12 months for everyone involved with HHHS.

“One minute you think ‘OK, we’re all covered for the weekend’, then two minutes later we get a call, and we find out we’re not. That’s the reality we’re dealing with,” O’Brien said. “Our job at the hospital is to provide health care services to our community, and we will do that to the best of our ability. But it’s very discouraging when you come so close to not being able to do that. And it’s got nothing to do with how you run your operation, it’s just that a doctor gets ill, like we all do, or a nurse has a family situation, like we all do. These things pop up, and you’ve just got to deal with them.

“Carolyn and her team have done such a fabulous job keeping these hospitals open in the face of such extraordinary pressures,” he added.

While recruitment efforts are ongoing, Plummer said several issues, including a lack of housing and salary limitations, are impacting HHHS’ efforts to hire.

The organization hasn’t brought a new physician onboard since 2021, while they’ve only hired one full-time RN this year. Plummer said the hospitals could use an additional 12 full-time RNs and several doctors.

Plummer said the threat of a potential emergency department closure remains. She is encouraging residents to only visit emergency departments if they have a lifethreatening, or serious situation. Other care options, she said, include visiting a family doctor, or going to HHHS’ COVID-19 assessment centre.

If a visit to the ER is required, Plummer said people should call ahead to make sure the department is open.

Cash flow issues

As of Dec. 9, HHHS is waiting on just over a million dollars in outstanding COVID-19 relief funding from the Ontario government.

The organization has had to dip into its line of credit to cover operational costs over the past three months, averaging $2,500 on that account monthly. Plummer said she has met with representatives from Ontario Health East to discuss these challenges, which she said have been ongoing for some time.

“The issue of funding delays is not new, as it also presented challenges for HHHS at the same time last year, as well as the year before. It relates direct to funding that is meant to cover incremental expenses related to the pandemic. At the same time, HHHS’ deficit has grown as a result of the health human resource shortages we have been experiencing, and the need to rely on outside support to keep our services open,” Plummer said.

“This has meant the impact of the delays has been greater, as the amount is larger and has been difficult to cover for hospitals, like ours, with limited resources and reserves.”

The Rez lives on as former owner buys back Haliburton Village property

By

Mike Baker

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December 15, 2022

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After a nervous few months, tenants of The Rez in downtown Haliburton breathed a collective sigh of relief last week after former owner, Nick Adams, confirmed he had completed a deal to re-purchase the property.

The future of the apartment complex, which houses 15 low and fixed-income residents, has been up in the air for much of this year.

After selling the property in November 2021 and relocating with his family to New Brunswick, Adams returned to Haliburton temporarily in August after learning the new owners had allowed the property to fall into arrears.

The holders of the primary mortgage were threatening to foreclose and send the property to power of sale, which would have forced eviction on all residents.

Adams has spent weeks trying to avoid that, working on a deal to reassume ownership.

He confirmed that, as of Dec. 9, he was once again the legal owner of 213 Highland St. “I am doing what I am doing not because I want to, but because I have to… These people are my friends, and I couldn’t just sit by and watch them get kicked out onto the streets,” Adams previously told The Highlander. “Losing this space [would have been] the worst case scenario for Haliburton. There’s nothing else like this operating in the County. There [would have been] nowhere for these people to go.”

Since he first became involved with The Rez in 2013, Adams estimates more than 100 people have lived there.

Due to the nature of the residence, which is split into two sections and boasts two communal living areas, including kitchens, bathrooms, lounges and 15 bedrooms, Adams has had difficulty securing insurance. He has recently signed an agreement, and noted that, due to the conditions, he would be returning to Haliburton full-time in the new year and taking up residence at The Rez.