Dysart et al, ward 1: Pamela Brohm

September 29, 2022

Listen to the full interview, click here.

Qualifications

“Haliburton County has been my home since I was six months old. I was raised in the area, went to Haliburton High and since then have owned a business on Highland Street, worked in Toronto and moved back here permanently just about a year ago,” Brohm said. “I am quite involved in the community, I feel I have my finger on the pulse and have an idea about some of the main issues we have.”

Amalgamation

“You have to be looking at the dollars and cents. Perhaps [amalgamating] brings more buying power for supplies and equipment that municipalities need to run. Consolidating some facilities rather than having each township individually running their own roads department,” Brohm said. “I’m a small-town girl, so I like the idea of Dysart being my municipality. If the townships were to amalgamate, that would mean you wouldn’t have that connection to your community, to the governing body… I feel that contact and connection is important.”

Health

“If you had one larger facility [as opposed to two hospitals] … you could possibly have more equipment available. One of the things we need desperately in this community is a CT scanner. If we had one here, that would save our EMS a great deal of time from transporting patients to Lindsay or Peterborough,” Brohm said. “Nobody wants to lose their community hospital, but we’re growing at such a rate with a population requiring medical care… I would really have to look at what the ramifications would be, how a site would be chosen and how it would all be funded.”

Poverty

“SIRCH has made a good start, offering training to younger people to give them options they wouldn’t have had otherwise. The Youth Hub is also another good operation. We need to show younger people there are other ways to live, and that they can do things for themselves,” Brohm said. “Many people are living in poverty, or just on the edge, in Ontario right now. The cost of food and gas makes it even more difficult, so this is a hard thing to address… If we grew and had a few more businesses that would employ some people, that might be helpful.”

Housing

“Modular homes are a lot less money to build, for people to buy. I heard about a project that was done in Calgary, a young couple who were renting for $2,000 got into a modular home and it just changed their lives. They could afford to pay their bills, got out of debt and could plan for the future. It got me thinking, that could be a really good idea [for Haliburton County],” Brohm said. She noted she’s also seen people transform storage containers into livable units and spoke favourably about tiny homes. “We need to be open to new visions, because the same old, same old is not working anymore. Especially not for your average working family.” Brohm said she’s skeptical about the proposed Harburn Holdings development on Grass Lake. “It’s very important that we protect the environment… and we need to make sure [the proposal] provides to the community what the community needs, and that’s affordable housing.”

Transportation

“If we had public transportation, it would be easier for people who don’t have resources to get around. Some people might want to work but might not be able to get there right now,” Brohm said. “I believe it can be done. We need to look at the whole situation, what the needs would be and how we can do this.” Brohm said her ideal system would feature a weekly bus system with pre-determined routes that could help move people across the County.

Shoreline preservation bylaw

“Things had been going on so long that a decision had to be made. We know our environment is critical and we have to protect it… A bylaw was voted in Aug. 24 and will come into effect April 1, 2023. In my mind, that’s it. The issue is done,” Brohm said. Short-term rentals “I believe they most definitely should be regulated. It is the commodification of shelter. It’s buying something strictly to make money from it, not to live in it or have it as your own family cottage – that is a business, which puts pressure on our resources, whether it’s emergency services, roads. It also allows a lot of people to come in who really haven’t got a clue about rural life, they don’t know what a septic system is and how you have to be careful with them,” Brohm said. “To share a cottage with family and friends is one thing, but to have it up on Kijiji, Craigslist or Airbnb for the whole world to see? I just don’t agree with that.”

Vision for the future

“The main issue we have right now is housing, that has to be our priority. People that were born and raised here now can’t afford to live here. In my mind, that’s not how we want to see things. I would like to see sustainable housing projects that are meaningful for Dysart and complements the lifestyle we want to have here,” Brohm said. “That has to be the focus. Without more housing, we cannot get the professionals that we need.”

Dysart et al

“There are many big issues to work on and to look at… I’ve taken a look at our reserve funds and think [we can do] better, so that, in the event your playground equipment is beat, you can go to your reserve fund and use some money to replace it.”

Pamela Brohm the candidate

“I am passionate about Dysart. I want to see it be the best place it can be. As a councillor, I would be accessible. I am always available, and no call or email will go unanswered. I have no personal agendas here; my sole focus is on making things better for the people who live here.”

Algonquin Highlands, mayor: Liz Danielsen

Mike Baker

September 29, 2022

Listen to the full interview, click here.

Qualifications

Liz Danielsen said she was a councillor in Norman Wells in the Northwest Territories for 12 years. She then spent several years as a reporter with the old County Voice newspaper. She was elected to Algonquin Highlands in 2010 and has done three terms as deputy mayor. Danielsen has also served four straight terms as warden of Haliburton County.

Amalgamation

“It’s easy to say, ‘you all need to amalgamate, and we need to get rid of all these high paid personalities that you’ve got working for us’, but it’s much more complicated than that. I’m concerned about communities being able to keep their identities. That sense of local identity and history is so steeped in so many small communities here and I want us to be able to protect that to move forward, streamline things and make services better. I’m wondering if there isn’t a midway point where we can see all those things happen with services, without necessarily taking that last step of amalgamation.” Danielsen said she feels many of those service efficiencies will be identified during the service delivery review process the County is currently leading.

Health

Danielsen would not commit one way or the other when asked if Haliburton County should consider amalgamating its two hospital sites. She said the upper-tier was doing what it could to attract more health care professionals to the community, including hiring a physician recruiter and renting accommodation for workers to live in.

Poverty

“We are taking steps to try and reduce it. There have been housing studies, poverty reduction groups established, so I have some hope for some results coming out of that work. But really, at the local level, it’s difficult. If you ask me what the base root cause of poverty in Haliburton County is, I really couldn’t say. I could just say that we’re much more aware of it now and are taking steps to look at every aspect of poverty here and trying to seek solutions.”

Housing

“It breaks my heart to hear that people are being forced to leave our community. Our housing difficulties are also making it impossible for people to join us here, to move into our community and fill muchneeded jobs. It’s going to be a challenge for municipalities [alone to address this], we are reliant on upper levels of government assisting us.” She added the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus is developing a housing strategy for eastern Ontario that could bear potential solutions. She expressed an interest, too, in Algonquin Highlands investigating tiny homes and secondary units. And, while the County currently works with the Kawartha Lakes Haliburton Housing Corporation, she believes it might be time for the upper-tier government to establish its own housing corporation in the Highlands.

Transportation

“It’s a problem … Haliburton County is such a huge geographic area, and, because of that, we haven’t landed on anything so far that has been financially viable or workable.” She referenced recent pilot projects launched by Point in Time, Fleming Crew and SIRCH Community Services, partially funded by the County, as success stories. “We are continuing to work on this file.” Shoreline preservation bylaw “Am I 100 per cent happy with the final draft we came up with? No. I think there is still some work to be done. Bylaws are living documents and sometimes you have to put something in place to see how they’re going to work. We’ve heard from hundreds of people… I truly believe the bulk of them wanted us to do something.”

Short-term rentals

“They definitely have a place in our community. The short-term rental business does support our economy. They do bring people here, and I want that to continue… But I do believe they need to be regulated. We’ve heard some horror stories over the past few years how some short-term rentals have impacted their neighbours… so we have to do something viable and reasonable, while also protecting the lifestyles of our current residents.”

Vision for the future

Danielsen said she’s committed to keeping taxes low in Algonquin Highlands, while continuing to maintain municipal assets and meeting the growing needs of the community. “Algonquin Highlands is a beautiful place to live. We are exceeding other municipalities. I want to continue that. I’d like to have a stronger committee structure, which would allow more people to be involved in our decision-making process.”

Algonquin Highlands

“There are a number of really serious and huge issues. Housing has been identified at all levels of government as being a number one priority. We have a labour shortage. Everybody is having difficulties hiring people, so we have to try and address that. The service delivery work that the County has been doing is also really key.”

Liz Danielsen the candidate

“I love municipal politics. I like to be able to help solve problems, to help people when I can. This seems like the perfect transition for me, a perfect next step after 12 years as deputy mayor. I’ve got the experience and yet I can bring a new voice to the mayor’s chair, a little bit of a different perspective. I have a lot of knowledge about this community, what the people want, what they’re concerned about. And that goes for the County too. I think I have a lot to offer.”

Algonquin Highlands, mayor: Mike Lang

Mike Baker

September 29, 2022

Qualifications

Listen to the full interview, click here.

“I’ve been a public servant with the federal government for 33 years. I started out with the Department of Communications, which morphed into Industry Canada… In the last 20 years, I’ve been involved in quite a few major projects: World Youth Day when the Pope came to Canada, the G8 Summit in Huntsville, the Pan Am games in 2015.” Lang said he is familiar with government policies and procedures, which would help him adapt to a mayoral position. “I deal with the public quite regularly. It’s a matter of listening to the people, finding out what’s the issue and offering solutions for them.”

Amalgamation

“I am against amalgamation. I have suffered through it once already in Toronto and nothing worked. On paper, it looks great. You think ‘we’re going to save money, we’re going to reduce costs, everything’s going to fall into place and be wonderful’, yet the exact opposite happens. You end up with the worst of the worst,” Lang said.

Health

Lang said he would be in favour of Haliburton County maintaining its two hospital sites. “If you’re having a heart attack, you want to be as close as possible to a hospiatal. And with the senior community we have, where the average age is 55, that’s an issue. You want to have something close.” Addressing staffing shortages at the sites, Lang believes the Ontario government’s recent decision to make it easier for overseas-trained nurses to get licensed here would help. He said he would lobby the Ontario Medical Association to up its intake of would-be physicians to medical school. “You have 105,000 applicants for 100 spots for med school. Why can’t we have 200 slots? Why not more. Let’s start [pushing] more doctors through the system.”

Housing

“You have to look at the bigger picture. I did a deep dive on the 2021 Census. In 2011, there was a high of 3,800 dwellings [in Haliburton County]. In 2021, that had dropped to 3,300. We lost 500 dwellings in 10 years. Why are people destroying homes instead of keeping them, and using them for things like affordable housing?” Lang likes the idea of developing vacant land along Hwy. 35. He thinks tiny homes could be an option for couples and single people. “You’ve got to look at every idea. Everything is a possibility.”

Poverty

Lang said all levels of government in Haliburton County need to do a better job of bringing more businesses to the community. “There are minimal opportunities in Algonquin Highlands. Once you start bringing in good, quality jobs, that’ll start digging into the poverty levels.”

Shoreline preservation bylaw

“It wasn’t necessary and was a bad idea… There was no transparency in the process, councillors didn’t listen to the people who were bringing up ideas. The shoreline bylaw is a very bureaucratic exercise.” Lang said if elected, he will look to reopen discussions on the file at the County. “That’s what people want from me. Hopefully we have enough people… and we can repeal the [legislation] so that it wouldn’t be in effect in Algonquin Highlands.”

Short-term rentals

“It’s a complex issue… For people who buy a property and maybe need a little help with it, that’s fine. But when you start turning it into a business, it’s competing with resorts and becomes a problem.” He would like the township to implement a licensing program for short-term rentals that are operating like a business, charging fees so enforcement is self-funded. He believes this issue should be tackled by each lower-tier municipality, rather than at the County level.

Transportation

Lang doesn’t believe a public transportation system is feasible in Algonquin Highlands or Haliburton County. For people experiencing problems getting about the community, he suggested there were alternatives. “I got through university because of ride shares. That would be a far more effective, far less expensive way to solve the problem. And, it’s community-oriented.”

Vision for the future

“We have a blank slate right now in Algonquin Highlands. We can take the community in whatever direction we want. We just have to have the vision and willpower to do it,” Lang said. One of his priorities would be installing fibre optic internet in high-volume residential areas, something he believes would attract more working professionals to the community. He also wants to address land around Stanhope Municipal Airport, saying council should be thinking outside the box when it comes to attracting new businesses or operations. “Why don’t we build a retirement community there? We have 100 acres. The province is looking for long-term care. Seniors need a place to retire… That’s an option.”

Algonquin Highlands

“Municipal government is the first line of government people see that affects your everyday life. You look for the core services, that’s basically infrastructure, roads, parks and rec, garbage removal. Make sure those are covered, because those are quality of life issues. As long as they’re good, you can start moving on secondary issues. The government is elected by the people, so focus on the people and then you can start moving onto the bigger items. When the people are satisfied and content, that’s the first primary goal.”

Mike Lang the candidate

“I’ve been a property owner in Algonquin Highlands since 2011. I’m part in Toronto right now, part here. I plan on retiring in November and then will be able to spend a lot more time in the community. If I’m elected, I will be a full-time mayor. When you step back and watch over 10 years, you wonder ‘why are they doing this, why are they doing that?’ I decided to run for council because I think I can step up and do a good job.”

Award-winning duo brings the roar to Haliburton

September 29, 2022

When they’re on stage, Paul Otten and Helen Austin stay busy.

Otten handles the drums, keyboard and bass simultaneously while Austin plays guitar and taps beats with a drum. Not to mention they both sing at the same time.

“I was told once we’re like two one-man bands in one band,” said Austin.

“It’s like a tightrope act.”

Together they’re the Big Little Lions, a duo who first collaborated in 2014, winning a JUNO award, before going on to make six records filled to the brim with folk pop harmonies.

Soon, they’ll bring the show to Haliburton, playing the Legion Oct. 7.

The show has been a long time coming.

The band was originally slated to play in 2020, but world events had other ideas.

“At first it was like background noise,” Otten said of COVID-19 during the weeks prior to shutdowns in March. “We didn’t know how it was going to be. We played right up until the shut down.”

While shows were cancelled, the Big Little Lions stayed busy: they wrote and released an album, Happy Accident, released by Fallen Tree Records.

It’s pandemic-era collaboration at its best: Otten in the U.S. and Austin in Canada writing from hundreds of kilometres apart.

But that was nothing new for them, “we found we couldn’t be productive in the same room in a writing capacity,” Austin said.

The album frames the band itself as that happy accident that gave rise to close friendships between Otten and his partner and Austin and hers, as well as the experiences and memories that come with being on the road and creating sound together. Both successful songwriters and composers separately, Big Little Lions seems to fit nicely into their creative journeys.

Austin describes it as “serendipity.” The pair have also become close friends, spending road trips lipsyncing to TV shows and goofing off.

“Now we’ve got this sibling thing going,” Austin said. “Paul’s never had a sister.”

Throughout the band’s history, they’ve been awarded the Canadian Folk Music Associations’ ensemble of the year, won the John Lennon songwriting competition and were awarded the Independent Music Awards’ Americana song of the year.

Big Little Lions will kick off their set at the Haliburton Legion Friday Oct. 7 at 7:30. Tickets are $25 or $20 for Haliburton County Folk Society members and students or $30 at the door.

Playwriting workshops ‘silence inner critic’

Sam Gillett

September 29, 2022

A renowned playwright is coming to town to help bring local stories to life.

Dan Needles is set to teach a six-session playwriting workshop in Haliburton and over Zoom, organized by the local Rural Rogues theatre troupe.

“I explain my approach: it’s scene writing, rather than play writing. A play is made up of scenes,” Needles said. “A scene is a moment when something changes. If you can learn to write in scenes, that approach works in any kind of writing for the stage, a novel or film.”

Needles has developed a reputation for his plays, which depict life in small town Ontario.

Sharing local culture and stories on stage is exactly what Rural Rogues wants to do, said Jennifer Rieger, a board member.

“For people who don’t live in Haliburton, it’s a wonderful way of learning Haliburton’s stories and history,” she said. “The theatre is a fantastic venue for telling stories, and we want our plays to be based on fact, but it doesn’t have to be dry fact. It’s engaging… it’s a story.”

The workshop will cost $90 and is available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

During the six workshops, three online and three in Haliburton, participants will be able to brainstorm their writing and learn from Needles how to effectively craft scenes.

“I find in these groups, the writing is never the problem, it’s how [the scene] is presented, it’s how it’s revealed,” Needles said.

He said his workshops aren’t a place for criticism.

“I don’t believe in critiques. We don’t need a drama critic at the table,” Needles said. “We’ll get a drama critic at some part in the process. What we need is a cheerleader, someone who’ll silence your inner critic.”

Needles began writing scenes about local rural life to process his grief at the way Ontario’s small town farming traditions were disappearing.

“Part of the mourning was writing down the things I remembered so they wouldn’t be lost,” he said.

When he staged his first play, “it wasn’t lost on me that quite a few of the people on stage were in the audience,” he said.

What followed were the most “nerve-wracking” two hours of his life.

At the end, a cattle farmer approached him and said, “that was good Danny, but a bit long.”

Needles said that’s the point in the process critics can play a role, far after playwrights workshop their ideas in a group setting.

“You’re going to get the cattle farmer at the end saying it’s a bit long… but you don’t need that voice at the beginning or you’d never put a pen to paper.”

Needles’ workshops begin Oct. 29. For more information contact Kate Butler at kbutler@haliburtonhighlandsmuseum.com.

Steering the ARC towards connections

Mike Baker

September 29, 2022

The Abbey Retreat Centre (ARC) in Dysart is living proof that if you build it, people will come.

Since opening its doors in 2017, ARC has assisted hundreds of cancer patients and their caregivers through their cancer journeys, offering free programming to support people on their path to healing, recovery and acceptance.

This year, the organization has expanded its offerings. The number of in-person retreats has doubled, now being offered monthly. Online programming has become a key feature, with executive director Barb SmithMorrison saying it has allowed the retreat’s expansive list of facilitators to help more people, in Haliburton County and beyond.

She shared several success stories at a celebration Sept. 18, honouring those who participated in ARC’s summertime Highlands Health Challenge fundraiser. Running until the end of this month, the drive has raised $56,000.

“Fundraising is critical to everything we do at ARC. To be able to offer more programs, we need more money since we don’t charge people for our services,” Smith-Morrison said. “We think it’s important that we run our programs barrier-free… People with a cancer diagnosis are already going through so much without also having to worry about paying for supports that can really benefit them.”

The cost for one person to attend a four-day retreat is approximately $1,700. Due to the pandemic, ARC decided to limit the number of attendees to eight people per retreat, down from 12. Smith-Morrison expects those limits, as well as mandates requiring attendees to wear masks, will remain in place for some time.

That decision, coupled with a “significant increase” in demand over the past year, necessitated the move to monthly retreats, Smith-Morrison said.

“Our waitlist is pretty significant, over 100 people,” she said. “We prioritize local and seasonal residents, and then those who are living with an advanced cancer diagnosis, but because we’re so unique we have people coming to us from all over the country. We have applications from people from Halifax, Quebec and Alberta.”

County resident Bob Stiles can attest to the quality of programming offered through ARC. He attended an in-person retreat in 2019 after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, and said the experience was “life changing” for he and wife, Arlene. He has volunteered with ARC ever since.

Over the summer, he and friend, Greg Roe, canoed five lakes in the County, raising more than $7,000 for the challenge. Stiles had hoped to attend the celebration but had a prior engagement.

Max Ward was there. A cancer survivor, Ward participated in one of ARC’s online retreats in the spring.

“I experienced first-hand the wonderful work ARC does. I felt supported, cared for and valued for my contributions. I made connections with people on their cancer journey, and I felt the other participants somehow understood me in a way not even my own family could,” Ward said. “I’m motivated for others to share that caring and supportive experience I did.”

While programs through the remainder of 2022 are largely booked, Smith-Morrison said there are plans to run both four-week and seven-week virtual sessions in the new year, as well as monthly healing circles.

“We’ve overseen a bit of an expansion heading into this new year, and I think it’s important that ARC continues to grow. Our retreats, online and in-person, are making a real difference for people who have kind of hit a brick wall and don’t know where to turn. We want to continue being there for them and building our services and programs even more,” Smith-Morrison said.

For more information, visit abbeyretreatcentre.ca.

Art in the changing seasons

Sam Gillett

September 29, 2022

Forests turning gold, orange and red mean fall has arrived in Haliburton County. The Studio Tour Haliburton Highlands is another marker of the changing seasons. Forty-four artists will be exhibiting in 26 studios from Minden to Tory Hill during the first two weekends of October.

According to co-directors Peter Emmink and Joyce Pruysers-Emmink, visitors flock to the tour to learn about the artists, as well as their art.

“I think a big part of it is the education piece. They want to know how things are done,” said Joyce. “They like to see what’s new and exciting; they’re also excited to see new artists on the tour.”

The tour is celebrating 35 years and despite two years of COVID restrictions is, “the biggest it’s ever been,” Peter said.

“We’re adding more interest to the tour by adding more diversity,” he added. There are a range of new artists working in fibre arts, epoxy, metal and more.”

Many, such as Peter and Joyce, who run Ivy Cottage Fusion Arts, develop new work for studio tours each year.

The co-directors have begun crafting lanterns completely from scratch and developing three-dimensional sculptures that incorporate fused glass.

To land a spot on the tour, artists’ work is juried by a committee.

“We feel it’s a very high-quality tour,” Joyce said. “I think that’s what’s given us our longevity.”

It’s a lot of art to see in two weekends. Peter recommended visitors check out the studio tour brochure online, or available locally, to see which artists they are interested in, or visit the tour in quadrants, one-quarter of the County each day.

“That’s one way of doing it if you want to see everything,” he said.

As an artist, Joyce said a good conversation or spark of creativity can be just as satisfying as a sale.

“Whether they purchase or not doesn’t matter, it’s just to see that reaction and that interest in the process,” she said. “The studio tour in general always has an educational component to it. And that just excites a lot of people to get into their own crafts and hobbies.”

The Studio Tour Haliburton Highlands runs Oct. 1-2 and 8-9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Summer has been a blast

Mike Baker

September 29, 2022

Is it finally safe to say yet, out in the open, that things seem to be back to normal after two-plus years of COVID kookiness?

I’ve held off on writing this column for several weeks out of fear that, by prematurely putting this out there, I would spark some crazy re-emergence of the virus. I’d even come up with a name – ‘Revenge of the ‘Rona’. Flashbacks to my childhood, where I was routinely referred to as ‘Murph’ due to my uncanny ability to find myself in situations where anything that could go wrong usually did, were real.

And I’m glad I waited. Because even if the worst does happen and we’re forced to involuntarily ride another wave, I have somebody else I can blame.

The federal government announced this week that all remaining COVID restrictions would be lifted. That means unvaccinated international visitors will now be allowed entry into Canada without having to undergo any testing or screening. No travellers will have to prove their vaccination status before leaving or entering the country, either.

And no more masks on airplanes. As someone who had to endure a seven-hour flight to the UK earlier this year, that’s a biggie.

So, yeah… thanks, Justin Trudeau.

In reality, life as we knew it pre-pandemic has been in full flow in Haliburton County since the beginning of spring. We’ve seen it in the uptick of community events, councils meeting again in-person (albeit without yet opening to the public), and most mask mandates being lifted.

Despite working in this community for the better part of two years, I’m finding that I’m only now getting a true glimpse of what’s it’s actually like. I look back over my summer and the long list of events I’ve attended, and I must say, it feels good to be a regular reporter again, as opposed to the… whatever you want to call someone who sits inside on the phone, and attending Zoom meetings all day.

There’s been 100th birthday celebrations, tours of new and expanding businesses, the Haliburton Home and Cottage show, Minden Rotary’s 75th anniversary, HHSS’ graduation, and I even managed to get out to my firstever corn roast on Soyers Lake.

We’ve also seen the return of the ever-popular Eye on the Street feature, where myself, Sam and Lisa have taken turns approaching people out in the community to ask them about the most pressing or topical issue of the week. I’ve had a lot of fun with that, so much so that I’ve volunteered to take it on permanently. So, if you see me out and about, bobbing my head side to side, trying to make eye contact and frantically approaching anyone who even so much as gazes in my direction, you now know what’s going on.

It’s hard to believe that summer is now over, but with that comes the return of several other things we can sink our teeth into. The Haliburton County Huskies are back in action, the snowmobile club is already starting to ramp up for another season, and dare I say it… Halloween is right around the corner. The countdown is well and truly on.

Thanks for a great summer, Haliburton County.

Health services foundation passing the torch

Lisa Gervais

September 29, 2022

The Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation (HHHSF) introduced its new executive director at its annual general meeting Sept. 20.

Melanie Klodt Wong will be taking over from a retiring Lisa Tompkins. She told the board she was grateful and excited to be at the 26th AGM, and in the Highlands.

“I’m truly honoured to have the opportunity to serve the community and support the health and well-being of Highlanders and visitors alike through leading the work of the HHHSF,” she said.

She added she is looking forward to maintaining and building upon the “great” work that Tompkins, admin assistant Carol Simmons and the board had accomplished over the past few years.

“I’m inspired by the dedication of this team and the team that runs a whole host of services in our community. I look forward to learning more from them and you, and I already feel very supported and welcomed as a relatively new member of the community and ready to jump in and roll up my sleeves soon.” She starts Oct. 15.

Klodt Wong said HHHSF plays an important role in educating and inspiring the community. She touched on one of the many challenges facing the County when she included, “those who struggle to stay housed here. There’s always more work that can be done to find essential and critical services to ensure good quality of life for all and I’m excited to be part of that through the foundation.”

She said Tompkins had done “an exceptional job, and I’m grateful she’s passing the torch with such a stable foundation. I don’t take this responsibility lightly and I want to do her proud and maintain the fiscally-sound foundation and eventually take it to the next level, thoughtfully, intentionally and in anticipation of the needs of the community and the constantly changing world around us.”

She said she was looking forward to working with Tompkins, Simmons, the board and HHHS CAO and president Carolyn Plummer on a smooth and seamless transition.

The board said Klodt Wong brings over 15 years of experience leading strategic partnerships and projects in the not-for-profit industry, including the Toronto International Film Festival.

“Melanie’s experience in not-for-profit management, fund development, and her tactical approach to cause-based initiatives will be a tremendous asset to the foundation as it continues to grow and serve the health care fundraising needs of the HHHS corporation,” the board said.

Business meeting

During the meeting, Tompkins said the foundation had transferred more than $413,000 to HHHS in the fiscal year. More than $363,000 went into equipment, such as vital signs monitors, the workstations on wheels, half of a nurse call system campaign, bariatric bed, accessible bath tubs and equipment for hospital kitchens. She added they provided $50,000 for the gift a meal, meals on wheels program, and medically-required transportation. They also contributed more than $6,300 to employee education assistance, including a secondary school bursary. She said that component will increase to about $20,000 in the next fiscal year.

Tompkins said funds came through individual and business donations, corporations and service clubs, bequests, special gifts and planned giving, as well as core events, such as the Radiothon, which raised more than $33,000.

Tompkins said the ‘believe in the magic of giving’ campaign earned nearly $244,000. A decision to replace the ticketed cash for care lottery with a primarily online 50/50 lottery garnered about $100,000 in revenue. They added a new element to the Family of Bears fundraiser, releasing a “class photo” puzzle in June. Tompkins thanked “a generous and caring community” for continuing to support local health services, despite challenges, and also applauded volunteers, including the board of directors.

Speaking at her 20th AGM, and her fifth and last as executive director, Tompkins acknowledged “the quality of care and delivery of health services that our professionals and staff at HHHS give day-in and day-out.” She also paid tribute to donors. “I continue to be humbled and in awe of that generosity.”

Jane Adams said she was in “awe” of what Tompkins and the foundation had been able to do and Plummer thanked Tompkins, the HHHSF board and donors.

Eric Recalla is back as board chair, and Troy Austen, Ron Brown and Wade Woodward have joined. Returning board members are: David Blodgett, David Coulson, Jaklin Johnston, Greta Lariviere, Susannah Moylan, Carol Patrick, Steve Todd and David Zilstra.

Inflation to challenge library budget

Sam Gillett

September 29, 2022

Just like gas and groceries, the cost of books is rising. That’s causing the Haliburton County Public Library (HCPL) to carefully consider how its draft 2023 budget can enhance its collection.

HCPL CEO Christopher Stephenson said at a Sept. 21 HCPL board meeting that an increase in book costs has put pressure on their budget.

“We’ve tightened our belts in a few areas. What does matter to us is the collection… we’ve been able to divert more money towards the collections’ budget in 2023.”

He referenced a letter to the service from Library Bound, a book wholesaler, that predicts a 10 per cent rise in book costs next year.

“The cost of shipping has absolutely skyrocketed, and there have been steady increases and shortages of all the myriad physical components that are part of producing a book and getting it to market, including paper, glue, ink, cardboard and packing tape,” a Library Bound representative wrote to Stephenson. “There is still a critical shortage of printers available to the industry, with labour costs soaring.”

Despite rising book costs, Stephenson presented a draft budget to the HCPL board Sept. 21 that includes a seven per cent increase in the service’s collections budget, boosting it to $118,068.

“We are our collection and it matters. That’s why we did spend a fair bit of time finding money to divert,” he said.

That budget will fund the service’s growing digital library as well. Since 2018, circulation of digital items such as e-books and audiobooks has more than doubled, now making up 38 per cent of the library’s use.

There are more than 90,000 titles HCPL patrons can access via the Overdrive app.

To finance collection expansion, the library plans to decrease spending on automation, bibliographic services, postage and mileage.

The library board must approve the budget before it is presented to Haliburton County council later in the year.

Supply delays keeping Stanhope closed

An accessible door is the final piece in the puzzle for the long-awaited reopening of the Stanhope HCPL branch.

The County of Haliburton has finished maintenance and renovations inside the building, but the contractor hired to complete the exterior accessibility work hasn’t been able to secure a door suitable for the building, which is accessible.

Algonquin Highlands Mayor Carol Moffatt said, “what we all want to say is ‘just go and get a new door’. The issue is the door needs to be accessible. That’s the whole point of the project.”

Strategic plan

The HCPL board is set to meet in October to continue work on a service-wide strategic plan.

An early-stage draft of the plan was presented to the board Sept. 21.

“The focus of our new plan may best be summarized by the word ‘modernization,” wrote board chair Sally Howson in an introduction. “Each area of the library is being reassessed for how we can make progress and improvements along five areas of direction. These relate to: communicating our value, honouring our relationships, advocacy and community connection, investing in staff, and creating consistency across the library system.”

The board and library staff will develop the 2022-27 strategic plan based on the work by a strategic plan committee that conducted stakeholder interviews and hired consultants to direct the process.

The plan contains “strategic objectives” for the service, such as communicating the library’s value as a community hub and safe gathering space, building “bridges to new and existing partners and patrons,” advocating for the library and connecting with the community in a strategic way and developing staff, “to strengthen the library internally”.

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