More than a dozen signs asking drivers to slow down have been taken from North Shore Road, leaving residents puzzled and distressed over local traffic speeds.
“I was bitterly disappointed and a little angry,” said Paul MacInnes, who helped secure “Slow Down Please” lawn signs from CAA in Peterborough.
After installing 16 up and down the road Sept. 15, MacInnes heard from multiple residents they seemed to be having an effect. However, they were all taken some time during late Sept. 17 or early Sept. 18.
MacInnes said he reported the issue to the OPP, who released a statement on Sept. 20 about sign tampering and theft.
“The Haliburton Highlands OPP recently received reports of the theft of election and community safety signage and would like to remind residents to be vigilant and make a report if you witness any such incidents to the police immediately,” said the OPP.
“Anyone removing signage without authority to do so could result in persons being charged with theft under $5,000.”
The MacInneses and 16 other families erected signs on the road after meeting to discuss municipal election issues at the beginning of September.
People ignoring posted speed limit: Moffatt
“The big issue that just kept coming up was the traffic and speeding on North Shore Road,” he said.
They’ve since asked the County of Haliburton for temporary use of digital speed alert signs, and have approached Algonquin Highlands about the issue.
MacInnes said one resident counted more than 200 cars driving by in an hour during the summer.
“The traffic volume is one thing, but the speed they’re going is another. A lot of cars are travelling at a very unsafe speed,” he said.
It’s an issue Algonquin Highlands Mayor Carol Moffatt, who drives the road most days, knows well.
“I’m extremely familiar with every bump on that road,” she said.
Council recently denied a request to seek a change in the speed limit from 50 kilometres an hour to 40 on the road.
“The issue isn’t about a posted speed limit, the issue is about people ignoring the posted speed limit,” she said.
The fact CAA’s slow down signs are so widespread shows how speeding is a Canada-wide issue, she added.
“People think ‘reduce the speed limit and the problem will fade away.’ That’s not how it works.”
Moffatt said she’s requested the OPP conduct regular patrols on the road to deter speeders. She also encouraged walkers, cyclists and other road users to exercise caution and pay attention to their surroundings.
“People need to stop speeding on North Shore Road. What’s the rush? …and people need to stop treating North Shore Road like it’s a paved path somewhere,” she said.
As for MacInnes and his neighbours, they’re considering other options to help decrease speed.
“We don’t want to go back to the CAA and ask them for more signs if they’re just going to be stolen again.”
It was Mahatma Gandhi who said the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.
In that regard, Haliburton County receives a failing grade.
For decades, the Highlands has been recognized as one of the poorest in Ontario, sharing that unenviable title with Manitoulin Island.
Poverty has been left unchecked far too long, being allowed to fester to such a point that, today, more than 17 per cent of people in Haliburton County are lacking the resources required to provide the basic necessities of life.
Really think about that for a moment. Almost one in five people here are struggling to get by.
It’s even worse for kids – around 25 per cent of our youth are living in poverty.
While the pandemic may have exacerbated the issue, this is something people like Tina Jackson, executive director of the Haliburton County Heat Bank and Central Food Network, have been dealing with for quite some time.
Since 2014, the heat bank has seen its clientele more than double. Our food banks are finding it difficult to keep up with demand. A report put to County council in 2019 pegged the region’s living wage at $19.42.
Now, this was pre-pandemic so we can almost guarantee that number has increased over the past three years, but still… That’s a lot of money when you consider a major part of the County’s economy is centred around tourism, which isn’t generally a high-paying field.
Fay Martin, an academic that has spent 30-plus years studying poverty in Haliburton County, suggests we are where we are by design.
Because our economy is based on tourism, a vast majority of jobs are seasonal and low paying. It’s hard to turn that around.
If our restaurants began paying employees a living wage, they would have to increase prices, likely pushing more people to eat at home. The same can be said for almost any service; eventually, the consumer is the one that pays.
In a nutshell, tourists will find somewhere else to go if Haliburton County becomes an expensive place for them to play.
We must look at other avenues to bring about change.
Perhaps our local leaders can take an active role in trying to bring more small to medium-sized businesses to Haliburton County. Alliston has Honda, and, more recently, Smith Falls attracted Canopy.
Another idea is to entice an organization like Fleming College to establish a trades school here. The arts community has flourished in the years since the Haliburton School of Art + Design opened. Is it that unthinkable to imagine a trades school leading to an influx of muchneeded jobs, and workers, in fields such as plumbing, carpentry, welding and electrical?
It’s not enough anymore to just sit by and acknowledge that we have a problem. We need to push our local leaders to be more proactive in coming up with strategies to tackle poverty.
As the last 20-plus years have shown, this isn’t an issue that’s going to fix itself.
Trevor Chaulk moved to the County 17 years ago and opened Chaulk Woodworking 15 years ago. As a businessperson, he said, “we have to understand people, how to motivate them, and financials. My strengths are in problem-solving … but most important, good leadership and humility.” He added, “The business is at a point now where it’s working, pretty steady and consistent. I don’t work as many hours as I used to. I do want to see other people grow within the community and, in the aftermath of COVID, people are looking for leadership, accountability, and hope.”
Amalgamation
“In some ways, I’m for it. In some ways, I’m not for it right now. In Haliburton County, there’s still very distinct us versus them mindsets between townships, cottagers versus locals. We have to get on the same page. The amount of work that needs to be done now in individual townships, we’re not ready for it. Do I believe amalgamation will save costs? Yes.” However, “It’s no different than when a larger company swallows up a smaller company. The staff that have been there 30 years are saying, ‘this isn’t the way it works’. And the upper management is saying ‘this is the way it’s going to work’ so there is going to be a lot of conflict in the early stages. Eventually we will be in a position where it will be supported, but we are not there yet.”
Health
“Staffing is a critical thing, housing is a critical thing, because we can attract all the doctors, nurses and administration staff but if they have nowhere to live, no entertainment or night life aside from recreation, we might not attract and retain these skilled professionals.” He said they have to find creative ways to get and keep staff since they are competing with the rest of the province. Asked for his ideas, he said, “it’s business growth and development.”
Labour
“We have to fix a labour shortage before we can fix a business shortage. You’re not going to attract more business here if there are no workers. If we want to have light to medium industry, which is year-round, steady, good-paying, how do we attract that when there’s no workers or industrial area in Minden?” Asked for a solution, he said it is something he wants to investigate. “In the Official Plan they do not talk about any industrial areas. I want to find out what municipal lands are owned and what the municipality can do to develop and promote it. If we can get more light to medium industry, then we also provide better-paying jobs.” He emphasized that tradespeople are needed.
Poverty
“The living wage in Haliburton County is $19.42 an hour.” He said other factors come into play but, “we all know that is still not enough. Ten years ago, you could do that but we cannot do that anymore. We cannot have a majority of the workforce in the minimum wage sectors.” He said he knows people willing and able to work but one problem is a lack of affordable daycare, with long waitlists.
Housing
“We have to talk about people’s perception on what is affordable…because you are going to have different tiers of affordability. We do need low-income rental housing. We also need market rate affordable housing for the workforce, and for seniors downsizing. We can look at our bylaws and allow multi-residential on a smaller scale. We can allow homeowners to create apartments in their homes. We can allow duplex and triplex construction. Smaller-scale units, which can go up faster. We can’t wait three years for decisions and then investors walk away because they’re tired. We need to find faster solutions. We only have a three to-five-year window to get this balanced or you’re going to have more and more people leave the area.”
Transportation
“How do we solve transportation issues when you work on a lower-tier pay scale? You cannot afford the high rent, heat, grocery prices and have a vehicle and insurance. It’s not doable. How can we encourage people to come out of poverty if we can’t get them trained. If we can’t provide schooling?
Shoreline preservation bylaw
He said the intent of the bylaw is “just”, but he thinks there are gaps. For example, he said there is a lot of wording giving discretion to the director. “It seems onesided where it’s protecting the County.” He added if the County or township has to do work on land within 20 metres of the high-water mark, they do not have to go through any permit approvals and there is nothing to ensure inspections after the work is done.
Short-term rentals
“I’m for and I’m against.” He said they have to be identified as casual or a business. If businesses, he said they have to follow certain guidelines according to environmental and local laws. He said they should be registered and licensed if operating solely as businesses. He said it will protect neighbours and the environment.
Vision for the future
He would like more industry to bolster the taxation base. “We want to redirect wasted money to priority projects.” He added, “I have no intention of disrupting heritage. But as society is changing, mindsets are changing, new people are coming into the area that have different wishes. We have to balance everything as much as possible because we’re going to be serving many different cultures now, many mindsets. So, we have to integrate and monitor the growth.” He added the County has done a good job of attracting retirees and tourists. It has led to booming summers but bust winters. He added, “we have to find creative ways to create a year-round stable economy and need to attract and retain younger families.” He said their spending drives the economy.
Minden Hills
“There are a lot of issues from big to small.” For example, he said people want public washrooms unlocked. He said roads and waste management are a concern. Chaulk added the downtown core needs improvement, and to be more vibrant. He cited other issues such as safety and wellbeing, a lack of policing, drug issues, and homelessness.
Trevor Chaulk the candidate
“I’m a forward thinker. We cannot just look right in front of us and deal day-today … we have to have a vision… What can I do for the community? I thought I could run for council … My biggest fear, in the next five to 10 years, if we don’t get on top of some of these topics right now, and aggressively get on top of them, this area can be in severe trouble.”
Tammy McKelvey started in municipal government in 1980 as a receptionist for Anson, Hindon and Minden. She worked her way up to payroll clerk, accounts payable, deputy clerk, treasurer. She was clerk, treasurer, tax collector at one point. She was the first CAO-clerk for Minden Hills. She was the CAO of Dysart et al. She ended her career as treasurer for Algonquin Highlands in 2019.
Amalgamation
“I am a proponent. However, the service delivery review is rolling out. I want to see it rolling faster. My first priority would be building and planning departments. It’s ridiculous that a County the size of Haliburton has five official plans, four zoning bylaws … it’s just so inefficient.” Asked how it could be sped up, she said, “I think we need to focus the priorities on it…start putting the staff resources where they need to be to make it a better place, make it more efficient and effective.”
Health
“We need to collectively lobby for additional funding. The paramedic service, where they started doing the home check-ins, is wonderful. There’s going to be more need for that sort of thing. We can’t have ambulances going to Lindsay for CAT scans and staying for a whole day because they were sent out on another call there. So, the long-term benefits of providing a CAT scan to our local hospital really will provide us with some financial gains at the other end, but it’s a big expense. It will also help attract doctors. They want that sort of diagnostic equipment. It will be a terrible decision to have to make if one of the hospitals has to close… Having said that, I can see where the cost of running two hospitals is not sustainable.”
Housing
She’d like amendments to the zoning bylaw to allow for secondary houses on larger pieces of property. In town, she’d like to see infilling some of the larger lots that are serviced with sewers and water. “I’d like to see opportunities for people to sever those … Change the mindset of what we can do to provide affordable lots for people to build on … Tiny houses is definitely another issue we need to look at.”
Poverty
“I would encourage employers to provide a living wage to their workers, starting with the township. The lack of student hiring for the township is a poor image in our communities with the lack of garbage collection and grass maintenance. These young people can’t afford to work for minimum wage and I feel the township needs to be a leader. Paying wages over minimum wage usually results in a wage subsidy from the province as well. We need to encourage the development of community gardens and provide space on municipal property. Lack of housing, and affordable daycare, is adding to the poverty levels.
Shoreline preservation bylaw
“The entire economic engine of our area is the lakes. If we don’t protect those, we will have nothing here. I am a strong proponent for lake protection. I think the shoreline preservation bylaw needs to roll out. Let’s try it. Let’s see how this is and commit to reviewing it so it is a living document that can be changed if things need to be tweaked, but let’s try it out first before there’s any decision to change.” She also thinks the septic reinspection program has to continue and properties requiring remediation followed up on.
Short-term rentals
“Short-term rentals have to be regulated. It’s no longer just people renting out their cottages for a couple of weeks to help subsidize the cost of having it. It’s becoming a business. It’s taking away the enjoyment of the lakeside lifestyle. The County’s initiated that process. I think we should probably not re-invent the wheel. Lake of Bays is a good place to start. They have a process in place and we could probably utilize that and put it to work in Haliburton County.”
Transportation
“Public transportation in an area so spread out with a limited population – I don’t see it being in the foreseeable future. You can run a bus from Minden to Haliburton, great, how many people are off all of the other hundreds of roads that can’t utilize it? It’s a critical infrastructure that’s needed. Can it be feasible? I question whether we can. The County has tried pilot projects and tried to come up with a solution.”
Vision for the future
“We really need to work on the government structure and make sure it’s running efficiently and effectively. The decision-making has to set priorities that are going to benefit the majority of the ratepayers. We will never be able to do everything for everyone. We need to make sure people can safely drive down our roads. Long-term, I’d love to see lots of things for kids. I’d love to see a waterpark. I’d like to see a downtown so when people come from the other areas with their kids to the waterpark they’re going to spend some money in town. I don’t like to see how people have to drive to Bobcaygeon to go to a waterpark. Swimming pool…we missed the boat. We are “arena poor” and now we have to make sure it becomes useable and bring events to it.”
Minden Hills
“Minden Hills has a lot to offer. The village has water and sewer, which makes for tremendous development opportunities and housing. I think priorities need to be set for our limited financial resources. One per cent on the levy is $97,000 so we need to look at it from that perspective. Roads are going to be my number one priority and housing is so important. It’s affecting everybody here.” As for debenturing for roads, McKelvey said the long-term costs must be offset by the benefits. She does not agree with borrowing money for operational costs. Asked what could be done to expand the tax base, she said they have to help existing businesses, ensure basic garbage collection and grass-cutting downtown so it’s attractive. She said it would be hard to attract industry, so it will have to be residential growth. She wants more diversion at the landfill: hard plastics’ recycling, periodic shredding of confidential documents, and a Beer Store bottle return run by service clubs.”
Tammy McKelvey the candidate
“Municipal government has been my passion for most of my life. I have almost 40 years’ experience and think I can bring a lot to the table. I will hit the ground running.” She said she has the experience to ask the right questions and understands the legislation. “I don’t have that learning curve … I think my background, experience and financial strength can really help. I think my team player skills and bringing the council together and making sure there is really good dialogue at the council table and encouraging that discussion” will help.
Janice Dahms worked in the hospitality industry and then at a spa in Eagle Lake. She now works at a service station in Highlands East. “I feel I have a good understanding of our community and our people having that hospitality backing then working in the tourism industry.”
Amalgamation
“To some degree, I agree with it. I don’t think every aspect of all the municipalities should be amalgamated. But, for example, shared road maintenance could be something that is taken under one umbrella. So certain services, social services probably would work better as a whole, whereas other things [should be] kept to their own municipalities.”
Haliburton County, along with all four townships, has been working to increase collaboration on services such as road maintenance and more since 2021.
Health
“I believe having the two hospitals is beneficial, given the sheer size of our County… it’s ‘is this person now having to drive 40 minutes instead of 20 minutes to get to the hospital?’ The staffing issue is something that’s common everywhere whether it be healthcare or your local restaurant or grocery store. It is an issue that hopefully as time goes on, will start leveling out. But I really do believe that keeping the two hospitals running is beneficial to most people.”
Housing
“I’d like to find out what [Highlands East] can or can’t do. I don’t have access to any of that information at this point in time… In an ideal world, I’d say, let’s take a chunk of land because we have lots of land in this County. Can we not approach developers and create some kind of incentive program to maybe build affordable houses with rent geared to income, like we have a complex in Wilberforce that has been running successfully for a few decades now.” (Information on municipal incentives that can be offered to developers and Ontario’s regulations regarding municipal control over housing developments can be found publicly online).
Poverty
“We obviously have our food banks and our heat banks. We need to continue to work with our partners, to have their services accessible to everybody.” When asked to specify what working with the partners would look like, Dahms said she’d like to volunteer or help organizations find other partners in the community to offer services.
Shoreline preservation bylaw
“I personally am very supportive of it. I do live on the lake as well. I like to see the naturalized shorelines and their preservation. I have seen the total opposite going on as well. I’ve seen people come in and clear-cut their properties.” She said the bylaw is “a work in progress.”
Transportation
“I do believe it’s something really neat to have, in what capacity I’m not exactly sure.” As an example, she said at prior jobs, such as Sir Sam’s Inn, “people couldn’t physically get up to Eagle Lake from Haliburton. So, to have just any form of a public transportation system to get from A to B to C would be beneficial for everybody.” She pointed to the TROUT bus in Bancroft, which is operated by Bancroft Community Transit, as an example of a community transportation system.
Vision for the future
“I want to see our community continue to grow and prosper, get healthy, recover from the pandemic, and everything that happened to it.” When asked about her role in seeing that growth and prosperity come, Dahms said that could include helping organize new volunteer groups.
Highlands East
“I feel that there hasn’t been [a connect] between the public and the council. I know council has [meeting] agendas and things that they have to do and follow. But I feel there’s not enough community input into what’s going on in council.” When asked to specify how council could improve community input or communication, she said “I don’t know that… I’ve been watching meetings in the past. But I don’t have enough experience hands-on to know what goes on even behind the scenes of some of the council meetings.”
Janice Dahms the candidate
“I was sort of feeling that things do need to change. Everything has to evolve, always, and nothing is going to change or evolve unless changes are brought forward. So, coming in as a new person into the political scene I’m hoping that I can bring some fresh perspectives, concerns and interests of other people… I’m really hoping that people will get to know me and be comfortable enough to call, email or text with any of their thoughts or concerns, and hopefully, I can address them or at least get them answers if I don’t have an answer for them directly.”
Angela Lewis managed a maintenance team for 14 years. “With that goes a lot of the inspections, health inspections, fire inspections, keeping up with codes and keeping compliant with all of the codes.” She also served on Highlands East’s fire committee, where she advocated against the closure of the Highland Grove fire hall. Through that process she said she learned about delegations and council conduct.
Amalgamation
She said she does not support amalgamating Haliburton County, and said she has spoken with many other locals who echo her views. She said Highlands East has already amalgamated, which negatively impacted the community. “There doesn’t seem to be unity. We have to change that.”
Health
“I think we’re doing a pretty good job of it now.” Lewis said the health services may be short-staffed, but she said that’s similar in most industries at the moment. She said attracting healthcare staff may mean enhancing branding of the Highlands as a place to live for nurses or doctors. She did not specify how this could be done differently than the efforts employed by Haliburton County’s doctor recruiter, who currently works part-time to attract doctors to the area.
Housing
Lewis said she’d like to look into the possibility of running pilots of tiny houses, and investigating whether the County can attract apartments or more duplexes. “Even where I work, I see young families being told to go to a shelter. That’s sad.” She said she’d vote to approve housing on environmentally-protected areas or near wetlands, “to achieve affordable housing for working families. They need a place to live.”
Poverty
She said the local economy is “booming. We just need a sustainable industry. We need extra training for people. A lot of times, it’s seasonal work, and you can’t get ahead.” She said to combat this, the township could look at running training sessions out of its community centres to help equip workers with in-demand skills.
Shoreline preservation bylaw
Lewis said the bylaw was needed to secure lake health and healthy habitats. “They did their homework… they spent a lot of time on it. It wasn’t just a decision that they made overnight.”
Transportation
“There’s a lot of people in the community who volunteer for those things. And, so, I think that it [can’t be] publicly funded unless you can get a grant from the government. I just don’t see that there’s a need for it.”
Short-term rentals
She said she’d support looking at licensing short-term rental operators. She said housing shortages may be made worse by short-term rentals, but the local economy has benefitted from rental activity. “When I look at it, the economy is great. But I also talk to people that live beside one of them. And it’s not fun for them. But there are already noise bylaws enforced.” A noise bylaw for Highlands East is currently being developed.
Vision for the future
I would love to see our community with all the same amenities we have and more. I’d like the next generation to have the same opportunities that we did. At one time, we had mills, we had industry, people could walk from Wilberforce to go to work and go home and didn’t even need a vehicle…. it would be nice to see those things come back.” She said a first step to achieving this could be hosting town hall meetings where residents can chat about their hopes for the community.
Highlands East
Lewis said she’d like to see the community add amenities and create opportunities for the next generation. When asked to specify how she could help bring industry and more community amenities, Lewis said the first steps to achieve that would be to look at planning for the township. She also said town hall meetings could be a valuable way to bring the community together to talk about its future.
Angela Lewis the candidate
Lewis said she’d be a “hands-on” councillor. When asked to specify what that means, Lewis gave an example of getting a complaint about how dark one resident’s street was. She went out there to see first-hand and talked to the resident about the issue. “So, if somebody is saying, the roads are terrible, then I’ll grab a coffee and take a drive, and we’ll see how much slops all over me…” she said. “I still work full-time, and I will continue to work full-time. But it’s really important. It’s four years, it’s a huge sacrifice but I’m willing to do it. And I think everybody, as I said, that has put their nomination [for council positions] knows that.”
Author Iren Davidson Fisher will read childrens books at Bookapalooza.
Haliburton County’s first-ever Bookapalooza is set to bring writers, readers and creatives of all stripes together at the Minden Community Centre Sept. 24.
The event is meant to “connect readers and writers on a local level,” said one of the organizers, Kathy Lawton Purc. It’s hosted by the Haliburton Highlands Literary Arts Round Table, a division of the Arts Council Haliburton Highlands.
“It’s a chance to meet editors and illustrators and people who have services for writers and for them to connect on a personto-person basis with readers,” Purc said.
Along with a performance by the Rural Rogues theatre troupe, a host of book exhibitors, illustrators and more will attend, along with award-winning author Terry Fallis. He’ll chat about his writing and even lead a hike as part of Hike Haliburton festival.
“He’s going to be kind of ad-libbing things as he works along,” Purc said.
Haliburton County Public Library CEO Christopher Stephenson will host a conversation with Fallis at 7 p.m. at the “Big Book Club,” where they’ll chat about the author’s career and his new novel, Operation Angus.
Fallis has garnered more than a dozen writing accolades, including a Stephen Leacock Award. Seven other authors and creatives will also present at Bookapalooza.
Childrens’ authors Carolyn Huizinga Mills, Irene Davidson Fisher and Erin Thomas will be reading at the Children’s Book Nook, musician Jim Love will host a “Tell Me Your Life Story in 3 Minutes” storytelling session, poet Anabelle Craig will read from her first collection, and historical fiction author Marie Gage will lead a workshop on family history interviewing.
Lawton Purc will also speak about “The Power of Memoir.”
She said the wide age and genre range of the authors shows, “you can be a writer at any age and become a writer at any age.”
She said she’s excited to speak on memoir writing. “Writing memoir is really a journey for the writer, you’re finding out things you’re not expecting,” she said. “It takes you to a whole new level of depth you weren’t expecting and you end up with emotional truths and factual truths you weren’t aware off.”
Bookapalooza is funded through a Haliburton County Development Corporation Local Initiatives Program grant and sponsored by Parker Pad & Printing. It runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Minden Community Centre.
A lot of people think municipal governments have nothing to do with health care in Ontario. While it’s true the province oversees much of the jurisdiction, the County and its townships actually have quite a role to play in the field.
For example, the County of Haliburton runs the paramedic service locally. They respond to calls in the County and parts of surrounding counties.
They employ about 50 primary care paramedics. They operate seven front-line ambulances. They have three bases: in Haliburton, Minden and Tory Hill. They respond to about 4,000 calls per year.
Naturally, the province shares in the funding for all of this. On top of that, the County transitioned from having a recruitment committee to hiring a part-time physician recruitment coordinator in 2019.
Wendy Welch has been beating the bushes for doctors ever since. To this end, the County provides financial incentives for a return of service for between four and six years. It works out to about $25,000 per year, up to $150,000.
In 2020, the County expanded this to include emergency room doctors, who commit to full-time practice. Late last year (2021), the County also leased a property to house visiting physicians on a short-term basis with partial cost recovery.
You might have seen the three new billboards around the Highlands, too?
The ones with the canoes parked up on a beach and ‘staff parking’ to entice new physicians. In fact, the County spends about $210,000 a year on trying to get doctors. They’ve recruited six in six years.
But, is it all enough? Could a new, incoming County council do more? The answer is yes. For example, they could make the recruitment position full-time and provide more staff housing for health care professionals. Former head of EMS, and current County Coun. Pat Kennedy has some ideas.
So does his wife, Cheryl Kennedy, who has been involved in physician recruitment in the past. Pat is glad there is now 24/7 paramedic staffing in Tory Hill to better service the eastern part of the county but worries about the northwest.
He’d like another 24/7 base and suggests the former Frost Centre in Algonquin Highlands. If there was the political will, the County would have to talk to the Ontario Public Service Employees’ Union, which now owns the site.
It would also have to pony up more money. Kennedy’s also worried that County ambulances are spending a lot of time taking patients to Lindsay and Peterborough for CAT scans.
While on the way to and from those hospitals, they are having to respond to 911 calls in other jurisdictions because they are the nearest ambulances. That leaves the County short of ambulances at times.
He suggests, and Cheryl agrees, that the only real solution is for the County to lobby the province to get a CAT scan for the Highlands. It’s not a stretch since CAO Mike Rutter has also expressed that he would like to see the Highlands have a CAT scan.
This would require not just lobbying but some money and possibly kick starting a community fundraising drive. The other prickly issue – and no doubt an elephant in the room – is a made-inHaliburton solution to the fact we have two hospitals in the County and probably should only have one if serious about housing a CAT scan and attracting health care professionals.
It would be interesting to know – if asked point blank – what candidates would say about where one hospital should be located – Haliburton or Minden – and what should be done with the other building?
Listen to the full interview on The Highlander’s new podcast: click here.
Qualifications
Served four terms on Highlands East council and six years on Oro-Medonte. Has been a County warden, chair of the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus, Eastern Ontario Regional Network and Good Roads. He was self-employed (water well drilling) most of his working life. He also sold bottled water. He’s a former volunteer firefighter.
Amalgamation
“I’ve said all along, let’s get the service delivery review in place and let’s see how we make out with that. I’m fully willing to look at (amalgamation). It’s going to take experience and some special people on council to look into it and see what may benefit the municipality and taxpayers. With the service delivery review, we might be able to share staff as that’s one of my main concerns right now is getting qualified people that can commit to the municipal sector.”
Health
“Are we doing enough? I guess my question back to you is how much is enough? I think we’ve come a long way with what we’re doing. We expect full partnership with HHHS to do what we have to do as far as recruitment. But it’s probably never enough. So, there is a line we are going to have to draw.” Burton added, “one hospital probably would have been good for Haliburton County. I believe one would have been better if it could have been located in the right spot. I suppose that was the politics of the day.” As for lobbying the province for a CAT scan and fundraising for it, he said he is 100 per cent supportive.
Housing
“The province has looked into the Provincial Policy Statement to make housing, especially affordable housing, a little easier to get. For me to try to do some housing with the way the rules and laws are now, I’d be looking at probably a six-plex or a four-plex. That’s fine. The septic and well can manage it. I’m willing to look into that if we can find a good place close to the hamlets. So, if people don’t have a vehicle, they can walk to get what they need. “I would partner with any of the groups, builders and province to try to get that in place. One of our committees in Highlands East was tasked with reducing the size of our accommodations. We did that and talked about building granny flats etc.”
Poverty
“What can be done about food insecurity? Our food hub. We provide in-kind support. We want to make sure people are getting the food they need. I’m very proud of our community gardens and letting people grow their own food.”
Shoreline preservation bylaw
Burton voted in favour of the shoreline preservation bylaw at County council last month. “We’ve spent five years trying to wrestle this thing. A lot of dollars have been spent, mostly consulting people and looking to see what the community really wanted. I’m a bit sad that in some places it has become an election issue. I have not heard a lot of negative things. It’s the protection of the lakes.”
Short-term rentals
“I am adamant that people be safe and accountable. In Highlands East, we encourage STRs for the right reasons. I have a list of pros and cons. It has put stress on our waste disposal, and on our emergency services, police, ambulance and fire. “As for budgeting for enforcement, he added, “we have to do that … Part of the concern is we have to get the owner or somebody at the place to be able to meet with bylaw or police so we can do something. Numbers [of people staying] has been a big concern but the County is working on a formula of two per bedroom and maybe two floaters, so a three-bedroom cottage would be allowed eight people, which the septics were probably designed for.”
Transportation
“I take a lot of pride in what we’ve done in Highlands East with the Bancroft Community Transit. We have Hyland Taxi and TOK Coachlines. At the County, we’ve tried a couple of different things over the years. I actually think if someone can make it work, it will be a bus line such as Hammond.”
Vision for the future
“To help create a vibrant, inclusive municipality and County. We’re there to put systems in place and opportunities for everybody. I’m not going to tell you that in 10 years we’re going to have a Tim Hortons on every corner or whatever. Nobody can project that. I’m hoping we have in 10 years’ time a community that is safe and sound, healthy, environmentally friendly, and green. But we need experienced mayors to do this. Highlands East and the County grew during COVID. My concern is now that more people are here, we have to find something for them to do, and ensure they’re safe, so have [access to] hospitals, landfills, it’s been a juggling act.” He said he knows as mayor he has some say over planning the future, “but that will be up to the people that elect us.” Our committees, for example, provide valuable insight to council.
Highlands East
“The major challenge right now – and it’s going to take experience to do this – is to get us back on our feet after COVID.” As for HE’s vision, he said, “one thing I would like to do, right after the election, is sit down with council and take our strategic plan and have a look at it. The one we have in place now has been a moving document and I’d like to maybe pull it out. I don’t want to say dust it off, after COVID, but let’s get focused again to possibly look at a crystal ball and see what might be there in 10 years. Now, it’s hard for me to say.”
Dave Burton the candidate
“I’m going to campaign on experience. We need experience at County council. I’ve had people say they hope I can bring that experience and I certainly will. I’ve prided myself, I have put all my morals, principles, and standards to work doing what I’m doing … and I find it extremely difficult to step aside. I think it reflects well on me, and my council, that threequarters have been acclaimed.”
Listen to the full interview on The Highlander’s new podcast: click here.
Qualifications
Bradley worked in labour negotiations and mediations. He said being on council requires similar skills. “My answer to a problem is not no, it’s how are we going to solve this problem? And how are we going to solve it if it’s something that has to go before council? How are we going to actually have a majority of council support something? So, it’s about building bridges, it’s not about building fences.” He unsuccessfully ran for council in 2018.
Amalgamation
“I’d rather see, first, amalgamation of as many services…shuffling the money around in a way that makes it most efficient. For example, there are three levels of snow plowing, there’s municipal, County, and contracted highway. So, there are three teams of snowplow hours. I’m not sure that’s the most efficient way to do it.” Township staff are currently working to implement certain recommendations in a service delivery review conducted by StrategyCorp.
Health
“The bottom line is [two hospitals are] here. This is a provincial thing. And you know, tell Laurie Scott and Jamie Schmale and all of the upper levels of government, neither of those two ER’s is up for discussion unless you want to build a Halliburton County emergency room and, if they do, we’ll find out where you’re going to do it, make sure it’s central and make sure it’s funded.”
Housing
He said he’d support donating land for housing projects, and collaborating with the province to pave the way for more housing. He said he’d want affordable housing to be centrally located. “Even two people working two jobs can’t afford to rent a whole lot of places around here.”
Poverty
He said improving wireless connections would encourage companies to set up base in Minden Hills and provide better paying jobs. “I think the council has a role, whether it’s tourism, in shining a light on the fact that this is a beautiful place to be and live.”
Shoreline preservation bylaw
He said he supports the bylaw, but that he’s curious about how it will be enforced, and what exemptions will be honoured. “As long as it is seen to be reasonable and fair to people who are building, modifying, or even developing new lands, it’s going to be fine.” The new bylaw spells out that new staff will be responsible for enforcement of the bylaw at a County level, and specifies what activities are exempt.
Short-term rentals
“It’s not new, the fact that people have rented their place for a week a year because they’ve been offsetting the expenses of having a property. It’s just new that you can do it on the internet.” He supports regulating but not “to the point of stifling” short-term rentals. Transportation He said he likes the idea of public transportation in Haliburton County. He said people who may use the service should have a say in the routes and the price should be aimed at lower-income people. “There’s no point in having a bus people can’t afford.”
Vision for the future
He said he’d like to see downtown “rejuvenation”, which might mean community safety zones, or more lines painted on parking spots. He said he’d like to see the township take an active role in deciding what to do with vacant land. He said he’d like to engage business owners and downtown residents. “How are we going to make this downtown a place where people want to be from eight in the morning, Monday morning, till eight in the evening, Sunday night?”
Minden Hills
He said addressing roads is a main focus for the municipality, and “going back to core services a municipality can control.” He said tax increases are a must in order to finance road improvements and suggested using reserve funds in order to do so. He also said raising taxes more could be difficult due to the current high rate of inflation.
Richard Bradley the candidate
“When I talk to people, when people say what is your platform, my platform is to be your voice… To advocate for your needs, whether it’s your roads, whatever it may be. And, again, it comes down to our community’s need.” He gave the example of Bob Lake’s boat launch. “Bob Lake needs a boat launch, somehow, some way. And I’m not saying I have the answer. I’m saying I need the answer from them so we can get it done. Because how can you have a lake without a public boat launch?” He said being proactive is his primary goal. “I worked pretty much my whole career in labour negotiations, certainly have learned about arbitration and litigation when required, but it’s not what I prefer, but I am now retired, I’m here full-time, I was lucky enough to buy the family cottage, where I live, and where I will draw my last breath. I’ve been married for 36 years, I have four kids and two grandchildren. And I think it’s just my time, hopefully to give back now that I have more time. And I want to listen to people and help them with their encounters with municipal government and make positive changes where that’s possible. And reasonable.
