Time to pay to offset growth

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August 3, 2022

Since the onset of COVID-19, growth has become a recurring theme in Haliburton County.

As the 2021 Census has pointed out, we have about 14 per cent more people calling the Highlands home when compared to 2016.

For the most part, these are mature aged people. We know this because we are not seeing more students at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School, but in fact, fewer.

These are people who are ending their careers and preparing by working from the cottage as they renovate it for four-season use. And, naturally, we are seeing new retirees.

No wonder our EMS department is seeing increased call volumes. The demographics are driving those numbers up. They’ve increased by close to 15 per cent in the first half of 2022, which has been deemed “significant” by the County’s EMS chief. April, usually a quiet month for the service, saw a 64 per cent jump in calls.

The County has hired a contractor to do a paramedic service master plan to help prepare for some of this growth, which is anticipated to continue into the future. It will also be used to assist fire departments.

What we are hearing is now that a Tory Hill station is being staffed 24/7, there is a need for similar coverage in the northwest of the County. Some say the best place for a bay would be in the area of the Frost Centre. The master plan will help the service identify future needs and begin brainstorming for them. Part of that planning is how to pay for it.

Another story in today’s Highlander speaks to growth. Traffic control signals are now needed along the busy County Road 21 corridor, where it bisects Industrial Park Road just outside of Haliburton village. People trying to access Industrial Park Road businesses or Haliburton School of Art + Design know what a nightmare that intersection can be.

It’s expected the signals will be put in for 2023. They’ll also extend the existing pathway from Industrial Park Road, west along the north side of the road, to the traffic signals at the Independent Grocer. While they have received a $200,00 grant for the work, the County will still be looking to spend $150,000.

Dysart et al mayor Andrea Roberts noted the intersection is already busy and will only get busier when the college builds its new student residences in a few years’ time. There is also talk of expanding the business park.

A third County story this week talks about a development charges study. Implementing these charges is a must for the Highlands as local government will need help paying for all of the infrastructure that accompanies the growth that we are seeing. It’s hoped the County’s four lower-tier municipalities can start collecting development charges next year.

Someone has to pay for extra ambulances, staff and buildings. Someone has to pay for new traffic lights and sidewalks. Someone has to pay if we need to expand water treatment plants. We can reasonably assume federal and provincial governments will stop handing out grants as they did during COVID. They’ve broken the bank and have to start finding ways to recoup costs. It can’t all come on the backs of taxpayers. It is time for County councillors to consider new ways to raise money and that includes development charges, more fines for bylaw infractions, and licencing short-term rentals as businesses.

Listen: What are we doing? About introductions

By

Sam Gillett

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August 3, 2022

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Listen to The Highlander’s new podcast, What are we doing?!, below. Each week our editorial team and local producer Justin van Lieshout will dive into a key challenge Haliburton County is facing.

First up? We introduce the team.

Listen: What are we doing? About Housing

By

Sam Gillett

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August 3, 2022

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With inflation on the rise and supply running low it’s become difficult to find a place to live in Haliburton County. For some people, that means looking at purchasing homes out of the county in order to make ends meet.

So what are we doing about housing?

In the first episode of What are we doing, The Highlander’s new podcast, we discuss this growing issue and try to identify some of the solutions the county is working on.

This week you’ll hear from; Gord Polhamus, Dianne LePage, Mike Moffat, Jaime Schmale, Jeff Strano, Michelle Corley, and warden Liz Danielsen.

Listen to this week’s episode here: https://anchor.fm/whatarewedoinghighlands

Want to share your thoughts on this week’s topic? Record and send a voice note here: anchor.fm/whatarewedoinghighlands/message

You can email whatarewedoinghighlands@gmail.com for more information on this ongoing production.

Join our next episode by sending a voice note! Visit: https://anchor.fm/whatarewedoinghighlands/message or email us at whatarewedoinghighlands@gmail.com.

Created by Justin van Lieshout in partnership with The Highlander, featuring Mike Baker, Lisa Gervais, and Sam Gillett. Music by Mackenzie Robinson AKA. Kashaga‘. Find his music here: https://linktr.ee/Kashaga . Artwork by @jy.ink.

Hear our bonus episode breaking down what a municipality is here: https://anchor.fm/whatarewedoinghighlands/episodes/The-Highlands-Municipality-101-e1jqm3e

Haliburton County Electric vehicle charging stations on the fritz

By

Sam Gillett

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July 29, 2022

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Some of Haliburton County’s highly-touted electric vehicle charging stations have hit a speed bump. At a July 20 County council meeting, it was revealed that two stations at the Haliburton Welcome Centre and one at the Minden township offices were not working and others are experiencing a lack of required juice.

During a discussion on results of a recent climate action survey, Dysart et al mayor Andrea Roberts referred to questions about purchasing electric vehicles and barriers to buying them. “As a County we undertook, and the four local municipalities, to partner with a business to have electric vehicle charging stations and … Minden and Dysart’s aren’t working,” she said.

Roberts added she knew there were reasons behind the problems, “but it’s really hard to get something like this off of the ground when we know there’s a desire for (electric vehicles and charging stations). So, I think we need reliable charging areas. Not everybody can do that at home.”

It might make sense to encourage businesses, such as grocery stores and car dealerships, to install them, she added.

Roberts said climate change coordinator, Korey McKay, and director of planning, Steve Stone, were aware of the problem and looking into it. However, “It’s been frustrating. It’s been over two months. We’re into the peak of summer and getting complaints. We have this lovely green standing thing by our welcome centre and it doesn’t work. So, we need reliable charging stations.”

She said she personally doesn’t know if she would buy an electric vehicle because she is not confident about how reliable charging options are.

Warden Liz Danielsen commented that the ones that do work, “didn’t have the level of flow. It took an extraordinarily long time for someone to charge their vehicles … so yes, we need to do some followup on that.”

Stone said he and McKay were trying to find solutions “sooner rather than later”.

McKay added, “what we’re waiting on is the delivery of parts, or that’s what the service provider is waiting on. So, very unfortunate timing with supply chain issues. But we’re on top of that and it will be resolved as soon as parts can be delivered. Their team will be deployed to fix the stations.”

She told The Highlander the Haliburton station has been down for two months and one of the two stations in Minden for a month.

Last year, Dysart, Highlands East, Minden Hills and Algonquin Highlands opted to join a federallyfunded program from Ontario Power Generation and Hydro One – known as The Ivy Charging Network – instead of owning the stations at a municipal level.

This meant the companies own the charging stations, with no up-front municipal cost, but an annual service fee between $2,500-$4,000 depending on the site.

McKay said the townships that have experienced outages have received a refund on a portion of the annual fee based on the amount of time the stations have been offline.

All up, there are five, level two charging stations across the County with 10 spots to plug in, including the township office in Algonquin Highlands, the Keith Tallman Memorial Arena in Wilberforce, the Minden Hills township office and the Welcome Centre in Haliburton.

A spokesperson for the Ivy Charging Network said on July 26, “we sincerely apologize to EV drivers in Haliburton and Minden where two chargers have been out of service since May 23 and June 16 respectively.”

They said they are working closely with their supplier to source the required equipment to make the necessary repairs

They anticipate the charger in Minden will be available by the end of this week (it is now fixed) and they are continuing to explore all options for repairs at the Haliburton Welcome Centre. “To help acknowledge the inconvenience experienced by residents, free charging will be available at our Algonquin Highlands and Tory Hill locations as well as the operational charger in Minden from July 27 until Oct. 10.”

The spokesperson added once the affected charger at the Minden township office and Haliburton Welcome Centre have been repaired, they will also offer free changing at these locations until Oct. 10.

Churches celebrate community unity in the great outdoors

By

Mike Baker

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July 28, 2022

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Congregations from five churches across Haliburton County will gather together for the first time in more than three years this weekend as the ‘Summer Service in the Park’ returns to the bandshell at Head Lake Park.

Representatives from Haliburton United Church, West Guilford Baptist, Lakeside Church, the Lighthouse Pentecostal and St. George’s Anglican will meet for a morning of songs, prayer and scripture July 31.

The service will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will replace the typical weekly service held at each parish. In the event of rain, the service will be held indoors at Lakeside Church.

Launched in 2008, the event was designed to foster community spirit and open people’s minds to different ideas, according to Rev. Harry Morgan, a minister with Haliburton United Church.

“This is an event to celebrate unity, and enjoy the great outdoors,” Morgan said. “I think it’s important now more than ever that we continue to host this… Our world is getting more and more fractionalized and tribalized, so this is an event that is meant to draw people together from somewhat different points of view and say ‘yeah, but we’re one. We’re one with Christ’.”

This year will mark the event’s 13th anniversary. There will be various speakers throughout the morning, with Shaun Turner, co-pastor at West Guilford Baptist, hosting. His wife, Amy – fellow co-pastor in West Guilford – will lead a children’s story time session late in the morning.

There will be music, with attendees encouraged to sing along with their favourite hymns.

Morgan said he was excited to bring the event back following an enforced three-year absence due to the pandemic.

“It’s always a lot of fun. Whenever we’ve done it in the past, we’ve had a few hundred people come out and we always have people tell us we should do our services like this every week,” Morgan said. “It’s such a delightful place to gather. It’s kind of in God’s beautiful creation, scenically portrayed before us on the shores of Head Lake.

“We have a long history of churches getting along in our community, so this is a way of celebrating our connections and expressing that we respect one another. That we’re friends, and that we enjoy putting on worthwhile events for the community,” he added.

Money will be raised on the day to support the Haliburton County Heat Bank and the Pregnancy Care and Family Support Centre.

Community support keeps centre alive

By

Mike Baker

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July 28, 2022

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Julie Goodwin knows what she’s talking about when she says Haliburton County is a generous community.

For the past 16 years, Goodwin has been at the helm of the Pregnancy Care and Family Support Centre in Haliburton. The organization provides a wide array of services and supports to pregnant women and families struggling to get by, whether financially or emotionally, offering a helping hand at a time of great need.

And while those supports are carried out by staff and volunteers from the centre, they are paid for by the local community.

“The really neat thing about our centre is that we are completely 100 per cent donor supported,” Goodwin said. “That has allowed us to craft and formulate programs that work for us, and work for our clients without having to answer to an overarching funder or government body.”

Since May 2006, the centre has seen 456 individuals pass through its doors seeking assistance. While some only visited once, many others made a regular habit of stopping by. Goodwin said the centre adopts a no questions asked policy, and clients are welcome any time during operating hours.

The facility, located on the lower level of Glecoff’s Family Store, is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“When a client comes through the centre’s door, they will find a safe, compassionate environment, where they can ask questions and receive meaningful help and support. Their circumstances may be difficult, but we are here to help and convey the message that they do not have to face their situation alone,” Goodwin said.

The centre also does what it can to assist clients financially. While they do not simply give out money, Goodwin said they often donate children’s clothing, toys and items such as cribs and car seats to those in need.

Demand has only increased since the onset of the pandemic, Goodwin said. In 2021, the organization saw 61 clients – 14 firsttimers – across 388 visits. While pivoting to ensure this increased demand has been met, Goodwin said the centre has introduced a new ‘moms fellowship group’ to help those who have felt isolated due to lockdowns and COVID-19 restrictions.

“COVID has been crazy. People have withdrawn, and so we’ve been really concerned about the mental health of our clients. So, now in our centre, we have a space where clients are encouraged to come in, bring their kids to play and meet up with one another, because we all need friends and a community during times like this,” Goodwin said.

The centre held its spring fundraiser at Lakeside Church June 4, raising $1,000. Goodwin said they are also running their annual baby bottle fundraiser, where they challenge community members to fill up a baby bottle or two with money and drop it off at the centre. Bottles are available for pick up during regular hours, and at 14 churches across the County.

With a budget of $74,000 this year, Goodwin said the centre will need every dollar it can muster if it is to continue meeting the demands of its clients.

“MP Jamie Schmale visited us recently, and he asked ‘if you didn’t exist, who would do this?’ and while there might be bits of help here and there from different organizations, we are truly unique in what we do. If we disappeared tomorrow, there would be a lot of people in need,” Goodwin said.

For more information, visit haliburtonpregnancycentre.ca..

LaRue chats hockey history at Haliburton museum

By

Sam Gillett

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July 28, 2022

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Few things have united communities in Haliburton County as much as hockey.

At a July 21 meeting of the Haliburton County Historical Society, Scott LaRue charted Haliburton County’s progression from a fiercely competitive collection of remote teams to Ontario championshipwinning squads that laid the groundwork for local stars of the modern game such as Cody Hodgson and Matt Duchene to shine.

LaRue is an expert on Haliburton hockey, playing professionally in Europe before returning to the Highlands. He managed the famous 1971 Haliburton Huskies to their Ontario Hockey Association D title. His father Albert John (A.J.) LaRue fundraised for the Haliburton arena they won the cup in, which elevated the local game through access to artificial ice.

“My father realized that none of these players were going to have an opportunity to upgrade their hockey to another level,” LaRue said, standing in front of a crowd at the Haliburton Highlands Museum.

Before that arena was built, hockey in Haliburton looked very different but the shinny was no less competitive.

LaRue explained how the County’s towns took the game seriously during the first half of the 20th century.

The rivalries between communities such as Haliburton, Eagle Lake, Minden, and Wilberforce all burned piping hot. Young men who worked in the lumber yards or in other remote jobs made up the teams.

When playing against farther-flung teams, towns would charter trains to the game, which became destinations of their own.

“And they partied,” LaRue said. “I think there were sandwiches being sold and other stronger beverages too.”

Communities didn’t just get on board trains: they joined the hockey bandwagon.

“The community spirit increased. People got more interested in the opportunities hockey provided.”

He said people often told companies operating in Haliburton County that, “If you’re going to hire people, make sure they’re good hockey players.”

In 1965, the arena opened after A.J. spent months lobbying businesses for donations. LaRue said many of the largest employers in the County, such as lumber yards, weren’t big donators.

But whether with 50 cents or a $5 bill, the community backed the project. The arena became a reality.

LaRue himself took advantage of that new ice surface, which was more level due to its sand base.

“All the ice time I got improved me,” LaRue said. He soon left to play professional hockey in Europe.

After he returned to Haliburton, he took over operation of the arena, and soon became coach of the Haliburton Huskies squad his father was instrumental in bringing to the County.

“The team we came up with were little guys but they were really hard-working kids.”

LaRue recounted how the team, captained by Bob Woodcock, beat Exeter 6-5 in front of 1,500 fans jam-packed into the Haliburton Arena. Some stood on tables, others jostled for space in the sound booth.

Ron Stackhouse played in that arena, and so did Hodgson who played in Vancouver, as well as a stint with the Buffalo Sabres and Nashville Predators.

Current forward for the Predators, Matt Duchene, also took to the ice in Haliburton.

LaRue reflected that his father’s hard work, and the whole hockey family formed Haliburton’s hockey community today. “I think that it eventually all paid off,” LaRue said

Cyclist rolls towards world championship dreams

By

Sam Gillett

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July 28, 2022

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According to Nick Emsley, the key to surviving 24 hours of mountain biking is to look at the goal, not the time.

“When I’m halfway into a race, I’m not looking at that 12 hours left. I’m looking at being closer to that 24,” he said.

Based in Haliburton, Emsley has found a home within a tiny niche of the multimillion-member world cycling community. He races ultra-endurance mountain bike events.

With COVID-19 restrictions likely in the rearview mirror, Emsley is aiming to take his career to new heights in 2022.

He’s armed with a new sponsorship deal and a goal of lining up for the start of the World Endurance Mountain Bike Organization’s (WEMBO) championships in New South Wales, Australia in 2023, the pinnacle of ultra-endurance mountain biking.

“That’s going to be an amazing feeling,” Emsley said.

That race would mark a capstone on his career dotted with wins and top-three finishes.

First, he’s spending the summer competing in regional races such as the Three-hour Sea Otter Canada marathon at Blue Mountain and a three-day “Crank the Shield” staged race in Sault Ste. Marie at the end of July.

Then he wants to do a 24-hour race in Canmore, Alberta this fall. It’s WEMBO’s biggest race in the Americas.

That continental championship is key for landing sponsorships and gauging whether he’s fast enough to compete with the best of the best in Australia.

“Getting a specific position out there on this race would really, really help,” he said.

After an impressive performance at 2021’s infamous “8 Hours of Hurtin’ in Haliburton” race at the Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Preserve, he also landed a bike deal with Montu bikes. In the past few years, he has become a regular top-three finisher in nearly every event he pedals.

He spends the entire winter training for races, tracking his heart rate and other fitness metrics, which determine how hard he’s able to work on the bike and keep his energy up.

Many people watching Emsley might have the same question: who would willingly spend 24 hours in the saddle? “I get that all the time,” he said with a laugh.

“I like to challenge myself. There’s a reason why there’s only a handful of us who compete hard in these events.”

After racing short mountain bike circuits for a few years, Emsley tried out an endurance race and fell in love with the strategy, mental demands and physical training required to keep your body in motion for extended periods of time.

“It brings you a lot of satisfaction,” he said.

Sometimes success can hang on a knife’s edge. “If I worked really late the night before or had a hard week leading into the race, maybe the first few hours will be great, but all of a sudden you have nothing left in your body,” he said. “The mental part of it all is huge.”

Just like each individual race, he said his long-term plan for racing next year’s WEMBO world championship requires planning and patience.

“You have to look at the long-term. It’s a lot of dedication,” he said.

Power boat racing returning to Head Lake

By

Lisa Gervais

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July 28, 2022

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The Toronto Outboard Racing Club (TORC) is bringing powerboat racing back to Haliburton the Aug. 20-21 weekend.

Event organizer Barb Hammond said she was “so happy to say” the TORC racing weekend was returning to Head Lake after being cancelled throughout COVID-19.

She said the general public can come to the town docks on Friday, Aug. 19 to “meet the racers and see their set-up of boats.”

The racing begins Saturday morning at 10 a.m. and goes until approximately 5 p.m. Hammond said times are “dictated by the number of breakdowns, accidents and unexpected interruptions of pleasure boat traffic.”

On Sunday, they’ll start at 11 a.m. “respecting the church services” and plan to end at 5 p.m.

Hammond said their two main sponsors are RPM and MacEwen Fuels along with “many more local businesses again supporting.”

The event is free to all spectators and organizers are again partnering with the Haliburton Hospital Auxiliary to raise money for the hospital. Spectators buy tickets for various prizes, there’s a 50/50 draw at the racers’ dinner and TORC makes a donation, historically $1,000, Hammond said.

There will be a Saturday night dinner and dance for 120 at the Pinestone Resort and Conference Centre.

Hammond noted the local racers’ roster has expanded to four Haliburton County participants. They include Wes Hammond, Andrea Hammond, Brandon Sutton and Tammy Everitt.

Wes Hammond, who lives in Eagle Lake, said it was exciting to be coming back.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been able to race so it’s nice to get back to it.”

Being a hometown boy, he loves the Head Lake stage of the races.

“It’s close to home. There’s lots of friends that come to see it. it’s easy to watch. There’s nothing better than racing in front of your family and friends.”

There’s been races in Tweed June 11-12, Gravenhurst June 25-26, and upcoming is Erinsville July 23-24.

Competing in two classes, Hammond is near the top of the leaderboard in both. He normally races a few more classes but added, “it’s been going well considering it’s been busy with COVID and I didn’t have much time to use my boats over the last couple of years.”

Barb Hammond said the TORC family is looking forward to its return to the Highlands.

“Sponsors have stepped up generously, racers booked rooms back in February and everyone is positively pumped. “It’s good for the town, the hospital, and gives our community a free event during financial hard times.”

Skyline Dance Studio to open doors in the fall

By

Lisa Gervais

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July 28, 2022

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The night that Allison Cox found out her daughter’s local dance studio was closing, she told her husband, “I either need to buy a bus, or open a dance studio here in Haliburton County. Either way, these kids needed to stay together.”

Cox said she instinctively knew she could lead a project to create a new dance studio – dubbed Skyline Dance Studio – and was pretty sure there would be “immense” support to keep dance local.

“So far, the support has far exceeded my greatest hope,” she said.

Haliburton Dance Academy closed its doors in June after 10 years in Haliburton County.

Cox said Skyline Dance Studio is not affiliated with any dance studios but is an independent not-for-profit organization, “with a huge vision to create an inclusive safe space for all dancers in Haliburton County.”

She said she worked very closely with the Haliburton County Development Corporation to review the business options and ultimately decided on a not-for-profit for two reasons. “We want everything we pour into this studio to be reinvested in the studio and we want to be sure this is a legacy that can be carried on for years to come. It will evolve and grow as the board of directors transitions throughout the years. It will truly be a community-run operation.”

Right now, they have a working board of eight local women. They include: Cox, Sarah Garbutt, Dawn Hurd, Courtney Bishop, Victoria Bullock, Stacey Parish, Stef Wood and Melissa Valentini.

Some own and run businesses, some work in non-profits, some are employed by local businesses, and many have experience sitting on other not-for-profit boards in the Highlands, Cox said.

“It is a great blend of experience coming together with passion and dedication to accomplish this goal. Beyond this group, we have dozens of community members, individuals, and businesses, that have offered support with time, money and materials.”

Skyline Dance Studio will be located at 229 Highland St., between Castle Antiques and Pet Valu.

They move in on Aug. 1 and construction crews expect the renovations to take six to eight weeks. Their classes will start in October 2022.

“It is a fantastic space and will have three large studios and a variety of common spaces for dancers and their families,” Cox said.

“We are doing this for our community, and the families of Haliburton County. Dance is so important for kids, not only is it good for physical, emotional, and intellectual wellbeing, but it also creates amazing friendships and instills a sense of community that will last a lifetime.”

Pre-registration is open. Email info@ skylinedancestudio.ca to be added to the list. Audition dates will be released soon and registration will open in August.