Award-winning duo brings the roar to Haliburton

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Lisa Gervais

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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

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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”.

Saving Grace event a ‘funeral’ for turtle

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September 29, 2022

It was a sombre morning on the playing fields at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School (HHSS) Sept. 24 as more than 100 people commemorated the life of Grace, a 125-year-old Snapping turtle who hasn’t been seen in almost a year.

Organized by The Land Between and Turtle Guardians charities, the Saving Grace event was designed to shine a light on perceived shortfalls in municipal policy in Dysart et al, which, according to Leora Berman, last year led to the filling of wetlands near the school where she believes several turtles, including Grace, were hibernating, likely burying them alive.

Berman has spent months calling on council to strengthen protections for wetlands designated as environmentally protected (EP) zones. While Dysart does have a policy in place recognizing EP zones, there is currently no enforcement.

“They just seem to ignore us,” Berman said. “The Grace story has gotten over 100,000 signatures [on a petition], but this municipality still has not passed the correct provisions under their EP zones… There is no protection.”

At a meeting in May, council indicated they see this as a County-wide issue and could even fall under the parameters of the new shoreline preservation bylaw. Director of planning and land information, Jeff Iles, was directed to review the bylaw and report back on how it could protect Dysart wetlands and EP areas.

In a follow-up email with The Highlander, Iles said “I think every[one] agrees that council, along with all councils in the County, have recognized the need for legislation and are currently working on a County-wide site alteration bylaw to address these issues.”

Berman doesn’t believe piggybacking off the shoreline preservation bylaw is the answer. “It does protect shorelines of wetlands, but it doesn’t cover EP zone sites,” she said.

Amy Semple made the trip from Peterborough to attend. A volunteer with the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, she said Grace’s story struck a chord with her when she learned about her disappearance earlier this year.

“I think it’s important that people come out and show their support for causes like this. There are a lot of people here today. This isn’t just about one turtle, it’s about the whole environment that we’re bulldozing through and changing forever,” Semple said. “Grace is a symbol of what’s happening everywhere. We need to have better regulations to ensure our wetlands, our animals, are better protected.”

Representatives from the Turtle Island Conservation program at the Toronto Zoo were also on hand to show their support.

For Berman, the fight continues. She vowed to continue lobbying for better protection of EP zones and announced plans for a commemorative statue of Grace, which she hopes will one day be installed on the shores of Head Lake, “so that people always remember what we’ve lost.”

“Today’s ceremony, some people have called it a funeral, and it could be. If Grace is lost, and we really fear she is… we don’t ever want to see this happen ever again,” Berman said.

Dysart defers delegating authority on shoreline preservation bylaw

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September 29, 2022

Dysart council has deferred a decision over whether to delegate authority to the County to enforce the recently passed shoreline preservation bylaw in the community to the township’s next set of elected officials.

After a short presentation Sept. 27 by Steve Stone, the County’s director of planning, on the regulations included in the bylaw, many councillors said they felt uncomfortable making a decision given they still have questions over the final document.

Mayor Andrea Roberts said she’d received several emails calling on her to vote against delegating authority, but wasn’t sure what legal implications, if any, that may have.

“I think we should seek our own legal counsel to find out what it means if we do opt out. Can we even do that?” Roberts said. The outgoing mayor was one of two County officials to vote against the bylaw last month, alongside Dysart deputy Pat Kennedy.

Coun. John Smith said there were a few inconsistencies within the bylaw that concerned him.

“Schedule A outlines a shortlist of common shoreline alteration activities that are exempt from requiring a permit, but these do not apply to municipally-owned shore road allowances,” Smith said. “Am I right in thinking if I don’t own my shore road allowance, I won’t be allowed to do something as simple as weed my walkway in the future? That would be problematic.”

Stone said despite the wording in the bylaw, Smith would be permitted to weed his walkway.

Coun. Walt McKechnie said he wasn’t a fan of the bylaw, calling it confusing. “We’re just creating something here that’s bigger government and we don’t need it.”

Council directed staff to seek a legal opinion and bring the issue back once the community’s next council is in place.

Schmale speaks to boundary commission

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September 29, 2022