Showcasing one of the greats

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July 21, 2022

Charles Pachter, one of Canada’s leading contemporary artists, was in Haliburton July 16 for the opening of his ‘A Romance with Canada’ exhibition at Corner Gallery. More than 30 pieces of Pachter’s art, many including his iconic moose calling card, will be featured until Aug. 10. “For me to come home to Haliburton after all this time – yesterday I was at Camp White Pine, a place I worked at 60 years ago when I was just a boy – it’s amazing. I’m so impressed with the area and how it has grown,” Pachter said. “And this exhibition is lovely – they really have done a spectacular job with it.” Corner Gallery, located at 123 Maple Ave., is open Tuesday and Thursday through Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

Charles Pachter explains the inspiration behind his ‘Monarchs of the North’ piece, completed earlier this year, and featuring his trademark moose.

Rocking tunes set to return to Gooderham

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Sam Gillett

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July 21, 2022

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Gooderham is about to get loud.

Six bands will be playing, rain or shine, during the community’s first Gooderham Music Festival since 2019 at the Robert McCausland Memorial Community Centre bandstand July 30.

The concert will run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with each band playing an hour and a half.

“The whole idea was to start using a beautiful bandstand that we have that was just sitting there,” said Denise Winder, chair of the Gooderham Community Action Group (GCAG).

She said the group has gathered momentum with new members joining to help organize the festival.

During their most recent Canada Day event, the crowd surpassed expectations. “We’re really excited,” Winder said. “Especially after Canada Day, we have never seen so many children.”

GCAG will be accepting donations to help cover costs, which include the hiring of a professional sound person.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs and umbrellas in case of rain. There will be food and drinks available.

Not Responsible will play from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. followed by Ragged Company from noon to 1:30 p.m. Then Bill Black takes the stage from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. followed by Jeff Moulton from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The Rockin’ Bobs play from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and the Recycled Teenagers from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Counsellor putting in work to change thoughts on death

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Mike Baker

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July 21, 2022

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Highlands resident Nancy Gosse has dedicated most of her adult life towards helping people overcome difficult, often traumatic experiences. Now, the counsellor is busy studying to fill what she sees as a void in the community, seeking to become one of Haliburton County’s first certified death doulas.

Gosse’s roots in providing support services, both mental and spiritual, stretches back decades to her time working as a night counsellor at a community centre and residence in Newfoundland. Now, she offers a wide-range of programs under her Inceptional Soul Services umbrella, combining spiritual counseling, meditation instruction, and energy healing.

She started her death doula training in June 2021, signing up for a program offered through the Home Hospice Association. Asked to explain the role of a death doula, Gosse said it’s all about providing support.

“Helping people to feel comfortable with talking about what it means to be dying. Many people consider death to be a morbid topic, but it doesn’t have to be. A death doula’s job is to stay grounded, and help clients stay grounded so they can deal with a diagnosis and try to move forward,” Gosse said.

She added, “You can be a resource, helping people to connect the dots for things they might need to support them through the dying process… Just being there to provide a sense of stability during a time of upset and chaos. A death doula will walk beside you and assist in any way that helps you find your calm in the middle of the storm.”

There are four essential areas of focus for those studying to become a death doula: legacy work, vigil, active dying and bereavement support. Gosse said students will typically select one area to specialize in. While she is yet to make a final decision, she has found herself drawn to legacy work.

“This is wide open to creative approaches for however the dying person wishes to engage in developing a project that is intended as a memory keeper,” Gosse said. “It could be creating a photo book, writing a memoir, writing letters to say goodbye, or planning a ‘living funeral’.”

Gosse is hoping to become fully certified before the end of the year.

“I feel this is a natural extension of everything I’ve been doing with my practice anyway… Over the years, I’ve felt like I’ve been collecting pieces of a puzzle and this is just the latest area of study for me,” Gosse said. “My goal is to be there for this community, to help people during their lowest time… Where I am now, doing this work, it just feels like the right place to be.”

To learn more, visit inceptionalsoul.com.

Local angler reels in bait success

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Sam Gillett

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July 21, 2022

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For Colt Taylor, reeling in a fish on a bait he made himself was a special feeling.

“I tied it on and I was catching stuff for two hours straight,” he said. “I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.”

A life-long angler, 24-year-old Taylor started making moulded baits in August 2021.

Less than a year later, he’s making a splash with Haliburtonian Baits and quickly selling fish baits to anglers across the Highlands.

“It started out as a hobby, I saw a couple of YouTube videos and bought a couple of starter kits,” he said.

After making a few to give away in a Bass competition, he began selling to family and friends. Demand started to grow.

He now sells his baits at Outdoors Plus where he also works, and fulfills custom orders through his Facebook page.

“It’s been going pretty good since then,” he said.

He acquired a loan from the Haliburton County Development Corporation to fund new moulds and supplies.

He mixes plastisol with different dies and injects it into custom moulds. Once it cools, each bait has to cure for 24 hours.

He makes different baits for Bass, Muskie, Walleye, Pike, Trout, Crappie, and ones geared towards ice fishing or summer fishing, with dozens of colours, shapes and sizes available.

He said small-batch baits are made with care.

“The baits I make, people find they work good and they’re more durable than some of the bigger brands in the market,” he said.

“When you’re making homemade stuff, I think it’s a better-quality product. I think when it’s locally-made, it’s going to be better.”

Taylor’s baits can also be recycled. He plans to sell used baits at a lower cost or melt them down to create new ones.

He said he fishes Lake Kashagawigamog most often, but has experience in all seasons around the Highlands.

His company is named with his grandfather in mind, who called himself a “Haliburtonian” and introduced Taylor to the fishing lifestyle.

Haliburtonian Baits can be found at Outdoors Plus in Haliburton and through Taylor’s Facebook Page, Halburtonian Baits.

Liquidation store fights sticker shock with brand name deals

By

Sam Gillett

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July 21, 2022

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Nicky Robichaud started selling liquidated clothing from her home during COVID19 shutdowns, with the goal of providing affordable clothing to families.

Almost two years later, she’s pursuing the same vision from her own downtown Haliburton storefront, Haliburton Highlands Liquidation.

“My goal was to be affordable for our town. We have a lot of low-income families and single people in Haliburton, that’s why I did it,” she said.

She originally started a Facebook group where she would sell the same goods. She quickly developed a following of more than 1,000 people.

“Then the opportunity to get a storefront came up and I took it,” Robichaud said.

She sells clothing, shoes, home appliances, housewares and accessories such as purses. There’s a large children’s section, too.

“I’ve got stuff for everybody, and right up to plus sizes, which are a struggle to find in this town,” she said.

Robichaud collects shipments from stores across Ontario such as Aeropostle, Wal-Mart or Blue Notes as they switch inventory for different seasons.

“I never know what I’m getting,” she said. “It’s always a surprise.”

Many of Robichaud’s original customers, who were part of her Haliburton Highlands Liquidation Facebook group, still come in regularly, she said.

“There’s a variety, and people buy it, it doesn’t matter what season,” she said.

Before she opened, Robichaud and her partner spent five weeks renovating the store, adding new flooring, a ceiling and a change room, as well as racks and shelving.

She said the hard work has “absolutely” been worth it, and it was rewarding to hear from customers excited about finding deals.

“It was great, my first weekend was busy and it has been steady since.” The store is at 165 Highland St.

AH puts out call for new firefighters

By

Mike Baker

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July 21, 2022

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Algonquin Highlands fire chief Michael French is close to sounding the alarm, with his department in desperate need of recruiting several new volunteer firefighters.

French said the service is at least 12 members short of a full complement, with four new firefighters required to serve stations in Oxtongue Lake, Dorset and Stanhope.

“Just attrition, I suppose, is why we’re down,” French said. “Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of job opportunities keeping people in this area right now. Usually, we like to carry a complement of 50, but we’re quite a way short of that.”

Volunteer firefighters are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, French said. And, despite being labelled as volunteers, members are compensated for their service. New recruits are paid $20.51 an hour. They also receive complimentary volunteer firefighters’ insurance, meaning if they are hurt on or off duty, they will receive benefits.

Full training is provided, so interested candidates aren’t required to have any experience.

“The main thing we’re looking for in someone is commitment and a willingness to put in the time. Being a volunteer firefighter is a major undertaking. It’s a second job,” Shelly said. “The term ‘volunteer’ really is a thing of the past. You will be paid, and there is an expectation that recruits will attend all training sessions… It takes real dedication to become a successful firefighter.”

French said existing members will get together to train one night per week. New recruits that don’t have any firefighting experience can expect to log approximately 150 hours of training, all paid, before they can be considered qualified.

Training for new recruits will begin in January and typically takes place on weekends.

“We’re putting out the call now and trying to bring people on in the fall to see if they like the position, then that gives them time to get to know the other firefighters and learn about our practices,” French said. “The training they get and certificates they receive can then act as a stepping stone if the recruits ever want to look into going full-time. We find that once someone gets a taste for this, they start to love it and want to do it more and more. So, it could definitely open up a door to a whole new career.”

Volunteer firefighters in Algonquin Highlands will be expected to carry out the same jobs as full-time firefighters in places like Toronto, French confirmed. “They get the same training, so, in essence, they will be no different than a regular firefighter.”

To apply, visit algonquinhighlands.ca and search ‘AHFS firefighter recruitment’. To learn more, contact French at mfrench@algonquinhighlands.ca.

Bidding farewell to Maple Lake United Church

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Lisa Gervais

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July 21, 2022

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A table at the front of Maple Lake United Church held symbols of 121 years of faith as the congregation bid farewell July 17 to the little church at the corner of Hwy. 118 and Stanhope Airport Road.

Worship leader Debbie Sherwin referenced the baptismal font, communion table, pulpit and worship space marking, “the countless services… and sacraments celebrated in this place, and to bring to mind the ministers and lay minsters who have led worship.”

Council chair Larry Giles placed his hand on a front pew as a reminder of “the congregations who have gathered over the years for Sunday services, baptisms, funerals, weddings, and other celebrations that have taken place.”

There were crafts, pictures, curriculum books, CDs and Christmas pageant clothes honouring, “hundreds of students who began their Christian journeys in the place,” according to Christena Barry.

A serving bowl, coffee carafe, tea towel and Bible symbolized the contributions of United Church Women who brought food, education, shared work, laughter, talk and fellowship, said Shirley Johnston.

A hymnbook and choir gown spoke to the music ministry, Deloris Bailey noted. Looking on was Kathleen Owens, the church’s organist for more than 60 years.

And a hammer, drills bits, and handsaw were representative of those who toiled to maintain the building, Albert Carpenter said.

Rev. Max Ward kicked off of a more informal trip down memory lane when he shared how the congregation used to gather downstairs, since it was easier to heat, for a potluck supper followed by song. At the time his daughter was an infant. She is now 18. He recalled how when they sang the hymn Bringing in the Sheaves, she thought the words were bringing in the cheese.

Ward said the church had not only had an impact on Stanhope, but the country and indeed the world through its ministry. He acknowledged the congregation’s “swirl of emotions.”

A congregation member since childhood, Delores Sawyer Bailey, recollected the annual summer trip to the cottage.

Driving from the GTA with her family, she and her siblings would look for the familiar landmarks on the drive. The last was “the little white church” on the corner as they made their way to her grandparents’ farm.

She first went inside the church when she was eight for Grandma Sawyer’s funeral. When she was 10, her parents moved to Maple Lake. And while her mom and dad didn’t attend church, she went to Sunday school.

“As I sit in the pew on Sundays, I think of all the families, past and present, who have contributed to building and maintaining Maple Lake United Church. It was important for them to have a place to worship. It probably never crossed their minds that 100 years later their descendants would be worshiping in the same place.

“If the walls could talk, I would love to hear of the baptisms, weddings, and funerals that have taken place over the years, as well as the celebrations of Christmas and Easter.”

Commenting on the closing, she added, “like our ancestors, who worked so hard to build this church, they never knew how the story would end, but they had faith. Only God knows the beginning and the end of every story. Here we are 121 years later, and like our ancestors, we must put our faith in God and remember the many Bible teachings we learned in the little white church on the corner at Maple Lake. “

Sherwin told the full church on a hot summer’s afternoon, “We come together with so many good and treasured memories, but with a strong sense of grief at saying farewell to this hallowed place. We come together, also, with great hope for continuing our life of faith at Highlands Hills United Church in Minden.”

Tourism a mixed bag so far this summer

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Lisa Gervais

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July 21, 2022

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Members of Haliburton County’s tourism sector are reporting a mixed season so far for summer 2022.

Don Critchley of Cottage Care Rentals said that for them, “business is doing very well. We are back to what was normal prior to COVID.”

Critchley added they are back to a stream of steady bookings for the summer, but as was the pre-COVID norm, they tend to book the holes during June and July.

Critchley added they convinced cottage owners not to increase rental rates by a huge amount, especially as other travel options have reopened. He said they capped it at five to 10 per cent on average. He further noted that since July 1, 2021, they have had to charge HST on rent, so there was an automatic 13 per cent increase with an overall affect on guests of 18 to 23 per cent on average.

He said another reason they didn’t overinflate rates is they have 75 per cent return guests and didn’t want them to go somewhere else.

With the recent run up of mortgage rates, the local businessman said they have seen a spike in the last couple of weeks for requests to rent people’s cottages out. “We had anticipated this when the real estate market went ballistic, and it is now coming true,” he said.

Emily Stonehouse of Yours Outdoors and Haliburton Forest said that from their perspective, “it’s been a pretty slow summer so far. It’s a weird time. We can’t compare this summer to the past two years and it’s all totally different in the world.”

She said she thinks restaurants are seeing people coming out, but tour providers and accommodations are slow to start.

“We are noticing an influx of last-minute bookings though. Seems that people are waiting for COVID numbers, weather, and availability before joining last minute. We used to be booked weeks in advance, but just today, I took two bookings for the next two days. We can’t always accommodate those, and it’s hard to plan around,” she said.

Stonehouse added she has heard a lot of grumbling about gas prices and that may be keeping some people away.

“We’re also seeing a big shift back to international travel. People aren’t as worried about airports anymore. Before, they sought out escaping to our woods as a retreat, but now we’re back to the way travel was before.”

Stonehouse said the local industry “has to make more of an effort to emphasize the great things we have here, things beyond just being an escape and marketing the region as a multi-dimensional destination once again.”

Some having very busy seasons, but not all

Molly McInerney of Molly’s Bistro Bakery said they have been busy. “So many happy old faces we haven’t seen in a long while have returned and lots of new faces. It is so great to see people out and about enjoying life again,” she said.

And Katie Hinbest, one of the owners of Robinsons General Store in Dorset, said it’s been going well. “Our July long weekend was a record for the store. Hopefully we continue to see that throughout the summer.”

The County’s director of tourism, Tracie Bertrand, said she’s spoken to many in the industry and they are telling her the season so far is a very busy one. “Many travellers are comfortable with getting back out and resuming most of their activities.”

She noted festivals and events have returned, and people are dining out, and booking accommodation, some into 2024.

Like Stonehouse, though, she said it’s not consistently high and some people still aren’t comfortable travelling.

“Some data indicates that full recovery won’t take place until at least 2025,” Bertrand said.

She added the cost of living, including gas, “has most definitely had an impact on travel in 2022.”

She noted some business owners are still struggling with workforce shortages, which is impacting hours of operation, as well as increased costs due to inflation, added stress due to debt from COVID, and managing the visitor demand.

However, overall, she thinks the Highlands is doing “very well” this tourism season.

“It is busy, the downtowns are hopping, the restaurants are full, and many are attending the festivals and events.”

Unspooling division through arts & crafts

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Sam Gillett

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July 21, 2022

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For years, Sandra Clarke drove her daughter from Mississauga to critical hospital appointments in downtown Toronto.

Protests at Queens Park often slowed down or stopped traffic.

“Even if I agreed with what the protestors were saying, I was frustrated by not being able to bring my daughter to the hospital. I thought there has got to be a better way.”

That’s when she started investigating craftivism, which uses crafts such as knitting to fight for political or social change or bring awareness to the climate crisis, for example.

“I wanted to have a quieter, gentler alternative to blocking traffic or keeping nurses from reaching the hospital,” Clarke – who divides her time between Toronto and Highlands East – said.

“It’s also a way of bringing people together.”

At the upcoming Haliburton Art and Craft Festival, Clarke invites attendees to help her create an earth loom, made by weaving recycled textiles or leaves, flowers and grass onto threads in between a wooden frame.

The point of an earth loom is to ponder our relationship to the natural environment and to bridge divides by creating it with others who may be different than you.

“You can have a Conservative and a Green Party member working side-by-side on this loom. You don’t have to discuss your politics but you at least see each other on a human level,” Clarke said.

She added that especially throughout COVID-19, people with differing views couldn’t come together.

“It’s really hard in this world of digital confrontations to come face-to-face with somebody who is totally opposite to you. When you’re working on something important with them together, that’s going to influence you,” she said.

That’s not to say Clarke doesn’t share her opinions, or dispute views she disagrees with.

However, she said conversations between strangers who might not otherwise speak can be a powerful thing to witness. “I know a lot of people; we might have done demonstrations and sit-ins in the past. We’re done yelling, it’s exhausting. We’re done using a traditional method of protesting and not seeing things change,” she said.

Clarke has hosted multiple craftivism sessions at Patio Tuesdays outside Rails End Gallery this summer and will be constructing an earth loom with community help July 22-24 inside the Haliburton Art and Craft Festival at the Rails End Gallery and Arts Centre tent.

Haliburton Art and Craft Festival returns to Head Lake Park

By

Sam Gillett

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July 21, 2022

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Seventy-five artisans, live music and even gigantic colourful birds will descend on Head Lake Park for the return of Haliburton County’s largest arts celebration July 22-24.

The Haliburton Art and Craft Festival, running annually for 59 years, is back after a two-year pandemic hiatus. “It’s a friendly and inspiring festival,” said Rails End Gallery and Arts Centre director Laurie Jones, who has been preparing for the weekend alongside a crew of 30 volunteers.

“When I talk to our volunteers, I say our job here is to inspire people to want to learn more about art in general.”

There are vendors from all over the art world, including sculptors, painters, woodworkers, jewellers and more.

“We want it to be accessible. People who come to our festival will find something in their affordability scale,” Jones said.

There will be a range of art for sale from thousand-dollar ornate carvings to handcrafted greeting cards. There will be live music and performances by Les Chasseurs de Rêves, a performance troupe that performs dances on stilts emulating colourful birds.

The festival draws hundreds of visitors from outside of Haliburton County each year. Jones recommends festival-goers consider getting dropped off to avoid the difficulty of finding parking around Haliburton.

There will be a designated drop-off parking spot in front of the gallery on York Street, with public parking available around Haliburton and at the A.J. LaRue Arena.

There are three entrances to the festival: York Street, the bridge beside the Head Lake bandshell, and the boardwalk near the Head Lake Welcome Centre.

Admission is by donation, with a tap option to donate with credit or debit cards.

Plenty of washrooms will be available, including all the stalls at the welcome centre and additional portable washrooms. Jones suggests people check out the Rails End Gallery website, which lists the artists exhibiting and profiles their work.

“They can see who is new, who is returning,” Jones said. The festival runs noon to 5 p.m. July 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 23 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 24. To find out more, visit railsendgallery.com/ haliburton-art-and-craft.