Wilberforce Elementary School grads show perseverance

July 7, 2022

A teary-eyed crowd cheered as Wilberforce Elementary School’s graduating class of 2022 collected their diplomas June 21 at the Robert McCausland Memorial Community Centre.

“After two long years of doing virtual [graduations] we’re here,” said trustee Gary Brohman.

He commended the class for its perseverance during the past years of online learning, separation from friends and cancelled extracurricular activities.

“Your dedication will carry you through high school and the adult world beyond,” he said. Teacher Jacob Findeis noticed students’ dedication too.

“These kids have kept going,” Findeis said. “They’ve been there every day, they keep trying, they bring a positive attitude. They’re going to take that gumption they’ve shown in the last years and the sky is the limit for this crew.”

He added that as well as being hard workers, the graduating class is filled with kind kids. “They’re really genuinely nice people,” he said. Findeis offered one piece of advice for the students, who will be moving on to high school.

“It’s okay not to know, it’s not okay to not try.”

Valedictorians Ruby Morrison and Daxton Underwood spoke of the tight-knit class history together, and their hope to find a little bit of Wilberforce at Hal High.

“Now we’re going to high school where we can find fun, activities and hopefully teachers like Mr. Findeis,” Morrison said.

Haliburton Lumber prices falling back to normal

July 7, 2022

Supply chain issues still affecting Highlands construction

After a whirlwind second half of 2021, where the cost of lumber and other essential building materials practically doubled in a matter of weeks, prices have fallen more in-line with pre-pandemic levels this year, according to Kim Emmerson, owner of Haliburton’s Emmerson Lumber.

An increased supply of popular woods such as spruce, pine and cedar has helped to stabilize the market in recent months, a much-needed correction according to Emmerson after many contractors suffered a challenging building season last year.

But things are far from perfect, he added.

“If you were trying to compare the market with a year ago, then it is definitely better. But have the issues been solved? Not a chance,” Emmerson said. “Right now, it depends on the item. Sometimes things are available and sometimes they aren’t. The fundamentals of the business, being lumber and plywood, that’s quite available now. And it has dropped in price back to pre-COVID levels too.”

Supply chain issues and increased demand last year saw prices skyrocket, with a common 2 x 4 western spruce-pine-fir selling for as much as $1,300 (USD) per thousand board feet in the spring – nearly twice the previous 52-week average of $773.

As of June 22, that same order would run $630 according to the Canadian Forest Service.

Costs of other products, especially those made out of plastic, remain quite high, Emmerson said. And the products themselves can be difficult to find.

“PVC is still quite elusive and can be a challenge to get. Manufactured goods are still taking a long time to come in, too. For instance, windows – you could be waiting up to 16 weeks for an order to arrive,” Emmerson said. “Before COVID, if you wanted a window, you could get one quite easily within a month. Now you’re waiting at least four times that long.”

While last year’s issues in the supply chain could be largely attributed to a lack of products, this year it seems there’s a shortage of delivery options. Many trucking companies are reporting major labour shortages, meaning there are fewer drivers on the road.

“It ebbs and flows. For instance, copper wire wasn’t available for months and months, but now we have quite a lot. ABS pipe is starting to come in now, but that wasn’t available for a long time last year,” Emmerson said. “Items such as manufactured floor joists are very scarce right now, very difficult to find.”

Steel remains in short supply too, and has proved the exception to the rule as far as price corrections go.

“The price of steel has gone berserk,” Emmerson said. “A lot of that has to do with supply. There are still problems with containers coming in from the east. That’s proving to be a pretty significant issue for the industry.”

Emmerson said he isn’t expecting a major shift in lumber prices or availability again this year.

“There’s lots of supply right now, and there’s somewhat less of a demand from what we saw last year because of rising interest rates, and the higher cost of living. Gas prices have had a bad effect, I think,” Emmerson said. “Last year was kind of like a perfect storm. There were lots of people coming up here, looking to do work on their property, but because of everything that was going on in the world [suppliers] couldn’t keep up… Things have somewhat gotten back to normal now.”

School’s Cool remedies COVID learning delays

Sam Gillett

July 7, 2022

For many kids, virtual classes, masking and cancelled activities meant it’s been a hard time to start school.

School’s Cool, a free tutoring program aimed at kindergarten and pre-kindergarten learners, aims to provide a fun space to catch up on learning this summer.

In 2021, 93 kids took part from across Haliburton County, Kawartha Lakes and Muskoka.

The six-week program, administered by SIRCH Community Services, runs from July 11 to Aug. 18 at Stuart W. Baker Elementary School.

“School’s Cool is a play-based program that increases developmental skills by nearly one year over a six-week period,” said SIRCH executive director Gena Robertson in a media release. “Research shows that those gains are sustainable, resulting in higher Grade 3 testing scores. Past graduates and their parents still talk about the impact that the School’s Cool program had on their school success.”

SIRCH reports that last year, Schools Cool instructors saw kids develop social development skills, learn how to stick to routines and build confidence.

Last year, School’s Cool instructors saw vast improvements with many of the children in the program, which focused on social development, routines, and confidence-building.

“I was nervous how he would adjust to school because he hasn’t left home since COVID. So, he didn’t get any preschool/ daycare exposure,” said Leanne Young, who sent her sons Asher and Isaiah to the program. “Isaiah was really struggling with not having school since April (2021). So, I thought the routine would be good for him,” she told SIRCH.

“Isaiah’s behaviour drastically improved. He was really missing socializing with other kids and having a routine of in-school activity. He hated virtual school. Asher’s vocabulary improved and he was so excited to tell me what they did every day.”

Parents can register their kids for the program at SIRCH or find out more by calling 705-457-1742 or emailing info@sirch.on.ca

New album a labour of Love

Sam Gillett

July 7, 2022

“Exquisite.” That’s how Jim Love said it felt to shoulder his acoustic guitar once more and strum songs from his latest album, Last Man Standing, to a live crowd at the Dominion Hotel June 4.

“To see the impact your songs have on the audience, it’s the greatest thing,” he said.

The album, released in April, was brought to life with help from well-known friends in the songwriting community, such as Katherine Wheatley.

“People were very, very generous with their time,”

Love said. Love’s songs take the listener to smokey bars, moonlit streets and into the psyche of lovesick wanderers.

“I think they’re vignettes from people’s lives,” Love said. “If there’s anything that is expressed in my music, it’s that longing for relief, that feeling of letting go.”

In the title track, Love sings about an aging crooner, watching the world he once knew slip through his fingers as musical greats fade away. All that’s left are memories as he sits alone at the bar.

That song started with a friend telling him he felt like the last man standing. Love found the line captivating. “This generation will fade, but the music will live on,” he said.

Like many of his songs, he then sat down and got to work. “You work at a song and you have to bring it to life,” he said.

James Taylor, Bob Dylan, John Prine; Love absorbed the storytelling skills of these musical greats as a young adult. Their influence echoes throughout his work, weaving a plucky guitar, wistful backup vocals and even an accordion with lyrics he’ll meticulously work over until they feel right.

On this album, crafted in the depths of COVID-19, Love worked remotely with musicians such as Wheatley. He said that made for a strange experience.

“I saw more of the band in our first album because there was no COVID,” he said. Despite working apart, he’s received accolades from friends in music around the country on his latest set of tunes. “It really hits home, when great musicians send you a note and say ‘this is brilliant.’”

You can listen to Last Man Standing online at music.jimlove.com/album/last-manstanding.

The Drop Zone coming to West Guilford

Mike Baker

July 7, 2022

If you build it, they will come. That’s the mantra being used by three long-time County residents who have established a new popup arcade at the West Guilford Community Centre.

The Drop Zone will operate every Friday at the facility throughout the summer, with select Saturdays also on the schedule. Cousins Susan Bridge, Lynne Stamp and Cheryl Cooper have spent months building the operation after becoming disillusioned over the lack of children’s activities in West Guilford in recent years.

“We grew up here on Pine Lake and when we were kids there was a lot of stuff for kids going on here at the centre. Over the past year, we started talking and thought it would be great if there was more for children and families to do in this community… so we decided to make it happen,” Bridge said. “We started a non-profit called Families in Motion, and got to work on various projects and programs. The Drop Zone will be our first initiative.”

The trio received a $5,000 grant from the Haliburton County Development Corporation to help with start-up costs, and have invested an additional $5,000 of their own money.

The Drop Zone will debut this weekend, running Friday and Saturday from 4 to 9 p.m. Bridge says she’s expecting it to be busy. “There’s a lot of excitement. Everyone we’ve told about this has just been over the moon. I think it will be a great addition for our little community,” she said.

There will be various arcade-style games available, including brand new pinball machines. The team has also purchased air hockey and foosball tables, while there will be karaoke for the musically inclined.

Stations will be set up for younger children, with train and Lego tables planned for this weekend. There will also be an indoor putting green and floor curling, something Stamp hopes will encourage parents to stick around.

“We want this to be a very family-friendly operation, so we’ll have activities appropriate for all ages. We’re hoping that parents will not necessarily just drop their kids off, but join them and come inside to see what we have to offer.”

Each night at The Drop Zone will end with a movie, beginning at 7:30 p.m. This weekend’s offerings include The Emoji Movie, airing Friday, and The Batman, being shown on Saturday.

Long-term, Bridge says she and her cousins have big plans for Families in Motion. They hope to offer special events through another venture they’re calling The Celebration Station, where people can book equipment for birthdays and other parties. The trio also wants to establish various holiday camps in the future.

To mark their grand opening, Stamp says there will be face painting, door prizes and other giveaways throughout the weekend. Entry is $5 per person.

For more information, visit familiesinmotion.ca.

Harassment, vandalism prompt cameras

Sam Gillett

July 7, 2022

Security cameras will be installed at the Scotch Line landfill in Minden Hills to combat vandalism, trespassing and harassment.

At a June 30 council meeting, manager of waste facilities, Nikkie Payne, said the OPP encouraged the idea after staff reported harassment issues.

“They’re really supporting that we have some sort of video surveillance at the sites… to identify any perpetrators,” said Payne. “It’s to protect not only township and contract staff but the township’s assets.”

Payne said she was not permitted to disclose details of the harassment concerns.

Trail cameras were previously installed at the site, but since the video data is stored on the camera, it’s easy to steal or erase.

Payne suggested getting cameras with cellular capabilities or secure data storage so the files could still be viewed if the camera was stolen or broken.

Under municipal security camera guidelines, the data on the cameras would only be viewed by Payne or the director of public works if unauthorized activities were happening or suspected to have happened.

Minden Hills’ policy states security cameras must be protected from unauthorized access. Payne said technically this would not allow the cameras to be mounted on the landfill’s gates or to have data stored remotely.

Council approved the exception to the rule with the assurance that “staff would make all reasonable efforts to implement manual workarounds and to follow the video surveillance policy as much as possible.”

Iron Mine, Little Gull and Ingoldsby landfills don’t have cellular capabilities, so cameras would only be installed at the Scotch Line landfill. Payne said cameras could be installed at these sites later.

Minden Hills responds to short-term rental study

Councillors had a chance to review progress and give feedback on the County’s ongoing short-term rental review.

“I’ve been watching it unfold at the County level and I’m still so concerned,” Coun. Pam Sayne told Jason Ferrigan of J.L Richards and Associates (JLR), who delivered a report on the review.

Ferrigan said possible policy options include occupancy and stay duration limits, possible zoning rules and more.

More than 1,500 people responded to a short-term rental survey.

Ferrigan said it’s clear the community holds strong views for and against short-term rentals

“They are both influenced by and affect many aspects of community health and viability,” he said.

Sayne added that the lack of zoning rules unfairly prioritizes short-term renters over marginalized groups in the community.

“We are allowing it to happen as governance and yet when people are gathering in parks because they have nowhere to live, we’re kicking them out right away,” she said.

Coun. Bob Carter urged JLR to consider “responsible person” legislation. Municipalities such as the Bruce Peninsula require each short-term rental unit have a responsive contact able to deal with sound complaints, for instance.

“After the fact the township can go back to the owner and give them demerit points or pull their license…. I think the concept of a responsible person is a good way to control costs of enforcement,” Carter said.

Inflation impacts municipal operations

Minden Hills roads crews are feeling the impact of rising oil prices.

Director of public works, Mike Timmins, requested the roads capital project budget be boosted by $50,000 from the township’s reserves to fund road resurfacing projects.

“Not only does the process rely on equipment, but there’s also a lot of oil-based processes involved in the work… it’s been drastically impacted by these rising costs,” Timmins said.

Costs currently sit at $17,345.35 over budget, with another $32,654 added for other possible fees.

Council also approved a contract extension for landfill services in Minden administered by Watson General Contracting which will rise by four per cent in 2022.

It will cost the township $304,960.52 to run its landfills for the 12-month period, an $11,729.25 increase from the initial quote.

New leadership team at Archie Stouffer

Lisa Gervais

July 7, 2022

They started as classroom teachers in Cardiff in 2004 and 2005, and now Mike Gervais and Lauren Alleway are reunited and taking a leadership role at Archie Stouffer Elementary School.

Gervais has been named principal and Alleway vice principal of the Minden institution.

After Cardiff, they both moved on to other elementary schools in Haliburton County and are well-known educators of both students and colleagues.

They said they are “excited” about taking on their new roles for the 2022-23 school year.

“We know that we’re going to have a lot of fun together,” Alleway said before school broke June 30.

She added there had been a lot of improvements under former principal Dawn Sudsbury. “We both know that with our backgrounds in curriculum and as classroom teachers, we’re confident that we can keep that moving forward and continue to have a positive impact,” she added.

Gervais said both he and Alleway are raising their own children in the Highlands and have a vested interest.

“Having our kids connected to all the different things that happen in the County really ingrains our commitment to giving back, whether it be through our jobs or our involvement in the community,” Gervais added.

As for ASES, he said they are “blessed” to have taken over a school that already has so many “fantastic” people working there, from teachers to educational assistants and custodians. “Top to bottom, they are committed to making Archie an incredible place. We’re honoured to have that opportunity to work with these people and lead these people … it’s a great group, very keen to become involved and provide opportunities for students to advance their learning and their own teaching practice, which is an amazing thing.”

As for what they would like to accomplish, Gervais said while the Leader in Me program is effective and inspires students to become trailblazers, they believe they can achieve the same goals, and seven habits of leadership, without using “a canned program.”

“We believe it’s ingrained in our school improvement plan, the Ontario curriculum and supported through board initiatives. Our focus at this school is a balance of achievement in academics and achievement in equity and inclusivity. So, we want to supply students with a safe place to learn, and we want to promote an environment that fosters the best opportunities to be successful in their learning.”

Alleway said for her the focus is recovering from COVID and tackling issues such as literacy. Sudsbury presented to the board last year, indicating 15 per cent of Gr. 2-8 students were reading at grade level.

The new VP said it’s about “closing some of those gaps.” She said during 2022, staff had done a “really great job of getting started and recognizing what are the best practices to move forward with that … staff spent a lot of time reflecting on the shifts they’ve made in order to have impact on student achievement and taking that information and continuing moving forward.”

Gervais said they had implemented specific and targeted instruction based upon the diagnostics to close the gaps. “Building our understanding of phonemic awareness and phonological awareness [sound structure of words]. We did targeted PD throughout the year, to build our teachers’ capacities to provide for these students based upon these COVID gaps and we’re proud to say over half of our school now has already closed the gap and are reading at level in one year of what we consider a three-year plan.”

He added they are seeing more parents coming onboard to reignite the home-school connection for reading. Materials are again going from school to home and back again.

With math, they are also making strategic moves to close those gaps, he said.

“It’s all about knowing and understanding the needs of our learners, creating programming and connecting with families, whether academic or social.”

Summer camp season returns to the Highlands

Lisa Gervais

July 7, 2022

Haliburton County welcomed children back to summer camps this week after a two-year COVID-19 hiatus.

“Summer has begun and, although we are not as full as we would ideally like, many programs are full or close to full,” said Bruce Dunning, executive advisor at Medeba.

Medeba is located on Kennisis Lake Road in West Guilford and has been operating for 70 years. Dunning has been with the camp for more than 42 of those years. He is transitioning to half-time work this summer from full-time

He added that, as with most places, getting staff was more difficult this year so they are pleased that they have a “great” complement of workers heading into the season.

“I think there is a pent-up demand for kids to get to summer camp as they need the social interaction more than ever and camp is an amazing place for that and more,” Dunning said.

At Camp Wanakita, on Koshlong Lake, which dates back to 1953, senior regional manager camping and outdoor education, Andy Gruppe, said in their spring newsletter that they couldn’t wait to hear the sounds of talking and laughter over the lake again this summer.

“After cancelling our traditional YMCA Wanakita programs in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic, we are thankful to be able to bring children and families back to enjoy the activities and fun experiences they know and love,” he wrote.

He said gearing up for their summer camp season, “has not been without tremendous obstacles and we have made some challenging decisions around how we operate this summer.”

They cancelled their day camp programs in favour of positioning staff in overnight camp and family camp positions. “It was a difficult decision, but necessary,” Gruppe said.

In May, they also announced changes to session durations.

“Both of these were critical decisions based on the ongoing staff shortage that camps are experiencing industry-wide. Making these changes will allow us to ensure the health and safety of the campers in our care and program quality. They have always been our top priority and we will not compromise on these priorities.”

He added campers will also see some improvements around camp this summer. While they have been limited in their program offerings over the past two years, Gruppe said the camp team has still been working tremendously hard.

“We are looking forward to sharing the memory and spirit of former camper Grace Lloyd, with the unveiling of Gracie’s Grove, and introducing the first group of campers to this beautiful area in her memory,” The former camper passed away Feb. 3, 2020 after a short illness. She was 14.

“This is going to be a summer to remember,” Gruppe said.

There are just shy of 20 summer camps in the Highlands.

Minden Hills’ outsourced planners impact budget

Sam Gillett

July 7, 2022

Minden Hills is set to continue its contract with a Peterborough-based planning company but pay far more for its services.

With the town’s director of planning position still vacant, Minden Hills renewed its contract with D.M Wills and Associates Ltd., which has provided planning services since April 2021.

The contract has been extended for 12 months.

The new agreement, approved by council June 30, includes a total hourly service rate that is 66 per cent higher than an initial contract.

A fee schedule shows five positions in 2021 totaling $490 per hour.

For the next year, D.M. Wills has upped hourly rates and added new positions totalling an hourly cost of $735.

D.M. Wills invoiced the municipality $138,576.27 in its first six months operating as Minden Hills’ planners after Ian Clendening departed in Spring 2021.

Clendening was not named to the sunshine list, meaning he earned less than $100,000 per year.

“We are required to have planning services in place. We are actively recruiting for in-house staff,” CAO Trisha McKibbin said.

Planners are responsible for processing shore road allowance applications, minor variance applications, policy development, site plan agreements and planning consultations.

Coun. Bob Carter asked if the agreement could be cancelled if Minden Hills acquired a planner.

McKibbin said the contract could be terminated with 15 days’ notice.

Neither McKibbin or Mayor Brent Devolin could be reached to provide further comment before deadline.

Devolin criticized provincial legislation requiring the township to delegate construction projects’ site plan approvals to the CAO and mayor.

Site plans are required for all developments, drawings that show the physical location of the development, any driveways, parking areas, landscaping features, fences as well as connected municipal services.

Mayor criticizes rules

Ontario’s Bill 109 “More Homes for Everyone Act,” introduced this spring, changes provincial planning requirements in an attempt to speed up development, including site plan application approvals.

“This bill crosses the line for me. It… is disrespectful of processes in municipal governments,” Devolin said.

He objected to how the rules mean building permits can be issued without council viewing or discussing the site plan application.

Site plan approval is a prerequisite for acquiring a building permit.

Carter said, “in doing this, they no longer have to come through council. Things can get past and shovels can be in the ground before the public are aware. One could wake up in the morning with an excavator on the lot next door. That’s probably an underfinanced consequence of doing this. I’m hesitant to make that change.”

McKibbin said the municipality was bound to the new rules.

“The challenge is the provincial policy has stipulated they’re not to come forward to council anymore,” she said.

The Ontario government claims the new legislation is aimed at clearing “red tape” hindering development in Ontario municipalities.

Delegating site plan approval to staff rather than council will “get the politics out of planning while continuing to ensure the objectives of site plan control are fully met,” states the province in a Bill 109 policy brief.

MP: Stimulate economy to fight inflation

Mike Baker

July 7, 2022

Jamie Schmale stands up to speak during Question Period / se leve en Chambre durant la Période des questions Ottawa, ONTARIO, on May 3, 2022 © HOC-CDC Credit: Bernard Thibodeau, House of Commons Photo Services

MP Jamie Schmale said he’s starting to feel the pinch as inflation reached a new 40-year high in May, causing concern in households across the Highlands.

The basic MP salary is $182,600.

Statistics Canada reported June 22 that Canada’s inflation rate hit 7.7 per cent as of May 31, with increased prices at the pumps a major contributor. Gas prices rose by 12 per cent in May, and are up by 48 per cent compared to this time in 2021. The recent decision by Ontario Premier Doug Ford to lower the gas tax by 5.7 cents per litre and the fuel tax by 5.3 cents per litre, which came into effect July 1, will provide some relief, but only runs until the end of this year.

The federal agency said bloated food prices were also a significant factor to the rise, with grocery bills up by almost 10 per cent over the past year.

While not surprised by the numbers, Schmale said the failure of the federal government and the Bank of Canada to slow inflation in recent months is concerning.

“Many people haven’t seen this kind of price increase this quickly in their lifetimes. I’m worried about the people that are struggling to get by. It’s getting harder and harder to make life work,” Schmale said. “Any wage gains made over the past few years have been completely wiped out.”

He’s calling on the federal government to take a more serious approach to fixing the problem.

“One of the biggest drivers of this inflation is Ottawa printing money. Still, to this day, they continue to run the country on the credit card,” Schmale said. “When they found themselves in a hole during the pandemic… the printing presses started up, which inflated the currency. They threw a bunch of money into the atmosphere, which caused the crazy price inflation we’re seeing today.”

According to Statistics Canada, the national money supply has increased by more than 22 per cent since January 2020.

Getting a handle on inflation

Paul Beaudry, deputy governor of the Bank of Canada, said this record inflation is being driven by both domestic and international forces. He said the Canadian economy has recovered much quicker than the central bank anticipated, with GDP growth pushing 3.1 per cent through the first quarter of 2022. Job growth is also strong, with the national unemployment rate sitting at just above five per cent – a record low.

In many areas, demand is outstripping supply, which is causing prices to rise. Other factors, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an increase in lockdowns in China have exacerbated the issue, Beaudry said.

He noted inflation wasn’t a Canada-specific problem, with many other countries around the world also suffering. Inflation hit a new 40-year high in the UK in May, coming in at 9.1 per cent, with the likes of India (7.04 per cent), Germany (7.9 per cent), Spain (8.7 per cent) and the U.S. (8.6 per cent) also reporting bloated numbers.

Beaudry said the central bank plans to combat the issue by raising interest rates. The aim is to stop inflation before it becomes entrenched.

“Inflation becomes entrenched when it feeds on itself. Prices rise because other prices are rising and because the cost of labour is going up. In a situation like that, inflation becomes self-fulfilling because households and businesses expect that it will stay high or keep rising, and they act accordingly,” he said in a recent presentation delivered to the Gatineau Chamber of Commerce.

The Bank cut its lending rate to 0.25 per cent in early 2020 to support the economy throughout the pandemic, but in recent months has implemented several increases in an attempt to discourage borrowing and stave off inflation. Another hike is expected later this month, which would bring the bank’s key lending rate to 2.25 per cent – the highest benchmark in almost 15 years.

Beuadry said the end goal is to bring the rate of inflation down to around two per cent.

Schmale remains skeptical

Schmale said it’s hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel, with many experts predicting things will get worse before they get better. The MP said many families are suffering. He addressed Parliament June 24, sharing stories from constituents struggling to get by, with one resident reporting he’s having to work upwards of 60 hours a week just to keep a roof over his family’s head.

Schmale likened the Bank’s current directive to a conductor trying to regain control of a train destined for derailment. One group, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, believes it’s too late. They feel the Bank of Canada’s strategy will likely trigger another recession.

Schmale believes that can be avoided if the country’s natural resource sector can get back up and running. He’s also calling on the Liberals to cut back on what he considers frivolous spending, criticizing the announcement of a new five-year $5.3 billion investment to improve dental care services across the country.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the new dental program could benefit around 6.5 million Canadians.

“The government needs to get some fiscal sanity back into its conversations… Even before the pandemic, every single year from 2015 to 2020 [we incurred] tens of billions of dollars in new debt. Vanity projects and programs pushed through. Then, when the pandemic hit, we didn’t have the money, so we borrowed and we printed,” Schmale said. “All that did was put us into an even bigger hole.

“Unless Ottawa starts to make some decisions that actually help those on the ground, life is not going to get any easier,” Schmale said.

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