Businesses search for workers at job fair

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April 28, 2022

Businesses at a Haliburton Highlands Secondary School job fair said they’re struggling to fill vacancies before a busy summer.

An estimated 100 high schoolers and a scattering of adult job seekers attended the fair, organized by the Haliburton County Home Builders Association (HCHBA)

Glen Rickerby, Home Hardware district manager, estimated 40 per cent of teens who attended stopped at employers’ tables to chat.

High school student Rio O’Malley said teens are looking to “have fun, work with good people and make money” at parttime jobs. O’Malley is working multiple jobs this summer, and said a “good work environment” makes for an attractive workplace.

Damon Harriss, another student, said some of his classmates don’t want to work in the summer because they’re at cottages or playing sports.

“Some people don’t want to work in something they’re not interested in,” he said.

Harriss plays sports all summer and looks for schedule flexibility in potential jobs.

HCHBA executive officer Aggie Tose said in an email that “The students and public that attended were very engaged. The students had very appropriate questions.”

Rickerby said it has been “extremely tough” to hire seasonal and full-time staff since 2020, with both Haliburton County locations seeking to fill a combined 40 positions.

He received approximately 300 resumes in 2019 and 40 in 2020, and said they’ll likely be understaffed this summer.

“We push through and adapt,” he said. “I’m hoping we can not only hire, but get the students involved. Interacting with people you don’t know is a life skill.”

Others from businesses such as Kawartha Dairy and BKS Carpentry said positions have gone unfilled for months.

Some pointed to the discontinued Canadian Response Benefit or employment insurance as reasons why Highlanders may not be seeking jobs.

While it’s difficult to gauge how those programs might have impacted the Highlands’ labour force, unemployment rates in Canada are at pre-COVID-19 levels.

In fact, the labour participation rate — people employed or looking for work — aged 15-24 was 64.7 per cent in February 2022 and 65.4 per cent in February 2020.

Dysart to get legal help on land use

By

Sam Gillett

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April 28, 2022

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Confusion and complaints have prompted Dysart et al to seek legal advice on private docks and paths which encroach on municipal land.

Council received a complaint at its April 26 meeting pertaining to a $500-a-year agreement permitting a dock and trail on a municipally-owned section of Lake Kashagawigamog.

According to Virginia MacLean, a lawyer representing an anonymous client, council failed to provide public notice before rendering the decision in 2011, and the agreement violates a provision under Ontario’s 2001 Municipal Act that the lands should be an “open highway” for public use.

Deputy mayor Patrick Kennedy said the issue wasn’t about the individual property. Similar agreements about unopened road allowances are common across Haliburton County.

“I think we need to go back right to the drawing board and rethink what we’re doing with unopened road allowances,” he said.

Mayor Andrea Roberts suggested the township defer the file until it receives legal advice.

Roberts and other members of council said the use of municipal land for private docks and structures is a widespread issue.

A following agenda item concerned an application for a shared dock on Mink Road which sparked further discussion of municipal land-use rules.

Five landowners submitted a joint request to erect two docks on a municipal slice of Long Lake waterfront.

Director of planning Jeff Iles said the application contravenes the township’s official plan which states road allowances are to be preserved for lake access for the general public and not add to an already crowded lake. The recreational carrying capacity for Long Lake is 53 lots, however there are currently 159.

However, the applicants are already using the area for water access.

The landowners were instructed to remove existing docks in 2021 but representatives from the group said they were unable to do so since the lake was frozen.

Nick Neag, who spoke on behalf of the property owners, said he understood concerns about increased pressure on the area’s lakes and influx of rental activity, but said none of the land owners plans to rent out their properties. He added there won’t be structures erected on shore.

Coun. John Smith said it was an inappropriate use of public land and suggested paying contractors to come in and remove docks.

“Frankly the backlot owners have completely ignored orders and instructions given to them to have their docks removed,” he said.

The application prompted public correspondence in support of the land use and rebuking it.

One email from Trevor Benson, a local landowner, argued that permitting docks and private structures on public waterfront access is unfair to waterfront property owners paying extra fees for their lake access.

“It seems to us that giving a license of occupation for a minimal fee is incomprehensible,” he said.

Roberts said it was important to judge each land use application similarly.

“It’s hard to be heavy-handed on one hand and lenient on the other,” she said.

Coun. Walt McKechnie pointed out his window to docks on municipally-owned land on Moose Lake. He said diving into the issue was “opening a big can of worms.”

Council voted to allow a one-year license of occupation for the docks on Long Lake, with Roberts suggesting that license of occupation agreements are “all about the liability” of using municipal land.

Moffatt third mayor out of election race

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Lisa Gervais

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April 28, 2022

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After 16 years of public service, Algonquin Highlands mayor Carol Moffatt announced April 23 she will not be seeking re-election in the fall.

She joins Dysart et al mayor Andrea Roberts and Minden Hills mayor Brent Devolin in exiting public life following this term of office. The municipal elections are slated for Oct. 24 this year.

Moffatt said the decision was “tremendously difficult” and came with “mixed emotions.” “

While I’m passionately drawn to participating in what’s ahead for the Haliburton Highlands, it’s no secret to many that I’ve been at a personal crossroads for some time now,” she said.

“As the days have ticked along, it’s become very clear that ‘some day’ is now, so I’m choosing to shift my focus to the many personal pursuits I’ve set aside throughout 16 years of public service.

“Politics is an oddly captivating challenge that I’ll certainly miss being involved in – and there will undoubtedly be days when I’ll question this choice but for right now, it’s the right one for me.

She went on to say, “I’m excited for the revival of unfinished projects and the start of new ones. There are histories to preserve, photographs to make, stories to write and many roads to travel.”

Moffatt cautioned would-be councillors that the job is not “for the faint of heart, and yet we need people full of heart to do it.

“To those seeking office this fall: be strong, fair, responsive and open-minded. Work to build better forward, and remember that the correct decisions are rarely the popular ones.

“To those voting this fall: choose flexible, forward thinkers with broad knowledge who can listen and work as a team toward progress.”

The new Algonquin Highlands council will be sworn in Nov. 15 and until then, Moffatt said her commitment to governance, both at the lower-tier township and upper-tier County of Haliburton “is steadfast; and I’ll work toward a collaborative leadership transition.”

She added she was grateful for “this amazing experience” and thanked members of council, staff, and the public for putting their faith in her over the years.

Proud of hands-on research

Moffatt first ran for council in 1994 but lost by 22 votes. She then became heavily involved in the community. She was elected to her first term as a councillor in 2006 and was acclaimed as mayor in 2010, 2014 and 2018. She has also served as County warden.

She said that when first elected in 2010, she handed CAO Angie Bird a list of more than 80 housekeeping items, such as policies and procedures, and all have been long done.

She’s proud of the township’s “very solid” council-staff working relationships that have fostered progress, collaboration and modernization as part of a team. She joked a well-worn phrase she uses, “we all need to concede something for the greater good” will likely be etched on her tombstone.

She is pleased with her ability to communicate, becoming the first elected official in Haliburton County to use social media for public education and engagement.

Some of the wins have included getting the Ministry of Natural Resources headquarters at Stanhope; being asked to run federally in 2014; being part of an all-female council that made Chatelaine magazine’s top women of influence and a phone call from the prime minister.

At the County, she comments on things such as OPP billing reform, work on the rail trail and tourism director’s job, and more recently the community safety and well-being plan.

“That’s the stuff I feel best about, having had really hands-on and research-based involvement in.”

Moffatt not seeking re-election

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Lisa Gervais

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April 23, 2022

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Algonquin Highlands mayor Carol Moffatt announced April 23 that she will not be running in this fall’s municipal election.

Ending her term next November will mark 16 years of public service.

Moffatt said the decision comes with “mixed emotions.”

“While I’m passionately drawn to participating in what’s ahead for the Haliburton Highlands, it’s no secret to many that I’ve been at a personal crossroads for some time now,” she said.

“As the days have ticked along, it’s become very clear that ‘some day’ is now, so I’m choosing to shift my focus to the many personal pursuits I’ve set aside …” she added.

She joins Minden Hills mayor Brent Devolin and Dysart et al mayor Andrea Roberts, who previously announced they are not running.

Contest chance for youth to sing the blues

By

Sam Gillett

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April 22, 2022

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The Highlands Buckslide Blues Society (HBBS) is searching for young stars to share the stage with veterans of the genre and learn from the greats.

The society will introduce its “Road to the Kitchener Bluesfest Youth Camp Contest” at a concert for high schoolers at the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavillion at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School at 1 p.m April 28.

To enter the contest, students between 12-18 can submit a video clip up to five minutes in length of them covering a blues song to qualify for a final round of the contest May 25.

Applicants can upload an audition tape (less the 5minutes) to YouTube. Send the youtube audition link and application to highlandsbbs@gmail.com by May 18 2022.

Two winning teens will get an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2022 Grand River Blues Youth Camp in Kitchener and a chance to play with the B&B Blues Band on an upcoming album and as well as at a concert at Head Lake Park in August.

They’ll also be awarded the 2022 Patrick Monaghan Blues Cruise award, named after the society’s founder, appear on Monaghan’s Blues show, the Buckslide Blues Cruise on CanoeFM. “It’s a great event for the youth in the area,” said Monaghan. He’s been a blues fan for decades, often travelling across Canada and the U.S. for blues conventions and contests.

He said a spot at the Youth Camp in Kitchener can “open doors” for County youth who love the blues. For teens submitting performances to the HBBS, Monaghan suggests focusing on stage presence, blues inspiration, vocal skill and instrumental precision. “Originality will score them some points too,” he said.

Monaghan said he’s excited that COVID-19 restrictions have eased to allow concerts and in-person gatherings again. “It really limited what we could do,” he said. The event is organized by Monaghan and HBBS marketing and education coordinator Rusty Rustenburg.

The HBBS is also inviting Highlanders of all ages to apply for membership, to help the society “keep the blues alive” in the Highlands. For more information visit highlandsbuckslidebluessociety.com or contact Monaghan at 705-306-0181 or Rustenburg at 705-464-1719

Declare early

By

Lisa Gervais

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April 21, 2022

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I applaud Dysart et al mayor Andrea Roberts for her relatively early announcement that she will not be seeking re-election in the fall.

In the same vein, I think Minden Hills mayor Brent Devolin did his community a service in making it known last November that he would be ending his tenure as mayor of the township.

Often in the past, incumbent councillors left their constituents hanging, sometimes not filing their nomination papers until very late in the running. Consequently, we often did not know until the last day of nominations who was running.

It is not a good practise at it does not give possible successors much time to decide whether or not it would be strategic for them to throw their hats in the ring.

With the early heads-up, would-be candidates can get involved much earlier in the process. We think that results in better candidates.

In the past, we also knew who was interested because they would show up at council meetings prior to the October elections to get a feel for how things work. It has been harder during COVID to gauge who might be keen since meetings are on Zoom and we don’t know who is watching.

We’ll get some indication of who might be interested at a candidate information session April 26 at the Haliburton Legion. Then again, people can sign on via Zoom, so there may be some anonymous types who are thinking about becoming involved, but we won’t really know until nomination time.

It is also a good time to remind people that it isn’t just municipal election on Oct. 24, but school board as well.

Candidates interested in running basically have to get at least 25 electors to sign a form. School board trustee hopefuls do not need signatures. You can find the forms at the municipal clerk’s office or on township websites. It’s $200 to run for mayor and $100 for other offices.

The window is May 2 to August 19, which is dubbed nomination day.

We would encourage anyone thinking about running to attend next Tuesday’s session in person or online. It’s at 6:30 p.m. Candidates, their family or the public can attend. It’s free.

Fred Dean, a municipal coach and former municipal solicitor who has been training members and heads of council since 2002, will be speaking.

The session will provide an overview of the roles and responsibilities of municipal council members and explain how public office will impact their life.

There is no registration required for in-person attendance. To register virtually, visit dysartetal.ca/election/

We would encourage incumbents and prospective candidates to let their intentions known early in the game rather than doing the nomination day shuffle. It does not have to be a big reveal as it has in the past. It gives candidates more time to get to know their constituents, the machinations of local government and their communities. It gives voters a longer period of time to figure out who they might select come Oct. 24.

Dropping the puck for Garry

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Sam Gillett

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April 21, 2022

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A group of hockey lovers scrimmaged in honour of a dearly-departed buddy at the A.J LaRue Arena in Haliburton April 10.

Garry Weston of Newmarket and Oro Medonte, 75, died after contracting COVID-19 in 2021.

“This event was what Garry was all about,” said close friend John Adlam, who organized the game.

Adlam and many others who knew Weston in Newmarket have recently moved to the County. The Haliburton team, wearing “Haliburton Old Guys” jerseys, faced off against a crew travelling from Newmarket, many who have played hockey together for years in the city’s over 55 and over 60 leagues.

The teams met at centre ice before the game, where they shared memories of Garry and observed a moment of silence.

Weston was remembered for his “zest for life,” said Adlam, adding that he was always up for conversation and sharing stories. He was known for his passion for family and friends. He was also a renowned fastball player, playing for the Newmarket Rays and was recently set to be inducted into the Canadian Amateur Atlethic Hall of Fame.

Adlam said the game was called the “just perfect” friendly, in tribute to Weston’s signature response to a great story, joke or sporting highlight. Adlam said he’d smile widely and say, “oh, that’s just perfect.”

When you give time you get more back

By

Sam Gillett

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April 21, 2022

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What do the Head Lake Welcome Centre, an upcoming production of The Sound of Music and the Haliburton County Public Library’s new online streaming service have in common?

All were made possible by volunteers. National volunteer week, hosted by Volunteer Canada, runs April 24-30 and many County groups say now is a great time to get involved.

Brigitte Gebauer, Haliburton Highlands Health Services’ (HHHS) coordinator of volunteer services, said there’s an “urgent” need for empathetic volunteers for jobs such as driving patients to medical visits, checking in over the phone, delivering meals or connecting with people living in long-term care homes.

HHHS volunteers have often found it a gratifying experience.

“When you give your time, you get so much more back than you give,” Gebauer said.

Volunteering with HHHS begins with an interview, safety checks and ample training.

Then, Gebauer and her colleagues monitor volunteers to make sure they’re enjoying their roles. She said volunteers “have really stepped up” during the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that Haliburton County has a “wealth of volunteer spirit.”

Funding for health

HHHS is also supported by a crew of dedicated volunteers who fundraise to fill financial gaps.

The Minden Healthcare Auxiliary issued a public plea for new volunteers in March.

President Anne Stephens said the group is in a “crunch,” with only around 20 active volunteers, down from about 40 prior to the pandemic.

“We’re really just a group of people who are keen to raise money to help our hospital and long-term care,” she said.

The auxiliary helped purchase new medical devices, industrial food preparation equipment and more.

Stephens recounted how one time a stretcher at the hospital broke: the group quickly rallied to purchase a new one right away.

Keeping the music alive

CanoeFM couldn’t broadcast without its passionate volunteer community.

“It’s a lot of fun. that’s what we hear all the time,” said station manager Roxanne Casey.

The station is currently looking for volunteer show hosts. They broadcast talk shows, classical tunes, rock, folk and more. Casey said there’s ample training for those who want to hop on board. It’s a chance to practice communication skills and learn new technology in a low-consequence environment, she said.

The Highlands is home to a broad range of other musical and theatrical societies that rely on volunteers.

For example, the Haliburton County Folk Society regularly brings world-renowned musical acts to the Highlands. Volunteers also facilitate local open mic nights and songwriting circles with local musicians.

Serving with pride

Peter Dickson and Dave Mullins, co-presidents of the Dorset Lions Club, list local landmarks and community projects the group has helped fund, build or maintain such as the lush Dorset Lions Centennial Park.

Dickson said the group has a special focus on fundraising for healthcare and has donated thousands to the Dorset Community Health hub.

“Those are the things that make people’s lives better,” he said.

Mullins said it’s rewarding to know the club can help improve the town’s quality of life.

He added that club barbecues and dinners are a chance to meet people and feel more involved in the community.

On Sept. 23, they’ll be offering food at a Shipyard Kitchen Party fundraiser at the Dorset Pavilion to help raise money for the health hub and other community initiatives.

Mullins encouraged anyone living in Algonquin Highlands to send the club an email (dorsetlions@gmail.com) to get involved.

It’s impossible to walk around any pocket of Haliburton County without seeing the work of service clubs, whether it’s a Lions club, Rotary branch or other fundraising groups.

There are Lions clubs in Dorset, Minden and Haliburton, Rotary clubs in Minden and Haliburton and other independent groups such as the Wilberforce FUNdraising club which helps sponsor university students, school lunch programs, reading clubs and more.

Helping hungry families

Charlene Daviau started volunteering at the Central Food Network in Wilberforce in 2021. She helps sort donations, stock shelves and conduct day-to-day operations.

“I’ve seen since I’ve started a difference in how busy we are,” she said. Daviau said rising food costs make places such as the Food Network even more important to communities like Wilberforce.

“I’m hoping I’ve made a difference, I know it’s made a difference in me personally,” she said.

The Haliburton 4Cs Food Bank and Minden Community Food Centre also offer supplies for people in need and are staffed by passionate volunteers helping to fill Highlander cupboards.

T-shirts promote clean climate ‘legacy’

By

Sam Gillett

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April 21, 2022

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Highlanders are invited to join the fight against a warming world by purchasing a t-shirt promoting climate action.

Dr. Nell Thomas is distributing t-shirts in return for $20 donations through GoFundMe. Proceeds will benefit four organizations working to spread awareness and mitigate the climate crisis’ impact.

“My legacy is your destiny,” reads the front of the shirt. “That’s why I’m your hero for climate today,” is written on the back.

“Each one of us is responsible today for what happens tomorrow,” Thomas said. She said the shirts are a call to recognize humanity’s impact on the planet.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says maintaining a temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius is no longer plausible. Small temperature rises can have massive consequences. Researchers are increasingly confident that many catastrophic natural events such as flooding across Europe in 2021 can be attributed to rising temperatures.

Thomas said raising funds for organizations focused on the issue can “increase awareness at a critical time, and remind each one of us there are real tangible things we can actually do,” she said.

Money raised will be distributed between Environment Haliburton (EH!), Environmental Defence, Nature Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Thomas said she appreciates how EH! fights for action in the Highlands.

“It’s local, it talks to my people in my community, and it’s very connected to what’s going on globally,” she said.

Susan Hay, EH! president, said the funds will help support new projects such as a series of bookmarks that list ways to live in an eco-conscious way.

“Idling cars, eating less meat, flying less, looking through the lens of climate change in every decision you take,” she said.

The climate outlook may seem bleak. In Haliburton, rising temperatures will decrease the length of winter, and put lakes at increasing risk of blue-green algae, for instance. However, Hay said everyone must strive to find hope.

“We have a younger generation and we can’t afford the luxury of despair,” she said.

T-shirts can be purchased by donating at gofund.me/d270a7da.

EH! co-hosts talk

EH! Is partnering with other Canadian organizations to host a virtual discussion with Dr. Samantha Green, of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), April 26 at 8 p.m. Green will be speaking about climate change’s impact on human health, followed by a question and answer period. To register, visit environmenthaliburton.org

Vintage shop finds new digs

By

Sam Gillett

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April 21, 2022

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It’s a new era for Haliburton’s Mixtape Vintage.

The retro apparel, accessories and decor shop has moved from its Highland Street storefront, shared with Russell Red Records, to the former barbershop below Halco Plaza.

“When I saw that space become available, it really kicked me into high gear because it’s been a struggle to find a space I thought I could manage,” said owner Heidi Hudspith.

She said the move means both she and Dan Manley, who owns Russell Red Records, can expand their offerings after spending two years testing the waters of Haliburton retail together.

“I’ve built that clientele who come in regularly to check out what I have,” Hudspith said. “That’s what kind of pulled me through the winter months.”

Hudspith said it was a perfect window of time to move shop.

“Being closed for a few weeks [in March] wasn’t devastating. It gave me the opportunity to move and get set up before the cottage people arrive and we have our busy time of year,” she said.

Mixtape Vintage’s new location is awash in the bright warm colours of the 60s and 70s. Vibrant dresses and patterned sweaters hang neatly under tall shelves stocking everything from candles and greeting cards to local art to houseplants, sold on commission.

“It all kind of works with the Mixtape Vintage brand,” she said.

Hudspith also created a line of t-shirts, sweaters and totes emblazoned with the “Haliburton is for Lovers” 1970s tourism slogan.

“I plan to keep evolving that and playing around with the vintage aesthetic of what used to be here, what used to be prominent,” she said.

Vintage trends are intertwined with mainstream fashion now, Hudspith said. She said sweaters, comfortable dresses and leisure clothes are selling fastest and COVID-19 might be to blame.

“We’re searching for comfort. We’re working from home, we’re not doing big celebrations as much. I’m curious to see if that changes this summer,” she said.