Eating disorders a systemic problem

March 24, 2022

Preliminary results from a new research project focusing on supports for eating disorders in rural communities has found that at-risk individuals are often left waiting for at least a year before being matched up with a specialist that can diagnose and help treat a problem.

U-Links Centre for Community Based Research has partnered with student Sarah Moret and professor Dr. Naomi Nichols, both of Trent University, on the project.

Daniela Pagliaro, U-Links’ logistics coordinator, said this assignment had been on the organization’s radar for more than two years. The idea was brought forward by local resident Sandra Woods, a long-time volunteer with the National Initiative for Eating Disorders.

“She reached out to us and asked how individuals and families access information and support around eating disorders in rural Ontario, and we thought that was a very good question. We worked with her on a proposal back in 2019, and then tried to find a good match to take this on,” Pagliaro said. “We’re glad we waited, because Sarah and Dr. Nichols have been a tremendous fit.”

Moret, who is studying sociology with a specialization in health studies, opted to take the project on as her honours thesis. She has spent the past couple of months researching the issue, interviewing service providers and people who have experience living with eating disorders, and compiling her final report.

“The early things that have come up during her research is there’s a need for more specialized staff and programs for this sector; more education for all involved, so not just the person going through it, but their family, their supporters, and even the medical community. Those who specialize in eating disorders understand it, but many GPs don’t have that specialized training,” Pagliaro said. “Often, they either don’t understand the problem, or they just miss it completely.

“The other problem identified was lack of access to consultation services. There’s a major barrier in terms of response. When you live in a community like Haliburton County, you need to be referred to a specialist outside the community … there can be long delays of a year or more before any contact is made between the individual and services,” Pagliaro added.

Over the past 12 months, SickKids hospital in Toronto says it has seen a 35 per cent increase in admissions to its eating disorder program. Pagliaro said she’s seen reports that suggests the total number of cases Canada-wide has gone up by as much as 150 per cent.

Undiagnosed and untreated, many eating disorders can be fatal. Of all mental health disorders, Pagliaro said those centred around eating and body image have the highest mortality rate, at 20 per cent.

Moret will be presenting her findings at U-Links’ upcoming celebration of research event, being held virtually March 26. Pagliaro says there will be several recommendations brought forward on how to best address some of the issues being reported locally.

“This is something we need to fix. Right now, we don’t know if this issue is being identified in the systems we have in place. We had a chat with someone at [Haliburton Highlands] Health Services two years ago when we started the project, and we were told they don’t collect this specific info, so they couldn’t tell us how many people in this area have been referred to some kind of eating disorder service,” Pagliaro said.

“If you don’t have the information, how can we move forward? We need answers to these questions before we can decide what we’re going to do,” Pagliaro added. “This is a systemic problem, and the pandemic has just highlighted it even more. We know the rates are high for the general population, and it’s going to be true for here too.”

Ron Gambell was a community sage

Lisa Gervais

March 24, 2022

On the Friday before he died, Ron Gambell spent nearly a full day downstairs in the antique store and restaurant he shared with wife Suwan Khamduang.

It was unusual as his illness often kept him in the couple’s upstairs living space.

However, on March 4, he sat in a chair near the fireplace most of the afternoon and early evening and continued to try and sell antiques online while waving at people outside coming for takeout.

“That day, he sold about four pieces. He never stopped selling,” Suwan said with a chuckle, reminiscing on her partner of 22 years.

Suwan said Gambell didn’t care about the money at that stage. The selling was simply in his blood and he enjoyed it.

Gambell died March 6 at home. The businessman, former municipal politician, Rotarian and booster of all things Minden was 89.

He started his career as a salesman with General Motors before opening Gambell Motors and then Gambell Antiques and Tea Room in Minden, now Suwan’s Thai Restaurant.

Suwan said she chose well when she and Ron became business and life partners in 2000. She said he taught her a lot about the business world as well as Canadian culture. Suwan had come to Canada in 1994. She is planning to stay in the community and continue running the restaurant while scaling back the antiques side of the operation.

“I told Ron I’m going to stay here. This is my home. I feel love in this town,” she said.

She said the other gift Ron gave her was allowing her to be herself. He never wanted to change her. He also shared a love of her Thai culture. They visited together last in 2017. He wanted to go back but age and illness did not allow it.

“I miss him because we spent time together so much and I miss cooking for him. He enjoyed that.”

A political force

Former municipal councillor Jeanne Anthon met Gambell after moving to the County in 1991 and running for office. She said the former reeve of Lutterworth Township and Haliburton County warden reached out to her early in her campaign to find out what kind of politician she might be. It was the beginning of a long relationship, “I believe of mutual respect. I certainly appreciated his history in the area and he had an excellent memory so that was a real plus.

“He really wanted to put you on the right path with the best knowledge of the community and what the issues might be, so I consider him a kind of a sage for the community. I certainly respected his opinions and felt that he always had the best interest of the community at heart.”

Anthon said she admired his attitude about competition.

“He considered competition a grounding to make Minden a destination. In other words, he loved to have other antique shops in the area because Minden was the destination for antique shops and that would only help his business. I appreciated the wisdom of that.”

Anthon added the antiques store was Ron’s office, and “you knew you could get some answers when you went into the antiques store. Ron was there with his resident wisdom.”

He was also instrumental in getting the first women to join the Minden Rotary Club when he invited Anthon and Shirley Kuni to join the male-dominated ranks.

“There was resistance and he fought the resistance,” Anthon said. Later she said members commented it was the best thing that ever happened to Rotary.

“Ron saw potential and went with it. He respected women and he knew that given an opportunity we could provide strength and opportunity in communities.

“The more dynamic the community, the bigger the smile on Ron’s face. He really liked to see events and activities that demonstrated the strength and livelihood of a community. He was a very positive person. In spite of any challenges, he seemed to find the positive.”

Jim McMahon was another reeve of Lutterworth, and proprietor of what is now the feed store in Minden.

“As soon as I arrived, Ron came over, welcomed me, and we hit it off, just bang. He was a great guy, supported new businesses.”

McMahon said he was also “quite the character.” He recalled how Gambell was first reluctant for Suwan to establish a Thai restaurant in the County, thinking the cuisine would not fly. But he came around to the idea and it has been a huge success.

“He was a real champion for Minden and promoted Haliburton County.”

A Celebration of life will be held in the fall at Suwan’s.

Storm requests tournament rental reduction

Sam Gillett

March 24, 2022

Minden Hills council has requested staff report back on a fee reduction request from the Highland Storm.

A letter to council from tournament director Craig Smith said his organization will struggle to afford the $350 per day cost of renting the upstairs room of the S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena. The Storm previously paid $100 per day for the space, which is used by away teams and families.

“Our small town of Minden needs these tournaments to help get [through] the winter months. We are soon going to be booking our next year tournaments and obviously, we will have to move more of them to Haliburton as we can’t afford $700 [for two days] to rent the upstairs,” Smith said.

Director of community services Craig Belfry said township regulations call for a maximum of $700 fee deductions per organization per year.

He also raised concerns over revenue flow if multiple community groups are given fee breaks.

“We have had concerns about fees coming in before,” he said.

Deputy mayor Lisa Schell said, “my concern is what’s going to happen then is Highland Storm will take all their business to Dysart,” since Dysart’s rental fees are substantially lower.

Belfry said if that happened, other ice users would still need to use ice space during tournament weekends. He predicted that wouldn’t result in a decrease in revenue.

Coun. Pam Sayne said further fee waiving could hurt taxpayers, considering the “tremendous undertaking” of funding the $13.3 million arena.

Coun. Jean Neville said if the upstairs room in question “is not being used during those weekends, would that make a difference? It’s a shame if the room is sitting there empty.

” Schell added that Minden has made lots of concessions for the Huskies team to use its facility. “I don’t see why we can’t make the concession for them as well.”

In Smith’s letter, he outlines how tournaments in Minden bring dozens of outof-town families to the area who inject the economy with tourism dollars.

“Many of the teams travel a far distance and fill our local resorts and hotels for the entire weekend,” he said.

A staff report on the matter will be discussed during 2022 budget deliberations.

New bike share program coming to Haliburton

Mike Baker

March 24, 2022

There will be a pair of welcome additions to Head Lake Park this summer after Dysart council gave the green light to two community initiatives designed to promote public health, wellness and activity.

In a delegation to council March 22, representatives from Haliburton Rotary laid out plans to invest in an automated bikeshare system that would allow individuals aged 18 and older to rent a bicycle free of charge to use in the community.

Inspired by similar programs in Fenelon Falls and Bobcaygeon, the venture is intended to encourage free outdoor activity and enhance Haliburton’s reputation as a premiere tourist destination, said Rotarian Irv Handler.

Bikes will be located outside the Haliburton Welcome Centre. People will have to use a smart phone to sign a waiver and input credit card details to unlock the bikes. Cards will only be charged in the event a bike is damaged or stolen, Handler noted. The bikes are intended for daytime use only, and individuals will be able to use the bikes for up to three hours.

Handler estimates the initiative will cost approximately $13,000 to set up. That will include the purchase of six bikes, three double-bike heavy-duty docking racks, Bluetooth solar-powered locks, and the software people will use to access the bikes.

Earlier in the meeting, Craig Bowker of Adventure Haliburton Group unveiled a proposal to install a “fun” four by eight foot billboard with facial cut-outs in the park, to inspire people to take selfies and share images online showcasing Haliburton. Council liked the idea, saying it would be an inexpensive asset to Head Lake Park.

Bowker said the billboard will be situated close to the current shoreline entrance at the park, near the snowmobile parking area. It will be installed later this year.

Places for People agreement

Sixteen months after making an informal commitment to donate land along Wallings Road to support a new affordable housing development in the community, Dysart council has finalized a draft letter of intent to follow through with the project.

In the deal, Dysart is donating a 2.7 acre plot of land to local non-profit Places for People [P4P]. The two sides have been locked in negotiations for over a year but have found a middle ground to move forward with a first phase of the project. An initial proposal from P4P, which would see the build front onto Wallings Road with access to County Road 21, was rejected by the County, who had concerns over the ability of that intersection to handle increased traffic. A compromise was made in January allowing P4P to front the first part of the build onto Halbiem Crescent.

In addressing council, Jeff Iles, Dysart’s director of planning and land information, said P4P had outlined five conditions in the letter, asking the municipality to enter into an exclusivity period with the non-profit over the land, and agree to reimbursing them for costs already paid, approximately $45,703, should future phases of the project not proceed.

Council agreed to enter into an exclusivity period up to Dec. 31 of this year, retaining an option to extend, and to refund a portion of the costs if a planned second phase, fronting onto Wallings, does not proceed.

The letter will be sent back to P4P for their approval before coming back to council for official adoption next month.

Single-tier government working in CKL

Lisa Gervais

March 24, 2022

Two decades after Harry Kitchen’s decision to scrap Victoria County, many believe the single-tier system has served the City of Kawartha Lakes (CKL) well.

“I favour one tier of local government over a two-tier system as it’s more efficient in coordinating city-wide priorities and local services,” CKL chief administrative officer Ron Taylor said.

“Services are delivered more equitably and political and administrative perspectives are city-wide and not localized,” Taylor added.

“As an amalgamated city, we can make better, larger, affordable investments to serve all the residents, whereas affordability for costly investments has been challenging in the past for lower tiers,” Taylor said. “I don’t see any problems created with amalgamation.”

Taylor said the now 20-year-old model of government “greatly streamlines decisionmaking”. He noted single-tier means one budget, and costly infrastructure, whether bridges, arenas or community centres, funded by more ratepayers.

For example, he said there were a number of community halls and administrative facilities in many of the former townships. However, no single facility was used to its maximum, yet all required city servicing. “These facilities can be improved and consolidated as we reduce the overall footprint of buildings but pool city-wide investment into fewer of them,” Taylor added.

Asked for non-anecdotal, statistical proof of how amalgamation has worked, the CAO said it’s difficult tp assess performance of an amalgamated city versus 16 townships and one county. However, he said he had observed a number of efficiencies, including fewer levels of approvals in certain processes, more specialized staff delivering one program versus several and a stronger voice provincially.

“Strength in numbers, and a single voice representing the community.”

Long-time Lindsay councillor Pat Dunn said amalgamation has worked “surprisingly well.”

“We did not see the reduction in taxes but I believe we are in a much better place both in services and the cost of providing them,” he said.

“Initially, council seemed very territorial … (but) most of those adjustment problems seem to have disappeared,” Dunn added.

“While looking out for their own wards, councillors see the bigger picture and work for the benefit of the entire city.”

David Siegel is a retired professor of political science at Brock University. He agreed with Taylor that larger municipalities can hire more staff, and more qualified and expensive staff will develop a level of expertise that can rival the province.

“Dual-tiered governments feature blame shifting and conflict between levels far too commonly,” Siegel added. “Mayors of a single-tier can speak with greater authority than the chair of an upper-tier or region. The larger the council, the greater the conflict will be at council,” Siegel said.

Coun. Tracy Richardson said she has a good understanding of amalgamation as a resident for more than 50 years.

“I clearly see how The City of Kawartha Lakes is merging into one of the strongest municipalities in Ontario,” she said.

Councillor and businessperson Kathleen Seymour-Fagan said while the province forced the amalgamation, she believes the city is moving in the right direction.

“People still are (very protective of their communities) now as every village and hamlet has its own identity and pride. We still have our challenges, although we are well on our way to working efficiently as a single-tier municipality,” she said.

A mixed bag

Coun. Doug Elmslie supports singletier but says idealized memories of the previous system have coloured some people’s views.

“Amalgamation for our citizens has been a mixed bag,” Elmslie said, “While things like emergency services, roads, parks and recreation and engineering are probably more efficient and provide a more even and economical service, the advertised cost savings never occurred.

“For our citizens who lived here (preamalgamation) they felt a sense of loss of what they knew and the charm of living in a small community that operated on a phone call and a handshake,” Elmslie added.

“Because we are now a larger and core complex organization it takes longer to get things done and this results in frustrations for some folks.”

Former Verulam, Bobcaygeon and CKL coun. Pat Warren also supports single-tier with qualifications.

“Communities were upset they would lose their identities.” Warren said, “Twenty years on, many communities have retained their identities and, in some cases, improved their sense of place through volunteerism.

“A positive part of a single-tier structure is the ability to make broad policy changes like environmental, accessibility, planning and other initiatives more easily,” Warren said. “You don’t need to go through so many layers to effect change.”

On the other hand, she doesn’t think the city gets the same in provincial grant money as the previous 17 lower-tier municipalities did.

She also thinks they have lost the ease of bringing issues to council.

“In Verulam Township, a farmer would come to council and be invited to sit around a table to voice their issue … some would say that wasn’t very sophisticated but it worked and people felt they were listened to.” That said, Warren added, “I believe the recent change to the committee of the whole structure allows people to bring their issues to council in a more relaxed format now.”

Maple Lake retreat to open this summer

Mike Baker

March 24, 2022

The owners of a new “destination retreat experience” on Maple Lake say they expect their facility to open by July 1.

Dimensions Algonquin Highlands will welcome people looking to reconnect their mind, body and spirit, according to the company’s CEO, Christopher Dawson. Speaking with The Highlander, Dawson said the retreat would be a first of its kind in Canada, bringing a wealth of specialized health and wellness services together to create a “unique, five-star experience” for guests.

“We’re really passionate about what we’re doing in Algonquin Highlands,” Dawson said. “We would describe ourselves as a luxurious wellness retreat… The majority of our guests will be people looking for self-betterment, but we’re also trying to target different communities, some of whom might be diagnosable [with mental disorders].

“If you’re coming to Dimensions Algonquin Highlands, you’re there for a wellness experience, you’re there to reflect on things. You are looking to work on yourself, and looking to take some strides as a person,” he added.

Dawson clarified they will not be doing drug and alcohol rehabilitation. When news broke last summer that Dimensions had taken ownership of the North Shore Road property, there was concern the site would be transformed into a rehab clinic.

An initial press release referred to them as a “psychedelic treatment company” that would be offering specific customized retreats designed for clinical benefit in a range of areas.

Prior to launching Dimensions in 2020, Dawson was CEO of the Edgewood Health Network, which specializes in offering addiction supports and treatments.

“That’s probably where the confusion came from, my history,” Dawson said. “We should have done a better job clarifying what we are and what we aren’t. For the record, we absolutely are not and will never be a drug rehabilitation centre.”

The 40-acre site has 17 cabins and two multi-room communal lodges. Renovations on the main lodge are underway, to be complete by 2023. Dawson said his son, Eric, has taken lead on restoring approximately two kilometres of trails.

Guests will have the option of participating in activities such as yoga, meditation and both sound and light therapy. Dawson said there would be a lot of spa-like elements incorporated into the company’s programming.

Total investment will eclipse $20 million

Details surrounding stay packages and pricing will be finalized in the coming weeks. The facility is to be a four-season operation once open.

The company is working with the township of Algonquin Highlands on a rezoning application that Dawson hopes will allow Dimensions to incorporate a medical component to their services in future. This would open the door for the firm to expand into psychotherapy and, possibly down the road, psychedelics.

“There’s a therapeutic reason for that… There is a real scientific movement behind understanding the role of the central nervous system in our overall physical and mental health. Many psychedelic substances have reset aspects to them as they connect to our brain… When you combine that with therapists walking you through that process, that can lead to really significant recoveries for people,” Dawson said.

“These hallucinogenics are not re-emerging because people want to get high, they’re re-emerging because neuroscience has demanded that they be brought to the table,” he added.

He referenced the substance psilocybin, otherwise known as magic mushrooms, which are illegal in Canada. Dawson said there is a movement amongst the medical community to legalize the substance. A study examining the effects of microdoses of the drug in people with low-grade anxiety and depression was approved by Health Canada in December, with results expected later this year.

Regardless, Dawson said he’s committed to making Dimensions Algonquin Highlands one of the premiere getaway destinations in the country. Once renovations are complete, Dawson estimates total investment in the site will eclipse $20 million.

“We want to be here for the long haul. We want to be a big part of this community. This is our first location, and Haliburton County is perfect for what Dimensions is all about,” Dawson said. “I have fantastic memories of coming here with my family on 12 Mile Lake, and we hope to give our guests the best experiences and memories possible. We’re so excited.”

Amalgamation: not about saving money

Sam Gillett

March 17, 2022

DFE0FF43-F082-4303-A0E8-B2591AC2A923 — Experts found property taxes increased in amalgamated municipalities. Source: Municipal Amalgamation in Ontario by Lydia Miljan and Zachary Spicer, May 2015, Fraser institute.org

Minden Hills mayor Brent Devolin is correct when he says amalgamation won’t save money, just as warden Liz Danielsen is justified in questioning if it will.

The majority of studies on Canadian amalgamations have not found cost savings.

Zachary Spicer is an associate professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration at York University. He has extensively researched and written about amalgamations nationwide.

Speaking to The Highlander, Spicer said on the surface it appears cost saving arguments make sense.

For example, “do we need 32 councillors? Do we need four fire chiefs? Do we need five CAOs? And you may look at what some of these people make, especially the CAOs, and you say, ‘well, that’s a significant chunk. We can get rid of them’.”

However, he said the challenge is these people don’t necessarily go away.

“What you are creating is a larger government. You’re still providing services to the same amount of people. You’re just doing it from one centralized location. So, I think probably the likeliest outcome is that five CAOs become one CAO and four deputy CAOs because the fact of the matter is you can’t run the County from a single- tier government on the workforce of just the County.”

He added, “The County administration is probably quite lean because there are four counterparts for each position doing the heavy lifting at the local level. So, I would caution we don’t normally see mass layoffs. You’re not going to fire 200 people and expect that over time the workforce won’t creep back up to where it is right now.”

And while harmonization of services may be perceived as a good thing, Spicer said it can come at an added cost.

“Government would probably cost more under a single-tier model. And part of that is larger governments are called upon to do more things. With smaller governments there is a certain service standard that residents are used to. So, when you amalgamate you create one large government that has more capacity to do things. The service precedent in terms of residents seem to adjust accordingly and so you would likely see an increase in service costs as things go up.”

He added that smaller governments allow the tailoring of services to tax ratio better. “With larger government, some of that is lost because it has to be consistent standard across.”

Politicians not big cost item

Some in the County might argue that reducing the number of politicians to eight positions from 32 would produce substantial savings, but findings to date say it’s minimal.

In their study of Chatham-Kent, Kingston and Central Elgin, Joseph

Kushner and David Siegel said while those areas went from 158 to 42 elected officials, councillors’ wages and benefits represented less than one per cent of

total municipal expenditures, so the budget impact of fewer elected officials was “miniscule.” Siegel also prepared a policy brief for the Niagara Community Observatory that argued that not only

is little money saved, but reducing the number of councillors has the detrimental effect of reducing access to councillors.

Spicer agreed that by eliminating politicians, you also eliminate representation.

Choice does not have to be binary

Spicer said the choice in Haliburton County does not have to be binary, “between either doing exactly what we’re doing now or doing something radically different, which is consolidate lower-tier governments or create a single government.”

He said there is a middle ground “and that is a robust program of service sharing, “which can certainly happen right now.

“So, with the service delivery review, I suspect that there has been some of that where there has been some analysis of where they can share services. There is

a possibility to keep walking down that road. You can also share regulations. You can share CAOs. You can share staff. You can harmonize committees. There’s a number of different things to do in the middle between amalgamation and non- amalgamation.

“I think the big thing about amalgamation is to what end? To what end are we really doing this? What can we accomplish through amalgamation that we can’t accomplish in some other way? It is very tough to go back once you’ve done it. De-amalgamation is a very, very tough process and very rare.”

Next week – What we’ve learned from The City of Kawartha Lakes

Huskies set franchise record in big win

Mike Baker

March 17, 2022

It was a perfect weekend for the Haliburton County Huskies, recording two hugely impressive victories over divisional rivals to secure their spot in the OJHL playoffs.

In front of a packed house March 12, the Dogs put the Lindsay Muskies to the sword, romping to an 8-3 win in what was a dominant display against their bitter rivals.

A night earlier, the blue and white came from three goals down to defeat the league-leading Trenton Golden Hawks 4-3 in what head coach Ryan Ramsay called an incredible display of grit and determination.

Fans inside S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena Saturday were treated to an offensive spectacle as the Huskies set new franchise records for goals scored in a single game and biggest win. Bryce Richardson got things started 4:28 into the opening period, slotting home after being set up by linemate Lucas Stevenson.

The Dogs made it two just 20 seconds later, Sam Solarino bundling home on the breakaway after a mistake from Muskies defenseman Logan Maunder. Payton Schaly added a third at 8:53, with Patrick Saini

notching a short-handed marker near the end of the period.

“We started well, probably better than any game this season,” Ramsay said. “We had time to work on some things in practice during the week, and credit to the boys for going out there and putting it all together during that first period. They came out strong, got a couple goals and didn’t give [the Muskies] an inch.”

It was largely one-way traffic again in the second, with Solarino scoring his second of the game, Isaac Sooklal grabbing his first goal of the season, and Oliver Tarr firing in his team-leading 27th tally of the campaign. The Muskies got on the board through centreman Duncan Scullion.

Richardson made it an 8-1 game early

in the third period. A late flurry from the Muskies, scoring through Boyd Stahlbaum and Nate Burelle, made the scoreline look a little more respectable.

“We were just flying out there. Playing with complete confidence,” said Solarino, who was named first star of the game. “I feel like we’re starting to click really well and get into a groove. We’re looking to go on a big run here as we head into the stretch. Show them your bark and gain some momentum heading into playoffs.”

Comeback against Trenton

Friday’s encounter on the road in Trenton looked like being a rough night for the blue and white. After a bad opening 30 minutes, the worst of the season according to Ramsay, the Huskies found themselves in a 3-0 hole.

In desperate need of a spark, Ramsay turned to his “Mr. Dependable” Patrick Saini. He dragged his team back from the brink with a remarkable hat-trick, turning the tide of the game. Just 30 seconds after Saini’s game-tying tally, fellow forward Cameron Kosurko grabbed the game- winner, sending the Huskies bench into a frenzy.

“It really doesn’t get much better than that. We didn’t do ourselves justice early in the game, but we really bought into the system during the third period and took the game to them. On our day, we know we have the quality to beat anyone in this league, but to come back the way we did gives everyone such a confidence boost,” said captain Nathan Porter.

With nine games of the regular season to play, Ramsay said he’s focusing on getting as many wins as possible to try and secure top spot in the East Division. The Huskies currently sit in third, five points behind the first-place Golden Hawks.

“There’s not a small game the rest of the year. We can’t afford to take a single night off. We still play Trenton and Wellington (Dukes, second place in East Division) another couple of times, and that can

make a big difference in where we finish, and who we play in that opening round,” Ramsay said. “We need to keep the guys sharp on systems and what they need to do, because when we’re rolling and playing our game… we’re as good as anyone in this league.”

The Huskies have a triple homestand this weekend, playing Friday against the Mississauga Chargers (7:30 p.m. puck drop), Saturday against the Golden Hawks (4:30 p.m. puck drop) and Sunday against the Caledon Admirals (3:30 p.m. puck drop)

Don’t defer the shoreline bylaw

Lisa Gervais

March 17, 2022

LG-tree cutting (5) — A shoreline in Haliburton County

County Coun. Andrea Roberts – during the latest shoreline preservation bylaw meeting – wondered aloud if the contentious document should be left to the next council since nominations are opening May 2 for this fall’s municipal elections.

Her comment was not met with enthusiasm by the majority of councillors so it would appear the bylaw is not going to be shelved pending a new County council which would not really come into effect until December 2022.

I can understand where Roberts is coming from. This bylaw has been five years in the making and it is probably the hardest one councillors have been involved with. They have dealt with the wrath of some members of the community. There have been threats they won’t be re-elected if it is passed. They have read literally hundreds of pages of reports on the file.

However, watching the process unfold – in particular the committee of the whole meetings in January and again on March 9 – progress is being made.

Councillors are raising very good questions on behalf of their constituents and it appears they are trying to find a middle ground so that they can actually pass the bylaw – and in so doing, do a better job of protecting our precious lakes.

The discussion around setbacks was telling in this regard. Councillors had been offered three choices, really. They could go with 30-metres, 20-metres or 10-metres. With a majority of councillors indicating a leaning towards 20 m it showed they are listening to the people who will be impacted by the bylaw. And those who wanted more, 30-metres, or less, 10-metres, said they would be willing to compromise to get the bylaw passed.

There will be some environmentalists in our community who will be outraged if a 20-metre buffer is passed. There will be others who will be maddened if it isn’t 10 or 15 or zero. However, the middle ground seems to be the only way this bylaw will get over the line.

There were numerous other examples of councillors having done their homework. They pressed for clear delineation between major and minor works. They pointed out there is a huge difference between a small subdivision on the water versus a couple wanting to move their fire pit. They ensured a clearer definition of minor landscaping to allay the fears of those wanting to do small works at their cottage. They also ensured that someone can still bring a hand drawing of their plans to planning and building departments, not having to hire a surveyor for these minor, small works.

They are working to clarify what this bylaw is all about – namely ensuring larger developments do not negatively impact our lakes.

They also spent a great deal of time talking about how the bylaw would be implemented since they are acutely aware that the paper is only as good as its follow-through, including policing it.

So, while I get what Roberts is saying, I would encourage the council to stay the course. This bylaw has been five years in the making and they are nearing the finish line. Will all members of the community like the completed bylaw? No. However, like all bylaws, it is not set in stone. The council, as has been discussed, can revisit it in a year after passing it to see if it is working or not and make changes then.

Don’t give up now. You are almost there.

Artists ’in limbo’ after Agnes Jamieson curator departure

Sam Gillett

March 17, 2022

Members of the arts community say they’re concerned over the departure of the Agnes Jamieson Gallery’s curator and cancellation of spring and summer programming.

Haliburton artist Rose Pearson spent more than 12 months developing an exhibit that’s now indefinitely postponed after it was confirmed curator Laurie Carmount was no longer employed by the municipality.

“It is so very awkward to communicate to people about this because there has been no real explanation for why the show cannot go on – other than I was told that there was no staff to make the show happen at this time,” Pearson said in an email.

Mary Anne Barkhouse, whose solo exhibition was postponed because of COVID restrictions in 2021, said in an email to local media her show is “now in limbo due to Laurie’s sudden departure.”

She said even if the show can happen in the future, other exhibits and commitments mean she won’t be able to reschedule until 2023.

She said Carmount put the Agnes Jamieson Gallery on the map, developing shows that were toured across Canada and nurturing the careers of developing artists.

She also showcased a collection of more than 100 paintings by renowned artist Andre Lapine.

“Through her initiatives, Laurie was able to advance critical dialogue between local and national interests,” Barkhouse said.

Both artists said they were concerned that Minden Hills has not provided any public updates about the gallery or Carmount’s departure.

Minden Hills Mayor Brent Devolin declined to provide any information on Carmount’s departure from the gallery due to confidentiality protocol. “We never comment on HR, ever,” he said.

Director of community services Craig Belfry did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.

Carmount could not be reached for comment.

Arts community rallies

On March 12, multiple members of the arts community attended a rally at the gallery to voice concerns over the future of the space.

“We just wanted to make sure our support was known,” said Tammy Rea, director of Sticks and Stones, and Those Other Movies, both parts of the Haliburton County Community Co-operative.

The gathering emerged out of a planned artist talk from Alex Jack, who was exhibiting a collection at the gallery March 12. The talk was cancelled.

Fay Wilkinson, a registered expressive arts practitioner, said the crowd seemed “shocked” and “a bit disappointed,” by the news of Carmount’s departure and the temporary closure of the gallery.

“Something pretty big has gone down here, and everyone is in the dark at this point,” Wilkinson said.

Devolin said, “the reality of what we are or are not doing [about gallery programming] probably will be part of the discussions on the 24th of March in the context of budget.”

When asked about the long-term future of the gallery’s in-person shows and programming, Devolin said, “Do I think they are going to necessarily be 100 per cent the same as they’ve been historically? Probably not. But there’s been some important well-supported parts of what goes on there that I don’t think anybody wishes to see go away.”

Jim Mitchell, cultural centre advisory committee member and past chairperson, said he is concerned as to whether there may or may not be a budget reduction to the centre this year when council discusses its budget March 24.

Mitchell received word Carmount was no longer employed by the municipality soon after a Feb. 22 committee meeting was cancelled.

“Everybody would like to know what’s gone on. Laurie has been around for a long time. She’s been the heart and soul of the cultural centre and is highly respected in the community,” Mitchell said.

Rea said the situation seems like a slight to a valuable part of the Highlands’ identity. “I feel like they want to Zamboni over

the art gallery to pay for that hockey arena. Whereas all things need to be supported in this township. We are not just hockey, we

are not just an art gallery,” Rea said. She said she’d like to ask Minden Hills staff and council “what did happen, and what is going to happen?”

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