A hungry Highlands: food banks respond to the growing need

By

-

January 5, 2022

SG-food insecurity-1- — Haliburton 4Cs food bank manger Judy MacDuff organizes donations with a volunteer.

“A bag, or a bag and a half and you’re at $50,” said Joanne Barnes. She’s talking about a trip to the grocery store; a lot of Highlanders are experiencing the same thing these days, with inflation hitting an 18-year high. Barnes knows all too well how rising food prices affect residents. She manages the Minden Community Food Centre.

She said this year has further exposed how prevalent food insecurity is in the County. “I said all along in the beginning of October we were going to see people lined up out the door. That’s what has happened.”

Food banks across Haliburton County are reporting high usage and changing demographics; those who work in the field are calling for urgent action to address the crisis.

Tina Jackson, executive director of the Central Food Network in Highlands East, said there’s been a year-on-year increase in food bank use.

Now, you’ve got a whole new set of people who have never been in this situation before.
Joanne Barnes

She said the food bank assisted 318 people in 2018, 394 in 2019, and 525 in 2020. “We just can’t sustain this significant increase, year after year,” she said, adding the food bank needs “urgent” support to maintain current service levels due to soaring food costs.

Barnes said the end of COVID-19 supports means some clients haven’t budgeted for taxes, or don’t qualify for income supports. “Now, you’ve got a whole new set of people who have never been in this situation before,” she said, mentioning a family who had been sleeping in a tent after losing their home. “What we’re seeing now is desperation.”

Jackson said Haliburton’s tourism and hospitality sector, hit hard by shutdowns and restrictions the last two years, is also an industry where many jobs pay minimum wage or just above. “It had a greater impact on low-income workers,” she said.

In Haliburton County, that means “we have a huge portion of our economy and residents connected with that.” Judy MacDuff of the 4Cs food bank said she’s seen an increase in younger people seeking help at their York Street location in Haliburton. Last estimates put Haliburton’s lowincome population at just over 17 per cent, compared with 12.3 per cent Ontario-wide.

Yet all three food banks try to address more than just food needs; Feed Ontario estimates 90 per cent of food banks in the province offer other vital services such as help dealing with energy bills.

Jackson also runs Heat Bank Haliburton County, which in 2020 alone assisted 276 people, supplying firewood, providing energy kits or helping unlock energy benefits. More than 47 per cent of residents in Haliburton County pay more than 10 per cent of their income on heating costs.

“The majority of the households we’re working with are struggling to cover hydro and heating bills because of a lack of income,” Jackson said. “There’s overlap there.”

For Dr. Valerie Tarasuk of PROOF, a University of Toronto interdisciplinary study group focusing on Canadian food insecurity, that overlap suggests food banks aren’t a long-term solution for hungry Highlanders.

“By the time someone doesn’t have enough money to buy food there are other things missing besides food,” she said. Systemic solutions “We can absorb ourselves with activities of collecting food, Tarasuk said, referring to festive fundraisers Canada-wide.

“It sounds like we’re doing a gigantic thing. But it’s so out of sync with the scale of the problem.” While food banks can offset grocery bills and meet emergency needs, Tarasuk hasn’t found evidence suggesting food banks can move households out of food insecurity. Instead, she points to studies that show basic income, for example, or a minimum wage which more accurately reflects living costs, target the source.

PROOF also states that programs such as the Canada Child Benefit have helped reduce instances of severe food insecurity.

For those working on the ground like Jackson, it’s difficult to balance a desire for long-term solutions with the increased number of visits. “I think it’s really difficult to get public buy-in and political buy-in when the answer isn’t immediate,” said Jackson. “The answer to addressing poverty is not going to be an instant solution.”

MPP Laurie Scott said her government has invested in food support programs across the Highlands, noting multiple provincial grants that have funded SIRCH training programs or food banks. “We’ve invested in a lot of that to help these communities,” Scott said.

Feed Ontario’s 2021 hunger report states that Ontario’s social assistance programs, ODSP and OW, totaling $8,796 and $14,028 a year, are “significantly below the level needed for a standard of living that is adequate for the health and well-being of the recipient and their family.”

The 2016 census reports Haliburton County’s unemployment rate at 9.6 per cent, 2.2 percentage points higher than the province’s.

Barnes and Jackson see many who are employed seeking food bank services. “A wage has to be higher than what it is, to be able to sustain a person, $14 or $15 an hour doesn’t cover it,” Barnes said.

Scott said raising the minimum wage could discourage job opportunities. “There’s a very fine balance between supporting employees or the fact they’ll close up shop or stop expanding,” she said. Scott added there are many openings for positions in industries, like construction, that pay well.

MP Jamie Schmale raised concerns over inflation and the cost of living during a session of Parliament in December.

However, in the four years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, the percentage of those with jobs accessing Ontario food banks grew by 44 per cent. PROOF claims that 65 per cent of those going to food banks report salaries and earnings as the main source of income: “Simply having a job is not enough; low-waged jobs and precarious work means people in the workforce often don’t have enough income to be food-secure,” states PROOF’s website.

In an address to parliament Dec. 16, MP Jamie Schmale said the Liberal government’s newly-passed aid package represents government spending that drives inflation, “making the savings of many in the working-class worth less.”

He said living costs are rising “because the government has thrown all this money up into the atmosphere, and refuses to change course.” While Jackson and Barnes acknowledge politics, inflation and systematic changes all play a role in the Highlands, they and their volunteers are focused on those needing urgent help.

“We need more political buy-in to address the deep systemic changes we need to address these things, but we certainly still need investments in the non-profits that are doing the grassroots work,” Jackson said. “People still need to be fed, people still need warmth while these things are happening.”

Province moves back to step two of reopening, closes schools

By

Sam Gillett

-

January 3, 2022

0

Close-up medical syringe with a vaccine.

Ontario has added new COVID-19 restrictions in the face of rapidly rising case counts.

During a Jan. 3 press conference, Premier Doug Ford said medical advisors predict the highly transmissible Omicron variant could overwhelm hospitals, with some expecting more than 100,000 cases a day.

That could potentially mean more than 1,000 new hospital admissions per day.

While some studies show the variant is less severe, the sheer number of infections could still mean hospitals could be “thousands of beds short in the coming weeks,” Ford said.

“We need to slow [COVID-19] down in order to deliver shots,” Ford said.

Starting Jan. 5, here’s what will change:

All restaurants will move to take-out only.
All publicly-funded and private schools will move to remote learning starting Jan. 5 until at least Jan. 17.
Workplaces with employees able to operate remotely must do so.
All retail establishments (including malls) will run at 50 per cent capacity.
Organized public events and private gatherings are limited to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors.
All indoor sports facilities and gyms must temporarily close, including the Minden Arena.
Ontario hospitals will pause all non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries and procedures.
Museums, such as the Minden Hills Cultural Centre and Haliburton County Museum, will close.
Restricting alcohol sales after 10 p.m. and alcohol consumption at a business after 11 p.m.
Public libraries will be limited to 50 per cent capacity.
Personal care services are to be limited to 50 per cent capacity.

The rules will be in place until at least Jan. 17.

SUB: Business supports

In a press release, the Ontario government announced an expansion of the new Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program.

Some businesses required to close or limit capacity can apply for rebates on energy and property tax bills.

“Eligible businesses required to reduce capacity to 50 per cent, such as smaller retail stores, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 50 per cent of their costs, while businesses required to close for indoor activities, such as restaurants and gyms, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 100 per cent of their costs,” states the press release.

Applications for the program are slated to open later in January.

Restaurant closed for failing to comply with COVID-19 regulations

By

Lisa Gervais

-

December 30, 2021

0

A Minden restaurant has consented to an Order of the Superior Court of Justice to close after failing to comply with a Section 22 order issued by the local Medical Officer of Health.

According to the HKPR district health unit in a Dec. 30 media release, on Dec. 14, they served the owner/operator of Minden’s 50s Diner with a Section 22 Order.

They said the Section 22 Order was issued under the Health Protection and Promotion Act which governs the prevention of the spread of disease and the promotion and protection of the health of the people of Ontario.

The Order required the owner to comply with all provincial measures for restaurants required by the Reopening Ontario Act, and associated regulations, or to close the premises, the release said.

“The Section 22 order came after HKPR staff received multiple complaints about the restaurant not following provincial COVID-19 regulations. Health Unit staff visited the site multiple times to provide information and education to the owner before progressing to further enforcement measures,” the health unit said.

It added that on Dec. 23, a Superior Court judge made an order with the consent of the parties, that the restaurant remain closed until further order of the court.

“Because patrons are not always fully masked while in a food premise, the province’s Reopening Ontario Act requires that restaurants take additional actions to prevent spread of COVID-19,” said medical officer of health, Dr. Natalie Bocking.

“By not complying with provincial regulations for indoor masking and proof of vaccination, operators put their staff and customers at risk.”

She said the health unit is grateful to the many operators in the region who continue to work with HKPR in meeting the provincial requirements and helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Coping with another COVID-19 wave

By

Lisa Gervais

-

December 23, 2021

0

When sitting down to write this week’s editorial, I pondered an opinion piece on a number of the stories we were working on.

Unfortunately, there appeared no way to avoid COVID-19 and the fifth – sigh – yes, fifth wave of the pandemic starring the Omicron virus.

I’ll leave you to read the news coverage.

Quite frankly, while as a newspaper we have to cover this continuing story, we, like most of you, are sick and tired of it.

Laying on the chiropractor’s table this week, Jason asked me what I thought. I told him I didn’t want to talk about it. I wondered if we’d erred badly collectively. Should we have allowed herd immunity to run its course and avoid the seemingly endless parade of vaccine boosters that may mark our futures. Flu shot? Check? Pneumonia shot? Check? Shingles vax? Check? Booster? Booster? Booster? Check. Check. Check.

And now, some of us are scrambling to figure out whether those Chrismas plans are on. If they are, what do we have to do to ensure everyone is safe? Others are rethinking that winter getaway. Our physical and mental healths are taking a hit on a week when we saw the least bit of daylight for the entire year.

I lit an outside bonfire on the solstice, a sort of middle finger to winter. And, I think it’s time we did the same with COVID. So, with this rawness, let’s talk about our feelings and coping.

I’d like to present my personal list of 10 ways I am trying to stay positive during winter’s icy grip and COVID’s continuing presence.

– Finding inspiration. I’m reading two books at the moment. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, which brings me back to my Indian soul home. I’ve also just cracked The Golden Spruce. I’ve learned more about trees in the first 26 pages than I have learned in my lifetime. Find a documentary. Find a podcast.
– I’m practicing gratitude. Every day I am thankful for where I live; the cottage roads I walk down; and the peace and tranquility in front of my living-room fire. What are you grateful for?
– Seek out the positive people in your life. If some family members or friends are spiralling into negativity, choose to not go down that road with them.
– While you might not be able to physically escape, find things that tap into your inner child or provide joy. For me, it’s colouring, playing in the snow, a long, hot bath.
– Smile and say hello. Yup, I’ve got a mask on. But when you smile, people can see it in your eyes. Even while out walking, I’ll smile at drivers. Nine times out of 10, they smile back.
– Reach out. I chat with strangers and I am connecting more with loved ones via text, messenger, phone calls, emails and Zoom.
– Exercise. That’s a big one for me. My daily walks keep me sane.
– Focusing on my four walls. I’m renovating. Again. This time, I’m in the laundry room. That fresh coat of paint makes me smile.
-Take time to breathe. Maybe it’s a cup of tea. Find that ritual that allows you to stop for five minute intervals.
– This might sound ironic, since I am a newspaper editor, but set limits on how much news you’re consuming or monitoring Facebook and other feeds so you don’t go down that rabbit hole.

Do have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thrift store to complement second-hand

By

Lisa Gervais

-

December 23, 2021

0

Bountiful Bessings — Rev. Canon Joan Cavanagh-Clark, Joe Bertin, Wendy Connelly and Deacon Martha Waind at Bountiful Blessings.

Bargain hunters now have two shops in Minden affiliated with The Anglican Parish of Minden, Kinmount and Maple Lake.

The thrift store at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, at 19 Invergordon Ave., is slated to re-open on Monday, Jan. 3. It has been closed since Aug. 28 for renovations to double in size, said Reverand Canon Joan Cavanagh-Clark.

“There’s such a huge need in the community that we had to expand,” Rev. Joan said of the thrift shop.

Deacon Martha Waind said they opened the thrift shop in 2014. It started up stairs in the church but they outgrew that space in a matter of months.

They stipulated it will remain as a thrift shop, with no items priced at more than $8.

“The thrift shop is to meet a need in the community because you know the stats on poverty in this community,” Rev. Joan said. “There’s no public transportation. We try

to shop locally but it’s very limited so a second-hand shop was really needed.

“They have a lovely one in Haliburton but they don’t have enough transportation to get there so the first year we were open at the thrift shop I was almost in tears because a mother said to me ‘this is the first time my kids in Grade 3 and 1 have had indoor shoes for school because I can’t afford both’. So, it’s been a huge need in the community.”

Rev. Joan added that other than their operating costs, every cent they make is given back to the community or some other non-profit they support. One of those is the Bishop McAllister Anglican Church School in Africa, an orphanage for kids who have lost their parents to AIDS. She said it costs $450 a year per child. Closer to home, they support Places for People, the Minden Community Food Centre, have put braces on kids’ teeth and paid emergency dental bills. They often provide thrift store items for free when there is a need, such as clients of the women’s shelter in the County.

Bountiful Blessings

The other shop is Bountiful Blessings, located at 105 Bobcaygeon Rd. in the downtown.

It opened in September 2020 but has been disrupted by COVID-19. However, it’s again operating Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The original plans have changed, according to Waind. She said that with the thrift shop closed, “this turned into something it wasn’t intended to be. We just kept getting donations and donations and donations and we had no place else to put them so our purpose for this became a second-hand store, which wasn’t the real reason for opening.”

Rev. Joan said the original vision – and one they are still working towards – is a gathering place with classes.

“We can’t do an awful lot about the homelessness but perhaps we can provide

a place to come during the day because the homeless people I work with have nothing to do all day except walk and go to Tim Hortons if they have the money to do that.”

She said the plan is for a community venture, since there is no seniors’ centre for example. It will be free or by donation and involve the community identifying its needs and people stepping up to gift their time and expertise.

“So far, we have someone willing to do art classes, teach sign language, budgeting, Christians against poverty.” They’re also planning to bring in computers for those who experience internet connectivity issues and to help people fill out forms, such as CPP, EI, etc.

But for now, as a second-hand store, with perhaps better-quality goods than the thrift store, Waind said, “we’ve had really good reception.

Tarr scores NCAA spot at Buffalo college

By

Mike Baker

-

December 23, 2021

0

Haliburton County Huskies forward Oliver Tarr didn’t have to think twice when asked to relocate to the Highlands last summer.

The 19-year-old forward spent a great deal of time in the area throughout his childhood, with his family having a cottage on Little Hawk Lake, north of Carnarvon. When he learned the Whitby Fury would be moving, he was excited by the prospect of representing a place he refers to as his home away from home.

Tarr is enjoying a career year in the blue and white, putting up a staggering 43 points in 28 OJHL games. He’s one of the leaders on a Huskies outfit that look primed to challenge for championship honours come spring.

It’s exactly the sort of situation Tarr imagined himself in when he was growing up. Always more of a smaller, skilled player, the Huskies’ number nine got his start playing minor hockey for the Uxbridge Stars in the late 2000s.

He honed his skills on a backyard rink his dad built every winter, spending countless hours trying to replicate plays thought up by former Detroit Red Wings centre Pavel Datsyuk and current Pittsburgh Penguin Sidney Crosby.

Tarr represented the Central Ontario Wolves and Whitby Wildcats in AAA before making the jump to junior.

He cracked the Fury as a 17-year-old in 2019-20, taking on a role in the team’s top

six. Last year, with most players stuck on the sidelines, Tarr headed east to represent the Miramichi Timberwolves in the Maritimes Jr. A Hockey League, putting up 21 points in 24 games.

That Atlantic experience served as the springboard for this season’s offensive explosion, he said.

“I feel like I took my game to a whole other level. I had an unbelievably fun time, grew into my body a little more and found myself more comfortable with the pressure of putting up points and being an offensive driver at junior level,” Tarr said.

He worked hard over the summer getting into peak physical condition. Before committing to the Huskies, he took part in a Peterborough Petes training camp. He did enough to earn a contract with the OHL outfit, who saw potential in him as a mid- level scorer.

While he was appreciative of the offer, Tarr has always known what his next path was going to be.

“NCAA has been the dream for as long as I can remember,” Tarr said. “When I was 12 or 13, my hockey team went on a trip to Michigan State. I was blown away by the facilities, and we’re seeing more players excelling at college hockey and then turning pro.”

He held talks with several Division 1 schools, making a committment to Canisius College Dec. 21. He plans to begin at the Buffalo school in September.

Now home over the holidays, Tarr said he’s looking forward to the second half of the season, where he expects the Huskies to lay down a marker and show the rest of the league what they’re capable of.

“We’re finally healthy. We’ve struggled with injuries all season, and have had to play short lots of nights. Since having

guys back, we’ve won six straight and are playing some really good hockey,” Tarr said. “I think we’re going to have a really successful season. I don’t see anybody getting in our way. When you look at the locker room and the guys we have, a championship has to be the end goal.”

‘Never say die’ Huskies rack up two wins

By

Mike Baker

-

December 23, 2021

0

The Haliburton County Huskies extended their winning run to six games this past weekend, with impressive home-ice performances against the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and Cobourg Cougars.

On Dec. 17, the Huskies welcomed OJHL South Division powerhouse Canadiens to the S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena.

The hometown team got off to the best possible start, with forward Lucas Stevenson opening the scoring just a minute in after being set up by line-mate Oliver Tarr. Payton Schaly bagged a second at 3:47 of the opening period, before Bryce Richardson added a third at 14:55.

The Canadiens hit back through Liam Fedak at 17:46, the one blot on an otherwise excellent first period for the Huskies.

Christian Stevens scored a fourth mid- way through the second, giving the dogs an ultimately unassailable lead. The Canadiens rallied in the third, potting a couple of goals, including one in the final minute of play with their net empty, but Huskies goaltender Christian Cicigoi stood tall, making several key stops right at the death to seal a 4-3 victory.

It was a familiar sight the next night as the Huskies and Cougars went to battle for the eighth time this season. The dogs held a 4-2-1 record over their rivals heading into the game. The opening period went by without much action, with both teams a little slow growing into the game.

A hard-hitting opening to the second period played into the Huskies hands as they took control, but a sucker-punch by Cobourg’s George Krotiris at 6:42 gave the Cougars a lead to hang on to.

The Huskies pushed, but found an immovable object in the Cougars’ goal. Justin Easter made 38 saves across the opening two periods, to the frustration of 335 fans in attendance. The third period was following the same pattern, but then forward Schaly sprang to life. He picked up the puck on the blue line, danced past a pair of Cougars defencemen and lifted a shot over Easter’s reach to tie the game.

It was Schaly’s fourth goal in as many games since opening his account for the Huskies Dec. 10 against the Lindsay Muskies.

That tally changed the mood inside the arena, and just a few minutes later the Huskies found themselves ahead. Tarr picked up a puck from Pat Saini and skated in one-on-one with the goaltender, beating him over the shoulder at 17:19 to give the Huskies the lead.

“I had a lot of opportunities tonight, and maybe could have capitalized a bit early, but at the end of the day when the game’s on the line, I like my chances with the puck on my stick,” Tarr said. “It was a great moment, the boys were excited, the fans too… a nice way for us to finish heading into the break.”

Saini potted an empty-netter at 18:58 to secure the win.

Head coach Ryan Ramsay was in good spirits after the game having watched his team, albeit temporarily, climb to the top of the league’s East Division standings.

“That was playoff hockey tonight, and that’s what we’re good at,” Ramsay said. “This group is special. They’re resistant, relentless and just work non-stop each and every night. It doesn’t matter if we’re down by two or three, this group doesn’t stop. They find ways to win.

More than 50 fans lined up outside the home dressing room following Saturday’s game, as the Huskies held an autograph session. All players participated.

The team has a week off over the holidays, with their next game scheduled for Dec. 29 on the road in Mississauga. The Huskies will be back in action in Minden on Dec. 31, with a 2 p.m. tilt against the Caledon Admirals.

Pond hockey on thin ice with COVID

By

Mike Baker

-

December 23, 2021

0

JQPondHockeyAdvancer1web.jpg.fff15dea — file

John Teljeur is hopeful he’ll have the opportunity to bring “pondemonium” back to Haliburton in the new year.
The 2022 Canadian Pond Hockey Championships are slated to begin Jan. 28. The annual event has been held on and off in the community since 2013, with games taking place on the pond by Pinestone Resort.
The championships had to be postponed in 2021 due to provincial restrictions brought on by the pandemic, and Teljeur is keeping his fingers crossed that history doesn’t repeat itself after a recent spike in COVID- 19 cases saw Premier Doug Ford usher in new restraints Dec. 19.
“I don’t know if it’s just my luck, but nothing ever seems to go the way I plan it,” Teljeur said. “With the whole virus
situation happening, that’s been a thing we’ve always worried about. Now there’s a different version coming along that seems to be spreading, we definitely have to keep an eye on that.
“Right now, we’re still planning on holding the event. We have a Plan B and Plan C in place if we need them. If we have to defer, we will, but we’re not going to do that until we know there’s no chance of it happening safely or responsibly,” he added.
Between 70 and 80 teams have registered to take part in the event, which draw as many as 500 tourists to Haliburton County over the two championship weekends. Games are scheduled to take place Jan. 28-29 and Feb. 4-5.
Visitors are welcome to watch the games on the ice, with 18 rinks of action on the go at any one time, but access to Pinestone
for any indoor event will be reserved for participants only.
The championships have been a great revenue generator for local businesses in the past, Teljeur said, with restaurants and hotels usually packed across both weekends. It’s also helped to put the Highlands on the map.
“We did a survey in 2020 where we asked people ‘do you come back up into the area after the games’, most people have never been up in the area before coming for the pond hockey event, and about three quarters said they’d be interested in coming back
up here again for something other than hockey,” Teljeur said. “It’s really been a great advertiser for the community, and it doesn’t cost anyone a thing. In fact, the local economy thrives when these championships take place.”

Woodland healers weather COVID

By

Sam Gillett

-

December 23, 2021

0

Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary — Monika Melichar, left, helps a volunteer massage an injured skunk in the woodlands Wildlife sanctuary.

Don Ross’ grandkids spotted the loon first, huddled on the sand of the family’s Grass Lake cottage.

“They didn’t want to leave it. It was not well, it was lethargic, it was in some distress,” said Ross. “I’ve never seen a loon on a beach … just sitting there.”

Nora, seven, and her brother Lukas, nine, helped their parents put the loon in a box dotted with holes. Then they drove it to the Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary in Minden.

The diagnosis? The loon was starving, said Monika Melichar, sanctuary founder and director.

After spending two weeks nursing the loon back to health, Melichar dropped the loon back off at the Ross’ cottage, where the family was able to send the loon, healthy, on its way.

“It was quite a learning experience for the kids,” said Ross, “teaching them about stewardship and conservation.”

It’s likely the teenage loon, about to fly south for the winter, would have died if not for the Ross family and Melichar’s expert care nursing it back to life.

Don Ross said the situation “says something about the condition of our lakes or our environment.”

For Melichar, rescuing loons and other animals is a 365-day career, with funding and food shortages meaning it’s been difficult to keep up with the demand for her services.

She’s seen 12 loons come through the doors this year, compared with two or three on a usual year.

“It’s been quite the year for loons,” said Melichar.

At the sanctuary, she opens a cage where a loon, full-grown, sits on clean and thickly- padded blankets. It’s severely malnourished as well.

It’s difficult to tell why.

Melichar said high water levels might mean loons have trouble finding fish to eat in deep waters.

Another explanation could be a depleted fish supply, with the Haliburton Highlands Outdoors Association reporting a depleted walleye population in the Kash chain of lakes (which includes Grass Lake).

Haliburton’s lakes are under increased stress due to increased nutrient loading.

A 2015 lake health report showed 48 per cent of properties on Grass Lake have mowed lawns bordering the water, which is shown to allow sediment and other harmful chemicals to flow into the lake.

For Melichar and her volunteers, the reason why animals are being brought to the sanctuary is secondary: they never refuse them. The important part is caring for them, a task made difficult by funding and food shortages.

For example, loons only eat full fish.

“We can manage that, but finding them is a challenge,” Melichar said. She invited any generous anglers to get in touch.

“Anybody who’s out there fishing and they catch sunfish or something, absolutely;we don’t need them live, they can be dead or frozen.”

And as the winter sets in, birds such as mergansers and grebes still have a dire need for food.

“This is just the situation now. The situation gets worse later on in the year.”

This year was also the first year in the sanctuary’s history that money ran dry.

“Normally in the summertime, we’ll have garage sales or people coming into our

gift shop to purchase items, we weren’t able to do that,” Melichar said. She added infrastructure upgrades, such as bringing running water into the building and creating a cage for birds of prey, took up a lot of funds.

“I’d say with COVID-19 the last two years have been severely challenging,” she said.

Her and a greatly reduced team of volunteers had to put in even more work caring for the 150 birds, skunks, raccoons, porcupines, squirrels and others who come with car-inflicted injuries, diseases and any number of other maladies. This year, the sanctuary estimates they’ve saved more than 700 animals’ lives.

“We have been overwhelmed with animals because we’ve been lacking volunteers,” she said.

That means they sometimes work 24-hour days; tough cases take extra time, such as a skunk with neurological damage. Melichar and a volunteer massage and move his arms and legs to help get him used to walking again.

“It can take a volunteer a good hour to work with the skunk. And there are only so many hours in the day,” Melichar said.

Despite difficulty sourcing affordable food for the animals, landing volunteers or even keeping lights on, Melichar said she’s passionate about the work.

“Wildlife is really on their own. Generally speaking, it is through some sort of human action that wildlife gets injured or orphaned,” she said. “We caused this to happen and we really need to fix it and make it better.”

The sanctuary launched an online auction this fall, “Bid Wild 4 Wildlife” where local art, tickets and other gifts were up for auction.

Holiday market hits social media site

By

Sam Gillett

-

December 22, 2021

0

SG-holiday market-2- — Darlene Phibbs Johnston helped start the Haliburton Holiday Market Facebook page.

A group of local creators have taken craft markets online this year and Highlands shoppers have joined them.

The Haliburton Holiday Market Facebook page started in late November and now has more than 700 members.

Monica Miles Keefer said she started the group after local markets she usually helps organize seemed too difficult to pull off under COVID-19 restrictions. “I started it because I wanted to shop,” she said. “I like to give gifts that aren’t commercialized, whether I make it or someone else makes it.”

After contacting about a dozen local artists, she created the page and it “took off.” Now, about two dozen artists post images of handmade jewelry, wooden decor, glass ornaments, knitting, pillows, locallyillustrated books and hand-spun rugs.

“Not everyone gets in the shopping spirit on the same weekend,” Keefer said. She’s received some feedback too, from people with accessibility concerns who appreciated the chance to shop from home.

“It just showed up on my Facebook to join the group,” said Nancy Lowes of Haliburton. She soon found exactly what she was looking for: customized height rulers for her grandkids from Sarah CorbyEdwards.

Lowes and Corby-Edwards communicated via Messenger through the design and creation process.

“She did so well with one I ordered two,” Lowes said. Lowes said it’s been a good spot to discover artisanal talent, “definitely if you’re looking for something locallymade.” Keefer points to artisans who seem to be thriving on the platform.

“A lot of them are enjoying it, and are getting sales. If they’re not getting sales they’re getting exposure for future events,” she said.

Darlene Phibbs Johnston, who helped start the group, said she’s enjoyed selling her handmade wreathes to a new audience.

At her home in Carnarvon, she points to a cellphone photo of an intricate silver wreath. “That one went up and in 30 seconds, boom, it was sold,” she said.

Besides selling wreathes, she said it’s been a way to get to know people in the community. “I love that,” she said.

Keefer and Johnston said the page will likely keep going after the holidays.

“My plan was to get it going,” Keefer said. “I hope that the artists will continue it year-round. It’s not just Christmas-related products they create.”