Linton aims to make a difference in playoffs

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March 31, 2022

Halibuton Huskies vs Trenton Golden Hawks — TRENTON, ON - MARCH 11: Christian Linton #70 of the Haliburton County Huskies during the pregame warm-up at the Duncan Memorial Gardens on March 11, 2022 in Ontario, Canada (Photo by Ed McPherson / OJHL Images)

Haliburton County Huskies netminder Christian Linton has returned to peak fitness, and form, at the perfect time as the hometown team prepares for playoffs.

The 20-year-old has made only 11 appearances for the Dogs after suffering a high ankle sprain during the off-season. After being handed the start against the Mississauga Chargers March 18 Linton has impressed between the pipes over the past two weeks, leading his team to five wins and recording just a solitary loss. During that time, he has a 2.00 goals against average and .936 save percentage.

“It’s just nice to be back out on the ice again, getting some game time and helping the team,” Linton said. “It’s been a pretty frustrating season so far. Picking up that injury right before training camp obviously wasn’t ideal, then I aggravated it playing during the OJHL showcase (in October).”

Describing himself as 110 per cent fit, Linton hopes he can be a difference maker for the Huskies during the post-season. While competition in the crease is fierce in Haliburton, with former OHL star Christian Cicigoi proving to be a revelation since his arrival in October, Linton said he’s ready to seize any chance that comes his way.

Head coach Ryan Ramsay certainly has confidence in Linton’s ability. He believes the Huskies have the best goaltending tandem in the league.

“While nearly every other team has a definite starter and a backup, we have more of a 1a/1b situation … Christian Linton is a phenomenal goalie, and would have been our starter this year if he hadn’t gone down with an injury,” Ramsay said.

Growing up in Fergus, about 20 minutes north of Guelph, Linton said he’s used to living the rural lifestyle, so has adapted well since relocating to the Highlands. Even while injured he was able to spend time outdoors, marveling at all that Haliburton County has to offer.

He is billeting in Haliburton village with Tom and Diane Wilkinson.

Linton said he bet big on Haliburton when opting to move here in the summer. While he bought into the project Ramsay pitched and hoped the team would be competitive, he admitted they have exceeded all expectations this season.

“Seeing as this was basically a new franchise, I didn’t know that we were going to be this good this year. Most expansion teams take a couple of years to get their legs under them, but we’ve been solid all year round,” Linton said. “I think our team is as good as any in this league. It’s definitely the most complete team I’ve ever played on. I think we’ve got a real shot to go all the way.

“Playoffs are right around the corner, and that’s just a different beast. No team wants to give an inch and it’s very intense. I think we’re built for that type of game. We all just want to go out there and show what we can do,” he added.

Huskies still in with a shot at first place

By

Mike Baker

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March 31, 2022

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With just one week of the OJHL regular season to play, the Haliburton County Huskies find themselves in a three-way fight for first place in the East Division.

Boasting a record of 32-15-1-4, the Dogs are sitting in third place, one point shy of the Trenton Golden Hawks and three behind the Wellington Dukes. The hometown team matched up against those opponents this past weekend, dropping a 5-2 decision to the Dukes March 26 before rebounding with a huge 4-0 victory over Trenton the very next night.

It was a pulsating afternoon at S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena Sunday as the Huskies routed the Golden Hawks.

A tense opening period saw the two championship hopefuls go punch for punch, with each team adopting an exciting attack-first mentality. Dalton Bancroft went closest to opening the scoring, ringing the post during a Golden Hawks powerplay.

The game became more stretched in the second frame, with both teams desperate to get on the scoresheet. Bancroft again went close for the Golden Hawks, but it was 19-year-old centre Lucas Stevenson that grabbed the game’s first goal. A fine pass from defenceman Will Gourgouvelis found Stevenson in space in the high slot and he made no mistake, controlling the puck and firing low past Trenton’s Ethan Taylor at the 17:53 mark.

With the crowd still celebrating, Stevenson took a minor cross-checking penalty. A misplay from the Golden Hawks gave Cameron Kosurko a chance on the breakaway. While he missed the initial opportunity, Kosurko battled to regain the puck behind the goal, deked out two Golden Hawks defenceman and then bamboozled Taylor to score short-handed at 18:57.

“You don’t see too many goals like that. It was an unreal effort, Cam showed a whole lot of skill, determination and resilience on that play,” said head coach Ryan Ramsay. “It was a big turning point in the game.”

Simon Rose added a third early in the final frame, scoring just seven seconds into a Huskies powerplay. Nicholas Athanasakos added an empty-netter at 14:27 to close out the result.

Cicigoi was named first star of the game after a 43-save shutout.

“It felt good to get the win. We played a full 60 minutes and battled through some adversity. We took some penalties, but our special teams came up big for us, and the crowd again was a big factor tonight. It’s always great when we’re able to put in a good performance and send the fans home happy,” Cicigoi said.

Tough loss to the Dukes

Saturday’s match-up against the Wellington Dukes was a frustrating one for the Huskies. While the blue and white started the game well, back-to-back powerplay markers from the Dukes late in the first period slowed their momentum.

Christian Stevens brought the Dogs back into the game midway through the second, but the Dukes responded with goals from Jacob Vreugdenhill and Jonathan Balah to put the result beyond doubt. Local boy Ryan Hall potted a late consolation for the Huskies before Emmet Pierce grabbed a fifth for the Dukes.

Dogs beat Chargers

Travelling to Mississauga March 29, the Dogs handily defeated the Chargers 8-2. Oliver Tarr got things going with a power play marker at 19:23 of the first. The blue and white exploded for five goals in the second, with Stevenson, Sam Solarino, Gourgouvelis, Athanasakos and Stevens all getting on the scoresheet. Jonah Cochrane added a seventh goal midway through the third, with Athanasakos rounding out the scoring.

One last push

The Huskies host the Chargers April 2, before travelling to Wellington for a potential first-place decider with the Dukes April 3.

“It’s interesting, you play so many games over the course of a season but everything seems to come down to the last one or two games. It definitely makes for great, exciting hockey,” Ramsay said.

While he thinks a first-place finish would be a huge achievement for the Huskies in their debut season, Ramsay said he didn’t see a great deal of difference between finishing top of the pile or in third place due to the strength of the East Division.

“We have the best division in the league, where anyone can beat anyone on any given night. If you look at all of our records, you’ll see a (mixed bag of) results,” Ramsay said. “But I know what these guys are capable of. We can beat anyone in this league if we play our game, so we’re going to head into playoffs confident, regardless of what happens [this weekend].”

Spirited Storm fall to defeat

By

Mike Baker

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March 31, 2022

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On March 25, the Highland Storm U15 Rep team faced off against the Ennismore Eagles.

The first five minutes of the first period was a lot of back-andforth between the two teams, but unfortunately Ennismore got control of the puck and refused to give it up. At the end of the first, the Eagles were up by three.

In the second period, the Storm put up a good fight. They did not allow any goals and it remained a 3-0 score for Ennismore going into the third.

The final frame started with the Eagles scoring their fourth goal. However, the Storm kept battling and with only a few minutes left in the period, Beckam Reynolds scored an unassisted goal. It was a well-played game and the final score was 4-1.

Sixty years on, Gliddon plays through COVID

By

Sam Gillett

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March 31, 2022

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On a sunny afternoon, Bill Gliddon gestures to songbooks placed on the choir benches at St. George’s Anglican Church in Haliburton.

“Before the pandemic, we had a big choir,” he said.

Now, five or six usually help lead parishioners in worship with Gliddon at the front of the church. Their first choir meeting since before Christmas was in late February.

“Of course, we couldn’t sing anything terribly complicated, I had to simplify all the music.”

He added, “I’m very fortunate the people I’ve had in the choir are pretty good at site-reading: they’re pretty good singers.”

Gliddon is entering his 60th year as St. George’s organist. The pandemic, he said, has been unlike any previous time in his career.

It disrupted his ability to play for his church and sing with others.

“I had to really think about that, and realize that you just have to live with it and hold on. It won’t be forever,” he said.

Gliddon used to enjoy touring seniors’ residences and singing to residents. COVID-19 forced him to get creative.

“There were a few residents with phones in their rooms. I’d set my keyboard by my phone and then sing some songs they loved. They loved it,” Gliddon said.

He’d send them phoned-in versions of tunes like “The band plays on” and “My wild Irish rose.”

Through the pandemic, Gliddon worked with former priest Ken McLure on a musical of the bible story David and Goliath. “It was a real challenge but it was good,” Gliddon said. Gliddon helped compose the music. Could it be performed post-pandemic? “It’s possible,” he said, though Rev. McLure’s move means that’s unlikely.

Gliddon said the decreased musical workload might have improved his Sunday night classical music program on CanoeFM. “I thought they were a little better than before when I was so rushed with other things.”

Gliddon said his favourite song “is the one [he’s] playing.” He approaches each arrangement with care. It’s a joyful experience.

“It’s always been important. But I’ve gotten more time to indulge in it [during the pandemic]. I don’t know what I’d have done without music in COVID,” he said.

It’s a spiritual experience too. “Music is an expression of your feeling, that goes a little further than words,” he said. “If you put two and two together it’s a good combination.”

Russell finds opportunity amid pandemic

By

Sam Gillett

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March 31, 2022

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Whether teaching guitar at his Highlands Guitar Studio, performing on stage or composing soundscapes and soundtracks, Nick Russell has become a key figure in the County’s music scene.

And while COVID-19 restrictions were a setback, the pandemic afforded him unique opportunities.

For starters, he composed and produced ARCHTOP, an album showcasing his unique blend of folk, classical and jazz all strummed on a classic archtop guitar.

“Often society doesn’t provide the time and space to endeavor upon a project like that,” he said.

He and singer Benton Brown, performing as Nick & Benton, delivered private shows to audiences around Haliburton’s lakes, all while keeping within COVID guidelines.

He said live music felt like “a precious thing” amid lockdowns and restrictions.

“People were even more hungry for it,” Russell said.

He has also helped other local organizations as they pivoted during the pandemic.

For example, he composed songs with natural sounds, scavenged from the meadows and forests around the Abbey Retreat Centre.

Videographer Brad Brown edited a scenic video to accompany the music.

It’s now used in the centre’s online retreat programs.

One of Russell’s chief concerns as the world’s music scene shut down in 2020 was a lack of teaching opportunities. COVID-19 forced a temporary closure of his studio. However, throughout the past two years, he said he’s seen a resurgence of students keen to learn guitar, bass and ukelele.

“I think the pandemic overall has made people reevaluate what they do with their time,” he said.

He now teaches students over video calls too, some halfway around the world.

Russell said the arts offer a way to process difficult times.

“I think engaging in the arts gives you a wholesome and practical outlet for what’s happening on an emotional level,” he said.

Russell said he’s hopeful about the future of Haliburton music, and the community of creatives who work together to elevate it.

“I think that if you survey history, a lot of wonderful art has been generated in difficult times,” he said.

U-Links bash celebrates research

By

Mike Baker

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March 31, 2022

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Student researchers carried out benthic assessments of area lakes, looked into the viability of using insects to fight invasive species such as eurasian watermilfoil, and considered the benefits of introducing indigenous programming at Abbey Gardens as part of this year’s U-Links Celebration of Research.

Held virtually March 26, this year’s event featured work from 87 students encompassing 18 community-based projects.

Sarah Moret, a sociology student at Trent, gave one of two core presentations. She focused on the lack of supports for eating disorders in rural communities, as reported in last week’s Highlander. Later, Fleming College students Katie Cosgrey, Nicole Zablocki and Ullas Rugmini discussed a new educational campaign they launched in partnership with Dysart et al focusing on food waste reduction.

“The average Canadian household produces approximately 140 kilograms of food waste annually,” Zablocki said. “In Canada, 63 per cent of edible food is thrown away… Ontario’s available landfill capacity is expected to be exhausted by 2034, so we have to do something about this now.”

They say meal planning, proper food storage and preservation and effective disposal options, such as donating and composting, are ways of preventing unnecessary items from getting into landfills.

Kayla McNaughton spent last summer working at Abbey Gardens as an educational programming assistant. She was interested in developing outdoor programs for children to encourage kids to enjoy nature, while recognizing indigenous history in the Highlands.

She developed an ‘educate’, which includes activities, songs and stories that came from indigenous sources and can be adopted into existing programming at Abbey Gardens. She referenced the facility’s beaver program, sourcing an indigenous creation story of how the beaver got its tail to add to what is already taught.

McNaughton recommended Abbey Gardens bring in someone of indigenous background to assist them in their program development.

Many presenters focused on measuring water quality and lake health, but Kaleigh Mooney took a different approach – taking a known problem at one waterbody and coming up with an idea to address it.

Eurasian watermilfoil has been a problem for Drag/Spruce Lake residents for several years. There’s no known way to completely eradicate the invasive aquatic plant, which grows under the water surface, spreads quickly, smells and impedes the growth of a lake’s natural plants and habitats.

Mooney found that a bug indigenous to Canada is effective at limiting the plant’s spread.

“Weevils will lay their eggs on the stem of the plant, then when the eggs hatch, the larvae will bore down. Then, when they pupate, the adults will feed on the foliage … so fragments of the plant will break off, and it will eventually fall to the bottom of the lake where it can’t get any light, so won’t grow.”

Mooney estimates it can take anywhere between 5,000 and 50,000 weevils to battle an already established eurasian watermilfoil system. That puts the cost at anywhere between $5,000 and $50,000.

“There have been attempts to do this in Ontario, but often they don’t start with enough [weevils] and because of that the project tends to fail,” Mooney said. “It’s really important that you go all in if you’re going to do something like this, and know what you’re getting yourself into, because otherwise it’s like throwing your money right into the water with no results.”

Entrepreneurs want to bring the fun to town

By

Mike Baker

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March 31, 2022

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Local entrepreneurs Joshua Karam and Erika Mozes are looking to inject a little fun and games into downtown Haliburton.

Fresh off of opening Delancey Sports on Highland Street, the couple is looking to add another space to their portfolio shortly. They have put together a business plan to open a retro arcade, which they say could serve as a central hub for people in the community.

“There’s really nowhere for kids in Haliburton to go, nothing for them to do, especially during the winter. We thought this would be a great idea, a nice space for youth to hang out, for tourists to hang out, for anyone, really,” said Karam. “We think this community can really benefit from a focused entertainment venue like this. It would fill an important need in this town.”

The space would feature a combination of classic arcade games, such as Pac Man and Galaga, pinball machines, a pool table, dart board, and dome hockey and foosball tables. Karam says he also hopes to incorporate some newer video game consoles with multi-player capabilities.

Negotiations are ongoing with the new owners of 218 Highland St. The building, located on the corner of Maple Avenue, has been vacant since Algonquin Outfitters moved to its new location down the street last year.

“That location is just a prime spot for something like this. It’s right at the heart of the downtown area,” Karam said.

The pair are in the process of securing funding for the venture. A floor plan for the site has been developed, while partnerships with Playdium, to purchase the gaming equipment, and Pepsi, to bring in vending machines, have been tentatively agreed upon.

And the proposed space even has a working name with a neat backstory.

“We want to call it the Grayson Arcade. We spent a long time living in New York City while getting one of our other businesses, Hyr, up and running, and since moving back to Canada we’ve really taken to naming our investments after some of our favourite spots,” Karam said. “Our apartment in New York was on the corner of Suffolk Street and Delancey Street. We named the sports store after Delancey, and our home after Suffolk.

“Our favourite sports bar in New York was called ‘The Grayson’, so we thought it would be pretty appropriate to name this new venture after that,” Karam said.

The feedback they’ve received from those they’ve pitched the idea to has been overwhelmingly positive, Mozes remarked. She believes people are excited about the prospect of something new and different coming to Haliburton.

“At first people ask us ‘why an arcade’, but as soon as we explain our vision, they get it. We don’t have a mall here in Haliburton, we don’t have a movie theatre. This space wouldn’t be competing with any other business in town,” Mozes said. “We just want to create a space where people can go to have fun.”

Library to encourage masking despite new provincial rules

By

Sam Gillett

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March 31, 2022

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While provincial mask mandates expired March 21, some Highlands public spaces will encourage patrons to mask up.

At a March 16 Haliburton County Public Library board meeting, CEO Christopher Stephenson explained he’ll encourage staff “to wear masks to protect each other.”

“We’ll also encourage with posters at the door, to have people reminded we’d love for them to wear their masks,” he said.

Masks will not be mandatory at library locations, but HCPL branches will continue to have free disposable masks available.

Warden Liz Danielsen said wearing a mask once the mandate is lifted is “a personal choice, we have to respect that.”

Coun. Cec Ryall said “you’re now getting to the point where people are exercising their right to do what they want to do.”

He added that while staff might be on the same page, enforcing mask-wearing among patrons could be difficult.

Stephenson said staff are “already at their wits end, for various reasons” and having to police patrons’ mask-wearing would be difficult and potentially distressing.

Stephenson added that the guidelines still allow for patrons and staff to go maskless. However, he said no guidance on staff mask-wearing could result in worsening a staff shortage already causing library closures.

“Then I might just get a series of leave of absences, then I’ll be having a hard time,” he said.

Staff currently work two at a time, in close quarters, behind clear desk partitions.

Health experts across Canada and abroad continue to promote mask-wearing as a preventive health measure.

“We know that masks are an effective and easy way to slow transmission of COVID19,” said Dr. Natalie Bocking, Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge’s chief medical officer of health at a media information session March 9.

“Let’s hope people treat each other with kindness and respect,” library board chairperson Sally Howson said.

Spring programming

In a report to the board, Stephenson said he expects library programming to resume in April, “if pandemic numbers continue to improve and community members are once again comfortable returning to public spaces.”

One event in the books is the Sept. 24 Bookapalooza 2022 scheduled in Minden Hills.

It’s an event with an aim to “further cultivate a culture of reading, writing and celebration of literary arts in the Haliburton Highlands.”

Friends sponsor books

The Friends of the Haliburton County Public Library donated the 2022 Evergreen Award-nominated books.

Ten books in contention for the award celebrating Canadian fiction and nonfiction are available at the library as eBooks, audiobooks and in text.

Minden Hills close to finalizing 2022 budget

By

Lisa Gervais

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March 31, 2022

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Minden Hills council held third draft budget talks March 24, decreasing the tax levy increase to about four per cent to date, down from 14.4 per cent in December’s second draft.

CAO and clerk, Trisha McKibbin, said “pressure points” included new staff positions, and increases in salaries and hours. The township is looking to add one staff member in administration and one in finance and two in the building, bylaw and planning department.

McKibbin said they had some special projects, some requiring consultants, such as a pay equity review, short-term rental review in conjunction with the County, recruitment, planning consultants and landfill consultants.

There are some capital costs: for information technology, the fire department, and property maintenance across the township. Council endorsed spending up to $300,000 to equip a canteen at the new arena, which the Haliburton County Huskies will operate and collect 100 per cent of the revenue.

There was also talk of borrowing money and utilizing reserves.

“This is a transitional budget for us,” McKibbin said. “This is to move us forward in 2022, recognizing that we have a lot of work to do in 2022, but we’re looking at using those reserve accounts and debentures for financing.”

She added cost pressures included making the new arena and community centre fully operational this year. There have been additional hires, the arena loan has to be paid off at $629,500 a year and there are added equipment and utility-related costs.

McKibbin advised council they need to focus on four key areas. One is the service delivery review at the County, with Minden Hills asking itself, “what are the services we’re offering? Are they the right services? Are we offering them in the right way? And are we meeting the needs of the public?” Another is recognizing that asset management planning is tied to budgeting. There needs to be talk about plans for reserves and a user fee analysis to see if the township is charging appropriate amounts with a view to cost recovery and meeting the township’s expenses.

Director of community services Craig Belfry said they are now at about 13 per cent cost recovery with the new arena and community centre while the industry standard is 40 to 60 per cent. However, it was noted the township is only now starting COVID recovery and beginning to sell rec centre memberships, for example.

At the start of the meeting, Coun. Bob Carter said the four per cent was an “artificial and arbitrary” number based on decisions that had not been made.

He added, “We don’t mention using borrowing to get to that number. Some things you have deemed capital and projects that should be debentured and there’s a debate on whether or not they should be debentured or handled out of our operating budgets,” he said.

“I’m not hung up on what the percentage should be. I think it should be as low as we can possibly get it but I don’t want to make it low this year, and we have to pay for it next year.”

Coun. Jennifer Hughey added, “good job on getting it down to four per cent. I think we’re all very impressed by that number… we just want to see how you got there … as well as what does that mean for next year, and potentially into 2025. That would make me feel more comfortable about our discussions today and decisions made.”

Council also endorsed looking into the FoodCycler counter top composter program that is now being used in Algonquin Highlands and Dysart et al. Staff will return with a fourth draft.

Hospitals facing shortage of doctors

By

Mike Baker

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March 31, 2022

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Haliburton Highlands Health Services CEO Carolyn Plummer has said the emergency departments at the Haliburton and Minden hospitals may face sudden temporary shutdowns in the weeks and months ahead with the organization struggling with a physician shortage.

Addressing the board March 24, Plummer said HHHS has been relying on the Ontario Emergency Department Locum program recently to help cover shifts at the two area hospitals. Due to increased demand in that program provincewide, Plummer said HHHS may not receive the same level of assistance it has grown accustomed to over the past 12 months.

“We are preparing for a crisis situation in which we encounter a shift where we may not have a physician … And if we can’t get coverage, then we may need to close our doors for a short period of time,” Plummer said. “We have developed a protocol to guide us through if that does happen, and what the communication would look like to the community.”

Plummer has previously told media the community would be given at least 48 hours before any service changes are implemented due to nursing shortages.

The Highlander reported on Nov. 25, 2021 that hospital administration was considering reducing hours at one of its facilities after struggling for months to find nurses to staff both emergency departments. At a board meeting in February, Plummer said the organization had been able to maintain services by using agency nurses. Since December, HHHS has relied on eight fulltime nurse equivalents (40-hour weeks) staffed through third-party bureaus.

Plummer indicated there was some positive news on the nursing front last week, informing the board HHHS may be able to benefit from a new provincial program that is allowing some internationally educated nurses to practice in Ontario.

An Epic success

Plummer said staff has adapted well to the new Epic clinic information system implemented at the Haliburton and Minden hospitals, and that initial feedback from patients has been overwhelmingly positive.

The system went live on Dec. 3, 2021 alongside six other healthcare service centres in Ontario. The primary feature is that patients’ medical records can be accessed at one central hub by any of the partnering facilities. Previously, a new medical record had to be created for each medical centre a patient may receive service in.

Epic first rolled out in Canada in 2015 and is now used in 134 hospitals nationwide.

Finances improving

HHHS will be back in the black before the end of the current fiscal year after receiving a one-time payment of $600,000 from the province to help cover 2021/22 operating pressures.

Board member Irene Odell said that, as of Jan. 31, the organization had a deficit of around $536,000. Half of that, she said, was related to lost revenues due to COVID-19, while the remainder was down to increased compensation for staff and the inflation of food and utilities. With the extra money from the province, this will be the first time since 2018/19 that HHHS is finishing its fiscal year in a balanced financial position.

Odell revealed HHHS had received word from the province that all COVID-related reimbursements would stop as of June 30.

“We will need to be planning for that, as it will affect our next fiscal year,” she said.

Back to business

Hospital foundation executive director Lisa Tompkins said her organization is planning to run a full season of events over the summer.

“Some of the events that we’ve had on hiatus because of COVID over the past couple of years will be returning, so we’re very excited about that,” Tompkins said.

A golf tournament is being organized for July 22 in partnership with NHLer Matt Duchene. Other events will be announced as they’re formalized, Tompkins noted.