LifeLabs reopened the doors to its patient service centre in Haliburton for the first time in almost six months on Monday (Sept. 21).

The relaunched site, at 7199 Gelert Rd. inside the Haliburton Family Medical Centre, restored access to laboratory testing in the village. The space had been shuttered since March 25, leaving the Minden Health Hub as the closest location for locals requiring bloodwork.

“This reopening marks an important milestone for the Haliburton community. We recognize the importance of these services and appreciate the patience and understanding shown by patients, health-care providers and community partners through the disruption,” read a LifeLabs statement emailed to The Highlander on Friday (Sept. 18).

The closure came after Dysart et al brought in a consultant to investigate air quality concerns last spring. Peterborough-based firm Pinchin Ltd. found limited ventilation to some units and elevated carbon dioxide levels throughout the building, with most offices closed. The township spent $26,000 fixing the issue over the summer.

While most tenants had moved back in by mid-July, LifeLabs was the sole holdout.

In August, Dysart’s acting mayor, Walt McKechnie, said he reached out to MPP Laurie Scott to help him bring LifeLabs back to the table. Following more discussions, the mayor learned the company was still concerned about a lingering odour at the site.

CAO Tamara Wilbee told The Highlander the township found a propane leak that was repaired by local HVAC firm Mx Co. Ltd.

LifeLabs said it completed more air quality testing in early September, with no indication of hazardous gases present within the facility. Monitoring was done for hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, oxygen and combustible gas levels.

“We would like to thank mayor Walt McKechnie and CAO Tamara Wilbee for their assistance in helping get to a resolution on this issue,” a LifeLabs spokesperson said.

While council initially approved drainage improvements and oundation repairs to the building this summer, a lone submission from Total Site Services came back significantly higher than expected. Wilbee told council last month there wasn’t enough money in reserves to complete the work this year, but in a follow-up with The Highlander, confirmed it will be included in the 2027 budget.

LifeLabs to stay in medical centre

While rumours were flying around social media this week that LifeLabs could be moving to another location in Haliburton, Wilbee said the township is in the process of renewing its lease with the company at the medical centre.

Talk online centred on LifeLabs leaving the municipal building in favour of the former Pet Valu space at 231 Highland St, though the building’s owner, Peter Brady, poured cold water on those rumours.

“I don’t know where the rumours or the conversation has started, but it certainly hasn’t come from us,” said Brady, who has owned the unit for 15 years. “The building used to house an MDS Laboratories location, back when that’s what LifeLabs was known as. So, there’s some history there. Maybe that’s what people are thinking.”

LifeLabs confirmed on Wednesday (Sept. 23) that, while they assessed multiple temporary options to get operations up and running again, they have no plans to move from their Gelert Road location.

McKechnie said it was a big win getting the space reopened before winter.

“Everybody was getting very frustrated by the situation… you just don’t realize how important a business like LifeLabs is to your community until you lose it,” McKechnie said. “This was devastating for a lot of people, but especially seniors who had to make plans to go to Minden or somewhere else to get what they needed done.”

Matt Hogg, his wife, Trish Sweeting-Hogg, and their 12-year-old son, Kolby, were awakened about 6:30 a.m. Sept. 13 by a loud bang outside of their Scotch Line Road home.

Matt said the noise “shook the whole house.”

A volunteer firefighter with the Minden Hills department, Matt did what he always does when there is a fire.

“I always keep a pair of jeans at the end of my bed, so if the pager goes off at night, I can literally just pull on the jeans and head out the door. So, I actually went to the end of the bed, pulled my jeans on, and stepped out of the room.”

By this time, Trish was half way down the stairs and shouted that the house was on fire. Matt opened Kolby’s door and the pre-teen quickly dressed. Meanwhile, Trish went to get her mother, who also lives with them.

The family had a fire plan. Depending on where the blaze was, it could involve getting out using the gable window, crawling onto the porch roof, and then dropping a short distance to the ground. The only problem was that’s where the flames were.

They headed for a door leading to the porch, but it, too, was ablaze. Matt said he could see into the living room where smoke and flames were beginning, and the smoke detectors were now going off. He managed to grab the keys to his truck and his wallet as he led Kolby out another door.

“They’re always sitting by the door in case I get a fire call,” he said.

Meanwhile, Trish, who is a paramedic, got her mom with her walker, out the door. She did not grab her purse, but did snatch up Kolby’s hockey equipment bag.

“It was quite eventful,” she said, describing how a neighbour, who had heard the bang and saw flames, came running up the driveway. Another came running up the road with a cellphone calling 911.

Trish, her mother, and Kolby got in Trish’s car and drove away from the fire, while Matt stayed on-scene. He called 911 as well as Minden Hills fire chief, Don Kruger.

Kruger said 13 firefighters from Minden Hills and six from Algonquin Highlands responded.

“There was a working fire upon arrival that had spread through most of the structure, I am estimating the fire had been burning for almost 30 minutes before the first 911 call,” Kruger said.

He added, “the structure was a total loss, due to the prolonged burn time before the 911 call, and the Century-old balloon frame construction. We never really had a chance to save it.”

The final report from the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office is not yet completed, but it is looking like accidental/undetermined, he said.

First responders

Trish said being impacted by an emergency personally, versus responding to one as part of her job, are completely different things.

“We’re always the ones saying, ‘the people got out, that’s what matters most, but then you think about all of the sentimental stuff, which is the hard part.”

For example, she feels for Kolby, who has lost a collection of Toronto Maples Leafs’ memorabilia, as well as Cody Hodgson and Haliburton County Huskies merch, in addition to hockey medals and pins.

Matt added, “I’ve been in many fires, but being in my own house while it was on fire was scary.” He wanted to help fight the fire but was told he could not. He said it was hard to just watch.

Trish added, “having my co-workers there as my house was burning down was a little weird. Nobody knows what to do, other than give you a hug and say, ‘oh, my God’, and that’s enough.”

A GoFundMe has been set up to help, with $10,759 raised as of press time.

“Honestly, it’s amazing.” Trish said. “We’ve been on that end of helping different people with their floods and things like that. Being on the receiving end of it is so overwhelming.”

She added families they know are using this as an education piece; to form their own fire plans. In addition to that, she recommends a fire safe. All of their important documents, such as passports, survived the fire, even though the box was badly burned.

The family is talking about a new build one day on the same property. Matt said Kolby has chimed in that one thing he would like is a sprinkler system at the new place.

By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

After about three years of work at Skyline Park, the Haliburton Rotary Club is turning its attention to the remaining pieces of the rejuvenation project. With most of the major construction work out of the way, the club is asking the community to help complete the park by 2027.

The club launched its “Reach for the Sky” fundraising campaign on Sept. 11, inviting people to contribute toward landscaping and park amenities. Rotary said the campaign had already brought in $6,600 in pledges in the first week alone.

The campaign follows a busy summer up on the slope overlooking the village. Crews finished building a second timberframe picnic shelter, while the Ministry of Transportation, which owns the land, installed a permanent, year-round accessible washroom facility.

Accessibility has been a focus of the work, Rotary explained. A new upper viewing platform is now about 80 per cent complete, and a new path for visitors who find the steep trek down to the original lookout difficult.

“We wanted people who aren’t able to, or just don’t want to, walk down to the lower viewing platform to still enjoy the view,” Ursula Devolin of the Haliburton Rotary Club, explained. “I was up there, and it was really nice to see people reading all the signage, even some locals who didn’t really know that history was up there.”

Despite rising material costs in the construction industry, the club said the overall budget is on track. Some parts of the project went slightly over, but local contractors helped the bottom line by donating time and supplies at cost.

Because Rotary approves its budget yearby-year rather than drawing from a single multi-year bank account, the club needs some community support to complete the final phases.

“When we take on a five-year plan, it actually has to be approved year-by-year, so we can only use our budget year-toyear,” Devolin said. “We’re just looking for community involvement so we can finish it off.”

Next season, the club plans to enlarge the main lookout.

“Right now it’s quite small, you can probably only fit four to six people in there,” Devolin noted. “We want people to just stand and see, take photographs, or even use it for weddings or big family photos.”

The final project will include a new welcome sign, an Indigenous land acknowledgment following consultation with Curve Lake First Nation, a Rotary International Peace Pole, and hand-carved stone sculptures by Rotarian John Beachli.

Donations can be made by cheque to the Rotary Club of Haliburton or via e-transfer to haliburtonrotary@gmail.com (memo: “Skyline”). Contributions of $500 or more qualify for a spot on a permanent donor plaque, with fundraising continuing through the fall and into next spring.

By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Municipal finances, housing, emergency services and the possibility of amalgamation were among the main issues raised at the Sept. 12 all-candidates meeting at the Cardiff Community Centre.

Hosted by the Haliburton Highlands Healthy Democracy Project, the meeting gave the public a chance to question candidates running in Highlands East.

Much of the discussion centred on finances and the importance of maintaining the township’s rural identity.

Mayoral candidate Cheryl Ellis focused heavily on the possibility of amalgamation, warning that it could mean a loss of local decision-making power.

“I’m deeply concerned about the possibility of amalgamation,” Ellis said, pointing to the risks of higher taxes, lost assets and services shifting out of the township. “All I can think about is losing our identity.”

Incumbent mayor Dave Burton pushed back on concerns about the township’s finances, pointing to its balance sheet during his time in office.

“We’ve worked very hard as a team to keep Highlands East debt-free,” Burton told the crowd.

Mayoral candidate Krystle Anne Pegg outlined plans for her first 100 days in office, with housing among her priorities. She called for changes to planning rules to allow additional dwelling units, making it easier for residents to build rental suites on existing properties.

“I would like to make sure that our Official Plan is actually amended so that we can get additional dwelling units so that everybody can have a little suite… so that there is affordable housing,” Pegg said.

Mayoral candidate Mike Killingsworth focused on his connection to the township, his background and his reasons for wanting to serve the community.

“I share the love for the community. I’m here to do the best I can for you, be transparent, and use the skills and knowledge that I’ve gained to serve you well,” he said.

Challenger Steven Kauffeldt spoke about his roots in Cardiff and past council experience while advocating for transparent leadership and direct input from taxpayers.

“I sat on council for the years of 2010-14, representing the people of Cardiff and I have sat on numerous committees,” he said. “I have the experience to take on this job and I think it’s important that we have someone who listens and that’s one thing I can bring to the table. We need to protect what’s here. Fire halls are critical. Essential services are critical. We need to get Highlands East building again.”

Emergency response times were another major concern, particularly amid suggestions about possible consolidation of local fire halls. Candidates rejected the idea of closing stations, with Ellis arguing that all halls are needed to maintain coverage. Pegg said closing fire halls could also lead to higher home insurance premiums for rural property owners.

Voting in the municipal election concludes Oct. 26.

Voters in Minden Hills want township staff to return their emails and phone calls.

During a public question-and-answer session at Saturday’s (Sept. 19) allcandidates meeting put on by the Haliburton Highlands Healthy Democracy Project (HHHDP), Jim Davis asked if candidates were prepared to tell township staff to get back to people faster.

“Because two to three weeks later is not a good approach. Are you prepared to set a standard of behaviour?” he asked.

Incumbent mayor Bob Carter said that under the Municipal Act, council cannot direct staff. He said only the CAO can do that.

“What council does is, we set the goals and objectives and tell them this is what we expect from you. The first call should go to staff. The second, if it needs to be escalated, needs to go to the CAO. If you are still not getting a response, then you can move it up to your councillor, who should be working back to the CAO.”

Mayoral candidate Pam Sayne said, “of course we want to get back to people in a very timely manner.” However, she said staff do take holidays, and there is a limit to the number of calls and emails they can respond to every day. However, she said there should at least be a call or e-mail saying they had received a person’s inquiry.

She added, “we have this answering machine; push one for this, push two, one… it’s crazy to try to always communicate with electronics. People want to have a real person to feel like they’ve been heard.”

Running for mayor, Pat Kitcheman said there are a number of staff on the sunshine list, making $100,000-a-year or more. “I think there is a reasonable expectation of performance…we’re all human and no one of us is perfect. I understand people do get busy. But there is a reasonable expectation of answering the public.”

Mayoral hopeful Tammy McKelvey apologized to the crowd, saying “it’s a big problem in Minden Hills to get responses to emails and phone calls. Yes, we are not supposed to direct staff but we’re policy setters.” She said while “regrettable,” the township may need a policy to say staff will respond in a reasonable amount of time. “We need a policy. This has to stop.”

Deputy mayor candidate Richard Bradley, who has worked in labour relations, said “we need good bosses and good policies to set service standards.” He said there should be a quick response to say staff are looking into a query, and then get back to the person once they “get to the root of the problem.”

His contender, Ivan Ingram, said there was “absolutely no reason why a person should not receive a call or an email back from the township within 24 hours. It’s ridiculous that people have to struggle, and call me to call a staff member I can’t get ahold of. It is a big problem.” He said council is not there to direct staff, but they can bring the lack of getting back to the public to the CAO’s attention.

Rev. Canon Joan Cavanaugh-Clark said in her dealings with the planning and development department, she finds the paperwork hard to decipher. She asked what councillors could do “so a person like myself, who wants to have a secondary residence, can decipher it … like building code 101.”

Each of the candidates indicated they would like more simple and plain language across the board.

One person did seek out their thoughts on the governance and affordability study. The Highlander has posed the same question to all candidates running for office. Their answers can be found in the paper as of Aug. 27.

The Minden Rotary Club is hosting an allcandidates gathering Oct. 5, from 7-9 p.m. at the Minden Hills Community Centre. The HHHDP’s next all-candidates meetings: Dysart et al, Oct. 3, 9:30 a.m. to noon (doors opening at 9 a.m.) at the Haliburton Legion; and Algonquin Highlands, Oct. 17, 9:30 a.m. to noon (doors opening at 9 a.m.) at the Stanhope Firefighters’ Community Hall. People are encourage to register their attendance.