CanoeFM’s Roxanne Casey was helping man the phone lines this past week for the station’s annual Radiothon when a seemingly innocuous call turned into something special.

Two locals had been duking it out over one of the 130 items featured in a pop-up live auction when, after bidding had concluded, the loser called in.

“He told us his name was Richard and that he wasn’t sure what he was bidding on, but he told his son if they won that he’d get to hear his name on the radio. So he asked us for a shoutout for his eight-year-old,” Casey said. Putting the phone up to the microphone, the hosts had a conversation with the boy, named Michael.

When they were done, Casey invited the pair to serve as guests on an upcoming morning show. They were thrilled, she said. “The caller said it just made their son’s night. He was so overwhelmed.”

As much as the annual fundraiser, now in its 16th year, is about bringing in money to support CanoeFM’s operations, Casey said community interaction is just as important.

As of noon July 6, Radiothon had raised $51,500. That’s just below the $55,000 raised in 2025, though Casey said last year’s total was headlined by a $5,000 donation from the estate of Patrick Monaghan, former presenter of the Buckslide Blues Cruise, which they didn’t get this year.

“Taking that into account, we’re actually a little better than last year with all the little donations,” Casey said, noting there were about 300 different donors. “We had two $500 donations, but aside from that it was $20 here and there.”

Some of the top-selling auction items included four tickets to a Toronto Blue Jays game, a kayak donated by Canadian Tire, a vintage stereo system donated by Michael Butz and a turntable donated by Redman Records. All in, the auction raised around $12,600.

This year’s Radiothon had an extra special feel, with the event coinciding with the first-ever CanoeFM Day in Haliburton County. Warden Dave Burton made the declaration June 24, with the occurrence observed July 4. Town crier Bruce Kruger stopped by the station in Haliburton village last week.

“It was pretty official. He came in, marched up the sidewalk and did some readings for us, which we played on the air. It was the traditional ‘oh yay, oh yay’, it was really good,” Casey said.

While she doesn’t usually know where the money will specifically go this soon after Radiothon, Casey said the station is directing funds towards new line-of-sight infrastructure.

“Bell is discontinuing our copper line, which takes our feed from the station up to the tower at Skyline Park. If we don’t figure out an alternative, we’ll be off the air on Dec. 1,” Casey said.

There are two options – transitioning to a fiber service with Bell, or installing new antennas on the roof of the station on Mountain Street and another on the tower at Skyline. Casey said the station is focusing on line-of-sight, which she estimates at $50,000.

“The problem with the fiber is if the internet is down, then we’re off the air. There were things like the ice storm last year where the community didn’t have internet for some time, but we were able to stay online and get information out to the public. We don’t want to lose that capability,” Casey said.

Speaking to Radiothon’s success, Casey believes it shows the community’s support for the station.

“Every year I think to myself, ‘how could this possibly go as well as last year? How can we raise all this money?’ But it always happens,” she said.

The Minden Health Care Auxiliary will be pounding the pavement in the downtown on Friday (July 10) for its 25th annual tag day fundraising event.

Every summer, the volunteer group establishes checkpoints outside major businesses in Minden, accepting donations used to purchase needed items at the Minden Health Hub and Hyland Crest long-term care home.

This year, members will be stationed at Canadian Tire, Tim Hortons, Dollo’s Foodland, Easton’s Valu-Mart, Home Hardware and Boshkung Social from 8 a.m. to around 4:30 p.m.

“This is all about doing our part and bringing some money in to improve health care services in the community,” said longtime auxiliary member, Cecille Gibbons. “We get a capital list from Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) every year and our goal is always to see how much we can help them.”

Last year, the auxiliary brought in around $7,500 – a new single-year record. While cash donations are accepted, people can also give via machine, Gibbons confirmed.

Money from 2025 was used to purchase equipment for the gynecology clinic, which opened last year. Funds also filtered through to long-term care and HHHS’ adult day program, which runs three times per week in Minden.

Since launching tag day in 2000, the auxiliary has directed more than $450,000 to HHHS. Gibbons said that’s important given how little support the local hospital gets from the province for equipment purchases, upgrades, and program enhancement.

“We have to, as a population, support our health care system in Ontario. There’s just so much need that is not provided by the government, unfortunately. The province provides money for the bricks and mortar whenever something is approved, but everything else required to run the space generally comes from the community,” Gibbons said.

This year’s funds will be used to purchase a new wound cart, which HHHS staff use to deal with patients suffering from cuts, scrapes and bed sores. A hot-holding unit for Hyland Crest, which keeps food warm for residents, and a puree machine are also on the wish list.

While the money the auxiliary raises stays in Minden, Gibbons said the purchases they make free HHHS up to direct funds to other projects around the County. “So this is a win for everyone,” she said.

The group is also selling tickets for its fall ‘wine on wheels’ initiative. Volunteers will be at the Minden farmers market Sept. 26 selling tickets. People can also stop by the gift shop at the Minden Health Hub for them – it’s open Tuesday to Thursday from noon to 3 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The winner will take home a wheelbarrow, valued at $150, filled with 48 bottles of wine. Gibbons said the draw will take place at the end of the Sept. 26 farmers market.

Less than two years after townships in Haliburton County adopted new rules for short-term rentals (STRs), three of four lower-tier councils are contemplating major changes to the file.

Algonquin Highlands, Dysart et al, Highlands East and Minden Hills all adopted a new bylaw regulating STRs in 2024. New rules came into effect that October, with municipalities requiring those looking to rent out vacation properties to first secure a licence with their local township.

Elected officials said the purpose of the bylaw was to shore up safety, with the licensing process requiring property owners to meet various safety standards and guidelines before being allowed to rent their space. There’s also a financial benefit for municipalities, via application fees and a new municipal accommodation tax (MAT).

Highlands East was the first to initiate a review earlier this year, with mayor Dave Burton saying his council is “very willing to look at the bylaw. We understand it does need a bit of tweaking, and we will certainly do that.”

The township’s STR clerk and enforcement officer, Stacey Brown, told council June 23 that staff have identified several operational, interpretive and enforcement challenges that warrant refinement.

“Feedback from internal administration, the appeals committee process, and ongoing enforcement experience has highlighted opportunities to improve clarity, consistency and overall effectiveness of the bylaw,” Brown said.

Staff are recommending a transition away from the current demerit point system for those who break the rules, which Brown said, “has proven administratively burdensome and difficult to apply consistently.” She pitched transitioning to a more streamlined administrative monetary penalty (AMP) model when it becomes available.

Highlands East is also looking to add definition for water access dwellings, while requiring provisions for dedicated docking space and parking requirements associated with the number of bedrooms.

Next councils to drive change

It looks as though the township will also continue with a public-access dashboard, so people can see the short-term rental address and registration number online.

A revised bylaw would also clarify structures to include features such as hot tubs and saunas.

CAO Brittany McCaw told council the program had a $6,059 surplus in 2025, so it did not cost taxpayers anything other than staff time.

Meanwhile, in Minden Hills, mayor Bob Carter said he expects his staff to provide a STR update to council this summer. He noted staff have been asked to speak to other townships to see what their experiences have been to see how the program can be run more efficiently.

“We’re trying to determine what’s working and what’s not and go from there,” Carter told The Highlander in the spring.

Last Tuesday (June 23), Dysart et al held a public meeting to decide whether to amend its rules to allow secondary residential spaces on a property to be rented out as short-term rentals. When council, in 2022, updated its zoning bylaw to allow accessory dwelling units (ADU) to be built on rural properties, it was decided then those units should be geared towards long-term rentals rather than short-term.

Last May, council said it wanted to move ahead with allowing short-term stays in ADUs, against the advice of township planner Jeff Iles. In bringing the file back last week, Iles said his opinion hasn’t changed.

“Staff questions whether the proposal is good planning and whether this benefits the community as a whole,” Iles said. “Staff are of the opinion this will impact our growth potential and long-term housing supply for the municipality.”

Iles said the provincial government’s reasoning for changing rules in its More Homes, More Choice bill in 2019 was to create 1.5 million new homes across Ontario by 2031 and that, by allowing ADUs to transition to STRs, council would be going against that.

In a public survey completed this year, Dysart asked people if they were in favour of allowing STRs in ADUs – 73 per cent of respondents said they were not.

Coun. Pat Casey said he supported allowing STRs in ADUs in town and rural areas, but not on the water. He said many landlords are opting to leave properties vacant right now, rather than rent out long-term given issues some have had with problematic tenants. He feels STRs give those owners a chance to make some money.

“The rental market has definitely soured… I did some digging and counted at least 50 rentals that have gone by the wayside [in Dysart] over the past 10 years,” Casey said.

The proposed change was shot down, though council was keen to ensure property owners wanting to rent out a secondary unit short-term be given the opportunity to plead their case. Iles said people can apply to make requests of council that can be considered on a case-by-case basis.

It’s status quo in Algonquin Highlands as far as mayor, Liz Danielsen, is concerned. She feels the current rules are working well in her township.

“We haven’t had any major concerns raised and really haven’t had any kind of substantive discussion about STRs,” Danielsen said. “It’s always a good idea to do a bit of a review every once in a while, especially with something so new… but given that we’ve lost our planner and are in the process of hiring a new one, I would think it’ll be the new council before there’s any changes considered.”

Danielsen confirmed Algonquin Highlands is the only township in the County that currently allows STRs in ADUs.

Dysart plans to run a public consultation later this year to gather more feedback, with Casey calling for an annual review of the STR file. Deputy mayor Walt McKechnie said, given a municipal election is four months away, this was one for the township’s new council to pick up come fall.

Haliburton County council has supported Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and Kawartha Region’s request to apply for $15.5 million in provincial funding through Infrastructure Ontario, with the money to be used to bring 57 new affordable housing units to Haliburton village.

Approved at last Wednesday’s (June 24) County meeting, the loan will support construction of a 35-unit build on Peninsula Road and the repurposing of the Haliburton Heights timeshare on Wigamog Road, creating 22 condos.

The Peninsula Road project will feature all one and two-bedroom apartments, with the Haliburton Heights timeshare comprised of six studios, six one-bedroom units and 10 two-bed units.

Habitat’s CEO, Susan Zambonin, confirmed most of the units would be sold via the non-profit’s homeownership program. Fifteen of the Peninsula Road apartments will be sold to Places for People, a partner in the project, which intends to offer them for below-market rent.

Zambonin told County council last week that securing a low-interest loan through Infrastructure Ontario would save Habitat big money.

“If we were to borrow this money from a bank, we would spend more than $1 million on interest fees. On top of that, we’d also have to come up with more than $4.5 million of our own money before we can start drawing down on a construction loan,” Zambonin said. “That’s $4.5 million we could be spending on other projects, helping other families.”

Treasurer Andrea Robinson said the County had sufficient borrowing capacity under both the Municipal Act’s annual repayment limit (ARL) and the County’s debt policy to accommodate the request.

Through the Municipal Act, the province allows municipalities to borrow money up to 25 per cent of its ‘own source’ revenues – this includes property taxes, user fees and investment income. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing calculates ARLs annually, with the County’s 2026 limit pegged at just over $5.1 million.

After taking into account the Habitat loan, Robinson said the County would still have approximately $1.25 million of wiggle room on its ARL.

The treasurer said the agreement stipulates the loan should be repaid in a maximum of three years. Zambonin said the plan would be to start selling units as soon as she has approval to build, committing to repay the full $15.5 million within 120 days of completion of the Peninsula Road project.

Coun. Liz Danielsen was concerned about the risk the County would be taking on. Robinson confirmed the County would be responsible for repaying the loan to the province should Habitat not be able to meet its obligations. The non-profit has committed to paying all interest payments for the duration of the loan.

County CAO Gary Dyke said, given how extensive the Infrastructure Ontario application process is, he feels the County would be sufficiently protected.

“Based on our review and the partnership we’re looking at doing, we feel the risk is well-mitigated,” Dyke said.

Zambonin said she’s hoping to tap into federal grants to help pay for construction. She said, if Habitat didn’t raise enough money to pay the loan back on time, the non-profit has a $1 million development line of credit and $13 million in mortgage receivables it can use as collateral to secure an additional bank loan, if necessary, to make the County whole.

Coun. Cec Ryall asked how many of the 57 units would go to County residents. Zambonin said she hoped all of them.

“As soon as we have construction financing secured, we will start advertising in Haliburton County that we’re looking for homeowners. Our goal is all 57 units will be filled by people who live or work in Haliburton County,” she said.

Frank Figuli said one of the most effective ways for people to make a positive difference in the Highlands is to partner with U-Links to bring a focused, community-based research project to life.

The non-profit’s program coordinator said U-Links is actively taking on proposals from the public, with initiatives typically centred on environmental, cultural, social and economic issues.

Once a project has been approved, Figuli said U-Links markets them to students from Trent and Guelph universities.

Last year, the organization worked with 239 students on 38 projects across the County. Some of the major initiatives included analyzing the viability of artificial loon nesting platforms, how to implement underground greenhouses in Haliburton County; and whether municipal digesters are an effective tool to reduce landfill waste.

As of early June, Figuli said he had found students for five projects for the 2026-27 academic year, though he’s hoping to match last year’s total. Rather than assigning proposals to young researchers, Figuli said U-Links allows students to pick their projects. That’s why some proposals have sat on the shelf for many years.

“I don’t cherry pick. Anything we have an opportunity to pursue, we pursue. The bottleneck comes because it’s up to students to apply,” Figuli said. “That’s really the best way – then you know you’re getting someone who’s passionate and excited about what they’re doing. You’re going to have more heart and soul put in.”

There will be more work done this fall on the artificial loon nesting platform study, while students will also look into seasonal apple production in community kitchens, help develop a hazardous algae bloom reporting framework for the County, and provide data-driven insights for CanoeFM’s future.

While Figuli said about 80 per cent of U-Links programming is environmental, thanks largely to offerings under its Woodlands and Waterways Eco-Watch program, there are interesting proposals ready to go in other sectors.

U-Links has one project drafted with the Haliburton basic income group, to investigate the benefits of a guaranteed livable wage and potential pathways to making it happen. Figuli said he’s also been working with Canoe’s Roxanne Casey on a project unpacking the history of the radio station building, which was once a Red Cross Outpost.

There’s also a project with the Haliburton Highlands Arts Centre Foundation to do a follow-up on a feasibility study completed in 2022. The organization wants to build a new performing arts facility and has secured land on Wonderland Road.

“We’re looking to do a community and stakeholder assessment for them, looking at things from the public’s perspective on what they want for programming and amenities they want in a new building,” Figuli said. “We don’t have matches for any of these projects yet, but we’re hoping to have them paired with students for the fall.”

For anyone looking to pitch a new idea, Figuli said they have until Aug. 10 to firm up their interest. There’s a PDF on the U-Links website for people to follow-up. They need to provide a brief description of the problem or challenge they’re facing, what questions they’d like answered and how the project would benefit the community.

“If there’s a person or an organization that doesn’t have the bandwidth or resources right now to approach something they’re interested in, a community-based research project is a great way to support that, provide an experiential learning opportunity to somebody entering the professional workforce, and get their questions answered 99 per cent of the time,” Figuli said.

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) had workers at Skyline Park in Haliburton June 15-17 for the installation of the new year-round washroom facilities.

A part of Haliburton Rotary’s two-year rehabilitation project at the park, the washrooms are wheelchair accessible confirmed Charles Wheeler, a local Rotarian and lead of the project. He said the building, which contains two toilets, has a 2,000-gallon holding tank that will be routinely pumped out.

The washroom building was manufactured in Thunder Bay and shipped to Haliburton. It was brought into the site on an oversized truck bed and lifted onto the concrete pad with a crane.

Wheeler said the building weighed 32,385 pounds, making the installation a “tough job.” The MTO assumed the costs, estimated at $65,000. Wheeler said the washrooms would be opened this summer.

Further accessibility upgrades planned this year include a new upper viewing platform, constructed from donated granite, the installation of six historical display boards and Indigenous land acknowledgment. There will also be a second picnic shelter installed. Wheeler said the project is on budget at $200,000, including the MTO contribution.