By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

When Randall Linton originally sat down to write This Little Light of Mine, he had no intention of becoming a published author. He simply wanted to write a manuscript of memories for his five grandchildren, ensuring they grew up knowing the story of their aunt Elisa.

Elisa Linton died 10 years ago this Halloween at the age of 22 from Sanfilippo syndrome, a rare, terminal genetic condition sometimes referred to as childhood Alzheimer’s.

This Little Light of Mine draws heavily on journals and photographs Linton maintained throughout Elisa’s life, providing a real-time account from a father’s perspective. The memoir was originally intended strictly as a private family record, Linton explained.

“I wrote the book originally for my grandchildren,” Linton said while sitting in his cottage that overlooks Minden’s Bob Lake. “I really wanted them to know who their aunt Elisa was, the inspiration she was, and the contribution she made to society.”

However, after sharing his writing with some close friends, including a professional copywriter and an author, Linton expanded his manuscripts after getting some feedback.

“They both got back to me about a month later and said they felt this book needed to get out to a wider audience,” Linton recalled. “There’s so much in it that would benefit people.”

The memoir has reached readers far beyond the lake and the Linton family. After selling out its initial 250-copy run at backto-back launch events in June, the author ordered another batch to meet demand.

While he worked full-time for much of Elisa’s life, Linton’s wife, Elisabeth, stepped down from her career as a food stylist to care for their daughter and serve as executive director of the Sanfilippo Children’s Research Foundation (SCRF), a charity the couple founded.

“I witnessed all of this,” Linton explained. “I saw what Elisabeth was doing with our kids, going on media interviews, promoting the foundation. I thought when I sat down to write the book, it would be better coming from me who witnessed this… from a husband and father’s perspective.”

The father said that at times, writing proved to be very emotional and overwhelming, sometimes forcing him to step away for weeks at a time because memories of hospital stays and difficult breathing episodes resurfaced. But, the journey ultimately offered him a sense of processing, Linton recalled.

“It became very cathartic for me,” Linton said. “It really helped me deal with a lot of what I was going through… having it come full circle.”

Sanfilippo syndrome is caused by a missing enzyme that breaks down natural occurring cellular waste in the body. Without it, toxins build up in organs and the brain, causing a progressive decline in the body’s function.

Linton reflected on the realities of watching his youngest daughter regress while at the same time trying to navigate the challenges of raising two older children and holding onto family faith.

“It’s bloody tough. It’s hell going through, watching your child go through this,” Linton said. “When we closed the doors, and it was just us, it was hard… If it wasn’t for our faith, I don’t know if we would have got through it as a couple.”

Through the SCRF, the Linton family has raised more than $8 million and funded 32 research projects globally. Proceeds from This Little Light of Mine directly support two primary research centres: one in Cleveland, Ohio, and the other at CHU SteJustine in Montreal.

At the book launch in June, Dr. Alexey Pshezhetsky, a lead researcher from Montreal, spoke to attendees about how the foundation’s $1 million bursary is helping research that has now reached the cusp of clinical trials, Linton said.

“Seeing Elisa’s legacy live on in both Cleveland and Montreal… you can’t really put it into words,” Linton said. “It’s a real blessing.”

For the Lintons, their cottage in Minden holds a particularly special place in Elisa’s memory.

“We would sit her in the screened-in porch so she could feel the breeze and hear the activity on the waterfront,” Linton recalled. “She loved it here.”

A plaque sits outside, near the screened porch next to a tree planted in Elisa’s honour, marking the spot where her ashes are buried overlooking the lake she loved.

Sales from This Little Light of Mine go directly to the SCRF.

Copies can be ordered directly through the foundation’s website at alifeforelisa.org or by emailing elisabeth@ alifeforelisa.org.

Haliburton’s biggest party of the summer went off without a hitch at Head Lake Park on Tuesday (Aug. 4) as Haliburton Rotary presented its annual Summerfest. Running from 4 to 8 p.m., residents were free to check out various booths, with free kids activities, face-painting, hot air balloon rides and family games available.

Rotary volunteers were selling beef on a bun and hot dogs, with complimentary cotton candy and popcorn given away.

Music in the Park featured County rocker Ryan Van Lee, while the evening ended as it traditionally does – with the revealing of the Rotary club’s car draw.

This year’s winner was Greg Bishop from Algonquin Highlands, who gets to choose between a 2026 Chevrolet AWD Trailblazer or $40,000 cash.

By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

As Haliburton County hits the summer halfway mark, tourism traffic is keeping pace with 2025 numbers, but local businesses said tightening consumer budgets, rising wholesale costs, and unpredictable weather, are hitting profits.

County of Haliburton tourism manager, Angelica Ingram, told The Highlander in a recent interview that welcome centre visits and regional traffic are on par compared to last year’s strong performance, despite a sluggish spring start across the region.

“Last year was a good summer, so if we can stay close to those numbers, we don’t even need to surpass them,” Ingram said.

While the tourism manager noted it’s still early in terms of data, June was down slightly in visitors, but July has made up for that. She pointed to key events such as the Haliburton Art and Craft Festival and the Highlands Summer Festival, where Anne of Green Gables sold more than 90 per cent of available tickets.

“I think where we’re at right now for summer visitors is making most of the businesses and the operators happy,” Ingram said. “If we can maintain the consistency, that’s great, and so far, we seem to be doing that.”

To help entice visitor traffic during the current economic outlook, the County focused on shorter getaway promotions to lure people from southern Ontario. Ingram explained the County distributed about 12,000 copies of its explore map through The Globe and Mail on July 1, which resulted in a spike of phone calls to the tourism department with people asking about two-to three-night road trips.

But, despite steady foot traffic, retail businesses noted that overall visitor spending has become somewhat conservative.

“There are a lot of challenges right now… there is price sensitivity and challenges with input costs into businesses,” Amanda Conn of the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce told The Highlander.

Mathew Renda, co-owner of Boshkung Brewing Co., said he’s seeing the economic shift play out firsthand. He said while there’s been higher foot traffic at Boshkung Social in Minden, overall transaction sizes are down.

Gas price and weather impacts

“We’re seeing more people, but they’re just spending less,” Renda said, adding the trend may partly be because of gas prices keeping cottagers closer to their properties. “Gas prices are kind of through the roof right now, and more people, I feel, are kind of hunkering down.”

The wild weather has also played a role for many businesses.

At Algonquin Outfitters in downtown Haliburton, Scott Swaga said overall revenue is up, mainly driven by seasonal cottagers purchasing big-ticket water sports gear. He noted recent wildfire smoke temporarily slowed mid-week foot traffic.

Down the street at Redmans Records, the wet weather has helped boost sales as visitors look for indoor activities when the rain keeps them out of the lake. But with rising wholesale costs and shipping fees from distributors, the store owner said it’s squeezing profit margins.

“Every single distributor has sent an email this year saying prices are being updated and going up,” Kelsey Redman said. “I am focusing more now on used vinyl, used equipment, used instruments, because it’s just not possible otherwise.”

Businesses on the main streets of Minden and Haliburton are also navigating seasonal construction and parking restrictions as well as foot traffic disruptions from sidewalk upgrades. In response, small business owners are relying on organic cross-promotions, social media sharing, and word-of-mouth recommendations to keep customers moving through nearby stores.

“I kind of like the idea of businesses helping each other,” Redman said. “It’s nothing on paper, but we do often tell each other to go to each other’s places, and I’ll have other store owners come over for coffee, and they’ll mention they send people here. And I’ll mention I send people there all the time, too.”

The County and business leaders are banking on shoulderseason events such as fall colour tours, the Studio Tour Haliburton Highlands, and Hike Haliburton to help sustain business momentum through the fall.

Shortly after Dysart et al council appointed Pat Casey deputy mayor until October’s municipal election, mayor Walt McKechnie criticized the mandated provincial process used to direct the township’s next steps following the death of previous council figurehead, Murray Fearrey.

Addressing council Tuesday (July 28), McKechnie said it had been a difficult few weeks for elected officials and municipal staff still reeling from Fearrey’s sudden death in May.

“I understand there’s a Municipal Act, that this process here is supposed to be fair… but we’re all still in shock and mourning of our dear friend,” McKechnie said. “To put this on council’s plate, to me, is unfair,” he added, referencing the choice members had to make this week between Casey and Ward 2 coun. Nancy Wood-Roberts, who also put her name forward.

McKechnie said he wasn’t a fan of the prolonged process, either. Since Fearrey’s death on May 28, council has convened four times, with each meeting bringing a different step in the process.

On June 16, the mayor’s seat was declared vacant. At council’s June 23 meeting, CAO Tamara Wilbee provided a brief update to say nominations were open. McKechnie was appointed at a July 9 special meeting, with the deputy mayor seat officially vacated. It was finally filled at this week’s meeting.

CAO Tamara Wilbee told council there are strict guidelines municipalities must follow when filling a seat vacated early in a term. Officials must first determine whether a seat is going to be filled through by-election or appointment, a process itself guided by timelines, and advertise publicly before proceeding.

Because of the length of time it’s taken to get to this point, Wilbee said there’s no need to fill the seventh seat on council. The Municipal Act states any vacancy declared within 90 days of election day does not need to be filled. Tuesday was exactly 90 days until election day Oct. 26.

After Casey and Wood-Roberts each staked a claim for the temporary deputy mayor position, McKechnie said he would have been more comfortable choosing names from a hat than registering a vote.

“All the councillors here have so much respect for both of you. We’ve been together now for four years. I know there’s not going to be any animosity, we all understand what we’re doing here representing the municipality of Dysart… but, to me, this whole thing could have been done differently,” McKechnie said.

Casey wins vote 4-2

With support from councillors Tammy Donaldson, Barry Boice and Carm Sawyer, Casey had a majority support. McKechnie backed Wood-Roberts.

After spending the past two County council meetings representing Dysart, Casey felt he was the right person to continue. He will contribute to upper-tier meetings Aug. 12, Sept. 9 and 23, and Oct. 14.

“I’m very passionate about everything that goes on here… deputy mayor is another stepping stone forward for me,” Casey said.

“I’m well-grounded, have a good practical knowledge of pretty much everything that goes on here, in business and in the public… I know I’ll do a good job, as I always have.”

Wood-Roberts, who has already confirmed she isn’t seeking re-election in October’s vote, felt she was the more appropriate choice to see the current term through as deputy mayor given Casey’s intent to run for mayor.

In a message to her fellow councillors before the vote, Wood-Roberts said, “I’m sure everyone has Dysart’s best interest in mind, but I feel a unanimous vote to move coun. Casey into the role could potentially lead the public, misinform them, or potentially have sway on the upcoming election and that wouldn’t be fair to the other candidates.”

Thus far there are two other people in the race with Casey – entrepreneur Andrew Nowell and former Ontario land surveyor Greg Bishop. The nomination deadline for candidates considering a run is Aug. 21.

Warden Dave Burton had some opening remarks as County council met for the first time in its new council chambers at 12 Newcastle St. in Minden July 22.

“Wow, it’s certainly nice to be here today … as you may have noticed things look a little bit different from when we used to meet across the road (at 11 Newcastle St). I’m extremely pleased with the looks and aesthetics, everything in the building,” Burton said.

He added “thanks to the vision, and dedication, and hard work of our County CAO and staff, these new council chambers will now serve as home for our meetings, an important gathering place for discussion and decision-making, and collaboration.”

He noted there was a wide range of accessibility upgrades, making the space “more inviting, inclusive and welcoming to all.

“On behalf of County council, I would sincerely like to thank everybody who helped to bring this vision to life, and we’re grateful for the time, care and effort that went into creating this space that will benefit residents, staff, council, and our community partners.”

Burton said they would hold an official grand opening at a later date when all of the work is completed in the building.

Minden Hills council voted not to adopt the municipality’s five-year strategic plan when it met last Thursday (July 23).

The decision followed a lengthy debate, and recorded vote. Voting against adopting were: councillors Ivan Ingram, Shirely Johannessen, Tammy McKelvey, and Bob Sisson. Mayor Bob Carter, deputy mayor Lisa Schell and coun. Pam Sayne were in favour.

In presenting the five-year plan, spanning 2026-2031, CAO Cynthia Fletcher said it was built on “comprehensive community engagement” in 2024-25.

“The strategic plan sets the priority areas of focus that will guide decision-making to achieve the long-term vision for the community. The plan is intended to be future-focused or aspirational and includes a clear vision for the future of Minden Hills,” Fletcher said.

She added, “annual business and, or work plans and recommendations for resource investment will be built around the priority areas of focus and incorporate many of the ideas gathered through the engagement processes.”

The strategic planning process was led by Karen Jones Consulting Inc. and drafted after talking to council, staff, residents, local businesses, and community organizations.

She said it is centred on four key priority areas: responsible growth and community well-being; visionary leadership; quality infrastructure and service; and fiscal responsibility and sustainability. Jones added external pressures, economic vulnerability, momentum and confidence were identified as risks.

Asked to adopt the report, Johannessen said she thought a strategic plan would be more effective at the beginning of a council term.

“It sets priorities early. A newly-elected council can agree on its vision, goals, and key projects before budgets and major decisions are made,” she said. Johannessen added it provides accountability.

She thought adopting a strategic plan just months before October’s election could tie the hands of an incoming council that may have different priorities.

Fletcher said she would have liked to have had a strategic plan in place when she started with the municipality twoand-a-half years ago, but did not. She was concerned about the optics of deferring, saying a plan “had been long expected, with a lot of input from the community.”

Fletcher noted they would be reviewing the study early in the new council term, and annually, with a comprehensive review mid-term. She was further worried the new council would have a “huge” learning curve; and adopting a strategic plan “could be a bit daunting.”

McKelvey said best practice appeared to be undertaking a strategic planning process at the beginning of each council term. She wanted financial information updated as well. She was happy to accept the plan as information only, but refer it to the next council, which she hoped could adopt a plan in its first three months.

Sayne disagreed. “This is something that came from our community with a great deal of consultation, and with expertise doing the analysis and putting this together. If we talk about governance being slow, this is why governance is slow. We don’t make decisions.

“There’s some really good information and grounding information here that we can move forward with. (Staff) need some footing from us to say ‘this is where our community wants us to go’.”

Ingram responded, “I love the report. Everything in it, but I don’t think it’s our time to make the decision on this.”

Schell argued the community had input into the plan and “their seats aren’t changing come Oct. 26… The items listed are what our community wants to see. Regardless of who’s sitting here next, I would hope that they would follow the plan of what the community wants and not just go off on their own. I see this as a living document, a great roadmap for the new council to come in…” She did not see it as binding councillors.

Carter felt it was council’s responsibility to approve the plan, with the next council deciding how to execute it. He said it was something that had been worked on for years and “made no sense to push off.”

The clock is officially ticking on the Irondale church.

Eighteen years after the 19th century parish was deconsecrated, the volunteer group that initially saved the building from ruin has put out a warning to the community – new leadership needs to come forward by the end of September or risk seeing the space that was once the hamlet’s beating heart die forever.

Douglas Rodger, a member of Bark Lake Cultural Developments (BLCD), the residents’ group that owns the church site, said the situation really is that desperate. Meeting with The Highlander last week, Rodger confirmed the organization’s current president, Carol Simmons, is retiring from her position in September.

Because BLCD has charitable status through the Canada Revenue Agency, it must always maintain a three-person executive; someone filling the roles of secretary, treasurer and president. If an entity is unable to meet those requirements, they lose charitable status and are mandated to liquidate and donate all existing assets, Rodger said.

Simmons said she’s been president since 2008 and filling all three positions for much of 2026. She presented her resignation letter to the BLCD board last December, initially wanting to finish by May. She pushed her retirement back hoping to give the group more time to find replacements.

“If nobody steps up then I’ll formalize things on my end and the CRA will tell us we have to sell everything, liquidate – and that means the building, too. So we’d lose the church and then have to give the money away,” Simmons said, noting that was the commitment the group made when securing charitable status several years ago.

Background

The historic white building located at the corner of Irondale and Salerno Lake roads has fostered community connection since it was built in 1887. It was financed by a U.S. industrialist, Charles Pusey, who invested heavily in local iron mining. His wife, Ruth, was instrumental in forming the first congregation.

It officially became an Anglican Church in the early 1900s and remained so for almost a century, known as St. John’s. It was deconsecrated in 2008, with a final service held on Aug. 29, 2010.

Shortly after the church closed, the Toronto Diocese put the Irondale site on the market. Loathe to lose a building with so much history, a group of prominent families came together to buy the property. Simmons said the locals just finished paying off the $95,000 mortgage in April.

Simmons said it was her husband, Fred, born and raised in Irondale, who did a lot of the active boots-on-the-ground day-today work that needed doing. He died in February 2023.

“It’s been tough. I’ve just reached the end of my time [with the church]. A lot of times the stuff I do is something anybody can do. It just needs to be done,” Simmons said.

Asked about her favourite memories, Simmons chuckled when reminiscing about old wild game dinners held every July.

“Fred used to do all the hunting and cooking for those dinners – they were always a big deal. We’d get 200 people at least. He always managed the kitchen end, and I did the front of house. We always worked well together,” Simmons said, noting the longtime event didn’t survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

Help needed

It’s been a quiet few years at the church since. Rodger said they’re back to hosting informal non-denominational gatherings on Sundays that are open to anyone – even those who don’t have an active relationship with God.

“Religion doesn’t have the same hold over people today that it used to, but folks still need community and a place to gather. I think that’s what this place offers,” Rodger said.

Working in show business, Rodger said he’s lined up one potential final performance at the church Aug. 22. Folk trio Mystikana will play a set beginning at 7 p.m. It’s the latest in a long line of concerts Rodger has been responsible for organizing since 2015.

“We’ve had some great times here – performances from Albert Saxby, who is known to County residents. We had Russell DeCarle here, who was a Juno award winner; Stephen Fearing; Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar,” he said, noting the church can fit up to 100 people.

After spending a month in Spain last year and marveling at the 15th century Catedral de Sevilla, a core piece of the city’s history and identity, Rodger said he wants to do everything he can to ensure the Irondale Church lives to see 140. It will celebrate the milestone in 2027.

Turning 75 this year – and with many of the BLCD team now in their senior years, Rodger said it will be up to the next generation to lead the charge.

“We haven’t given up on community yet – even though we’re scattered across a vast area, we still need to find ways to come together, and the church gives us an opportunity to do that.”

Looking out towards the highway, Rodger, a cottager in the area since 1994, said he’s learned a lot about the history of Irondale – most of it through conversations sparked at the church.

“There used to be a livery stables just down the way, a hotel over there and another hotel out that way,” Rodger said, pointing in all directions. “This was a booming town back at the time the church was built. I think the community would be losing the heart of what Irondale is if the church was forced to close.”

He said the facility isn’t a financial burden, costing $6,000 to $7,000 per year to run, barring any major repairs – which have been few and far between in recent years. The issue is manpower.

“We’re hoping to fix that – you don’t need to live in Irondale, as long as you have a car, can drive and have an interest in history and community then we have a place for you,” Rodger said.

Interested candidates can email: rodger. douglasa@icloud.com.