Haliburton’s housing need is great

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December 2, 2021

Over the past several weeks, I’ve found myself writing about a myriad of issues relating to housing in the Highlands. While the stories may be different, there’s a common theme stringing them together – availability, or lack thereof, and affordability. This isn’t new. Housing has been an issue in Haliburton County long before I pitched up with pen and paper. And that, in and of itself, is the problem.

We’re all well aware of what’s going on now, so why aren’t we doing anything about it? I hear people admitting there’s a lack of housing in the Highlands, and that we sympathize with those who find themselves, quite literally, on the outside looking in. I’ve listened as various individuals and community groups emphasize their support for affordable housing.

So, again, why is it we haven’t seen any substantive movement on the handful of projects and developments that have been brought forward over the past year?

Dysart council agreed to give away land on Wallings Road more than a year ago to support the development of a 48-unit affordable housing complex, to be managed by Places for People. Since then, miles of bureaucratic red tape have held the project up, to the point that some area residents are questioning whether or not construction will ever get underway.

Concerns have been raised about potential projects that would see apartments built on Grass Lake, the corner of Maple Avenue and Victoria Street in Haliburton village, in Glebe Park, and along Hwy. 35 in Minden. Together, along with the Places for People project, it’s estimated these builds could bring well over 200 new rental units.

It’s easy and far too simplistic to suggest these concerns are simple NIMBYism. I’ve spoken to many of these people. For the most part, they’re level-headed and well researched.

Their anxieties surrounding safety and environmental impacts aren’t unfounded.

Still, I feel the need to reiterate that there are people living in our community right now without a home. According to the Kawartha Lakes Haliburton Housing Corporation, there are at least 15 families, seven seniors and seven youth without a fixed address in the Highlands, with a further 10 households sleeping outside, in a vehicle or a seasonal trailer.

Michelle Corley, manager of the program, said she’s never seen the situation this bad before. It’s important to note that these aren’t just low-income families. These are working professionals, some of them well paid. I spoke with one family at a recent Places for People fundraiser.

They’re living on one income, but were comfortable as recently as 12 months ago when they were renting a place in Minden.

Now, they’re splitting time between a trailer and a seasonal cottage, after their landlord decided to sell. They have spent months trying to find a more permanent solution, to no avail. I’ve heard stories from nurses who moved from the GTA and promptly left again after finding it impossible to secure suitable accommodation.

The lack of inventory is driving people away, and others outdoors. It’s time for difficult decisions, such as having to choose between giving a person a home, or what’s deemed to be a marginal piece of wetland, or disrupting a property owner’s home comforts, for which there is no decision at all.

Our community is growing.

Ten-year projections suggest we’re going to see an influx of more than 2,000 new residents by 2031. Experts are predicting we’ll need to build around 1,200 new units to meet demand. Our only option is to develop within our urban centres, where new builds can tap into existing infrastructure.

This type of vacant land is scarce, meaning we need to build where we can. We need to stop dragging our feet.

This situation isn’t going to get better on its own. We need municipal leaders to be strong, and our community to be open-minded and accepting of development.

Roberts, Kennedy cleared of Wallings road conflict of interest

By

Mike Baker

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December 2, 2021

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Dysart’s top two elected officials have been given the green light to continue participating in talks over the proposed Places for People affordable housing development slated for Wallings Road.
Mayor Andrea Roberts and deputy mayor Pat Kennedy were each accused of having a conflict of interest by area resident Andy Muirhead who, in a recent letter submitted to council, asked that they recuse themselves from any future discussion of, and decision on the prospective development.

Muirhead’s claims stem from the fact that Roberts resides on nearby Halbiem Crescent and is a member of the Haliburton By The Lake Property Owners’ Association, whose president Tim Negus appeared before council Nov. 23 to voice his group’s collective opposition to the Places for People project.

Kennedy has family who reside in the neighbourhood. The project has hit something of a snag in recent months, with the County expressing concern over the ability of the existing Wallings Road/CR 21 intersection to handle what would be a massively increased flow of traffic.

It has been suggested that a go-between road connecting Wallings and Halbiem could alleviate those concerns.

Muirhead indicated that since Roberts and Kennedy have “actual or clearly apparent conflicts surrounding the consideration of traffic routing” at the location, that they couldn’t be trusted to make an impartial decision.

He went as far as to suggest that council, influenced by Roberts and Kennedy, had deliberately avoided properly discussing a potential Wallings/Halbiem thoroughfare – something he believes would be the “safer and more reasonable option.”

While an official complaint has not been submitted, Roberts and Kennedy took it upon themselves to reach out to the municipality’s integrity commissioner, Harold Elston, earlier this month to get his input on the situation. “Deputy mayor Kennedy and I felt it best to face the allegations head-on,” Roberts said.

In her correspondence with Elston, Roberts asked three questions: if, as a member of the HBTL property owners’ association she was in a direct or indirect conflict when the president appeared as a delegation to express the group’s opposition to the development; does the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act have an exemption where the interest of the general public overrides any direct or in direct conflict; and does she have a conflict over discussions regarding the intersections of Wallings/CR 21 and Halbiem/CR 21.

Elston found that, since HBTL does not have a direct pecuniary interest (financial) in the matter, Roberts did not have a conflict. In Kennedy’s case, he asked Elston if, since his daughter resides in the HBTL subdivision and may be affected by decisions made concerning this project, he is in a direct or indirect conflict pertaining to potential changes to the road access, or the project in general. Elston determined he was not.

“As I understand it, your daughter’s home is not a competing development site, nor is it adjacent to the property that Places for People would like to purchase and develop … Their property is at a considerable distance from the site and will not be impacted in any way by the proposed development. Accordingly, your daughter does not have a direct pecuniary interest and, therefore, you have no deemed direct pecuniary interest,” Elston wrote.

“Based on what you have told me … you may participate in these matters without fear of contravening the [municipal] code.”

Sleeping in Cars event rakes in over $12,000

By

Mike Baker

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November 25, 2021

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It was a long, cold night for a group of 14 area residents Nov. 19 as Places for People held its Sleeping in Cars fundraiser under the stars at Abbey Gardens.

The event was a “tremendous success,” according to lead organizer Nataly Mylan, raising more than $12,000 to help Places for People with its mandate of providing affordable living spaces to some of the community’s most in-need residents.

Fay Martin was the top individual fundraiser, bringing in more than $5,200, with remote participants ‘The Chilly Chicks’ raising more than $3,000. Various county residents, including Minden councillor Bob Carter and Dysart mayor Andrea Roberts, stopped by over the course of the evening to drop off donations.

“I think the night went very well … I am extremely thrilled at the amount raised. I believe people really appreciate how difficult life would be without safe, secure, stable housing,” Mylan said. “We are grateful to have such a generous community.”

Having spent an uncomfortable evening in her car, Mylan said she has certainly gained a new appreciation for the home comforts she often takes for granted.

“Privacy is non-existent in a car, and with two teenage kids that is especially problematic. There was no way I was going to exit my ‘cocoon’ once I was in bed, so calls to the bathroom were ignored,” Mylan said. “And we were without our loyal dog companion, something that seems insignificant considering the magnitude of being without a home, but I was reminded of the comfort and love we would not have without him.”

Emily Stonehouse, a board member with Places for People, feels it’s important that the organization host events such as Sleeping in Cars to remind area residents that, even though they may not see people sleeping on the sidewalk along Highland Street in Haliburton or Bobcaygeon Road in Minden, homelessness is a real problem in our community.

That fact was showcased eloquently on the night by a local couple who, for reasons outside of their control, have found themselves without a home since April.

The pair, who asked that their names be withheld from publication, have lived in Haliburton County since 1987. They owned a place of their own before selling in 2016. Since then, they rented a small place in Minden, but were given an eviction notice earlier this year after their landlord sold the property.

“We’ve been looking, but just haven’t been able to find anything we can afford. The monthly cost for rental properties now is way crazy. It’s more than double what we were paying before,” one of them stated.

As of press time, there were just two online postings for apartments in Haliburton County on Kijiji, a three-bedroom house in Minden listed at $2,000 a month and a one-bedroom apartment in Haliburton listed at $1,400 per month.

The couple spent the summer living in a trailer on a friend’s property. They have recently moved into a small cottage, although they can only stay there until May. Looking long-term, they are considering pooling their money with a family member to try and find a place where they can all live.

“We don’t want to live together, but that’s the only option that we have right now in order to find something. We’ll be 63 soon. We want to live alone, but this is the situation we’re faced with.”

Places for People is currently working with Dysart et al and the County on a proposal to develop an affordable housing complex on Wallings Road in Haliburton. The project, if approved, will feature up to 48 one-and-two-bedroom apartments.

All money raised through the Sleeping in Cars event will go towards the Wallings Road proposal, Mylan said.

“We have the opportunity to respond to our needs in our own unique way; to ensure that we keep our retail workers, our seasonal workers, our elders, and everyone in between in a dignified way that benefits our communities as a whole,” Mylan said of the project.

Relocating a little piece of Minden history

By

Mike Baker

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November 25, 2021

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Having spent the best part of a week restoring “a cool piece of Minden’s history” over the summer, Sharon Lake resident Brian McGroarty wants to reassure area residents that an old lighthouse, that for decades sat on a property overlooking Hwy. 35, lives on.

In August, while returning home from a morning scouring for goodies at area garage sales, McGroarty and his partner Jan Delville noticed something different about the lighthouse they had long admired – it had a small ‘for sale’ sign attached to it.

“This lighthouse has been on that property forever, I think for over 40 years” McGroarty said, referencing the home immediately north of the Kawartha Dairy and Minden Coin Wash. “I love something that has history and character, and when you come across something like this it really doesn’t get any better.”

McGroarty spent $100 to acquire the lighthouse and a further $100 to restore it. The finished product now sits in his backyard on Sharon Lake Drive, overlooking the water.

Many of his neighbours and visitors to the lake have marvelled at the structure, McGroarty said. The couple are renowned in their neighbourhood for decorating their property with antiques and collectibles.

Adding the lighthouse was an opportunity McGroarty says he could not pass up. Now, it will serve as the crown jewel of their lakefront home.

“When I tell friends and family about the lighthouse, their immediate reaction is to go ‘aww, you got that?’ I think a lot of people have recognized it over the years, which is why I wanted to come forward and let people know where they can find it,” McGroarty said. “I think people will have noticed it’s not there anymore. I know that I have it, and I still find myself looking towards that same spot when I drive by.”

He and Delville said they would welcome any visitor who wanted to stop by, check it out and get a few photos.

“It’s a piece of Minden history. We don’t just want to keep it for ourselves,” Delville said.

As well as the main structure, which stands around eight feet tall, McGroarty also took possession of a smaller lighthouse, which he says he plans to refurbish next year. While he doesn’t yet know where he will put that lighthouse, he says it will be well away from the main structure – likely on the front of his property, overlooking Sharon Lake Drive.

“I’ve always been attracted to these little oddities. I see beauty in things old and worn down,” McGroarty said. “I’m just so happy to have been able to get my hands on this lighthouse. It really did deserve to be fixed up and showed off. It’s a beautiful piece.”

Former teacher loved and respected by all

By

Mike Baker

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November 25, 2021

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A former auto shop teacher at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School is being remembered for his boundless community spirit, and a “kind and gentle” nature that resonated with students and family alike.

Bill Johnston was an institution at the local school for more than 30 years having taught there from 1967 until his retirement in 1998. Over the years he taught hundreds of students how to change a tire, identify issues under a car’s hood, and make simple repairs.

On Oct. 29, he passed away at the age of 80, shortly after suffering a stroke. His family held a memorial service in his honour last week at Haliburton Community Funeral Home. Dozens of people attended in-person, with a virtual offering made available to those who couldn’t be there.

“I have come to realize just how amazing and exceptional my dad was.

He was a truly gentle, caring and sensitive man who could command the attention of a room without being loud or boisterous,” said son, Mark Johnston. He shared stories of the guidance his father offered him while growing up: how he was supportive when, on the pair’s first hunting trip, Mark had trouble pulling the trigger and making his first kill; or, when Mark was about to embark on an overseas mission trip, offering a piece of wisdom that changed his son’s entire outlook on the adventure.

Tales of Bill’s humour also drew more than a few laughs. Mark recalled a time when he and his friend, Benton Brown, were out in his back yard hitting a few golf balls.

“My dad strolled out with a book under his arm and walked up to Benton and said, ‘I was just going through some stuff in the house and I found something that I thought you might find useful.’ He handed Benton the book, which was called ‘Golfing for Women’,” Mark said. “Then he just walked away. It was so funny, and I still think about that all the time.”

Born in Haliburton in 1942, Johnston spent the majority of his life living in the community. Upon graduating from HHSS in the early 1960s, he took on a mechanic apprenticeship at Curry Motors. He then moved to Oshawa, working at another Chevrolet dealership, before returning home and, ultimately, rounding out his professional career by moving into education. In 1975, he married Jane Stokes – also a teacher at HHSS. Together, the pair had two children, Mark and Tammy.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Tammy said her dad actually foreshadowed the event, and had but one request.

“Dad told me once about a funeral he had been to. The minister had approached him and said, ‘when we grieve, what we’re actually doing is feeling sorry for ourselves because our loved ones are no longer with us. The truth is, they’re doing just one, and they’re in a better place,” Tammy said.

“Dad then said, ‘when my time comes, I don’t want people to make a big fuss or get upset. I just want them to remember the good things.’ I see a lot of truth and value in that story. “When I look back on the last 34 years I got to spend with dad, there are so many good things to remember and be grateful for that it almost doesn’t make sense to be sad,” she added. “I remember the good things. Dad’s spirit is very much still there, and the connection remains. And I know he’s doing just fine on the other side.”

Talent readies for Highlands Christmas Shindig

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 25, 2021

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The Highlands Christmas Shindig “now has a life of its own” as organizers ready for the Nov. 27 event Mike Jaycock said.

“The wonderful talent lineup has been rehearsing and they’re all primed and ready to go,” he said. “ We’ll have a live audience, which will be wonderful for the performers too.”

Jaycock said the volunteer production staff have been working diligently to create stages, backdrops, sound, lighting and technical equipment to stream the signal via YouTube (search Highlands Christmas Shindig), Facebook (Highlands Christmas Shindig page) and fuelforwarmth.com.

Three cameras will capture all the fun and, thanks to a strong internet feed at the Haliburton Legion, they will have a clean, clear video stream.

Close to 30 production volunteers are involved in the planning and delivery of the fundraiser. Many have been working on it since the late spring.

“It’s so typical of the Highlands that, when there’s a worthy cause, the good’uns pitch in and make it happen. All that remains is for our viewing audience to join us Saturday evening and be generous in their giving to Fuel for Warmth. They’ll be able to do that at fuelforwarmth.com,” Jaycock said.

The tech team, led by Tammy Rae, will be doing live feeds on Saturday, every hour for five minutes, from noon to 6 p.m. “This will give folks an opportunity to access the feed on their smart tv, computer or tablet and test it out. People will get to see snippets of the tech rehearsal and the flurry of activity at the Legion. How fun is that?

“We hope people near and far join us to celebrate Haliburton talent, visiting guests, and the fun. After all, it’s in support of a cause close to all our hearts.”

The Haliburton Christmas Shindig is Saturday evening at 7.30 p.m.

Highlands Summer Festival to make 2022 return

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 25, 2021

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The Highlands Summer Festival will kick off its 2022 theatre season in July with a world-famous Richard Rodger and Oscar Hammerstein musical.

The announcement of the new season was made by artistic producer Scot Denton and festival president Brian Kipping Nov. 14.

“It will be an exciting year for the festival,” Denton said.

“The Highlands Summer Festival will be celebrating its return to the stage leading off with The Sound of Music July 4 for 10 performances, including three matinees,” Denton said.

Kipping added, “We are so excited to finally be presenting the season we promised you before our theatre, and the world for that matter, went dark. We knew from the enthusiastic response to the announcement in 2019 that we should make every effort to bring that season and we have.”

In addition to The Sound of Music, the festival season includes: Oscar Wilde’s satirical The Importance of Being Earnest, the touching Every Brilliant Thing and feature a rollicking performance from Marshall Button as Lucien and a memory evoking, toe tapping rock concert, Across the Pond (The British Invasion), with Leisa Way and the Wayward Wind Band.

The season will run from July 4-August 11.

Details for the shows can be found on the festival’s newly refreshed website, highlandssummerfestival.on.ca .

Included in the schedule are eight matinee performances with special youth pricing of $20 for those 18 and younger. Single tickets will still be available for $37.50 Season passes, which include all five shows, are now on sale for $160. Passes can be purchased online, by phone 705-457-9933, 1-855-457-9933 or by mail at Box 678, Haliburton, Ontario, K0M 1S0. Season passes will be on sale until Jan. 31, 2022.

Committee worries about IB+O bridge

By

Sam Gillett

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November 25, 2021

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Highlands East trail and outdoors committee will seek engineers to conduct a structural assessment of the IB&O rail trail bridge.

If the committee receives a suitable quote, they can forward the decision for Highlands East council’s approval.

“I think we’re doing the right thing by bringing this forward to council,” said chairperson Coun. Cam McKenzie.

Committee members raised issues with the bridge, located near Farr Road, in the summer of 2020.

McKenzie estimated the wooden foundation is original, and other committee members pointed out makeshift supporting structures under the bridge seem unsafe.

“It seems as though they’re comprised of partial sections,” said member Peter Wood.

“To me, I don’t know how secure that is, If that’s a normal bridge-building practice. I’d think a proper review is worthwhile.”

The IB&O bridge regularly sees snowmobile traffic and increased ATV and side-by-side traffic.

For board member Frank Meurer, the bridge is a concern to riders.

“Having now seen the underside of the bridge, I’m a little more concerned than when I was riding on top of it,” said Frank Meurer.

It’s estimated an engineer’s review of the bridge could cost $2,500. Highlands East council will make the decision whether to hire a third-party inspector.

Incentives for landlords to start renting

By

Mike Baker

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November 25, 2021

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After successfully piloting a new rental incentive designed to combat homelessness across the region last year, the Kawartha Lakes Haliburton Housing Corporation is kicking the program into overdrive this winter in the hopes of alleviating one of the region’s most serious and complex issues.

In its inaugural year, the rapid re-housing program found homes for 34 families from across Haliburton County and the City of Kawartha Lakes. Michelle Corley, manager of the regional housing authority, says that 85 per cent of those households remain housed 14 months later.

“We have seen a lot of success with this program since it was introduced. During the initial run last year, during the height of the pandemic, we did see a few landlords in the Haliburton area take advantage of it, and that helped some really vulnerable people find a home,” Corley said.

Through the initiative, the housing corporation offers landlords with vacant apartments a variety of supports and incentives, including funding to help prepare a unit for move-in, two months of pre-paid rent, and last month’s rent guarantee. Further security is provided to landlords in the form of compensation for damages beyond regular wear and tear and assistance in recovering any rent arrears. The housing authority also commits to carrying out weekly check-ins with tenants, and monthly check-ins with landlord to ensure things are going smoothly.

Any homeowner with a vacant unit, or with one that will soon be available, can apply for the incentive. Corley says while it’s designed to subsidize standalone living units, they may also consider co-habitation situations, such as someone looking to rent out a room in their home.

“We won’t say no, initially, to anything. We’ll work with landlords as much as we can,” Corley said.

In an attempt to learn the full extent of the region’s homelessness problem, the City of Kawartha Lakes led a homeless enumeration exercise in September aimed at finding people experiencing homelessness. Staff surveyed 80 individuals and families experiencing homeless across Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County.

Delving deeper into the statistics, Corley said there are currently more than 150 homeless households in the area. In Haliburton County, the survey found 15 families, seven seniors and seven youth who were living without a fixed addressed, and a further 10 households considered unsheltered and sleeping either outside, in a vehicle or a seasonal trailer.

“The number of individuals and families who are currently sleeping outside or in vehicles is significantly higher than what we have previously experienced,” Corley said.

While she acknowledged some people experiencing homelessness suffer from mental health and substance abuse issues, there’s been an alarming growth in the number of working households who have found themselves without a home over the past 12 months.

“We are seeing rents significantly increase, and we are seeing the amount of available or advertised private rental units significantly decrease, so those are certainly very concerning trends,” she said. “In all circumstances, homelessness is often related to a lack of housing. And we know that there’s a significant lack of housing in the County.”

Corley said the strength of the local housing market was exacerbating the issue, with many landlords choosing to sell their homes to maximize their investment while prices are high.

“We have seen a lot of people dispersed because of that, and because there’s nothing available these people often have nowhere to go,” she said.

For more information about the rapid re-housing program, visit kawarthalakes. ca/housing, or contact Jessica Little at 705-324-9870 ext. 3427 or jlittle@ kawarthalakes.ca.

Library lands free streaming service

By

Sam Gillett

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November 25, 2021

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The Haliburton County Public Library is rolling out a new video streaming service.

Anyone with a HCPL library card will soon have free access to Kanopy, a streaming service used by more than 45 million library patrons worldwide.

The program was funded with a $2,200 donation from the Haliburton Rotary Club.

HCPL CEO Chris Stephenson said the program “strikes a balance between education and entertainment which is what libraries strive to do.”

It includes top-rated dramas such as “Call me by your name”, “Lady Bird” and deepdive documentaries such as “The Facebook Dilemma.” New titles are added regularly.

“More than 6,800 library users can get the app on their phone, laptop or on some smart TVs as well,” Stephenson said. “It’s actually considered a gold-standard platform for public libraries.”

Stephenson said the program is a low-cost alternative to Netflix and other services, offering Highlanders “things to do with their families that are low cost and brings them together.”

Users get a set amount of credits to redeem for Kanopy titles per month.

“You don’t have to pick up a DVD or worry about returning them. If your credits are out, you just wait until the next month when they are restored,” Stephenson said.

He said Kanopy means the library can host new events too.

Often licenses to show films in libraries by large producers such as Disney can cost hundreds of dollars.

“That’s impossible for many libraries,” said Stephenson.

With Kanopy, if all viewers have a library card the library can host movie nights, film clubs and more.

“It opens up the door for many possibilities,” he said.

After a short staff testing period, Kanopy will be available to library patrons within a couple of weeks. Those interested in a library card can now get one online through the HCPL website.

Stephenson said Kanopy is another step in continuing to build the library’s digital services, which already include free access to e-books, learning experiences offered by National Geographic and event online databases such as Ancestry.ca.

“The library has something for everyone,” Stephenson said. “We always tell people it’s probably changed if it’s been a year or five years since you’ve been in.”