Minden business helping the environment

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February 9, 2020

A few months ago, in response to overwhelming evidence that the earth is being smothered in plastic, Sobeys announced that, this month, they will begin using only paper grocery bags in pilot stores. In response, Loblaws immediately informed the public they would continue selling plastic bags. Some corporations have no conscience.

We would like to honour our small businesses for their conscience and contributions to helping reduce single use plastics in Minden.

Up River Trading Co. has always put purchases in paper bags. They now have fully compostable coffee cups. They no longer sell bottled water, but they do sell a variety of reusable items such as bees wax food wrap, stainless steel straws (paper ones as well) and a wide variety of stainless steel drink containers.

Unique Floral Designs uses brown paper wrapping, paper shopping bags and some recycled ribbon.

Coneybeare’s still uses butcher paper and string for wrapping meat.

Organic Times sells locallymade cloth bags and now has a large line of eco-friendly products. Paper bags are available for bin products as well as funnels for those who wish to bring their own containers. Purchases are placed in paper or biodegradable plastic bags.

Minden River Cone uses paper takeout containers. Molly’s Bistro provides cardboard containers for take-home baking and paper sandwich bags. Straws are only given when requested.

Graham’s Farm Market sells eggs in paper cartons and customers bring their own bags for produce at their home stand. V&S sells metal straws and stainless steel containers.

Mark’s Restaurant uses foil containers with paper or styrofoam lids and cardboard boxes for take-out, which is placed in paper bags.

Nourished sells much of its vegan and vegetarian fare in glass jars. They use biodegradable cellulose containers but encourage patrons to bring their own. They feel it is challenging for small businesses to offer environmentallyfriendly options because of the limitations placed on them by the health unit and government.

The Dominion Hotel uses paper napkins made from recycled material, has recyclable drink cups and paper bags for take-out orders. Compostable straws will be provided on request.

Boshkung Brewing/Rhubarb use fully compostable containers for their take-aways. Thanks to EAT! for the many sustainable products they sold.

Ommmh Boutique is now in the building and there could possibly be a limited amount of food in the future as well as fillyour-own, shampoo etc.

Foodland now sells mesh produce bags.

The municipality does not provide bottled water in its facility. Office staff, council etc. use tap water (some use the Brita) but there is no plastic. It is important for governments at all levels to set an example and for all of us to do our part, as well.

Enjoy your paper bags from Foodland when they arrive but when you shop at Valumart, please bring your own bag. Don’t feed Loblaws’ corporate greed by helping them make millions of dollars a year polluting our planet.

Hub provides help for youth in need

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Joseph Quigley, Local Journalism Initiative Repoter

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February 7, 2020

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JQ - Youth Hub - web — Organizers and dignitaries gather outside the Haliburton Youth Wellness Hub to celebrate its official opening Feb. 6. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

Haliburton Youth Wellness Hub steering committee member Joey Varga told an audience she has first-hand knowledge of why youth services in Haliburton needed to change.

Helping develop and get funding for the hub became part of the 19-year-old’s healing journey, she said. After her family went through a challenging process in the health care system, she lost her 19-year-old brother Morgan Kessler to suicide in 2017.

“We felt we needed to do something that would make a difference in the system,” Varga said. “Morgan needed something like this. The youth everywhere needed something like this. And I’m thankful to be able to say I have been involved in making it happen. As a team, the youth in the community together with our allies have begun to create a legacy. We are making a difference.”

The Haliburton Youth and Wellness Hub celebrated its official opening Feb. 6. Dozens of people toured the centre on Dysart Avenue, which offers youth recreation and a variety of walk-in health services.

The hub has been running for several months as construction on its basement and accessibility features continued, which Point in Time executive director Marg Cox said were completed two months ago. The location is aimed at ages 12-25 and acts as both a social gathering space and centre for services for mental health, addictions and counselling. It also features social supports, helping youth with employment, income and housing.

The hub was developed at the former site of the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church by a wide-range of organizational partners. It was part of a series of 10 such hubs built throughout Ontario and was funded in large part through a provincial three-year grant worth $975,000.

Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine Elliott was on hand for the opening. She said addressing mental health and addiction services is a priority for the provincial government. She also announced that provincial funding for the hub would continue in perpetuity.

“There’s no end date. This is a valuable resource in this community that’s obviously, quite clearly needed,” Elliott said. “There’s been so much community involvement in this.”

“With the creation of the youth hub, we as a community are saying we care,” Dysart et al Mayor Andrea Roberts said. “My hope for the youth hub is it gives teens a place to laugh, to share, to play music, to eat food, dance. But most importantly, to feel connected, supported and loved.”

Cox said now that a foundation of services is in place, organizers would take steps to add more to the hub.

“It is such a joy to have Haliburton youth have the kind of services they deserve and to see such a community effort pull together to make it happen,” she said.

Talitha Varga, Joey and Morgan’s mother, told the audience she can imagine her son would have used the youth hub and made connections there.

“I see a home for youth. A place for them to just be. To be heard, seen, supported and loved,” she said. “It is too late for Morgan, but I believe this youth hub will save lives.”

RECO issues freeze order

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Joseph Quigley, Local Journalism Initiative Repoter

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February 7, 2020

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JQ - REMAX suspension - 1-web — RE/MAX North Country Realty Inc. was suspended by the Real Estate Council of Ontario Dec. 31. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) has taken further action against RE/MAX North Country as it continues its investigation into a real estate trust account shortage.

RECO announced Jan. 28 it had issued a freeze order to the bank accounts of RE/MAX North Country and revoked its registration, as well as the registration of one of its owners, broker of record Ray Jarvis. This follows the suspension of those registrations Dec. 31 due to several concerns, including the brokerage’s management and financial position.

Minden RE/MAX agent Blake O’Byrne said at this point, the investigation and any punishments have little bearing on local agents. Most former RE/MAX North Country agents are now under the RE/MAX Professionals brokerage, which is moving into the area to fill the void.

“Locally, it has no effect. That company’s (RE/MAX North Country) not in operation,” he said.

The order prevents any more money from being withdrawn from the broker’s accounts. RECO said the investigation is ongoing but no further details could be shared at this time.

The process of unravelling the finances of the company will take some time, O’Byrne said. With RE/ MAX North Country frozen, any agent still owed commissions must file an insurance claim. He said it could take two or three years to pay out, though brokers already understood that when the investigation began.

“Hopefully, we’ll get most of our money down the road, but it’s a long process,” O’Byrne said.

Meanwhile, RE/MAX Professionals is getting more established, O’Byrne said. Agents are already working under the banner remotely and the brokerage said it plans to secure office space in the area very soon.

“Our RE/MAX agents are already active members of their communities and committed to helping home buyers and sellers across the region,” Leah Ambler, broker and owner of RE/ MAX Professionals, said. “We are excited to begin opening new office locations and become more integrated members of the community as a local business.”

“They put a whole company with 70 people into operation,” O’Byrne said. “What they’ve done has just been amazing … We’re still doing business left and right.”

Correction: The print version of this story in the Feb. 6 edition of The Highlander said the new brokerage was RE/MAX North Professionals. In fact, the brokerage is RE/MAX Professionals. The Highlander apologizes for the error.

What’s in a suspect’s name?

By

Joseph Quigley, Local Journalism Initiative Repoter

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February 7, 2020

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People love to read crime stories.

They eagerly dug into the news – announced Feb. 4 – that a large scale bust had taken place in Haliburton County the previous week.

Operation Imperial – as the cops dubbed it – was certainly huge, with 16 people charged as our community remains anxious about drug crime.

However, discussion online quickly turned to the names of the individuals charged, which The Highlander did not post. People wanted those names immediately, so they could know who allegedly wronged their community. They went as far as to link stories in our Facebook comments to other news agencies who could offer that. But this kind of attitude is dangerous, and the names of people charged with offences should never be released lightly.

One of the prevailing issues for reporters in naming people is presumed innocence. People may know that just because a person is charged does not mean they are guilty. But it does not always play out that way in the public sphere and getting named in a story like this can lead to people being unduly mistreated. This is especially true in a large case such as this when people can get tarred and feathered by association, even if they may have only played a small part in a crime or could even be outright innocent.

Small-town news outlets such as those in Haliburton County also rarely have the resources to go to court to confirm what happens to these alleged criminals. The police and court systems will not send out any press releases about the results of these people’s charges. Unless we can dutifully follow what can be a months-long process, we cannot easily discover whether our justice system might clear these people’s names.

We also must consider the realities of our online world. A person’s name can become permanently associated with a story about them being charged, even if they are later proven innocent. Employers can, and do, unfairly discriminate against people with bad Google results. Whether or not a person is guilty, using names in a crime story can have far-reaching consequences beyond due punishment.

All of this must be weighed against the public interest in knowing people charged with crimes. In small towns especially, people would like to know if they are associating with an alleged criminal, especially if they’re charged in connection with serious offences.

But the public interest can often be quite low. Unless the person is a prominent public figure, which is quite rare, most people will probably not know the person who gets charged very well. It does not necessarily make much of a difference to public safety to release such names, depending on the crime.

Of course, releasing names must be taken on a case-by-case basis. Someone getting charged with murder is very different than drug possession. A massive drug-bust is different than a singular theft. News agencies and police can also too often be inconsistent in their approach to naming suspects, hurting the public’s ability to parse when it is appropriate.

People in the public need to more seriously consider the release of suspect names and whether they really do need that information. When police and/or news outlets do release them, people must not abuse that information, lest the cops and the media become even less inclined to release names in the future.

New Minden fire chief warming up after move

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Lisa Gervais

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February 7, 2020

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LG-new Minden fire chief horizontal-web — Nelson Johnson is the new fire chief at the Township of Minden Hills. He is pictured outside of the council chambers on January 30. Photo by Lisa Gervais.

New Minden Hills fire chief Nelson Johnson said people have been coming up to him and saying, “I bet you find it cold here.”

But when he tells them he’s just moved from Nunavut, they retort “I bet you find it warm here.”

“And I really do right now find the weather just absolutely beautiful down here,” Johnson said during a break in last Thursday’s council meeting. “It’s not bad up north, but a little bit longer season.”

Johnson is going through a “big culture change” as he takes over from interim fire chief Mike Bekking and before that, fire chief Doug Schell. He started Jan. 13.

It’s early days but Johnson said he’s enjoying the area and the brand-new fire hall on Highway 35.

“I’ve been meeting all the firefighters and going on a few calls. So, I’m getting to know them. They seem like a wonderful, capable group of people, so I’m very excited to stay here for the long term.”

In the short term, over the next year or so, he said he’s excited to learn more about what local volunteer firefighters do and how they come together as a team to work well together to help the community. He is also hoping to improve community programs.

He said one of the biggest challenges to date is finding his way around, because he doesn’t know the roads network. He’s also studying Ontario fire legislation since it’s a new province of work for him.

He is confident he will figure that out in time, “but the biggest part is to learn how this fire department works and to fit myself into there. I didn’t come here to change it to my way because my way might not be the right way. So, I’m here to learn how they deal with things and the way it works and then we can work on improving ourselves.”

He said he understands there is an aspect of making the job his own, and he has talked to staff about their wants and needs.

“There’s some changes that we need to make but it’s not big changes about changing the fire department but about honing our skills and honing our response times. Or the way we work safely out there, to protect ourselves a little bit better because now we have all this information about cancer and PTSD. So, I can bring some of that knowledge here that will help us improve our safety for our firefighters so they have a long longevity here of being able to help and assist.”

He comes from a strong fire training background. He’s been an instructor for 28 years and worked for a training centre that saw 40,000 firefighters come through the door, “so a little bit of training skills there,” he said with a chuckle.

In his role as chief for Minden Hills, Johnson will be responsible for the fire and emergency services for the township, carrying out the administrative duties of the fire department and for the proactive leadership, policy and overall operations of the fire services.

He has more than 25 years experience in the fire service, both in the field and in various senior leadership roles, such as training officer, deputy chief and fire chief.

Johnson’s career includes Firemaster Oilfield Services, the Town of Bonnyville, Alberta and the City of Iqaluit, Nunavut.

For now, he said his life is all about getting settled into the job and getting his family settled into their routine. They have found housing but are not yet moved in.

“I really appreciate the opportunity I’ve been presented here and I look forward to working with the volunteers and I’ve already seen that they’re a great group of people.”

Proposed septage field causes angst

By

Lisa Gervais

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February 7, 2020

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AC-elstone, sewage field spreading 1-web — File photo.

A proposed septage field, on a property on the Barry Line in Dysart et al, is generating a lot of talk in the community.

Dave Elstone, operating as Haliburton Septic Pumping, has applied to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for an Environmental Compliance Approval under the Environmental Protection Act.

The proposed site is at 1197 Barry Line Rd.

The plan has been posted to the Environmental Registry of Ontario and the public can comment up until midnight Feb. 21.

“It’s necessary because Dysart doesn’t supply the township with a dumping site,” Elstone told The Highlander during an interview Tuesday. He added, “Dysart’s expanding and … the whole county at this point only has two septic fields.”

Algonquin Highlands has a lagoon and Highlands East a ditch for septage. Minden and Dysart require septage fields, Elstone said.

He said he’d hired GHD, an engineering company in Peterborough, which came last fall to do a series of tests at the site, which is set back from roads on a ridge on the property.

“They go through a number of procedures. We test the ground. We dig test holes to make sure our depths are good, our percolations are good. They do analysis on soil. They do all the measuring from our field for setbacks to water, to wells, to houses.

“And at the end of the day, this particular site meets all those regulations that are set by the province. They look at all aspects of groundwater, surface water and everything on this site meets and exceeds those provincial rules and regulations,” Elstone said.

Darren and Teresa Johnston are neighbours of the proposed septage dumping site.

“We are concerned about the impact on our neighbourhood. We live in a beautifully forested, natural area and the largest attraction is the ability to enjoy the sounds and smells of the outdoors, and to trust that our water sources are clear of contaminants. Ontario is the only province that still allows untreated septage to be applied to land. All other provinces require it to be treated to meet the provincial standards before it can be applied to the land or disposed of in wastewater facilities,” the Johnston’s said on Tuesday.

They said their opposition goes beyond this case. They said they’ve heard the municipality is taking action and hope the attention that has been created by their petition encourages better alternatives moving forward.

They went on to say, “It is absurd that each individual septic hauler is responsible for finding their own areas for disposal. A residential land disposal site is not ideal in terms of impact on the natural, social or cultural environment.”

Elstone responded that he understood the concerns of those opposed to the project. However, “I feel they should get educated on what’s happening before they spread false information around, especially on Facebook.

He said his door is open if people want to call and ask questions.

“I know they don’t want it in their own backyard but it has to go somewhere and we go through the process that the province sets out and we follow that – and if that’s the case, then it should be allowed.”

Dysart et al Mayor Andrea Roberts said she was a bit frustrated by the situation since she only learned about it via social media and one short item in a local newspaper.

She said she’s in the process of becoming informed and will be talking to staff and councillors about the township’s role, if any, prior to Feb. 21.

However, she said, “In terms of the municipality, we have no authority.”

“With anything, whether it be planning, or this, they [objectors] can’t just say ‘I don’t want it because I don’t want it. It has to be based on environmental concerns.”

See ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-1101.

OPP bust GTA to Haliburton cocaine ring

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Lisa Gervais

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February 6, 2020

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Thirteen Haliburton County residents have so far been charged with drug-related offences following a major OPP drug probe over the past nine months.

Dubbed Project Imperial, the investigation culminated in several raids in the early morning hours of Thursday, Jan. 30 – targeting the trafficking of cocaine to the area from the GTA.

Police from Haliburton and the City of Kawartha Lakes executed six warrants in the Haliburton Highlands, Oshawa and Scarborough last Thursday, using helicopters and police dogs. They also had assistance from their Tactics and Rescue Unit and Emergency Response Team.

One eye witness to a bust in Carnarvon said she was awakened before dawn to the sound of a helicopter. When she went outside to investigate, the woman [who asked not to be identified for safety reasons] said she saw a home along Highway 35, just north of the village being swarmed by police.

“I was happy they got them,” she said. “We have children around here.”

In addition to locals, several GTA residents were also arrested and charged under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Criminal Code of Canada.

Sergeant Jason Folz, Central Region media relations and community services coordinator, said Tuesday that the drug trafficking investigation also “led police to identify a significant property crime network that was directly linked to the accused.”

He said police recovered stolen property that had been taken from both residential and commercial properties in Haliburton County. He added that during the course of the investigation, police seized 400 grams of cocaine/crack cocaine, two grams of Fentanyl, nine long guns, two black powder revolver firearms, one revolver firearm, one replica hand gun and more than $12,000. Police were also able to recover stolen property, including generators, power tools and solar panels.

Highlands East delays major works

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Joseph Quigley, Local Journalism Initiative Repoter

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February 5, 2020

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Highlands East is standing pat on making bigger changes to its organization in this year’s budget as it waits for more reviews.

Council examined a new draft of the 2020 budget Jan. 28. It features a 3.85 per cent levy increase, amounting to $18 per $100,000 of assessment.

Many recommendations for the facility and organizational enhancements made in recent reviews, were tabled for this year, CAO Shannon Hunter said. Although she said these bigger changes are important for sustainability, the present financial picture must be factored in.

“Financial availability and sustainability of the recommendations need to be considered,” Hunter said. “What is presented in this budget is what has to be done in the current year to maintain the assets as we have them. So, this is just a maintaining mechanism.”

The municipality is tentatively allotting funding for several recommendations from facilities and organizational reviews, including $125,000 for a new municipal office and $10,000 for a consultant to review ward structures for the possibility of deputy mayor elections.

A facility review from consultant WaterFeldy said large repairs were needed at many facilities in Highlands East, including several fire halls. But Hunter said the budget includes only what is necessary to meet health and safety requirements.

That includes $59,600 for roof repair and exhaust fans at Station 6, $20,000 each for exhaust fans at Stations 1 and 2, $42,560 for exhaust fans and roof repair at Station 4 and $20,000 for repairs at Station 3.

The budget also includes several repairs to Cardiff facilities, including $200,000 for new change rooms, bathrooms, pump house and concrete repair at the pool, recommended in a facility review.

The budget has not yet received final approval.

Hunter said the bigger recommendations would have to wait until after the municipality finishes reviewing fire services and a County service delivery review.

“Due to those items, the draft budget presented … doesn’t include many of the items our budget should include,” she said.

New youth-centred Rotary Club launching

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Joseph Quigley, Local Journalism Initiative Repoter

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February 3, 2020

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JQ - Rotaract Club - 1-web — The organizing committee for a new Rotaract Club in Haliburton meets Jan. 21. Left to right: Heather Battie, Melissa Tong, Scott Walling, Ted Brandon, Rebecca Anderson. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

The Rotary Club of Haliburton and the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce are working to bring a new youth-focused group to the County.

The organizations announced the creation of a Rotaract Club Jan. 16. The international model is similar to the Rotary Club and offers people aged 18-30 a chance to network, develop professional skills, socialize and work on community service projects, according to a press release.

Organizing committee member Scott Walling said it is important to have groups like this to help connect youth.

“It’s hard for this age group to connect in such a wide community,” Walling said. “This is helpful for us as well to find that social aspect of the community, that wants to keep us here.”

The chamber previously organized a Young Professionals Network (YPN), which offered monthly social events for young adults. But Rotary has worked with the chamber over the past several months to transition the network into a Rotaract Club, which will operate independently and without chamber involvement.

Melissa Tong, a Rotaract organizer who previously planned events for the YPN, said the group had good momentum at the beginning but started to fizzle out.

“I believe with a (bigger) membership base and community involvement outside of running around social events, I think it will really help stabilize the group,” Tong said.

“The opportunities for members of the YPN will be greatly enhanced under the Rotaract umbrella,” chamber president Andrea Strano said.

Rotaract has a wide infrastructure, with more than 20,000 clubs in 159 countries. Although it is modelled and tied to Rotary, Ted Brandon said the new group can chart its path for its involvement with the Rotary Club of Haliburton, which tends to have older members.

“Rotary will provide support, or as much support as it feels it needs. Some clubs work autonomously, and others work very closely,” Brandon said. “There will be a visioning session where they decide how they want to proceed in terms of the service.”

Brandon said the club will aim to be as accessible to people as possible in terms of time commitment, costs and what will be expected of members. Besides offering professional development and community service, Tong said a group such as this is important to help people’s wellness.

“A lot of people, especially in smaller communities, have a higher rate of depression and a lot of that … is a lack of community, a lack of a sense of purpose, a lack of a sense of belonging,” Tong said. “This is a really good opportunity to kind of help people find their place in Haliburton.”

The Rotaract Club will host a free information night Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Haliburton School of Arts and Design. More information is also available by contacting Brandon at 705-457-7923 or haliburtonrotaract@gmail.com.

County shrinks levy increase to 1.67 per cent

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Joseph Quigley, Local Journalism Initiative Repoter

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February 3, 2020

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JQ - County budget 2020- 1-web — County CAO Mike Rutter said staff did not want to pass provincial cuts onto municipal taxpayers in this year's budget. File photo.

The County of Haliburton passed its 2020 budget Jan. 22 limiting its levy increase to 1.67 per cent.

Staff indicated more than half the levy increase, about 53 per cent, was driven by factors largely out of County control, including rising costs for external agencies due to provincial cuts, winter maintenance and cost-of-living adjustments for wages.

“We all know the provincial government has a deficit problem … there were some changes in the budget last year that helped them come to resolve that,” CAO Mike Rutter said. “What we have done our best to do is offset those cuts with actual expense reductions as opposed to just asking the taxpayer for more money. Doesn’t really benefit the taxpayer if we just turn around and pass that on to them.”

The increase is significantly lower than the 3.97 per cent projected in the first draft budget Oct. 11. Treasurer Elaine Taylor said this was largely driven by unexpected assessment growth, which increased by 3.34 per cent, more than the initial one per cent expected.

Coun. Carol Moffatt complimented the budget and said the 1.67 figure was quite low. She suggested rounding up to a two per cent increase to take an extra step somewhere in the budget.

“Will that little bit make a difference?” Moffatt asked. “Will it get us that one half-step, quarter-step further towards sustainability?”

But Taylor said she felt the figure should stay lower, noting other tax levy increases coming with lower-tier municipalities. She also cited the financial challenges of year-round residents in the County, who have low average wages.

“Keep it at what it is, only because we’re very close to sustainability and I think we have to consider the people that live here year-round,” Taylor said.

Warden Liz Danielsen agreed.

“We’re starting to hear a little bit about what we’re looking at in the lower tiers,” she said. “We need to hold off.”

Social housing funding

One of the larger parts of the levy increase is more money being spent on affordable housing, about $180,906. That includes $75,000 for planning new capital projects.

Coun. Brent Devolin said several conversations are ongoing with developers and organizations about beginning new housing projects.

Council discussed how to direct housing forward and the possibility of a new County-centred committee.

“A big portion of this right now is driven by CKL (City of Kawartha Lakes) and committee members that sit on that one,” Coun. Patrick Kennedy said. “We’d like to see some movement on this. Is $75,000 the right number? We don’t know. I just think we need more meat on this chicken.”

“We do need to maybe have a broader conversation about the approach we want to take,” Danielsen replied.

Transit fund gets a boost

The County budget includes $50,000 to be put into a reserve to start a future transportation system, adding to the approximately $43,000 placed there this year.

Staff estimate starting a system could cost between $190,000-$300,000. “2020, we’re not going to be able to move forward much for 1,000 reasons,” Coun. Cec Ryall said. “Looking at 2021-22 as realistic.”

Kennedy asked whether lower-tier municipalities might be able to apply for the County’s funding. He put forward the idea of the lower-tier taking more transportation on.

“It’s something I think we should be looking at. If the elephant’s too big to take the whole County on, is there some kind of partnership between upper and lower, to deal with even a portion of the problems?”