High notes not high prices for Opera Studio

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June 30, 2021

By Lisa Harrison

Highlanders have more options to see clearly now that two optometrists have joined Haliburton Vision Care Centre.

Amardeep Bhogal and her husband, Kinderpal Singh, hail from Ontario and England. Singh has completed the International Optometric Bridging Program at the University of Waterloo.

“We’re excited to have the new doctors join our team at Haliburton Vision Care,” said Lauren Wilson, co-owner of the centre with her husband, Brett.

“They are very knowledgeable and … very nice people and have such positive attitudes on helping people and making sure they get the best possible care.”

Bhogal said she and her husband are “very excited to be here in the community.”

“We are looking forward to bringing our skills and experience to the practice to help provide our patients with professional and courteous care. We are continuously updating our professional knowledge to help provide the best service we can.”

The couple joins the centre’s optician, Elsie Deocampo, to round out the team. Bhogal and Singh will be at the centre on Mondays and Fridays. Evening appointments are available.

Bhogal received a B.Sc. with honours from Western University in London, Ontario and obtained her doctor of optometry degree from the New England College of Optometry in Boston, Massachusetts in 2014. She has worked across the Greater Toronto Area since then and is also qualified to practice in England, where she worked in 2017.

“I always felt like vision was such a critical component of our day-to-day lives,” said Bhogal of the reason for her career choice.

“While in school, I enjoyed the physics and anatomy of the eye and was amazed with the connection to the brain. I felt like optometry was a great profession where I would have direct patient connections, while making a meaningful impact.”

Singh obtained a B.Sc. in Optometry with honours from the University of Bradford, England in 2013 and completed his clinical training near London, England. Family experiences led him to this career.

“Eye disease was very prominent in my family and I experienced first hand the effects it has on a person’s day-to-day quality of life,” said Singh.

“Accompanying my family members to all of their appointments really sparked an interest in optometry for me, which led me to where I am today.”

That route included independent work throughout England and attending and organizing international outreach trips to communities in need in countries such as Ethiopia, Greece, Lebanon and India.

Singh and Bhogal currently live north of Toronto and will commute for now. They’re familiar with cottage country, spending much of each summer in Muskoka, and look forward to experiencing the Highlands.

“We love being in nature and are avid travellers,” said Bhogal. “We enjoy hiking, camping, canoeing and gardening. We definitely believe the Highlands will accommodate our interests.”

Haliburton Vision Care Centre is located at 7217 Gelert Rd. next to LifeLabs in Haliburton. For more information or to book an appointment, visit haliburtonvisioncare.com or call 705-457- 9500

Point in Time AGM hears about extraordinary year

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June 30, 2021

It was a year like no other for the Point in Time Centre for Children, Youth and Parents.

At the organization’s second virtual annual general meeting June 22, executive director Marg Cox thanked staff and board members for their work during extraordinary times.

“Everyone’s been feeling the pressure. I thank the staff so much for rising to the occasion,” Cox said.

The meeting was a chance for members to hear from the organization’s board, and take stock of a year where virtual program delivery took centre stage.

“We know that COVID has been hard on everyone,” Cox said. “We know that it’s really been a time where more people have been talking about their mental health.”

According to Point in Time, youth who received support from the centre reported that education and mental health was the biggest impact of the pandemic on their lives.

The centre reports that 201 teens attended the Haliburton Youth Hub in 2020, 209 children and families received counselling services, and 210 children received service from early intervention workers. Thirteen youth were supported through the youth justice centre and 30 kids attended last summer’s day camp program. Altogether, 769 children and youth attended Point in Time services throughout the year.

According to surveys, 100 per cent of youth served and 90 per cent of caregivers were satisfied with Point in Time’s services.

Cox explained how the centre’s staff all completed anti-oppression training and antiracism training in the past year. They’ve also begun trauma-informed training.

Thanks to community fundraising, Point in Time hit a fundraising milestone of $100,000 in their push for enhanced internet services for County teens.

The organization’s yearly audit was marked “clean,” meaning no noticeable accounting mistakes or risky financial practices. Point in Time is primarily funded by the Ministry of Health which contributed $1,191,137 this past year.

In total, the organization’s revenues increased: they reported $2.9 million in revenue, up from $2.5 million in the previous fiscal year.

In 2020, The Ministry of Health funded the organization with $97,529 in COVID-19 funding as well as $4,637 in grants funding from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

Challenging year marks HHHS quarter century

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June 30, 2021

The Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) marked a number of milestones as it met for its 25th annual general meeting June 24.

CEO and president Carolyn Plummer noted it was only five years ago that a large in-person celebration was held at the Pinestone to mark a number of significant anniversaries – and how much has changed since then, “in what we hope is the winding down of a global pandemic.”

The Haliburton Hospital turns 85, Minden Hospital 65, Hyland Crest 55, the Haliburton Hospital Auxiliary 50, Highland Wood 25, HHHS 25 and the HHHS Foundation 25.

Plummer noted that in 2022, it will be the 100-year anniversary of the very first health care facility in the area, the Wilberforce Red Cross outpost.

She talked about the pandemic and “unimaginable ways in which our world has changed and how these changes have affected us all.”

She discussed the need to adapt to changing circumstances, including opening the COVID-19 assessment centre; increasing staff by 25 per cent; repurposing and adjusting spaces including walls between hospitals and long-term care homes. Those walls came down June 23 with 80 per cent of staff vaccinated.

Despite fewer visits to the ER, she said the service still had more than 18,000 patient visits and did more than 10,000 diagnostic tests.

She highlighted improved medical records’ keeping; the new virtual primary care clinic and long-term care successes such as keeping residents COVID-safe while continuing programming.

She said community programs had also continued to the best of their ability. She discussed the physiotherapy move and mental health and addictions work. She also reported $1.5 million in infrastructure upgrades and enhancements, such as lighting upgrades and replacement of boilers and chillers.

Plummer also said that despite budgetary demands, the service ended with just a $17,000 deficit, which she termed a “remarkable feat.” She said it wouldn’t have been possible without the foundation, auxiliaries and funders. Thomas Turnbull of auditors Grant Thornton offered an unqualified audit opinion.

It was also announced that Kathy Newton, vice president of support services and CFO, was retiring June 25 after five years with the service.

Plummer thanked her and all staff, volunteers, the community, the Foundation and auxiliaries.

Co-chief of staff, Dr. Steve Ferracuti said the health services’ attention had been focused on pandemic preparations. He said COVID had not hit them as hard as they feared but, while “numbers were small, preparations were not small.” The other major undertaking was new clinical information systems.

The foundation’s Lisa Tompkins announced $464,141 in total funding transfers for capital equipment and program support, including completing the push for new vital signs monitors.

The board also saw some turnover. New members are Ted Parent, Charlotte Snider and Sharon Kassalainen, replacing John Kay, Dave Bonham and Theresa MacDermid

Developers add eight units to Minden housing complex

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June 30, 2021

The partners behind a proposed housing complex at Highway 35 and 21 in Minden have made changes that will see an additional eight units added.

The project came before council’s June 24 meeting with requests for official plan and rezoning amendments. It will be redesignated residential, from service and business area, and rezoned to residential type two-exception, from highway commercial – with the County of Haliburton’s blessing in the near future.

Outside of planning requirements, the project will see a shift so that there are now 36 units in nine, two-story, fourplex buildings. The original proposal was for 28 units. However, they will remain twobedroom and are designed for seniors, couples or small families.

Resident Bill Switzer donated the land and is working with the Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton Housing Corporation (KLHHC) to bring the affordable housing development to fruition.

Tim Welch of Tim Welch Consultants said half the units will be ground-level accessible to help seniors age in place.

“We think it is a very strong proposal to increase the supply of affordable housing in Minden,” Welch said of the unique publicprivate partnership.

Betsy Williamson of Williamson Williamson Architects added that after discussions with the MTO, they decided to alter the project, to accommodate setbacks. She said the units are facing the river and there is more parking and accessible parking.

“One of the things we’re looking at doing is distinguishing everyone’s front door,” she said. She added it was important to them “that each family who lives in that development understands that this is their home and that the home is distinguished by different colours, maybe a change in plantings, and they really look at this larger development with individual eyes and can call these places home for quite a long time.”

She said it’s hoped the County will give its approval in August, with construction starting in September 2021, completion in October 2022, and occupancy that November.

Coun. Bob Carter said he wanted to thank all involved in the project.

“For working on this project for so long and so diligently. It’s a little bit like going into a race where people start building hurdles in the middle of the race and you don’t know or expect that they’re going to be there so thank you all for staying the course. Thank you for adding 36 housing units into our desperate environment.”

County extends shoreline bylaw review

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June 30, 2021

Haliburton County residents will soon have more opportunities to share their opinions on the contentious draft Shoreline Preservation Bylaw.

On June 23, County Council approved an extended consultation timeline, proposed by representatives from two external consulting firms tasked with analyzing the draft bylaw. The shoreline bylaw governs development on waterfront properties and has already been scrutinized for more than a year.

In May, the County hired Hutchinson Environmental Sciences Ltd. (HESL) and J.L. Richards & Associates Ltd. (JLR) to review the bylaw and provide options for possible revisions.

Their review was originally slated to wrap up in June. However, it will now include another round of virtual open houses, surveys and multiple one-on-one interviews with municipal staff, conservation authorities, environmental organizations, lake associations and the construction and development business community.

This consultation process is slated for July 7 to 23, with the consultants providing a report to the County in late August. Opportunities to participate will be advertised on the County’s social media channels, websites and in local news outlets.

Consultant: bylaw must suit community

“I’ve had some concerns voiced about the extended timeline,” County Warden Liz Danielsen said. “Because this is such an involved process, I don’t think we can afford to not have the focus on the consultation piece.”

In its current form, the draft bylaw restricts development within 30 metres of the shoreline. While some environmental groups say that the restrictions would improve lake health, others in the construction and landscaping industry say the bylaw is too restrictive.

Consultants and scientific experts from JLR and HESL have already begun researching policy improvements. Their workplan outlines how to date they’ve dived into background research and begun comparing the County’s practices with other municipalities, as well as reviewing existing scientific literature.

According to Jason Ferrigan, of JLR, the revised consultation process adds a new method of acquiring public feedback. One round of interviews and open houses will focus on the background and ideas for the future, the next regards feedback and ideas about the final direction of the bylaw.

“The key to that is understanding you community, and how to adapt your approaches to suit your community,” Ferrigan told council.

Paul MacInnes, chair of the Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners Associations, said in an emailed statement that the coalition is satisfied with HESL and JLR’s approach.

According to executive director Aggie Tose, the Haliburton County Home Builders Association “look[s] forward to working with the review team and with Haliburton County Council as we move forward with a bylaw that is reasonable for property owners and sustains water quality.”

Councillors unanimously supported the request for more public consultation.

“I’m ecstatic with your revised consultation program,” Minden Hills Mayor Brent Devolin said.

However, there were concerns about how best to truly represent County residents – especially when consulting stakeholders.

Carol Moffatt, mayor of Algonquin Highlands, said she’s heard from landowners who feel their cottage or lake associations don’t represent their interests.

“We need to be cautious around that,” Moffat said. “And make sure we acknowledge and understand lake associations don’t represent all property owners – but we [County council] do.”

Under the current plan, lake associations and cottage groups would be considered stakeholders. That means representatives from each group would be interviewed and consulted throughout the review process.

The external review is set to cost the County $41,605 plus applicable taxes. The extended public consultation process adds approximately four to six weeks to the plan’s original schedule and will add an estimated $13,000 to the final bill.

HHHSF announces new online 50/50 draw

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June 29, 2021

The HHHS Foundation has announced a new monthly online 50/50 lottery draw, with 50 per cent of the funds raised going to a monthly winner, and 50 per cent to support local hospital and health care facility equipment needs.

Executive director, Lisa Tompkins, said that through a digital technology platform, tickets will be available for purchase online at the Foundation lottery site hhhsf5050.ca beginning June 30 at 11:30 a.m.

She said tickets can be purchased for $20 for 100 ticket numbers, $10 for 20 ticket numbers, or $5 for five ticket numbers.

After buying their tickets, purchasers will receive a confirmation e-mailed with their 50/50 registered numbers from a random selection system. The amount of the 50/50 estimated take-home prize for the month will be displayed in real time on the site and will continue to grow as more people participate.

“Following nine successful years of our Cash for Care Lottery, we look forward to engaging with the community in this electronic format to continue to raise much-needed funds for priority capital equipment for Haliburton Highlands Health Services”, Tompkins said.

Purchasers must be in Ontario at the time of purchase, and must be 18 years of age or older to participate. For the first draw, tickets will be available for purchase until 11:59 p.m. July 29, and the first monthly draw will take place on July 30 at 9 a.m., with the winner information posted on the hhhsf5050.ca website, as well as the Foundation’s social media platforms Facebook and Instagram.

County welcomes Huskies with open arms

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June 24, 2021

The County’s new Junior A hockey team is beginning to take shape with rookie camp at the refurbished S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena scheduled for a little over two months from now.

Huskies head coach and general manager, Ryan Ramsay, provided an update in a recent interview with The Highlander.

“The support in the County has been excellent. People are excited,” Ramsay said.

For example, as of mid-June, they had already sold 98 season tickets for the 2021- 2022 year, out of about 300 arena seats, and the start of the season is still three months away.

He said staff recruitment is going well and they have “pretty much filled every role.”

“A lot of people reached out,” he said of their efforts to find full and part-time paid staff as well as volunteers.

However, he said they are still looking for more volunteers for game days.

In addition, Ramsay said they are also seeking about a dozen more billet families.

He said billet families get paid $475 a month to help defer costs, such as food, as well as two season tickets per household for regular season and playoff games. He said billet families are not responsible for driving kids. Transportation is the team’s responsibility.

Ramsay said it’s also about “helping the kids reach their goals of making the NHL or getting a division one scholarship in the United States.”

Residents might have also noticed Huskies’ merchandise has appeared at Foodland in Minden and Haliburton. Items can also be purchased through the team’s website.

The club is also eager to get into the former Scouts Hall at the arena and turn it into team space. The Huskies will be spending about $100,000 to create a dressing room, lounge, training rooms, office and showers.

As for the hockey squad itself, Ramsay said they had signed 13 of last year’s 23 Whitby Fury players. They were hoping to have another four players inked as of the week ending June 18. Two of the players, Ryan Hall and Joe Boice, are from Haliburton County.

The inaugural rookie camp is set to begin Aug. 27 and the team will leave some spots for that. Players are to report to their billet families Sept. 5 for training camp. They have tentatively booked four exhibition games for September, including two at home and two on the road. And the season is expected to kick off Oct. 1.

“Everything’s going really great,” Ramsay said. “We can’t wait to get into the rink.”

The club has signed a seven-year agreement with the Township of Minden Hills to use the recreation complex.

The new team will compete in 54 regular season games, including 27 home games plus playoffs. Most of the Huskies home games will take place Friday nights and Saturday afternoons. The Huskies are one of 22 teams in the league.

See more at huskieshockey.ca

Dart a ‘powerhouse’ in hockey

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June 24, 2021

According to the Haliburton Highlands Sports Hall of Fame committee, hockey star Glen Dart was a “powerhouse player” whose 17-year career cemented his place in sporting lore.

Dart is being inducted into the Hall in the athlete category.

While Dart passed away at age 31 in 1951, his son Roger Dart often heard about his father’s legacy growing up.

“He was highly regarded in the community,” Dart said. Even though he doesn’t remember his father – he was two when he passed away – Dart said he grew up with a “sense of pride” in his legacy.

After joining the Haliburton Huskies at 15, Dart quickly made a name for himself on and off the ice. He was part of the famous 1934 team that captured seven trophies. According to the committee, the team were the “rockstars of their generation.”

He also played for the Lindsay Midgets, and even made a Junior A hockey team in Toronto. His son recalls his character off the ice matched his prowess with a hockey stick.

“He was a smooth player: a gentleman on and off the ice. He was sincere. He meant what he said,” Dart said.

After moving back to Haliburton, Dart joined Canada’s Second World War effort. After serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force, he played for the Air Force’s team in Belleville and the Moncton Maroons, a Maritime Senior team in the AMS League.

Apart from his own playing career, Dart was immersed in the County’s minor hockey system. He coached minor and junior teams – developing a crop of players who fondly remember their time on the ice under his guidance. His son often heard tales about his father’s impact on youth players and in a small community such as Haliburton, a coach like Dart was widely known.

Once when Roger Dart was working at a Haliburton grocery store, a customer heard his last name and asked him if he was connected to Glen Dart.

“He was my father,” Dart responded. Dart recalls that with a sense of pride the man exclaimed “He was my hockey coach.”

Dart eventually became Haliburton’s recreation director. In the role, he was known for his enthusiasm for hockey and eagerness to find equipment for anyone wanting to try the sport.

Since his passing, the Glen Dart Memorial Tournament sees teams from Durham to Wilberforce clash on the ice.

The tournament’s seven-decade history in itself is a nod to the local legend’s life and service to Haliburton’s sporting heritage.

Artisans new and old return to Minden market

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June 24, 2021