Retirees get chance to tour new suites by lake

By

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June 10, 2021

While a ribbon-cutting or grand opening celebration is on hold, the Gardens of Haliburton retirement residence is open for business.

Since COVID-19 restrictions have begun easing, retirees can now tour the games rooms, medical facilities and check out the view from a suite overlooking Head Lake.

The building’s first residents began moving in on May 1.

Phil McKenzie, company partner, said he heard many residents were excited to find out assisted living was available in the County.

“So many people who wanted the levels of care that we provide,” McKenzie said. “They were so happy to be coming back to Haliburton.”

Thirty-one suites are reserved out of 70 available units, which range from one bedroom hotel-style rooms to larger multiroom suites. Since last August, Patti Lou Robinson, director of community relations, has been heading up a showroom in downtown Haliburton Village.

“Now that the restrictions have been lifted, we’re now able to actually take people on tours,” Robinson said. “There’s still some restrictions: only two people at a time, you must wear a mask.”

Unlike rules during the worst part of the province’s third wave, the length of a quarantine period for new residents depends on their vaccination status. After a set amount of time and negative COVID-19 test, they’ll be able to mingle with other residents with safety protocols in place.

“People that were afraid to come in and be quarantined, are changing their thoughts,” Robinson said. “More and more people are interested in coming to see the suites and reserve them.”

She also said many people she’s spoken to have been drawn to the residence’s flexible living styles.

“There is the ability to have services provided for you, for different levels of care one might need,” Robinson said.

The entire ground floor of the building is made up of common spaces for residents: a large dining area complements two spaces residents can reserve for special dinners or family functions.

Once restrictions ease, more and more amenities will be available to residents: a gym, hair salon, and a small bus service to nearby towns and attractions, for example.

“There’s always something going on – it’s more like choosing ‘what am I going to do? rather than ‘is there anything to do?’” Robinson said.

Dysart et al Mayor Andrea Roberts hasn’t visited yet but said she’s excited that the residence is bringing more people – and jobs – to the County.

“There’s lots of well-paying jobs with something like this,” Roberts said. “It’s a great asset to our town and County.”

The Gardens of Haliburton currently employs more than 20 people. Phase two of construction, a multi-storey addition attaching to the end of the main building, will begin once the current suites are nearly filled. McKenzie estimates with that addition, the residence will provide more than 50 full-time positions.

For more on the Gardens of Haliburton, and current employment openings, visit gardensofhaliburton.ca

County recognized for talking up recycling

By

Lisa Gervais

-

June 10, 2021

0

The Municipalities of Dysart et al, Algonquin Highlands, Highlands East, Minden Hills and the County of Haliburton brought home the hardware at the Municipal Waste Association’s 2021 promotion and education awards June 2.

Dysart et al environmental manager, John Watson, said Dysart et al received a Gold Print Tool Award for its children’s activity book Let’s Protect the Environment Together. The book was available for pickup during the fall of 2020, and is also available for download at dysartetal.ca/ waste. The other award winners in the category were Dufferin County (silver), and City of Barrie (bronze).

The judging committee said, “By targeting a specific audience, this activity book was fun and creative, and demonstrated that small municipalities can implement effective promotion and education.”

Dysart, Algonquin Highlands, Highlands East, Minden Hills, and the County of Haliburton, in partnership with the Haliburton County Public Library, also won a silver Social Media and Online Strategy Award for their fall 2020 Waste Reduction Week in Canada social media campaign. The other award winners in this category were Region of Waterloo (gold), and City of Toronto (bronze).

On the Haliburton municipalities’ submission, judges said, “The partnership between four small municipalities, the County and library, helped effectively deliver consistent and clear waste diversion messaging to residents.”

The Municipal Waste Association is an incorporated not-for-profit organization formed in 1987 by Ontario municipal waste management professionals to facilitate the sharing of municipal waste reduction and recycling information and experience.

Its annual awards recognize outstanding achievements by Ontario municipalities for the use of effective waste minimization and diversion communication efforts.

Schmale on Kamloops: status quo not working

By

Lisa Gervais

-

June 10, 2021

0

When Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MP Jamie Schmale first heard that the remains of 215 children, some as young as three, had been found buried outside a residential school in Kamloops, BC, he reacted as a father.

“It makes you sick,” he said in a June 4 interview.

As the Shadow Minister for CrownIndigenous Relations, Schmale added, “It’s something that has profoundly lasting and damaging impact on Indigenous culture, heritage and language. The legacy of residential schools is a shame.”

In a wide-sweeping interview, Schmale said the fact the last residential school was closed in 1996 means it is not something that happened in a faraway time. “The effects are still having ramifications on the survivors today, on the people that are very much around today.”

Schmale said he has been the lead of the file for the Official Opposition Conservatives. He has been working closely with leader Erin O’Toole and his office, committees, and speaking with Indigenous People, “reaching out and talking with them and trying to develop a fast forward.”

It began with work June 1 and is continuing.

He stressed that the Conservatives “felt this wasn’t an opportunity to politicize something,” but rather making “helpful suggestions. Not placing blame or anything like that because we know the failures are on governments of all stripes going right back,” Schmale said.

His party has asked for the government to develop a plan for Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) calls for actions 71-76, dealing with missing children and burial information by July 1. They also want funding for investigations at all former residential schools in Canada where unmarked graves may exist. Thirdly, ensuring the proper resources are allocated to communities to commemorate and honour the individuals discovered through the investigations and an education plan for Canadians of all ages to understand what happened.

He said any plan going forward must be Indigenous-led, with Ottawa providing assistance.

“Some believe they are gravesites, some crime scenes. Both are true. Some are saying leave it, some are saying let’s get closure … it has to be Indigenous-led not Ottawa-led.”

The local MP said he is having emotional talks with Indigenous Peoples following the gruesome discovery.

He said a lot were not surprised by the finding but were by the number. He said many tell stories of classmates having gone missing and never coming back.

“Most of it is listening, trying to understand the pain they were and have been feeling.”

He thinks this is just the beginning.

Backing Charlie Angus’ call for reform

Schmale said his party plans to vote in favour of NDP Charlie Angus’ motion on the issue, with a vote expected the week of June 7.

As of June 3, they are calling on the Liberals to: end their legal battle against the First Nations children and accept the findings of the Human Rights Tribunal; end their legal battle against the St. Anne’s survivors; push for the adoption of the TRC calls to action particularly calls 71-76; provide survivors and their families the support for dealing with the trauma; and table within 10 days the steps they have taken to end their legal battles.

Schmale said, “We need to deal with this. We need to take action. We know what needs to be done. We need to listen to what the people on the ground are telling us and how we should proceed and then do it.”

The local MP said it’s clear governments have failed for centuries and this is “an opportunity to perhaps think differently on the situation. The status quo is not working so how do we proceed with reconciliation in a more meaningful way? And that includes financial and economic reconciliation too.”

For example, he said there remains equality issues. Some Indigenous police services do not have the same powers and resources as other police forces in the same province. He said the officers know the communities, people, families, and how to deal with situations differently but don’t have the same powers to deal with those situations and that must change.

He said many First Nations people don’t have the ability to acquire property, sell land, have self-governance and the resources to do that.

Referencing years-long boil water advisories, Schmale said in “today’s day and age, how the heck is this still happening?” In some cases, he said it is because a local has not been trained to service a water treatment plant.

“The mechanism of the way government and the bureaucratic structure works, it’s failing, and until we fix that, I think no matter who’s in power, this will be a problem. The fact it’s taken us 150 yearsplus and we’re still failing – at what point do we say the status quo isn’t working? We need to change the way we’re operating. And a lot of that can be done with Indigenous-led.”

“No matter where you were in Canada, when news of what happened in Kamloops came out, I think it affected everyone, Indigenous, non-Indigenous, it didn’t matter. When you hear about a mass gravesite of 215 children, some as young as three, I think a whole country mourns.”

Haliburton honours 215 lost Indigenous children

By

Submitted

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June 10, 2021

0

By Sam Gillett & Lisa Gervais

More than 40 pairs of children’s shoes dot the rocks by Haliburton’s waterfront.

They were laid in memory of the 215 children whose graves were uncovered at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, BC.

Ashley Wilson posted on Facebook after she and her family placed shoes on the rocks. By the next day, many others had come to put footwear and pay their respects.

After seeing the cross-Canada call from Indigenous people and organizations, she thought it was important to bring that to Haliburton County.

“It’s something that I have personally myself paid attention to and tried to educate others [about],” Wilson said.

“When I saw it, it was devastating and disgusting, and sad.”

“We sometimes are a bit sheltered to what is going on across the country. I think it’s really important people are aware of the ongoing trauma that Indigenous people face because of residential schools.”

Val Balaski, who has ties to Haliburton County, is Indigenous.

“My heart is broken. I mourn the loss of these dear souls who never did anything but be born First Nations, Inuit or Metis,” she told The Highlander.

“The families that never knew what happened to their babies. I can’t imagine the pain. I pray with this discovery more of the residential school ‘concentration camps’ will reveal more little ones that need to go home to the Creator. May they rest in peace.”

In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) determined that Canada’s forced assimilation of 150,000 Indigenous peoples between the 1870s and 1990s amounted to cultural genocide.

“It’s not ancient history – the last residential school in Canada closed very recently,” said Kate Butler, director of the Haliburton Highlands Museum. “It’s a big issue.”

Butler said the museum is committed to educating and informing non-Indigenous people around Haliburton County about the history of their country.

“Always remember the story of Haliburton County doesn’t go back 150 years – this land has a history that goes back so much further,” she said.

For people looking to find out more about residential schools, Butler said museums are a great place to turn.

“We’re looking for ways all the time to better tell the story of Indigenous settlement. It’s something that needs to be ongoing, for people to seek out those sources, and continue to learn, and continue to connect with Indigenous voices and to listen to what’s being said. If people want to talk about it, connect with us.”

A nationwide Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available for former students and others affected. To access emotional and crisis referral services, call the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.

Step one will last 21 days

By

Lisa Gervais

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June 10, 2021

0

Other highlights of the reopening plan mean:

• Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 10 people;

• Non-essential retail permitted at 15 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold;

• Essential and other select retail permitted at 25 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold;

• Outdoor fitness classes, outdoor groups in personal training and outdoor individual/team sport training to be permitted with up to 10 people;

• Day camps for children permitted to operate in a manner consistent with the safety guidelines for COVID-19 produced by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health;

• Overnight camping at campgrounds and campsites, including Ontario Parks, and short-term rentals; • Concert venues, theatres and cinemas may open outdoors for rehearsing or performing a recorded or broadcasted concert, artistic event, theatrical performance or other performance with no more than 10 performers; • Outdoor attractions such as zoos, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens with capacity and other restrictions.

• Indoor religious services, rites and ceremonies, including wedding and funeral services limited to 15 per cent capacity.

The province said it is entering step one based on the provincewide vaccination rate and continuing improvements in key public health and health system indicators, such as provincial case rate decreases and numbers of patients in ICU dropping.

“Thanks to the ongoing success of Team Ontario’s vaccine rollout and the ongoing improvements in public health trends, we are able to enter step one of the roadmap and begin to safely and cautiously lift restrictions,” Premier Doug Ford said on June 7.

He said the only reason they’re able to do so is because of the “enormous sacrifices” made by individuals, families and communities across Ontario.

“As we begin to enjoy the benefits of the first step in our roadmap like meeting friends on a patio or visiting your favourite local store, please do so safely by continuing to follow all public health guidelines,” he urged.

The province will remain in step one for at least 21 days.

Businesses gearing up for reopening … again

By

Lisa Gervais

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June 10, 2021

0

Like many Haliburton County businesses, the Mill Pond Restaurant in Carnarvon is gearing up for even more customers June 11 as they will be allowed to offer outdoor dining to go along with take-out service.

The province announced June 7 that it is entering step one of its roadmap to reopen plan as of 12:01 a.m. Friday.

It means restaurants such as the Mill Pond can now offer outdoor dining with up to four people per table, with exceptions for larger households.

The Highway 35 eatery had picnic tables last summer but owner Brad Archer said they are planning better for this year to be able to cope with take-out and table service “because last time it was a little bit chaotic. Just trying to keep up in the kitchen.”

With take-out and 12 picnic tables, Julie Brittain said it will be “all hands on deck.”

They are encouraging people to call ahead to book outside tables and place orders and to be patient.

But the two are encouraged by the latest development and what it means for not only their establishment but businesses across the Highlands.

“I think they left it long enough this time, hopefully, that it’s going to be alright,” Archer said. “And they’re doing it really gradually, too, allowing four people at a table to begin with.”

Brittain added, “the numbers today (June 8) are the lowest since last September so it’s looking positive.”

Restrictions to ease on Friday

By

Lisa Gervais

-

June 8, 2021

0

Haliburton County residents will see some COVID-19 restrictions easing as of June 11 as the province goes into step one of its roadmap to reopen plan.

Effective 12:01 a.m. on Friday, it means:

* Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 10 people;
* Non-essential retail permitted at 15 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold;
* Essential and other select retail permitted at 25 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold;
* Outdoor dining with up to four people per table, with exceptions for larger households;
* Outdoor fitness classes, outdoor groups in personal training and outdoor individual/team sport training to be permitted with up to 10 people, among other restrictions;
* Day camps for children permitted to operate in a manner consistent with the safety guidelines for COVID-19 produced by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health;
* Overnight camping at campgrounds and campsites, including Ontario Parks, and short-term rentals;
* Concert venues, theatres and cinemas may open outdoors for the purpose of rehearsing or performing a recorded or broadcasted concert, artistic event, theatrical performance or other performance with no more than 10 performers, among other restrictions;
* Outdoor attractions such as zoos, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens with capacity and other restrictions.

The province said June 7 it is entering step one based on the provincewide vaccination rate and continuing improvements in key public health and health system indicators.

Riding for a D-Day hero

By

Sam Gillett

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June 7, 2021

0

By Sam Gillett

On June 6, 1944, 14,000 Canadians stormed Juno Beach, helping the allied forces beat back Nazi troops.

On June 6, 2021, Sir Harold Rowden, who was part of the D-Day advancement, was honoured with a special celebration.

A parade of motorcycle riders and an honour guard of Legion members greeted Rowden – often called “Rowdy” – outside Royal Canadian Legion Branch 129 in Haliburton.

The veteran, whose 97th birthday coincided with the anniversary, was a member of the 13th Field Artillery Regiment.

Flanked by Legion members, he waved and saluted as 64 motorcyclists paraded past – in homage to his service as a motorcycle courier; a job which saw him exposed to Axis forces while delivering messages to different military units.

“My officer would give me a message to take to the front,” Rowden said.

Upon delivery, “the boys would run up to me and shake my hand.”

After his service in Normandy, Rowden was named a Knight of the French National Order of the Legion of Honour.

Rowden recently moved from Orillia into the Gardens of Haliburton retirement home in Haliburton Village.

“I’m very thankful to have him in the community,” said Haliburton Legion President, Don Pitman. “And to have the show of love from all the riders that came out today and the people that took the time to organize it and show respect.”

Mark Duggan played a key role in organizing the ride.

“We wanted to pay tribute to Harold, and thank him,” said Duggan, who became friends with Rowden over the past few years in Orillia.

Duggan presented Sir Rowden and the Legion with plaques, memorializing his service and his connection to motorcycling history.

Across the street, motorcyclists and onlookers applauded.

Before the motorcycle riders arrived, trumpeter Andy Salvatore played The Last Post, in solemn remembrance of the lives lost 77 years ago.

“Today, [Rowden] said the bigger remembrance is the people that were left behind,” Pitman said. “That really hit the nail on the head.”

An estimated 4,400 Allied soldiers died during the Normandy beach invasion – more than 1,000 were Canadians. The attack is viewed as a turning point in The Second World War, driving German troops to retreat.

Linda Battams, a regional commander with the Legion, said she hopes younger Canadians learn about people such as Rowden and their service to the military.

“I want them to remember the veterans,” Battams said, “what they’ve done for us, the sacrifices they’ve made for us, and honour them.”

Hall of Fame inductees revealed

By

Lisa Gervais

-

June 7, 2021

0

By Sam Gillett

The Haliburton Highlands Sports Hall of Fame has announced its first inductees.

Eleven athletes, three builders and three teams will be celebrated in an exhibit on the upper level of the A.J. LaRue Arena.

A wide range of athletes were recognized: football stars Michael Bradley, and Taly Williams; track and field Olympian Lesley Tashlin and university track star, Anna Tomlinson; hockey players Cody Hodgson, Ron Stackhouse, Bernie Nicholls, Donald Beverley “Joe” Iles, Glen Dart and Marla MacNaull, and curler Jake Walker.

Those honoured in the “builders” category – supporting sporting culture in the area – include Linda J. Brandon, Albert John (Ab) LaRue and Lenny Salvatori.

Famed Hockey teams throughout history also get a nod: the 1934 Haliburton Huskies, 1956-58 Minden Monarchs and the 1971 Haliburton Junior D Huskies will be recognized for their accomplishments on the ice.

“This is a group of people and teams that truly reflect the depth and the breadth of athletics in the Highlands,” said Scotty LaRue, chair of the Hall of Fame board. “We have 11 athletes, three builders and three teams whose excellence and commitment deserves to be celebrated and that is exactly what we are doing today.”

LaRue and the rest of the Hall of Fame board will host an induction ceremony on October 23.

“These individuals have contributed so much to their sports and to their communities and we want to ensure these contributions are never forgotten,” said LaRue in a press release.

The Haliburton Highlands Sports Hall of Fame will occupy a temporary space in A.J LaRue Arena’s community hall.

The Hall of Fame is part of the Haliburton County Community Co-operative, and raised funds for the exhibitions display cabinets, website, and promotional materials with help from community donations.

The Highlander will be profiling each athlete, builder and team in upcoming issues.

Schmale on Kamloops: status quo not working

By

Lisa Gervais

-

June 4, 2021

0

By Lisa Gervais

When Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MP Jamie Schmale first heard that the remains of 215 children, some as young as three, had been found buried outside a residential school in Kamloops, BC, he reacted as a father.

“It makes you sick,” he said in a June 4 interview.

As the Shadow Minister for Crown-Indigenous Relations, Schmale added, “It’s something that has profoundly lasting and damaging impact on Indigenous culture, heritage and language. The legacy of residential schools is a shame.”

In a wide-sweeping interview, Schmale said the fact the last residential school was closed in 1996 means it is not something that happened in a faraway time. “The effects are still having ramifications on the survivors today, on the people that are very much around today.”

Schmale said he has been the lead on the file for the Official Opposition Conservatives. He has been working closely with leader Erin O’Toole and his office, committees, and speaking with Indigenous People, “reaching out and talking with them and trying to develop a fast forward.”

It began with work June 1 and is continuing.

He stressed that the Conservatives “felt this wasn’t an opportunity to politicize something,” but rather making “helpful suggestions. Not placing blame or anything like that because we know the failures are on governments of all stripes going right back,” Schmale said.

His party has asked for the government to develop a plan for Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) calls for actions 71-76, dealing with missing children and burial information by July 1. They also want funding for investigations at all former residential schools in Canada where unmarked graves may exist. Thirdly, ensuring the proper resources are allocated to communities to commemorate and honour the individuals discovered through the investigations and an education plan for Canadians of all ages to understand what happened.

He said any plan going forward must be Indigenous-led, with Ottawa providing assistance.

“Some believe they are gravesites, some crime scenes. Both are true. Some are saying leave it, some are saying let’s get closure … it has to be Indigenous-led, not Ottawa-led.”

The local MP said he is having emotional talks with Indigenous Peoples following the gruesome discovery.

He said a lot were not surprised by the finding but were by the number. He said many tell stories of classmates having gone missing and never coming back.

“Most of it is listening, trying to understand the pain they were and have been feeling.”

He thinks this is just the beginning.

Schmale said his party plans to vote in favour of NDP Charlie Angus’ motion on the issue, with a vote expected the week of June 7.

As of June 3, they are calling on the Liberals to: end their legal battle against the First Nation children and accept the findings of the Human Rights Tribunal; end their legal battle against the St. Anne’s survivors; push for the adoption of the TRC calls to action, particularly 71-76; provide survivors and their families the support for dealing with the trauma; and table within 10 days the steps they have taken to end their legal battles.

Schmale said, “We need to deal with this. We need to take action. We know what needs to be done. We need to listen to what the people on the ground are telling us and how we should proceed and then do it.”

The local MP said it’s clear governments have failed for centuries and this is “an opportunity to perhaps think differently on the situation. The status quo is not working so how do we proceed with reconciliation in a more meaningful way? And that includes financial and economic reconciliation too.”

For example, he said there remains equality issues. Some Indigenous police services do not have the same powers and resources as other police forces in the same province. He said the officers know the communities, people, families, and how to deal with situations differently, but don’t have the same powers to deal with those situations and that must change.

He said many First Nations people don’t have the ability to acquire property, sell land, have self-governance and the resources to do that.

Referencing years-long boil water advisories, Schmale said in “today’s day and age, how the heck is this still happening?” In some cases, he said it is because a local has not been trained to service a water treatment plant.

“No matter where you were in Canada, when news of what happened in Kamloops came out, I think it affected everyone, Indigenous, non-Indigenous, it didn’t matter. When you hear about a mass gravesite of 215 children, some as young as three, I think a whole country mourns.”