Snowmobile traffic raising health concerns

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January 31, 2021

JQ - Snowmobile concern - 1 — Snowmobilers travel in Haliburton Jan. 23. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

Living near a snowmobile trail, Linda Middleton has concerns about the traffic she sees at the gas station across from her.

The Harcourt resident said she frequently sees snowmobilers “shoulder to shoulder,” gathering in a way that appears to flout public health protocols. Based on the exit traffic she sees on Sunday, she believes some of them are coming from out of the area – a definite protocol violation.

“It’s pretty scary,” she said. “It would be extremely scary for our people who work in stores and restaurants. Anything that’s open at all. Having to be extremely careful. Too many people that are coming and going out of red zones.”

Haliburton is filled with snowmobiling traffic at this time of year, raising concerns about the usually tourism-driving recreation. The province is permitting the activity under its stay-at-home order. But snowmobilers are not supposed to travel outside their district, according to health units and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC).

That rule has not been enough in some areas. The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit shut down its trails to everyone Jan. 21 due to complaints about people travelling from elsewhere to use them.

Haliburton County Snowmobile Association (HCSA) vice-president John Enright said the club is busy working on trails. He added snowmobiling is a good way to recreate and though rest stop gatherings can be concerning, restaurants and other amenities being closed should limit them.

“I don’t think there’s a better recreation that offers social distancing than snowmobiling. Everyone is apart,” Enright said.

He said some could be travelling to Haliburton from larger centres within the district, which is allowed. Beyond that, it is hard to tell.

“Out-of-town traffic is unknown,” Enright said. “It’s a very, very hard thing to measure.”

Still, Enright said individual clubs and the OFSC are urging snowmobilers to follow the rules.

“All we can do is ask. We can’t order people to do that. We hope they are,” he said. “I believe everyone, or most, are doing the right thing. But it only takes one. And you know, we’re in such uncharted waters.”

HKPR medical officer of health, Dr. Ian Gemmill, said Jan. 20 he does not intend to close local trails but rules should be obeyed.

“I would ask people to follow the spirit of the stay-at-home orders,” Gemmill said.

Enright said the club will respect the decisions of public health experts. But he added people need to be able to get outside.

“We’re in an area with not a lot of cases. People can’t be cooped up indoors all winter. They get cabin fever,” he said.

Middleton said she has no issue with locals snowmobiling – just those travelling from out of the area to do so in Haliburton. She added there should be another way to address it than closing trails.

“I don’t know what the answer is. I think that people just need to follow the rules.”

Businesses struggle under new lockdown

By

Lisa Gervais

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January 30, 2021

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JQ - Small business struggle - 1 — Peanut brittle maker Kim Ross said her business has struggled under the lockdown. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

When local business owner Kim Ross visited a plaza in the Oshawa area over Christmas, she said she was shocked by the activity happening under lockdown.

The peanut brittle maker – who was visiting to help her elderly mother – saw most of the stores were open despite the lockdown coming into effect Boxing Day.

People milled about, waiting in line for takeout and roads were “jampacked.” Big box stores were busy. With her business struggling due to the new rules, she said what she saw upset her.

“The only thing that’s really suffering are all the small businesses that were closed,” Ross said. “I don’t understand why – if we wear masks and we do the cleaning and we only allow so many in the store – why in the world are we are not allowed to stay open as well?”

Local businesses are feeling the hit of the lockdown and subsequent stay-at-home order, not due to end until February. Local councillors have commented on the need for more support. Big box stores – many allowed to stay open – have come under increased scrutiny, with Ontario starting an inspection blitz Jan. 14.

Ross said her product – made in Haliburton and sold in smaller storefronts across the province – has suffered.

“Because the shutdown started during the Christmas season, I haven’t had a single order from any of my distributors,” she said. “I’m still having to pay the rent, the heat, the hydro, the taxes and have absolutely no work.”

Sir Sam’s Ski/Ride owner Chris Bishop is also unhappy. The hill has closed since the lockdown went into effect – with Ontario the only province closing alpine ski resorts. Bishop said after cutting capacity and investing $50,000 in safety measures, he is upset by the provincial decision.

“We were very frustrated because we did everything we were told we had to do in order to open,” Bishop said. He said he had to lay off 90 employees until he can reopen.

He added the attentive monitoring in place at his hill seems safer than other things being allowed.

“It seems as safe to me as it would be to go to Costco or go to Walmart,” Bishop said.

Local politicians are taking notice. Algonquin Highlands council backed a resolution from the Town of Kingsville Jan. 21 asking the province to allow small businesses to reopen with limited capacity and increased safety measures.

The province has tried to respond. It said Jan. 22 that it has received more than 42,000 applications for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant, which can provide a business between $10,000-$20,000 in support.

“There’s no question that eligible small businesses need urgent relief to help them navigate this challenging period,” Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy said in a press release.

Still, Bishop said the situation will impact his operation significantly. He urged people to follow health protocols to get the virus under control.

“My business is going to take a three-year hit. Small businesses in Haliburton, I don’t know how you can take a three-year hit,” he said.

“I have to make this work,” Ross said. “The only thing is I’m not sure if my pockets are deep enough to get through the next two months.”

Community responds to AH fire

By

Lisa Gervais

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January 29, 2021

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A man escaped a house fire Jan. 28 that claimed the life of a pet dog and caused significant damage on Paint Lake Road in Algonquin Highlands.

When crews arrived at the house in Lake of Bays after 8:30 p.m., it was reported that the flames were shooting through the roof and the structure fully engulfed.

The man was treated for his injuries and the damage to the home is estimated at approximately $400,000.

The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office has been called to investigate.

Mandy Kerr established a gofundme, $50,000, campaign shortly after. She said it was to help her cousin, Jamie, recover from losing his home.

“My cousin Jamie has lost everything in an evening house [fire] any help or donation to him would be appreciated at this difficult time,” she wrote.

Algonquin Highlands fire chief, Jonathan Wilker, said all three of his stations were involved in the call. The Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department were the primary responders however.

The Highlander will report more information as it becomes available.

Lending a paw to a human-created problem

By

Lisa Gervais

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January 28, 2021

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LG-cats of paint lake 2 — A rescued feral kitten named Floof

About four years ago, Heather Deveaux and her partner, Kyal Smith, started feeding feral cats around their cabin on Paint Lake in Dorset during harsh winter days.

Then they noticed a couple of “regulars” and got to know them. One, whom they named MamaCat started bringing her kittens so they could eat, too. After MamaCat’s second litter, Deveaux said they realized there was a larger feral cat problem than they had at first understood.

She said they heard from neighbours, friends and community members about cats they were seeing or trying to help.

“A number of events convinced us that we had to take a personal hand in getting the reproductive cycle under control,” Deveaux said. “Some of the babies that we knew early on died tragically, or disappeared inexplicably, and we never knew what happened to them. Others had health issues that we couldn’t help them with. We knew something had to be done. And if we weren’t going to do it, who would?”

They took the first couple of feral cats to the vet’s to be spayed or neutered at their own expense.

“We knew that this was unsustainable over the long term. We set up a Gofundme page, and to our surprise, people made donations. We kept on doing whatever we could to take care of the cats we knew, to re-home the kittens that we ended up bottle-feeding or getting our hands on as early as we could, and enlisting the aid of our growing community of cat and animal lovers,” she said.

The Gofundme page exploded over a seven-week-old rescued feral kitten named Floof, who had a serious medical condition requiring emergency surgery. Deveaux used her personal credit card for the $1,000 charge. Smith posted to Facebook looking for help. The next day the Visa had been paid off in donations.

“From this point on, we knew that this was something we needed to do, and that we had the support of a community of people, united in their love of cats and concern for their well-being,” Deveaux said.

She said cottagers, friends, family, locals and business owners started to reach out and offer support, or ask them for their support in helping cats they knew were out there.

A recent food drive raised an estimated $2,500 worth of food in both cash and in-kind donations, in approximately 48 hours.

The Cats of Paint Lake is now in the planning stages of setting up a new location on Paint Lake Road, which will provide them with better accommodations for the animals, and a more efficient space to manage intakes, assessments, care, and outreach.

At the moment, they have embarked upon taking an inventory and mapping the feral cat colonies and populations of Dorset and surrounding areas, including Lake of Bays, Kawagama Lake, Paint Lake and Algonquin Highlands, to start.

Deveaux added they cooperate, and coordinate efforts, with other agencies as much as possible, including the Humane Society, Muskoka Animal Rescue, Minden Cat Angels, Dorset Rescue Kittens and several vet clinics around the region. They have a number of other plans for the future.

But for now, “we want to shed light on the growing problem of stray and feral cats in our area. This is a human-created problem, and only humans can solve it. The cats are just doing what is in their nature, and they need our help to get their reproductive cycle under control, and to get in out of the cold.”

More information is available at: Catsofpaintlake@gmail.com Follow them on Facebook, Instagram @catsofpaintlake and Youtube.

Folk Society puts out call for performers

By

Lisa Gervais

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January 28, 2021

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LG-folk society — Kate Hall performs at Haliburton Highlands Brewing in September

The Haliburton County Folk Society will present a stay-at-home version of open stage on Saturday, Feb. 13.

In a press release, HCFS member Barrie Martin said audience members will watch from home and performers will do the same since musicians and spoken word artists will pre-record their performances.

“Using Zoom, these performances will then be mixed with a ‘live’ show on open stage night,” Martin said. He added that a master of ceremonies will orchestrate online interviews and the pre-recorded performances.

The Open Stage will also be streamed on Facebook for audience members not comfortable with Zoom.

Martin said pre-recorded performances are necessary because of the lack of decent internet upload speeds in the area. An upload speed of 5mbps is required to stream live music. He said a live performance would be considered if a performer’s internet speed can meet the required upload speed, or if it is a spoken word performance.

The Folk Society tried an outdoor Open Stage at Haliburton Highlands Brewing in September and then a live-streamed version in November. Recent COVID regulations and the lockdown require a new approach, however.

Anyone interested in performing can email haliburtonfolk@gmail.com or call Don Gage at 705-286-5085. All genres of music, poetry or spoken word are welcome. One to three songs per performer is the standard offering. Performers are asked to let the Folk Society know by Feb. 1 if interested in performing. Pre-recorded performances must be received before Feb. 12.

Martin said the COVID safe and compliant initiative is made possible by the efforts of Kate Hall, Don Gage and Eric Lilius.

Buttermilk Falls Resort changes hands

By

Lisa Gervais

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January 28, 2021

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LG-buttermilk falls horizontal — Stephen and Megan Orr, foreground, have purchased Buttermilk Falls Resort from Dale and John Rider

Long-time guests, Stephen and Megan Orr, have taken over the Buttermilk Falls Resort from John and Dale Rider, who are retiring after 13 years. The changeover happened Jan. 20.

Stephen Orr said he and Megan have been coming to the area for more than 20 years, discovering Buttermilk about 15 years ago. They developed a friendship with the Riders, other guests and introduced the resort to friends.

Stephen said during their September 2020 vacation, he flippantly said that if they sold their house in Markham they could afford the down payment on the resort – which the Riders had put up for sale. He said that later the same day, in the hot tub, Megan asked if they should seriously consider buying the resort.

“I almost drowned,” Stephen said.

He said they left the next day with a casual mention to Dale that they were thinking about it. They began a more serious ponder, meeting with the Riders for a “gut check” to ask candid questions.

Then the Riders got an offer. The Orrs were deflated but that offer fell through.

The Orrs drove north to have another chat with the Riders in October and then met with the realtor.

“A week later we had put together an offer and it was accepted,” Stephen said.

“Another five weeks and we had completed our due diligence on the resort and had accepted an offer on our house in Markham. Just nine weeks previously we were relaxing in a hot tub looking at the stars.”

Now, Stephen said they are looking forward to meeting new people and becoming part of the community.

It’s early days, but the couple plan to put their stamp on the place.

In the short-term, Stephen said the resort will be getting a new logo and the website will likely get a significant makeover sooner rather than later.

“The number one thing that we thought could make a big impact and that would be appreciated by all, is the addition of a new floating dock. It will be quite a bit longer than the current dock, allowing more room for boats to tie up, and it should be possible to tie up even in the late fall when the water is low. The dock also includes a large platform which should be ideal for swimming off of, or just as a spot for reading a book with a glass of wine and enjoying the sunset,” Stephen said.

He added they have a number of ideas aimed at bringing more guests to the region in the spring and fall and plan to be open March break for tobogganing, tubing and an ice rink.

As for the Riders, Dale said they’re excited for the Orrs, “and we’re very happy for our guests because we’ve worked hard to develop a good environment, business and a great client base and they’re really happy.” She said as former guests, the Orrs understand the resort.

John said they will take some time off and think about next steps. He added they were running out of energy and drive and had plateaued and the Orrs have different ideas to tweak and grow the business.

Dale said that when they bought the resort, the plan was to retire in the County but first move here, have a business, raise a couple of kids, and “get into the community.” She said they have met many people and “now we can actually spend some time when it’s appropriate. And, I’m imagining a Saturday morning in the summer on the dock.”

COVID decisions questionable

By

Lisa Gervais

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January 28, 2021

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The Province of Ontario is dealing with its first global pandemic in 100 years so it was bound to get some things wrong.

Without a doubt, choosing to allow big box retailers such as Costco and Walmart to remain open while shuttering small business is one of the more questionable decisions.

We have seen the line-ups at places such as Costco and Walmart, in which people are not six feet apart.

We know full well that stores in Haliburton County could do a much better job of social distancing and limiting numbers into their premises.

While the Costcos and Walmarts also have robust online shopping to cushion the COVID economic blow, small businesses in places such as the Highlands do not.

We applaud County Warden Liz Danielsen for taking a stand during a Jan. 21 Algonquin Highlands council meeting.

She said it did not seem fair for big box stores to be open with small businesses being hurt as badly as they are by being reduced to curbside pickup and deliveries.

In the same vein, we have to question a decision that has led to Sir Sam’s Ski/Ride being closed this winter. It has resulted in the local ski hill having to lay off 90 employees. Owner Chris Bishop and the Bishop family had spent a lot of money to be COVID compliant. They never got the chance beginning Boxing Day.

While it is great that Nordic skiing is being allowed, after a recent visit to one of the trails, I can attest to a full parking lot and cars and people not always six feet apart. It left me wondering why crosscountry skiing was allowed but the runs in Eagle Lake banned.

I’ve also had calls from members of the general public, complaining about snowmobilers. One caller claimed to have seen out-of-town vehicles and license plates pulling trailers full of sleds. He further claimed that some accommodators were allowing out-of-town snowmobilers to stay in direct contravention of the provincial lockdown rules that say accommodation can be for housing only. Another complained of sledders congregating at fuel pumps, less than six-feet apart without masks. Some callers said they are worried about local employees who are serving gas or at grocery stores or take-out restaurants.

Some good news did arrive this week. The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit has received its first batches of COVID vaccinations and will begin vaccinating soon. While great for our long-term care residents, many of us are still looking at months-long waits for our vaccines.

Which is why locals should do their best to patronize local stores, not shop online at big box retailers or drive to out-of-town Costco and Walmart stores. That’s why snowmobilers who live in the County should snowmobile in the County. That’s why those living in other areas should sled in those areas. And, as far as inequitable business openings, we would urge Premier Doug Ford and his ministers and advisors to have another look at the closure list to see if some adjustments need to be made. After all, if you can go to an indoor school, surely you should be able to go to an outside ski hill.

Connectivity and flooding just two issues at ROMA conference

By

Lisa Gervais

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January 28, 2021

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Haliburton County municipal politicians joined colleagues from across Ontario Jan. 25-26 as the Rural Municipalities of Ontario Association (ROMA) held its annual conference virtually this year.

During the second minister’s forum Jan. 26, on Rural Economic Resiliency, Infrastructure and Resource Development, delegates asked questions of a number of Ontario ministers, including Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP and Minister of Infrastructure, Laurie Scott.

A number of municipalities asked Scott about the digital divide. While they thanked her government for its $1 billion investment, they specifically wanted to know how many projects had been approved under the Improving Connectivity for Ontario (ICON) program to date.

Scott said there are hundreds of projects at different stages of approval. However, she said quite a large number require a federal funding component. She said while the feds had pledged $1.7 billion nationwide, Ontario has promised $1 billion.

“Everybody’s doing the math and has done the math in their municipalities … we need more money to help solve the digital divide problem faster,” Scott said.

She added while the Ontario government doubled its ICON funding to $300 million in an announcement made in Minden in November, “of course you all know municipalities and the province can only do so much.”

She said as far as the province is concerned, every option is on the table, from fixed wire, to wireless and satellite.

Flood plans

Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, John Yakabuski, was asked about the fact the flooding season is just around the corner and what improvements had been made since the flood advisor’s report in 2019. The province went on to release the first-ever Ontario Flood Strategy, in Minden, in March 2020.

Yakabuski said the province can’t prevent flooding as it is a natural phenomenon.

However, “it’s all about what we do to better forecast that flooding and then respond to it when it happens and then through also working with my colleague, Mr. Clark at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, then recovering from those floods because when that does happen his ministry is deeply involved as well.”

Yakabuski said the strategy involves seven ministries. He added they are working with municipalities and conservation authorities. He said just one example is they’d increased their ability to monitor water levels through the basins from a surface monitoring centre in Peterborough.

Other questions touched on a renewed safe restart program, blue box full producer responsibility, the high cost and inability to get municipal insurance, the need for Freedom of Information Act reform, the province’s long-term energy plan, the necessity for more heads and beds money, social services relief and help with homelessness, stable infrastructure funding and the impact on trade with a new US government.

More than 1,100 participants took part in the conference, which featured more than two dozen speeches, sessions and workshops. Municipal staff and elected officials took part in nearly 300 online delegation meetings with provincial ministries.

About 270 of Ontario’s 444 municipalities have populations of less than 10,000, while many more are rural in character. The rural arm of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, ROMA advocates for policies and programs that help build thriving rural Ontario communities.

District gets first COVID vaccines – Gemmill says vaccine is safe

By

Lisa Gervais

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January 28, 2021

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JQ-vaccine rollout — HKPR District Health Unit acting medical officer of health, Dr. Ian Gemmill

Residents of long-term care homes (LTC) in The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit area should be vaccinated against COVID19 by Feb. 5, acting medical officer of health, Dr. Ian Gemmill, told a media scrum Jan. 27.

Dr. Gemmill said the district received its first shipment of 700 Moderna vaccines Jan. 25 and is rolling them out to LTC homes for residents who want them. The health unit is hoping for more doses next week to complete immunizing all residents to meet provincial target dates. There are an estimated 1,600 LTC residents in the district.

The province announced Jan. 25 – the day the health unit received its first vaccines – that it is accelerating its target date to Feb. 5 for the vaccination of residents in LTC, high-risk retirement, and First Nations elder care homes.

The vaccines were delivered to Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay, which will be the district’s storage location. Vaccines will first go to Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Hope Street Terrace in Port Hope and Maplewood Long-Term Care Home in Brighton, with additional clinics to go elsewhere in the next couple of weeks.

“Unfortunately, we know that what we have received will not ensure that all of our long-term care residents are vaccinated with this week’s supply,” Gemmill said. “We have had to determine priorities about which long-term care homes get the vaccine first, and we are hopeful that we will soon receive more vaccine so we can complete the immunization of residents and staff of both our longterm care homes and retirement homes.”

Gemmill said there will likely be a pause in delivery after next week. However, once the supply chain resumes, he said vaccines would go to LTC home staff, essential caregivers, hospital and healthcare workers, then older adults, those living in congregate living situations and the remainder of the adult population. He said that could take until the end of September, but he is hopeful it will be sooner.

He also allayed fears about the “blistering” fast development.

“This vaccine is safe. The vaccine is effective. The clinical trials have been conducted on tens of thousands of people. Millions since licensing have already received it. We’re not hearing that there are safety problems with this vaccine.”

Advice to cottagers

Despite the first batch of vaccines arriving, the public must remain vigilant in the face of COVID-19, Gemmill said.

He specifically addressed Haliburton County in his weekly briefing.

He said while the past 14 days had seen a preponderance of cases in Northumberland County and the City of Kawartha Lakes, “that’s not to say that Haliburton is unaffected.”

As of Jan. 27, there were five cases of COVID-19 not resolved in Haliburton, and 13 current high-risk contacts. The County has seen 48 confirmed cases to date, with 42 of them resolved. There have been two hospitalizations but no deaths.

“I am aware that of these, say eight cases in Haliburton, a couple were hospitalized and so that’s rather significant, that’s 25 per cent, so it’s small but I think the issue is the Coronavirus is everywhere … to say there is no coronavirus in Haliburton is not accurate.”

He also addressed the issue of people travelling to the County to access their cottages. He said while there is nothing to stop them, they must do it the “right way.”

“That means getting your supplies before you go, drive in your car, stay in your car, go straight to your property. And when you get there, remember there’s a stay-at-home order there. It applies just as much at our recreational property in HKPR as it does to our residence in Toronto or some other part of the GTA. And when you travel home, do the same thing. Please do not put other people at risk.”

Pandemic worsening opioid crisis

By

Lisa Gervais

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January 28, 2021

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JQ - Opioids pandemic - 1 — Photo by Jeff Anderson.

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit’s harm reduction program is being challenged by a pandemic as the opioid crisis worsens.

Ontario’s chief coroner announced a 25 per cent increase in opioid-related deaths between March and May 2020, compared to the monthly median in 2019. In the HKPR district, preliminary data shows there have been 26 confirmed and probable deaths between January and August 2020, compared to 20 in all of 2019.

Haliburton Highlands OPP say they had two opioid-related deaths reported to them and that they investigated in 2020, after none in 2019.

Detachment commander, Liane Spong, said “that is of a big concern to us and a very important area we will continue to address with other partners involved in the overall drug strategy we work with.”

HKPR substances and harm reduction co-ordinator, Catherine MacDonald, said the pandemic has created more hurdles.

“One of the main messages from a harm reduction standpoint is not to use alone, whereas with the pandemic, we were asking people to isolate,” MacDonald said. “It was very challenging to try and get that information to people.”

The district has also had an upward trend in opioid-related emergency department visits for four consecutive years, from 74 in 2016 to 193 in 2019 according to Public Health Ontario. That trend has remained steady in 2020, with preliminary data showing 143 total visits between January-September.

MacDonald said she could not say whether local use is up during the pandemic. But she said supply chain issues have made the drug more toxic, potentially catching users unaware.

“What they’re using is not necessarily what they think they’re using, or the potency is not consistent,” MacDonald said.

She added partners, including emergency responders and other social services, have worked to address issues, such as a spike in overdoses in Lindsay.

“Community partners have really come together to ensure the needs of the clients are being met,” MacDonald said. “We’ve had an increase in outreach.”

In a November joint report, the chief coroner’s office, the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network and Public Health Ontario said there is a need for policies to address the rising numbers. They recommended access to harm reduction services, safer supply of drugs and other supports.

“These recommendations align with those made by national organizations and reflect the need to act quickly to provide adequate support for people who use drugs during current and anticipated future waves of this pandemic,” the joint report said.

New solutions

The health unit is taking some action to improve the data it collects about the opioid crisis. It received a $60,000 grant and is mandated to work on a data-sharing project on opioid abuse.

MacDonald said health units only have access to limited overdose data, that does not always allow for a timely response. With the initiative, emergency responders could provide data on overdoses they address, to give health units more to work with. Other community partners and members with lived experiences with substance abuse would also be able to submit information.

“It’s just trying to provide that better idea of what’s happening out there, because we know the numbers we’re getting from our hospital reporting is not the full picture,” MacDonald said. “With that information, we can then start to evaluate and look at trends … To be able to provide the relevant programs and services to the clients that need them.”

They hope to have the program ready in mid-2021. MacDonald said people need to see the humanity of drug users.

“Those people all have loved ones and family members and friends. It really does kind of impact everybody and it is a community issue,” she said. “That’s why it’s so important there’s a community approach.”