HHHS still has unknowns around the province’s changes to hospital governance.

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) announced Bill 74, the People’s Health Care Act 2019, in late February.

“As these changes take place and the system evolves, the MOHLTC has indicated that there will not be any disruption in health services for persons receiving care,” Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) CEO Carolyn Plummer told a hospital board meeting March 28.

She outlined the two major changes. The first is the consolidation of several provincial programs into a single agency called Ontario Health, which will be responsible for promoting health service integration and providing a single central point of accountability and oversight for healthcare in the province.

The consolidated agencies include Cancer Care Ontario, Health Quality Ontario, eHealth Ontario, Trillium Gift of Life Network, Health Shared Services Ontario, HealthForce Ontario, and all of the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) across the province.

Plummer said Ontario Health will be governed by a single board of directors which has already been established.

The second major change is to organize health service providers across several health sectors into 30-50 Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) with a focus on patients and specific local health needs.

She said that each OHT will bring together at least three different health services, which could include hospital care, primary care, long-term care, home and community care, mental health and addictions care, and palliative care.

“The OHTs will be responsible for working as a coordinated team to deliver services in an integrated way to support seamless transitions for patients and improve system navigation for patients,” Plummer said.

She added that OHTs are intended to provide care for population sizes of 50,000 to 300,000 people. These teams will be established in phases across the province.

The MOHLTC has indicated that more information on how health service providers can become an OHT would be made available in March.

Plummer told the board meeting, “It is too early to know what this legislation will mean for HHHS or how it will affect health services in Haliburton County; however given our experience as a rural health hub, our well established partnerships and collaborations, and our current integrated services (hospital, long-term care, community programs, palliative care, mental health), we have an opportunity to take a leadership role together with our partners in developing the OHT model.”

Haliburton property owners presented to county council March 27 to try and get the municipality to step up efforts to protect natural shorelines.

The Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners Associations (CHA) detailed the importance of natural shorelines to lake health and asked the county to implement a new bylaw towards maintaining them. CHA board chair Paul MacInnes said protecting lake health is vital for the county.

“The lakes are the foundation of Haliburton County. They’re the foundation of our economy,” MacInnes said. “They are our way of life. They’re the reason so many of us are here.”

MacInnes explained that 80-90 per cent of all lake life depends on natural shorelines at some point in their life cycle. He also said if lake health continues to deteriorate, it could have a massive impact on property assessment values and taxation.

“Even from a financial point of view, it makes a heck of a lot of sense to protect our lakes,” MacInnes said.

The CHA said a bylaw is urgently needed to prevent people from taking down natural shorelines. MacInnes said the CHA cannot reach everyone and people are stripping shorelines in anticipation of regulation, to improve sightlines and create small beaches.

“That’s happening on an ongoing basis on a number of our lakes,” MacInnes said. “Without healthy lakes, Haliburton County is in trouble.”

Warden Liz Danielsen thanked CHA for its efforts to address the issue and inform people about it.

“You have given us some stark bits of information and facts and things to think about if we want to be able to continue with the lifestyle we have today,” Danielsen said.

She added the county is taking steps to work on a tree-cutting bylaw and shoreline preservation.

The county has also worked with the province to increase the fines under the county’s existing shoreline tree preservation bylaw. The province authorized the fines to increase to $800 as of Feb. 20, but Danielsen said that is not enough. “

We were allowed to increase them marginally,” Danielsen said. “If we don’t have reasonable fines, people aren’t going to care.”

Council voted to receive the presentation for information. MacInnes said he was aware he was “preaching to the converted” but it was still important to keep working on the issue.

“We’ve made incredible strides,” MacInnes said. “Do we still have a lot of people that just don’t care, just don’t want to know and don’t want to take action? Absolutely. We’re fighting the good fight and the only thing we can do is keep fighting.”

The Highlands East fire committee is trying to reset in the wake of outrage from Highland Grove residents over a perceived threat to the community fire hall.

A new terms of reference for the committee was unanimously approved by council April 9, laying out the mandate for the rest of the municipal term. The vote followed a contingent of more than 20 Highland Grove residents attending the fire committee meeting April 8.

Committee chair and Coun. Cam McKenzie said the committee needed to restart after its first meeting March 11.
A 2010 report was presented at that meeting which recommended the municipality close fire halls including in Highland Grove, which concerned residents and firefighters.

“We kind of started on the wrong track,” McKenzie said. “Because of the public interest, the best way was to level the playing field and let everyone know that there are rules.”

The April 8 meeting consisted of McKenzie reading out the procedural bylaw, employee code of conduct and discussing committee member remuneration. McKenzie also noted council would consider terms of reference for the committee the next day, and the committee had nothing it could answer to until then.

McKenzie made it clear municipal rules require audience members not address the committee and people looking to speak with the committee would have to make a delegation request.

“Those meetings can’t turn into question and answer,” McKenzie said.

Highland Grove residents in attendance expressed frustration.

“I have never felt like such an unwanted outsider as I did tonight,” Cheryl Ellis said. “It saddened me that so many people came out for answers and were greeted with rules and regulations about not speaking out.”

“I really, really understand the frustration of the people,” McKenzie said. “But let’s get it back on track and following the rules.”

Committee to review service delivery

Under its terms of reference, the fire committee is to provide council with a service delivery review. The review is to include a minimum of three options, including one to maintain the status quo. It is also to include details on calls made at all fire halls in the last three years, costs for all options and impacts to fire coverage.

“It’s going to be a fairly big undertaking,” McKenzie said. “Our fire budget is fairly significant. Fire equipment is extremely expensive.”

McKenzie said it will take some time before the review is completed. He also said it would take the 2010 report into consideration.

He added he could not say whether it is expected the other options might fall in line with the report’s conclusions.

“I wouldn’t want to say that wouldn’t be an option. The other is moving equipment around,” McKenzie said.

After nine years of trying to improve Haliburton’s public transportation options, Lisa Tolentino is ready to call it quits.

The longtime member of the advocacy group Rural Transportation Options (RTO), as well as the county Transportation Task Force, is stepping back from both. RTO itself is going on hiatus, with the future of the task force uncertain after reaching the end of its mandate March 31.

“I just don’t have the time, energy, or frankly the gumption anymore, given this is volunteer work,” Tolentino said.

The county opted not to proceed with an implementation plan for a transportation system made by consultant IBI Group this year. The county budgeted $50,000 to continue work on transportation in 2019 but has not allocated the funding to anything more specific.

“We’ve provided ample time for them to step up to the plate,” Tolentino said. “In order to continue, the municipality still has to play a key role.”

The task force discussed its future at an April 5 meeting. Councillors on the committee said they will discuss transportation at the April 24 council meeting, after which they will have a better idea of what happens next.

“We should discuss whether there will or will not be a task force,” county Coun. Cec Ryall said. “If there isn’t going to be a task force, is there going to be anything at all that’s going to guide this thing? Without
guidance, we’re just going to be a slow death.”

Minden Hills Coun. Pam Sayne said there is still a need and a desire for transportation.

“I don’t think the community, although they’re burnt out, has any less kind of feeling that this needs to continue,” Sayne said. “The question is, does the county have any appetite to support the administrative work that needs to be done to keep this afloat?”

New grant up for grabs

Task force co-chair Michael Andrews brought forward a grant opportunity should the county proceed.

Andrews said funding could be available through the Ontario Labour Market Partnerships program. It aims to address labour market issues, but Andrews said another jurisdiction has used it for transportation as a way to help address labour shortages.

“The idea here is to help mitigate the risk municipalities would have in terms of funding transportation projects,” Andrews said. “The envelope is for three years. It could be $300,000 or more, it could be less. It really depends on what we ask for.”

County Coun. Brent Devolin said committing to work on such a grant would have to wait until the April 24 meeting.

Rural Transportation Options winds down

RTO and task force member Heather Ross said RTO’s three members decided to stop meeting for now, and with that, will stop running the Haliburton Rideshare website.

“We do feel as a group we’ve probably done all that we can do,” Ross said.

However, Ross said the group will watch how transportation develops and step in if needed.

“Regardless of where this goes or doesn’t go, your efforts have been appreciated,” Devolin said.

Tolentino highlighted the county deciding not to apply for a five-year, $500,000 provincial grant for transportation in 2018 as a missed opportunity. At the time, the municipality was wary of the five-year commitment required.

Tolentino said it can be difficult for municipalities to see the tangible benefits of transportation.

“There seems to be fear about making a commitment but someone has to bite the bullet at some point,” she said. “I think they’ll get there eventually. I just can’t keep going.”

The community applauded the efforts of Trent University students to explore the county at the 21st annual U-Links Celebration of Research March 23.

The annual event offers a glimpse at the work done by students through the U-Links Centre for Community Based Research. The 23 research projects investigated topics from wetland protection, healthcare and plastic use. More than 40 people attended at the Minden Hills Community Centre.

Project co-ordinator Amanda DuncombeLee said she was pleased with the turnout.

“It’s amazing to see everyone gather around the posters and try to find out more,” Duncombe-Lee said. “The students did a great job, from what I’ve seen, explaining.”

Guest speaker Ray Letheren talked about a model for single-use plastic reduction in communities. Letheren’s model is being examined by Dysart et al through a U-Links project. A report will soon come forward to the municipality about it, he said.

“If you don’t read anything else this year, read that report,” he added. “Our hope is that every community in Ontario will soon join us in this campaign.”

U-Links co-chair Larry Clarke said the projects this year were excellent, with many centring on environmental issues. He added the research is critical for small communities to address their needs.

“It’s something very important to this particular community because that’s our future. We have to have research and data that enables us,” Clarke said. “It at least provides some tools and solutions for us to push some of these needs up to a level of government, so that perhaps (we) can see some change.”

The day also featured a presentation from Emily Anon, who discussed her thesis on the impact of U-links research in the county. She found the centre had led to many useful outcomes, including policy changes, programming and organizational learning.

“I have no doubt that all this work will go on to do important things in Haliburton County. Taking it a step beyond the purely academic pursuits to the kind of research that connects and strengthens our world for everyday people,” she said.

Minden Hills council is expected to pass its 2019 budget at its next council meeting following a public meeting and fourth draft on March 28.

The tax levy increase is currently sitting at 6.48 per cent.

“The residential rate, based on the current draft, would increase from $3.54 to $3.65 per 1,000 of assessment,” CAO/treasurer Lorrie Blanchard said in a written report.

She went on to provide a table outlining the municipal (only) tax impact on a residential and commercial property initially assessed at 300,000, which is the approximate mid-point average assessment for residential properties on and off water.

“A mid-range three per cent increase in ‘phased-in’ residential assessment would result in a $64.92 increase in taxes (municipal share only) or approximately $5.41 per month, and a five per cent increase in phased-in residential assessment would result in an $86.81 increase in taxes (municipal share only) or approximately $7.29 per month,” Blanchard said.

For commercial properties, the same formula would see increases of $96.25 ($8.02 per month) or $128.71 ($10.73 per month).

The County of Haliburton rate has been approved in principle and the township is awaiting the education rate.

Staff is further recommending an approximate five per cent increase in water and wastewater rates for 2019.

The tax levy increase dropped slightly from seven per cent during round three budget talks. Blanchard attributed it to $5,000 in building inspection fees that are no longer required, an extra $27,300 in OMPF funding, and more bank interest income and penalties on taxes. Insurance deductible was moved from one account to another (no net change), and $20K of arena heating costs were moved to reserves (no net change).

It was also confirmed the township will borrow $11,890,000 for the arena renewal project over 30 years with loan repayments. This number is exclusive of any available and successful loan applications or fundraising activities.

The current draft budget also includes a 7.61 per cent increase in wages and a 10.77 per cent increase in benefits versus the 2018 budget estimates.

Blanchard noted that landfill costs represent a large increase in costs, up 36 per cent, or $247,410. She said money will be spent on hazardous waste removal, seagull remediation, grading and cover bulldozing-related expenditures; the transportation of recyclable material, bin movements, and cardboard processing; contractual wage rate changes related to landfill attendants and transportation of non-recyclable material; shed and miscellaneous equipment rentals.

“You can see our primary focus is landfills, economic development and programs and the arena project,” Blanchard added of the overall 2019 budget.

Coun. Bob Carter stressed that while the levy is going up 6.48 per cent, the tax rate is only increasing by 3.02 per cent.

Coun. Pam Sayne said the public has been asking her about the state of Sunnybrook bridge repairs, potholes and boat launches. The Sunnybook bridge project has been shelved for this year, but there is talk of putting it in for the new Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).

As for potholes, roads director Travel Wilson assured Sayne they are in the budget as part of regular maintenance.

Director of community services Make Coleman said his department is currently doing an inventory of boat launches and will bring a report back to council later this year.

Students expressed their concern at upcoming provincial cuts to education with a protest outside Haliburton Highlands Secondary School April 4.

More than 30 students from the school walked out of class and gathered in solidarity with province-wide protests
against the cuts, including proposed increases to high school class sizes from 22 to 28 students.

HHSS student organizer Chloe Samson said students are worried about having fewer teachers in their school.

“We wanted to do this because if we didn’t get out and show our freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, then we weren’t really exercising our rights as students,” Samson said. “We just felt we had to do something about it and we made the right move coming out here today.”

Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) communications manager Catherine Shedden said when the board learned of the student-organized event, they established parameters. Those included students being marked absent if participating and demonstrations not being allowed on high school property.

“While it is not sanctioned by the school board, schools are not denying the rights for students to protest,” Shedden said. “School administrators encouraged students to consider alternatives to a walkout – including writing a letter to their MPP or to the Minister of Education.”

The province has suggested teachers’ unions may have been behind the demonstrations.

“This isn’t about class sizes, I’ll tell you,” Premier Doug Ford said during question period April 4. “This is about union bosses telling the teachers and the students what to do.”

Samson said the teachers and school staff did not offer much response to students about the effort.

“Most of the teachers weren’t at liberty to share their opinions to the students,” Samson said. “But we did have positive reinforcement.”

Province proposing education reforms

The province is exploring a series of education reforms, including an increase in the funded average class size from 22 to 28 in Grades 9-12 and from 23.84 to 24.5 in Grades 4-8.

“The government is committed to achieving greater financial sustainability in the education system without involuntary front-line layoffs,” Deputy Minister of Education Nancy Naylor said in a memo to school authorities March 15. “The proposed changes to class sizes may have implications for teacher staffing in Ontario school boards.”

The change has school boards preparing for staff reductions. The Toronto District School Board said March 21 the changes would result in the loss of about 800 of its teachers.

TLDSB director of education Larry Hope said it is estimated the board there will be 24 fewer high school teaching positions across its board due to classroom size changes.

Samson said students think they need every teacher they have.

“If we had less teachers, then we would have less opportunity,” she said.