Community loss felt at Wilberforce Agricultural Fair

By

Joseph Quigley, Local Journalism Initiative Repoter

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August 21, 2019

JQ - Wilberforce Agricultural Fair - 1-web — Brixton Haywood and Camden Haywood sit atop a horse at the 36th annual Wilberforce Agricultural Fair Aug. 10. See more coverage on page 30. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

Organizers ensured the 36th annual Wilberforce Agricultural Fair went on Aug. 9-10 despite the loss of one of the community’s pillars.

The fair attracted hundreds of guests to enjoy agricultural competition, games, vendors, food, animals and more.

But Wilberforce Agricultural Society treasurer Janet Vanier said the passing of Hilda Clark, whose funeral was also on Aug. 10 in Minden, led to some extra challenge. Clark was a regular volunteer with the fair and many other community initiatives.

“Hilda was a big supporter of the fair. She would have missed being here,” Vanier said. “We know the fair has to go on. Just doing our best, and a lot of people are putting extra work in, volunteering more so that other people can get out (to the funeral).”

Clark was known for her contributions throughout the county, including founding the Wilberforce Heritage Guild and working with the Red Cross Outpost Hospital and the Wilberforce FUNraising Group, among others.

“Thanks, Hilda, for your kinda-crusty-but-ever-lovable character, your verve and your undeniable commitment,” the Stanhope Museum wrote on its Facebook page.

But the fair was still able to go off successfully thanks to the efforts of organizers and volunteers.

Wayne Quibell of Highland Creek Builders has done live demonstrations at the fair for several years, donating his creations for fair fundraising. He said he was impressed by this year’s crowd and the event’s new attractions, such as booths run by the local fire department and Canoe FM.

“It’s a great little community and you get to get out and meet all kinds of new people,” Quibell said. “No better place to spend a Saturday than the Wilberforce Fair.”

The event is also a place for competition, including horse pulls, bench exhibits and a children’s dog show. Agricultural society director Mike Alden has competed in horse pulling for five years.

“I’ve always liked it,” Alden said. “The competitors are nice to each other, they always help each other out. Everybody’s always having a good time.”

Vanier said a lot of work goes into putting the event on, with planning for next year starting shortly after the fair ends. But she said there is plenty to make it worthwhile in the end.

“The smiles on the kids’ faces and the community participating,” Vanier said. “It’s just great to see the community coming together.”

Shaking the ground for solar farms in Algonquin Highlands

By

Lisa Gervais

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August 19, 2019

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LG-solar farms 2.jpgWEB — Work has begun on a solar farm in Algonquin Highlands. It is one of two being built. Photo by Lisa Gervais

Work has begun on two small ground mounted solar generation power projects in Algonquin Highlands.

Leftovers of the former provincial Liberal government’s Fit 4 program, Soventix is commencing with two 600kW-generating projects, each on five acres of land in the township. One is just north of Carnarvon, and the other further north along Highway 35 across the highway from Boshkung Lake. Both sites are leased.

The projects first came to Algonquin Highlands council back in July 2015. The council of the day granted blanket support.

Soventix’s Canadian managing director, Michael Kendon, told The Highlander on Tuesday it has taken them more than four years to get the projects to where they are today. They applied, and were successful, under the feed-in-tarriff program. They then had stages of engineering, planning, costing and financing. They are doing other projects in Canada and across the world.

“So, it’s not like it ever went away. There’s always that kind of initial amount of information that goes out when a municipality lends it support to the project … and from a public perspective it’s been pretty much invisible until the stage where we’re at now,” he said.

Residents of Carnarvon have noted there has been blasting just north of town. Kendon said there is some blasting of rock to access the two sites and also to put in the piles that the solar panels will be attached to.

“The two projects are in construction. So, it means that the people that are working on them are doing whatever they need to get access roads in and to get the connection lines,” he said.

The managing director said they are employing local contractors to do the preliminary site preparation work. It won’t take long, either, he said.

“These things should be built and functional within the next 30 to 60 days. The whole project is comparatively very simple to put together once you have all the elements lined up.”

He said they will install piles, racks, panels, wiring and a transformer to connect to the Hydro grid. The projects have a life of 20 years. He said they will not be visible from the ground.

“The end result is two solar energy projects that are generating electricity out of sight of everybody, injecting power into the utility grid,” Kendron said. “Increasing the amount of renewable-derived energy that’s used in the area. That’s a fact and that’s a good thing to us.

“We want to do what we can to help shift energy supply and generation away from carbon sources or detrimental sources and go to renewable sources, because this planet … it’s got some challenges. And, these might be small, but you add a lot of small things together and you can make an impact.”

He lauded the province for ending its reliance on coal. He said Soventix chose Algonquin Highlands because both sites are easily accessible to transmission lines and are not on agricultural land. He said in addition to the benefit of “the energy consumed in the local area is going to be greened up a little bit more” local contractors are being used and the landowners will make some money.

“We tend to think this is a positive thing; and it might have taken a while to get to this point but here we are.”

Church “pillar” celebrates 80th birthday

By

Joseph Quigley, Local Journalism Initiative Repoter

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August 19, 2019

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Long-time Anglican church organist Bill Gliddon could hardly walk a few feet without being embraced by a well-wisher at his 80th birthday party Aug. 11.

The St. George’s and St. Margaret’s Anglican Church community hailed the choir director for his 57 years serving in the role. After a standing ovation at the end of the Sunday service, the party attracted dozens of Gliddon’s friends and family to celebrate.

It is those same people who have driven Gliddon to continue making music to fill the church’s chambers, he said.

“You become friends and the choir that I have, it just became like my second family,” Gliddon said. “I just feel very blessed.”

Gliddon was born and raised in Haliburton. After leaving to study music, he returned to teach music classes for students throughout the highlands. He said there was a pressing need for music teachers at the time.

“I really thought music is so important, in the children’s lives especially,” Gliddon said. “That’s why I came back and I’m so happy I did. I’ve always lived here ever since.”

That same drive to help his community brought him into the role of church organist. The Anglican church reached out to him when the spot opened up, with nobody else in place to take it on.

“I’ve never taken an organ lesson in my life,” Gliddon said. “But they told me the need here was really urgent.”

Through his work with the church, Gliddon has forged hundreds of connections with people. Rev. Ken McClure said Gliddon is a pillar of the church.

“If there’s somebody who’s sick, he knows about it, he visits in a heartbeat. If there’s somebody that needs to drive somewhere, Bill’s going to do it,” McClure said. “He is an example of what every one of us should be doing and being in church.”

Gliddon also practices that altruism at home. He keeps a cooler at the front of his driveway, stocked with water bottles for people passing by.

“If you really follow the Christian example, you don’t think of yourself as much as you think of other people,” Gliddon said. “If you’re helping other people, it makes you happy because you’re making them happy. I think that’s the way. If the world was like that, it would be great.”

Louise Cooper was in Gliddon’s choir from 1969-2009. She said he helps people improve. “This church, he’s the heart and soul. He never takes a holiday. He’s always here. He reaches out to people.”

There’s no heir-apparent for Gliddon for his role. Although issues like arthritis and eyesight have started creeping up, Gliddon said he is intent on doing the job as long as he is able.

“When the time comes that I feel like I can’t do an adequate job, then I’d be happy to just give it to someone else,” Gliddon said. “If someone else would only come along.”

As gifts, cards and love descended upon Gliddon for his birthday, he thanked everyone for being part of it. He said the event was not about him, but the whole community.

“This is what life is all about is being a family. And we are a wonderful family in this community,” Gliddon said. “We are so blessed to live in this beautiful spot.”

Highlands East artists centralize to draw in crowds

By

Joseph Quigley, Local Journalism Initiative Repoter

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August 19, 2019

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JQ - Highlands East Studio Tour - 2-web — Liz Feyerabend said the Highlands East Studio Tour is “a great opportunity to get my art out there for people to see what I do. I love painting for people. I love to make them happy. I want them to have colour in their lives.” Photos by Joseph Quigley.

The 17th annual Highlands East Studio Tour attracted more than 70 people to survey a new, centralized place to see local artwork Aug. 10-11.

The tour historically invites people to drive throughout the municipality to visit local artists in their studios. Attendees can talk with local artists and look at their work, which is available for purchase.

But this year of the tour was a departure from previous, with more than half the tour’s artists concentrated at the studio of organizer Chuck Lewis. He said the effort, done to attract more guests, was successful.

“The response of the people that made the trip to the studio was it was great,” Lewis said. “Instead of travelling all over the county, they could visit just the studio and have eight artists.”

Lewis said the idea stems from his experience participating in the Tour De Forest in Dysart et al. Although they lack a central location, the artists’ studios are closer together than in Highlands East.

“We’re so remote to that group over in the west side of Haliburton. So, what we have to do now is develop the same sort of situation,” Lewis said.

Deborah Ann Morris has participated in the Highlands East tour for three years. She spoke positively about centralizing more of the event’s artists.

“It’s a wonderful thing to do to lessen our carbon footprint and to create community,” Morris said. “I do however miss the idea of people coming to my studio, but I welcome people to my studio just the same.”

Cottager Jeannette Jamieson has attended the Highlands East Studio tour for years. She praised the format change and said the artistic community is one of the best aspects of the area.

“It’s a lot of fun just to see what people are producing. To see the talent, to see the interpretations, to just feel a part of it. What we have here is a phenomenal gift,” Jamieson said. Lewis said he hopes the tour’s efforts can help the event grow with more attendees and artists.

“Up here you don’t have that many options where you can show your art,” Lewis said. “I’d like to see this expand. I’d really like this to be a hub.”

EH! Indigenous speaker talks human responsibility

By

Joseph Quigley, Local Journalism Initiative Repoter

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August 19, 2019

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JQ - EH Talk - 4 - web — Dr. Dan Longboat cracks a joke at the start of his presentation at the Minden Community Centre Aug. 10. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

Dr. Dan Longboat shared an Indigenous understanding of man’s responsibility to nature before a crowd of more than 70 people at Environment Haliburton’s summer speaker event Aug. 10.

Trent University’s director of the Indigenous Environmental Studies and Sciences Program, as well as the acting director for the Indigenous Environmental Institute, spoke at the Minden Community Centre.

Longboat is a Turtle Clan member of the Mohawk Nation and a citizen of the Rotinonshonni. Longboat talked about Indigenous history, prophecies and creation stories, as well as what the stories say about people’s responsibility to the world.

“Our agenda in working together for the continuation of all life is now even more important than ever before in human history,” Longboat said. “No other time in human history have we had to worry about issues around water, amount, quality. We have issues around global contaminants and toxins, loss of biodiversity, extinction of species … all under the umbrella of climate change.”

Environment Haliburton president Ryan Sisson, who was once a student of Longboat, said his message and perspective are important given people’s unease with current political decision-making.

“People are looking for ways of knowing and ways of doing things differently,” Sisson said. “People are realizing, whether it’s climate change or biodiversity or water quality, we seem to be running out of time for solutions.”

“We need to think of more ways that we can talk to people,” vice president Susan Hay added. “Dr. Longboat just gives us more language, just more ideas that we can share with other people.”

Sisson spoke positively about how the event went. The summer speaker is the group’s most highly attended event each year.

“We had a great turnout,” Sisson said. “We’re just thrilled to have someone of Dr. Longboat’s stature come in.”

In a question and answer session, Longboat also addressed issues such as access to Indigenous stories, gender equality and conflict over wild rice between cottagers and Curve Lake First Nation. Longboat said with every colour of person now together for the first time in history, they must unite to care for nature.

“We’re not going to resolve those things in trying to think there’s only one way to see the world,” Longboat said. “Bring our knowledge together to work for the continuation of life. For the benefit of our children, our grandchildren, their grandchildren and all the other things in the natural world that are depending on us, as human beings, to fulfill their responsibility.”

Dysart gets dire warning on recycling

By

Joseph Quigley, Local Journalism Initiative Repoter

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August 19, 2019

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JQ - Recycling crash - 1-web — Waste Connections of Canada plant manager Ludwig Biliko warned about increasing recycling costs during a presentation to Dysart et al council Aug. 8.

The recycling sector delivered a warning to Dysart et al’s environment committee that costs to manage recyclables are going up.

Garbutt Disposal and Waste Connections of Canada both presented to the committee Aug. 8. Due to a crash in worldwide recycling commodity prices, both companies spoke to the increased cost of doing business that is soon going to hit municipal budgets harder.

“We’re facing severe cost pressures,” committee chair John Smith said. “Nobody’s buying most of the stuff that goes into a recycling container.”

Garbutt Disposal sought municipal compensation for the cardboard hauling it currently provides to local businesses. Garbutt previously did this as no cost to the municipality, but now seeks $100 per tonne.

Owner Jim Garbutt explained that they now operate at a loss hauling two to 2.5 tonnes of cardboard away from Dysart et al each week. The alternative will be the municipality having to pay to haul that cardboard from its landfills itself.

“Not a feasible thing for Dysart to do,” Garbutt said. “Better off to pay us.”

The recycling market has plummeted the past couple of years due to the world’s largest recyclable importer, China, cutting down on what it is willing to take. Garbutt Disposal also told Minden council May 30 the company was closing its Lochlin recycling facility but could continue doing cardboard if Minden council could pay a $100 per tonne processing fee.

He also suggested Minden Hills could take over the recycling facility itself, which he echoed to Dysart et al.

“Maybe Dysart and Minden should think about talking together and they can process,” Garbutt said.

Smith said the committee plans to speak with local businesses about the amount of waste and recycling they produce.

“Our model frankly was set up to serve individual residents,” Smith said. “We need to find another model.”

He told Garbutt Disposal to put a proposal in writing for municipal staff to work through.

Waste Connections warns of costs

Waste Connections of Canada plant manager Ludwig Biliko also presented to the committee to talk about rising costs of recycling. The company is contracted to handle recycling for Dysart et al until the end of the year.

Biliko said the contract would be honoured at current prices. But he warned when the municipality puts out a request for proposals for 2020, the prices will be different.

“There’s changes in the world coming. Huge changes,” Biliko said.

One of those changes is the province shifting to a producer-led recycling system. The province announced Aug. 15 it would proceed with transitioning to a producer-responsibility model over the next six years. Under the plan, producers would take on the responsibility as early as 2023.

With that, Biliko said the municipality need not necessarily take drastic action.

“We’re going to try to do our best to curb our costs,” Biliko said. “At the end of the day, that number is going to be what it is.”

Waste Connections also has recycling contracts in Algonquin Highlands and Highlands East.

Dysart reverses stance on Hydro herbicide usage

By

Joseph Quigley, Local Journalism Initiative Repoter

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August 15, 2019

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Garlon ban — Dysart et al Mayor Andrea Roberts said delaying a ban on Garlon would be a fair compromise. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

Dysart et al’s Environment Committee is recommending a temporary end to the ban preventing Hydro One from spraying the toxic herbicide Garlon in the municipality.

The committee voted Aug. 8 to recommend Hydro One be given until 2021 to come up with alternatives to using the substance for vegetation control. In the meantime, the setback from water bodies for the chemical’s use would be 300 metres.

Council must approve the recommendation before it comes into force.

“You don’t stop something just overnight,” committee member and Coun. Larry Clarke said. “You got responsibilities. The way I look at it, Hydro One’s got responsibilities for protecting those corridors.”

Clarke referred to a presentation made by Hydro One to the committee May 16. Hydro One argued alternatives to their use of Garlon, which they use to prevent trees from extending into power lines, are not more environmentally-friendly. Hydro One said machinery like chainsaws, which they would use instead, are polluters.

Mayor Andrea Roberts said the municipality has to consider the concerns of both lake associations and Hydro One.

“That’s a very reasonable compromise,” Roberts said of the resolution.

Garlon has fallen under scrutiny for several months, as the product is known to be highly toxic to aquatic habitats if it gets into water bodies. That prompted Dysart et al to ban Hydro One’s use of the substance April 23.

Committee chair John Smith highlighted the health and environmental risks associated with Garlon. He also referred to a series of messages from local lake associations who spoke out against the chemical.

“People care so much about this and there’s so much emotion involved,” Smith said.

Redstone Lake Cottagers Association past president Harvey Bates has spoken out about Garlon and previously presented to the committee about it. He questioned whether this would really incentivize Hydro One to find new alternatives.

“It’s a part measure, it’s kind of a goodwill gesture that lets them off the hook in Haliburton,” Bates said.

Haliburton Lake Cottagers’ Association (HLCA) president Glenn Scott voiced opposition to Garlon in an email to the committee.

“The HLCA does not support the use of Garlon by Hydro One. As an association we simply do not wish to accept the risk of known or unknown consequences in the use of Garlon, to our greatest asset or wildlife, which may not surface for years,” Scott said.

Hydro One media relations spokesperson Richard Francella said the company cares deeply about community safety, including environmental stewardship.

“We remain committed to working with the Dysart et al community to develop an approach that follows the parameters set up by the municipality,” he said.

Coun. Walt McKechnie, who agreed with the resolution delaying the ban, said everybody cares about lake health. But he added he would like to see evidence of Garlon and other contaminants getting into Haliburton’s lake waters.

“I know there has been many, many, many water tests done on all our lakes, thank goodness. I’m just wondering in those tests, is there evidence? Is there a way to tell?”

Dysart et al council is next scheduled to meet Aug. 27.

Bark Lake makes progress on rebuild

By

Joseph Quigley, Local Journalism Initiative Repoter

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August 15, 2019

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Bark Lake Centre — Highlands East municipal planner Chris Jones presents before council Aug. 13. Jones said all indications are that Bark Lake Leadership and Conference Centre will be able to proceed in the fall with rebuilding a burnt down reservation centre. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

The Bark Lake Leadership and Conference Centre is progressing on plans to rebuild its recreation centre which burned down in 2016.

Highlands East council approved a new zoning bylaw for the property Aug. 13. The bylaw changes the zoning for the area which once housed the recreation centre to allow the rebuild to proceed.

Municipal planner Chris Jones said after an appeal period, a site plan should come before council in September. If council approves that, the centre can apply for a development permit.

“All indications are they should be able to get going on this in the fall,” Jones said.

The recreation centre burned down along with a museum structure on June 29, 2016, causing more than $1 million in damages. The area has gone undeveloped since then but the centre announced Oct. 31, 2018, that they would rebuild.

“The new building, overlooking Bark Lake, will be a multi-use, energy-efficient building. We expect to have it completed by the end of 2019,” the centre said on its Facebook page.

The centre’s general manager Pat Harley said “We thank the Highlands East council for their foresight in approving the re-zoning application.”

In a report at the July 23 council meeting, Jones said the lands at the centre were previously zoned limitedservice residential. That was to accommodate a potential recreational development with cottage lots and several communal facilities.

“However, the transitional development proposed for Bark Lake has recently evolved and the owner is now proposing to revise the draft approval to accommodate a mixed-use concept that would maintain some elements of the leadership centre while also developing lands for recreational cottage developments,” Jones said in the report.

The new bylaw changes the zoning of the centre and a neighbouring parcel to a tourist commercial exception zone.

The proposed new building would have a ground floor area of 6,598 square feet. The zoning bylaw also allows for auxiliary structures such as a storage building, bathroom facility, one tuck stop and two staff accommodation buildings. Parking will also be added with the building, Jones said. T

The bylaw said the rebuilt structure will be used for administration, programming and activities of the Bark Lake Leadership Centre. It may also be used for banquets, retreats and other special events.

TORC races roaring back to Head Lake waters

By

Meagan Secord

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August 15, 2019

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Barb Hammond, organizer of the Haliburton Outboard Powerboat races, said she brought the races here because she remembers going to them as a kid.

“They used to boat race I think in the 70’s,” she said. “As a kid I can remember them coming to Haliburton Lake and the noise of the boats.”

This is the fifth year the Toronto Outboard Racing Club is bringing a race to Head Lake and Hammond’s seventh year as a member of the club.

She said the lake is a great spot to host the event because it has perfect conditions for racing.

“Haliburton is a fabulous venue because with this type of boat racing it’s important that the water be calm and the wind be ideal,” said Hammond. “Socially it’s a great spot because you can park where you’re racing and have access to the town, stores and places to stay. A lot of the venues … you can have a lake but there’s nowhere the racers can go for food.”

Although the town is a great venue, there are always concerns about noise levels when the racing begins. Hammond said she loves holding the event here but also understands where people are coming from.

She said the race in Haliburton is one of the only races that doesn’t allow testing the day before and they make sure to start later on Sundays out of respect for church services. T

he Haliburton race won two awards last year for its circuit and dedication to the sport. The race won the Jack Abel Memorial Award, an award presented to a person or organization that, in the opinion of the selection board, has made an outstanding contribution to the Canadian Boating Federation, as well as the Best Race of the Season award.

According to Hammond, all the money from T-shirt sales, raffle tickets, entry fees and some sponsorships goes to the Haliburton Hospital Auxiliary.

Raffle prizes include a signed Matt Duchene jersey. The event has 41 sponsors and approximately 90 racers involved.

“We try to make it a fundraiser for the Haliburton Hospital Auxiliary,” she said. “Some of the sponsors didn’t want to give money. They’d rather donate a gift, so I ended up with a bunch of gifts that I didn’t know what to do with so I ended up raffling them off.”

The races are free to the public and will take place Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Aug. 18 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There will also be a meet and greet Aug 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. where the public can meet the racers and see the boats outside of the water.

Readers gearing up for the big book club

By

Meagan Secord

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August 15, 2019

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MS - BIG BOOK CLUB — Photo by Meagan Secord

Susanna Kearsley, author of the novel Bellewether, said it’s important to bring authors to small communities and encourage young writers.

“When I was young, I always wanted to write. Living in a small community, we never had writers do book talks or come to our schools,” she said. “I think it’s really important for, especially school aged children, to see that writers don’t just live in the city, but they’re normal people doing a normal profession.”

Kearsley is the writer in residence chosen by the Haliburton Highlands Literary Arts Roundtable for this year. The program brings a Canadian writer to Haliburton for a week to help them focus on their writing.

In exchange for the time to write in the Highlands, the author is asked to speak to the community about the profession and their own work.

“This gives an opportunity for people to start to see the Haliburton Highlands as a community of the arts with respect to writers as well as visual and performing arts,” said Marie Gage, a member of the Haliburton Reads and Writes Committee. “It brings people into the community for a writerly or readerly event.”

The Haliburton Reads and Writes Big Book Club will be on Sept. 15 and give people the chance to speak with Kearsley about her novel Bellewether, directly.

Kearsley applied to the program and was selected for her work in the historical fiction genre.

“I write dual time stories that generally involve modern characters dealing with mysteries of the past,” she said.

Most of her novels are two stories, one past, one present, in one. According to Kearsley, the inspiration for the novel came from her own families’ history with war. She had a lot of questions and decided to write a book about what it might have been like for not only them, but the people they were fighting as well.

She said being a curator for Scugog Shores Museum also helps spark inspiration for her stories. Reading historic letters and journals gives her ideas for characters and plot lines that are based on real events.

Gage said the residency encourages authors to work on their writing surrounded by nature and Kearsley plans on doing just that with her newest novel called The Vanished Days, a prequel to The Winter Sea.

The Big Book Club is being held at the Haliburton Legion from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is admission by donation. People interested in attending don’t have to read the novel but can buy it at 20 per cent off at Master’s Book Store if interested.

There will be light refreshments, a book signing and a silent auction taking place throughout the evening.