Puppets taking centre stage in Haliburton

March 5, 2026

Razzamataz Kids’ Shows is back in Haliburton for its penultimate performance of the season March 8.

Toronto-based youth troupe Wee Festival is bringing its popular Old Man and the River show to the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion and Razzamataz’s Andrea Lithgow is promising it’ll be quite the spectacle. It starts at 2 p.m.

“The show features beautifully designed puppets without words, performed along an enchanting musical score,” Lithgow said. “It’s really paired back on the dialogue. There’s no speaking involved at all, so is more visual. That makes it a little more accessible to children of all sensibilities.”

She said the 45-minute performance focuses on a grumpy old man who lives in a little house in the woods by a river. Every day is the same, until a magical creature enters his life and changes everything. Lithgow said the show focuses on themes of friendship, communication, play and adjusting to change – making it a perfect learning lesson for young theatre goers.

Celebrating 40 years in the Highlands, Lithgow said Razzamataz shows are a great way to introduce children to live performances.

“This is all about making sure kids have fun and get comfortable going to the theatre,” she said. “They’re a very accessible bitesize experience… exposing them to professional productions that give them a sense of wonder or excitement that can spark their own artistic interests.”

The group operates as a non-profit, aiming to keep ticket prices low so that people can afford to attend. Adult tickets are $10 and children $7. Lithgow said Razzamataz is sponsored by the Haliburton County Development Corporation, Haliburton Highlands Arts Council, Haliburton Rotary, the Kennisis Lake Cottage Association and CanoeFM.

Students at Cardiff and Stuart Baker elementary schools will get to see the show March 9 as part of Razzamataz’s ‘Theatre in Schools’ initiative. Launched last year, Lithgow said the idea is to bring a free performance to a different local elementary school every season.

“We’re aiming to address income and transportation barriers, meeting kids where they are with professional theatre shows,” Lithgow said.

There’s one more performance on the Razzamataz schedule, with Chris McKhool bringing his musical show Earth, Seas and Air to Haliburton April 12.

Also on the agenda

It’s Winter Folk Camp at Camp Wanakita all weekend long. Running March 6-8, the Haliburton County Folk Society is hosting three days of workshops featuring six performers. There will be song circles and jam sessions each night, with two sold-out concerts to wrap things up.

• The Highlands East Skating Club is welcoming people to Keith Tallman Memorial Arena Saturday for its ‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie’ skating carnival. Admission is free with doors opening at 1 p.m.

• The theme continues later in the day with Always in Boots Country Dancing hosting a line dancing class at the Haliburton Legion. Instructor Karley Stevenson will put people through their paces for a one-and-a-half-hour beginner lesson from 7 to 8:30 p.m., followed by an open dance floor.

• On Sunday, local author Gail Stelter is hosting a book launch at 2 p.m. at the Haliburton United Legion for her new published story 21 Smithfield Drive.

Fleming brass under fire for freezing out community

Lisa Gervais

February 26, 2026

Former dean of Haliburton School of Art + Design (HSAD), Barb Bolin, and Dysart et al mayor, Murray Fearrey, say they are both concerned about the future of the college after the termination of dean Xavier Masse.

Peterborough-based Fleming College, of which HSAD, Peterborough and Lindsay campuses are a part, confirmed last week that Masse was no longer with the college.

Masse declined to comment and the college said “out of respect for employee privacy, the college will not be sharing additional personal details.”

The Highlander this week requested an interview with interim college president, Dr. Theresa Knott, and board of governors’ chair, Don Gillespie. However, the college told us, “unfortunately, Dr. Knott and Mr. Gillespie are not available for interviews at the moment.”

They issued a statement instead that said: “Fleming College remains committed to the long-term sustainability of its campuses, including the Haliburton School of Art + Design, and the delivery of quality education. The college has made the difficult decision to eliminate the senior executive lead at the campus and invest in programming that is student-focused and community-centred. The operations of the campus will not be disrupted, and HSAD is planning for exciting spring and summer sessions.

“HSAD will continue to offer unique and flexible programs taught by creative professionals in a one-of-a-kind studio environment, and the Haliburton campus remains an important part of Fleming College’s academic and community presence.”

Highlander questions, such as how Fleming plans to ensure the long-term stability of HSAD; or how operations would not be disrupted with a key position eliminated, remain unanswered.

According to the Sunshine list, Masse was paid $164,163 in 2024.

Public has yet to see inside new residence

Surprise announcement

It appears the decision to eliminate the dean position came as a surprise to the college and community.

Bolin said it’s well-known Ontario colleges have been struggling financially since the federal government capped the number of foreign students starting January 2024.

The Haliburton campus was the only Fleming-operated site to escape widespread program cuts after the limits were imposed. Twenty-nine programs in Peterborough and Lindsay were scrapped, with then Fleming president Maureen Adamson estimating the cap would mean a $40 million annual revenue loss for the college. At its peak, the institution reported 4,000 of a total 7,200 students were international. Last March, a college spokesperson said the impact in Haliburton has been negligible but warned changes could be on the horizon.

Bolin understands that but wishes the Peterborough head office would have talked to the community. She said the Haliburton campus exists because of support from community organizations, politicians, and individuals.

“So, I’m surprised and disappointed that the leadership at the college has not reached out to any of them to talk about ways of making the campus here more viable. The community here is interested in what’s going on with the campus leadership, and programming, but there has, to my knowledge, been no effort by the college leadership to reach out to us.”

Fearrey said he’s had little success meeting with college leadership to discuss its longterm future, other than advising Masse “you’ve got to diversify here. You can’t just do art. If you do other things … get some revenue in.” He said Bolin were successful at doing that during her tenure.

The mayor said it’s discouraging “because I want to know what the future is. What are we doing here? They’re closing colleges around us.”

No one on board

Bolin said there is no board of governors representative in Haliburton that she knows of. She said she recommended a local for a board position years ago; the person applied but received no response.

“I’m very concerned that there’s not a board of governor rep up here. But we have had lots of past board members who are very active in the County and could give feedback to the board, and leadership of the college, about concerns.”

As for no longer having a dean, Bolin added, “long-term leadership is so important so that the person can deal with campus issues, and community issues. That’s part of the whole thing with community colleges.”

Commenting on the college’s stance that operations will not be disrupted, Bolin said “I don’t know how existing staff would have time to do all of that (work).

“I’m very concerned about what the direction of the campus is, and how the campus is going to be promoted, and specifically how the campus is going to be led in any direction.”

Further speaking to a disconnect between the college and community, she said Fleming had not even offered tours of its new student residence in Haliburton. There was never a grand opening either. Dysart et al donated land for the build.

“It does feel disrespectful to me…to the community…to not be in touch with the community to tell us the direction, ask for input, talk to us about where they see the campus going,” Bolin reiterated.

Provincial funding

On Feb. 12, the province announced changes for post-secondary education in the fall, including $6.4 billion in new funding for the sector over four years, touted as a 30 per cent increase, including to help meet the needs of rural institutes.

There is an updated tuition framework. Ontario will allow publicly-assisted colleges and universities to raise tuition by up to two per cent per year for three years, then up to two per cent or the three-year average rate of inflation, whichever is less, after that.

There will also be alterations to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) system. Ontario students will be eligible to receive a maximum of 25 per cent of their OSAP funding as grants and a minimum of 75 per cent of their funding as loans. OSAP will no longer offer grants to students at private career colleges, in alignment with changes made by the federal government to its own student support funding.

It is not known what impact any of this will have on HSAD.

Bolin said “once you divide it among all the colleges and all the universities, I don’t know that it’s a huge impact, and does it have strings attached to it? I don’t know.” There are 56 post-secondary schools in Ontario.

The college said Feb. 12 it welcomed the news. “This generational investment is exciting news for Fleming College and the students and communities we serve. The college is grateful for the province’s commitment and looks forward to reviewing its allocation details.”

Nimigons buy Bernstein’s General Store

Submitted

February 26, 2026

Haliburton entrepreneur Brandon Nimigon said he feels the weight of 100 years of history after purchasing one of the Highlands’ most iconic destinations, Bernstein’s General Store.

The realtor closed a deal for the Highland Street location Feb. 20. It comes almost a year after Heidi Grant, the fourth generation of Bernstein to run the store, confirmed it would be closing.

It’s been months since the doors closed, with Grant posting on social media in February 2025 that the business had fallen on hard times. The property was listed in mid-January by Donna McCallum of Ball Real Estate on behalf of the estate of Marty and Randy Grant – Heidi’s father and uncle.

As chair of the Haliburton BIA, Nimigon said he’d been keeping tabs on what was happening with Bernstein’s for months. Once it was listed, he registered his interest that day. Owner of Century 21 Granite Realty, Nimigon confirmed he’ll be moving his business into one of three commercial spaces he has planned for the old Bernstein’s property.

“The whole building is going to be a full redo. We want to restore the building to what it used to be – just a beautiful staple of downtown Haliburton,” Nimigon said of the 3,600 sq. ft. space.

He expects renovations to the main floor to run through spring, with the idea of having two new businesses open for summer. There are two apartments upstairs – a two-bed and four-bed, which Nimigon said also need to be redone.

Having grown up in Haliburton, Nimigon said he has great memories of visiting the store when he was a kid and has heard many stories from when Bella Bernstein, its founder, and Betty and Ron Grant, the second generation, ran it.

“Bernstein’s used to be the central hub of the community… just the history the family built there. These past few years you could see the decline of it, which is unfortunate,” Nimigon said. “We’re going to try and respect the history the Bernsteins built there. We have some ideas on how to do that.

“The store has been closed for the past year, so it’s going to take some work to bring it up to date. I’m really excited about the potential – not just for the store, but for the community. Bringing some new commercial spaces there is really going to revive that section of the downtown,” he added.

As well as interior work, Nimigon is planning upgrades to the exterior façade. That should help rectify the long-talkedabout pigeon problem in the downtown, with Nimigon saying the birds made their nests in the attic at Bernstein’s.

After also recently purchasing a building in downtown Minden, Nimigon said he’s passionate about investing in his home community. He and his wife, Megan, had been looking to buy in Haliburton’s downtown for several years, he noted.

“When I was a kid, all my friends growing up had this mindset of ‘let’s get the heck out of this town.’ There was this perception that there’s no money here, lots of storefronts were vacant, but that’s really changed these past 10-15 years. I want to be part of that change,” Nimigon said.

“I want to do my part to help both Haliburton and Minden grow. Taking on a project like this can change the whole feel of the downtown… I want a place where my kids can grow up and be proud of where they’re from. I want them to love Haliburton County and want to stay here, rather than counting down the days until they can leave.”

Years of history

Originally a general store that sold meats, cheeses and other groceries, Bernstein’s has been a staple of Haliburton’s downtown since 1923. Grant said it transitioned to a clothing store in the 1950s, after Dollo’s IGA opened.

Grant said she has fond memories of her grandparents running the store. Born in Toronto, Grant said she moved back to Haliburton when she was two so that her dad could help Betty and Ron run the place.

“He wanted me to grow up with family, as well as this amazing community,” Grant said in her social media post. “Any days that Bernstein’s was open, my grandma would make dinner for the family. We would all sit around the dinner table… eating, laughing, sharing memories and making new memories.”

After her grandparents passed away, Grant said her dad and uncle took on the business. They kept it going for many years, though with Randy passing in 2021 and Marty in 2024, the burden fell to Heidi.

“I have tried my hardest to do everything possible to save Bernstein’s and keep it open… it still doesn’t feel real,” she said last year after announcing its closure.

Nimigon said most of the remaining stock has been removed, but there were some clothing items and shoes left behind. He plans to sell what’s left at a reduced rate and donate the proceeds back into the community.

“Whether it’s the local food bank or another charity, we’ll be doing something for sure,” Nimigon said.

School’s not cool as program cancelled

Lisa Gervais

February 26, 2026

Breana Kelly’s son, Rayson, graduated from SIRCH’s School’s Cool program in 2024, while her daughter, Rue, received the cap and gown in 2025.

Kelly said she was “devastated” to learn SIRCH is this year cancelling the six-week summer program that prepares children for kindergarten.

She said her nephew is starting school in September and she would have liked him to have been exposed to the program.

“I obviously saw major benefits with both my children in that program, so I was hoping that he would get to go because I do believe it makes or breaks the transition from either home or daycare to kindergarten. I think it just really sets them off on the right foot, and sets them up for success.”

Kelly said her children have varying personalities, so got different things from School’s Cool. There was literacy and math, but to her it was the emotional foundation and predictability around going to school that stood out.

“Kids thrive on routine.” She said their program was at Archie Stouffer in Minden, where Rayson and Rue now go, so they learned how to get to class and know the actual classroom. School’s Cool “set the foundation for what school was going to look like.”

She added the kids made friends with others starting in September. They knew the routines of lunch and recess. With Rayson being born in 2020, and thus a COVID baby, it was especially important. It also eased Kelly’s mind as she had not attended ASES herself.

Lack of funding

SIRCH said last week it’s shelving the program for 2026 due to a lack of funding.

Marketing manager Laurie McCaig said School’s Cool had been going for 25 years, with hundreds of children in Haliburton County entering kindergarten with language and math skills at grade level, and with confidence.

SIRCH executive director Gena Robertson said for many years, funding for School’s Cool was partially funded by the federal Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) grant. Robertson said SIRCH had to reapply for CAPC funding for a further four-year term starting in 2026, and the funding was improved but it no longer covered early learning.

Robertson said finding funding for the charitable organization’s out-of-the-box programs, services, resources and social enterprises, is always a challenge.

She said they hope to bring School’s Cool back for the summer of 2027. Asked how they would pay for it, Robertson conceded “that’s a good question.” However, she said they would look for alternative sources of funding. She added they would be interested in talking with any County businesses or corporations that might be interested in sponsoring School’s Cool. Asked for an estimate of costs for the six-week program, she said $30,000.

SIRCH does charge parents a fee of $120. Robertson said they recognize families are struggling in the current economy and SIRCH does not want to raise that. SIRCH has operated the program virtually in the past, but Robertson said that is not the preferred option. She said while parents are educated to help their children with early academic learning, the kids do not get the socializing that is key to getting them ready for kindergarten.

Kelly hopes they can bring it back. She said Rayson and Rue still talk about School’s Cool “so obviously it was a great experience for them.”

Health unit reports ‘hard year’

Mike Baker

February 26, 2026

Lakelands Public Health (LPH) medical officer of health, Dr. Thomas Piggott, says the recently-merged organization will seek feedback from the public and key community stakeholders this year to help form future goals and objectives regionwide.

Piggott noted the public-facing second phase of LPH’s strategic planning process will begin in March and run through summer. The health unit will host focus group sessions, community town halls, targeted interviews and will launch a survey – all designed to shape the work at LPH, both short and long term.

“We will be using these methods as an opportunity to highlight the recent changes made and help people understand what LPH does,” Piggott said. “We want to gather insights around our vision and mission, while gathering priorities to inform our strategic plan.”

During the first phase, completed last year, consultant Arising Collective engaged with 198 staff members to gauge how they felt the merger had gone and what could be improved. Now into the second year of the union between Peterborough Public Health and the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge district health unit, Piggott acknowledged things haven’t been as seamless as he’d like.

Jenn Harrington, representing Arising Collective, told the board at a Jan. 21 meeting that staff have faced some real challenges.

“There’s a sense of erosion of trust in this journey, a concern the senior leadership team has not been functioning cohesively, about management capacity – the burden on them and making sure they have the resources needed to effectively support their team,” Harrington said. “There was a desire for clearer communication clarifying the scope of authority and responsibilities, a desire for more authentic engagement and follow through, and challenges around the volume of change that’s happening with this merger.”

Dan Joyce, representing Kawartha Lakes on the board, expressed concern over the comments raised, though chair Ron Black said they were to be expected, with interviews taking place approximately six months into the merger.

“Change is hard for a lot of people. I think in any merger of this type, change management is always the biggest issue for the first little while,” Black said.

Piggott added, “some of the challenges were hard for us to hear. I want to acknowledge it’s been a hard year. But now, we need to figure out how we go forward and make this better.”

Despite the concerns raised, Piggott said LPH has not had trouble retaining staff through the first year of the merger.

Dr. Hans Stelzer, a retired Peterborough physician and provincial appointee to the board, asked, given the region’s problems with homelessness, addiction and mental health, how feedback from those groups would be generated given they’re not likely to attend public meetings. Black said that work would be done in collaboration with partner organizations.

“We have a large geography, so we, as a board, need to feed those stakeholders in Haliburton, Coboconk, and Fenelon Falls to [Arising Collective] to make sure we’re engaging with people in all of our areas,” Black said.

Piggott said staff hope to present a strategic plan proposal to the board in late summer or early fall, with a view to adopting something by early 2027.

Singer’s new single goes downtown

Mike Baker

February 26, 2026

This is shaping up to be a big year for County musician Ryan Van Lee, who has a new single dropping next month, an Ontario-wide tour lined up for the summer and a debut EP in the works.

The country singer has forged a unique path in the music industry over the past decade. Starting out as a cover artist, singing songs made famous by other musicians, Van Lee has been focusing primarily on original content since the successful launch of his debut single, Shot in the Dark, in 2023

Since then, he’s released three more songs he says are close to his heart – Christmas With You in 2024 and both Company and Born to Fly in 2025. The four songs were streamed more than 1.3 million times worldwide on Spotify last year.

“It’s pretty surreal. Last time I checked, my songs had been played in 69 different countries around the world,” Van Lee said. “Someone from Paris messaged me on Instagram recently just to say how much he loved my stuff. That was kind of an ‘I made it’ moment for me.”

His latest effort, Downtown – a collaboration with Orillia-based rock band Bleeker – is coming out March 7. It’s one of three singles Van Lee plans to release this calendar year. He said it tells the story of country boys heading down to the city to show folks how to party.

Having toured all over North America since graduating from Hal High, including popular venues in Florida and Nashville, as well as back home in Canada, Van Lee said he had no idea where the music industry would take him when he started out as kid.

While his chosen instrument is now the guitar, Van Lee started out on the accordion – an inherited love from his grandfather, Lawrence Van Lieshout.

“I was only seven or eight when I started to notice music. My opa was the only musician in the family… we’d play together at Midnight Madness in Haliburton and at old age homes in the area,” Van Lee said. “Then I was entering talent contests and competing against adults – and actually doing really well.”

His life changed when, at 14, his grandmother Sherry Blair took him to see Canadian Country Music Hall of Famer Johnny Burke. Blown away by the musician’s talent, Van Lee said he asked Burke if he’d teach him how to play the guitar.

Initially, Van Lee met with Burke weekly, but that quickly morphed into jam sessions almost every other night. A quick learner, Van Lee told Burke he also wanted to learn how to sing with the best of them.

The first song he played was Jambalaya by Hank Williams, at a local talent show. From there, Van Lee started getting booked for small venues around central Ontario. He’d travel with Burke wherever the hall of famer was playing and would often by invited up on stage. A highlight reel memory was accompanying Burke for his 50th anniversary tribute show.

“They had Little Jim Dickens and George Jones calling in. Terry Sumsion was there with his tour bus, and I ended up sitting on the bus with Johnny, Terry and a couple other music legends just playing the guitar,” Van Lee said. That led to a series of bookings on the country jamboree scene.

Years later, Van Lee reflects on that education fondly. After deciding to get into songwriting in the late 2010s, he said he could feel Burke’s influence flowing through him with each completed piece. With a body of work now behind him, Van Lee said he expects to release his first album this year. He signed with Canada’s CF Management last year to help navigate the next phase of his career.

“This is a bit of a make it or break it year, I’d say. I’m never going to quit until I get to where I want to go, but at this stage of my career this is a very important year,” Van Lee said.

He’ll be back in Haliburton this summer, scheduled to play at Rotary Summerfest Aug. 4. To listen to Van Lee’s music, search his name on all streaming platforms.

Learning to love husband again in memoir

Lisa Gervais

February 26, 2026

Minden Hills author Fay Martin writes to figure out what she is thinking.

The creator of the soon-to-be released Dementia Widow is asked if penning her memoir was therapeutic in the aftermath of her husband Michael’s death in 2020.

“Writing it was very therapeutic. I learned to love him again through writing it because that goes bye bye,” she said in a recent interview.

Martin said she diagnosed Michael in 2005, although it took the medical profession until 2013 to make it formal. One of the themes of her book – about being a caregiver to Michael for 15 years – is her perception of an inadequate diagnosis system.

She said she knew something was wrong because Michael was being a “jerk,” and not behaving like the man she had married. She calls it the eight bad years in the book. She described the behaviour as micromanaging, taking her ideas and adopting them as his own, and being mean to her in private. Once, he told her to shut up in public. There were arguments behind closed doors.

At one point during a stressful family road trip, she pulled the car over, planning to chuck the car keys somewhere and just walk away. It wasn’t the first time she thought about leaving.

“When I figured out he had dementia, I told myself, ‘okay, you have to decide. Are you going to hang in? If you are, you’re going to do a good job. If you’re not, bail now so he’s got time to make arrangements.”

She opted to stay, realizing he was never going to be the husband he had been before. “Kind of like Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech to the World Economic Forum, “the world order has changed. Figure out what you are going to do moving forward, then do it. That is exactly how I felt. I’m not a wife any more, I’m a caregiver. I can do caregiving. I was a mother, a caregiver when he had cancer.

“Once he was assured I was hanging in there for him, to do what was needed to have a last chapter, he settled.”

She said Michael was not completely incapacitated. There was “flickering” or times he was there and times he was not. “As a caregiver, your job is to keep them functioning as well as they can for as long as they can.” She would grieve when realizing something was gone in him, only to have it come back the next day, asking herself what she should be doing to keep that around. “Then it’s gone again. After a while, you think ‘to hell with this grieving bit. I’m just surfing’.”

Michael’s work in those years he retired to his office was to take a song off YouTube and a photo and write a 50-word explanation of what the song meant to him. “He was able to keep care of himself until the week before he died,” Martin said.

Hour of his death

Martin doesn’t shy away from talking about his death. She said Michael’s sister had urged her and Michael’s daughter to recite the Catholic Hail Mary prayer on his death bed at home. She said, as protestants, they practiced beforehand to get the cadence right.

As they said the prayer, Michael asked Fay what was happening. She told him she thought it was the hour of his death.

She said Michael, “just curiously walked over the portal” as if pondering, “what’s through that door? He let go of my hand and stepped through the portal. It was beautiful.” Her goal had been to give him that kind of passing.

Martin did her Bachelor of Fine Arts as she wrote the memoir. She said the book “was to figure out what the hell had happened. The second reason was for other people, “because caregiving for someone with dementia is lonely. I thought if I could do something that would help people who are where I have been feel less lonely, at least say ‘I see you. I’ve been there. I know what you’re going through to some extent’.”

It’s taken about five years to write the memoir. It required going through 46 years of their life together. At one point, the project’s structure required myriad Post-its on a wall.

“That kind of review of your life is cathartic,” Martin said.

As a social worker by training, she was used to writing case histories. She calls her memoir “just an excruciatingly honest single case history.”

That case history will soon be in the hands of readers. The book will be launched at Rails End Gallery March 6, 3-5 p.m.

Martin said she knew the book was ready for consumption after a life-changing trip to the Netherlands with McMaster University and visiting Green Care Homes for people with dementia. Folks in fifth stage dementia were puttering around in their life. She said the homes’ philosophies were: nurture independence, find joy and purpose every day, and live until you die.

“Have I accomplished what I was put on earth to accomplish? Have I done my job? If I have joy and purpose every day, I’m good. When there isn’t, I’m ready to go.”

Red Hawks soar in on-ice return

Submitted

February 26, 2026

Jason Morissette has always used more than results to measure a team’s success.

Bringing a varsity boys hockey program back to Hal High this winter after four years in the wilderness, Morissette admitted it was a challenge re-building a team from the ground up. The squad, made up of players from all four grades at the high school level, played 10 games in the competitive Kawartha division, winning two, tying one and losing seven.

One of only two single-A schools in the region to ice a hockey team, alongside Campbellford, Hal High was as competitive as it could be, Morissette said.

Having coached eight previous seasons of high school hockey in Haliburton, Morissette said he’d been keen on re-establishing the program for some time.

“We’ve been looking at this for the past two years to see if it was viable. We looked at starting a junior team initially, but being such a small school we didn’t think there was enough interest there,” Morissette said. “It can be very hard running teams that require 10 or more athletes – for hockey, you really need 20 players to make this happen. And a ton of support from the community.”

The coach credited four or five senior students for rallying enough players to make this happen. Open to all grades, Morissette said that enabled two sets of siblings to play together on an organized team for the first time, while helping players form new connections.

Flanked on the bench by assistants Nick Kulas and Clay Glecoff – both community coaches – trainer Ray Rietvelt, the auto tech teacher at Hal High, and team manager Laura Kulas, Morissette said he had a lot of help this past season. About 15 community sponsors donated funds to help pay for ice rentals and equipment.

“This program does not run this year without the support of the community,” Morissette said.

His highlight of the season was attending a multi-school tournament in Peterborough in January. Hosted by St. Peter Catholic Secondary School, the competition has been a staple of the high school hockey circuit for decades.

After struggling on-ice for most of the year, the Red Hawks were the Cinderella story of the tournament, winning four games in round-robin play to qualify for a final tilt with Fenelon Falls Secondary School.

“We ended up losing the final by one goal… but the journey getting there was incredible. The players ran our systems perfectly, guys stepped up to play in unfamiliar positions and situations and we had stellar goaltending… they made giant strides in their game,” Morissette said.

In qualifying for the final, the team got to spend a night in a Peterborough hotel, which helped bring everyone closer together.

“I was on that bus years ago when I was a student and it gave me some of my best and favourite memories from when I was a kid,” Morissette said.

The team’s season concluded Feb. 19 with a 4-2 defeat to Crestwood Secondary School.

“It was disappointing not to make playoffs, but I couldn’t be more proud of how these guys adapted and persevered throughout the season,” Morissette said. “The win for me is that we’re back playing… for 15 of our 21 players, this was their first-ever high school sport. It helps them feel more connected to the school.

“The odds were against this program being revived. A lot of these big team contact sports haven’t run at Hal High for some time,” he added.

While this season will go down as a success, Morissette said there’s no guarantee hockey will return to Hal High next year. It will be dependent on finding at least eight new players to bolster the team and retaining generous sponsors.

That doesn’t mean planning stops – coaches will be running skates for prospective junior players – those in Grades 9 to 10 – in early March.

“Fingers crossed we can keep this going,” Morissette said.

Big win for Hal High junior volleyballers

Mike Baker

February 26, 2026

The Hal High Red Hawks junior girls volleyball team will be heading to the Central Ontario Secondary Schools Association (COSSA) regional finals full of confidence this week after winning every set across two games to capture Kawartha championship gold Feb. 12.

The young squad, made up of 13 players, have enjoyed a hugely successful season thus far, said coach Allie Paul. After battling for position in the COSSA West conference, competing with much larger schools in Lindsay and Fenelon Falls, the Red Hawks went into playoffs in Campbellford with cautious optimism.

“Our expectations were high, but grounded in the knowledge that anything could happen,” Paul said.

The girls breezed to a 3-0 win against Port Hope in the semi-final before going headto-head with the host school, Campbellford, in the final. Paul said the team rallied against some loud home support, and an injury stoppage in the first set, to record another 3-0 win.

“I am incredibly proud of this team, not only for their undefeated performance at Kawarthas, but for the dedication, growth and sportsmanship they displayed throughout the season,” Paul said. “They’ve set a high standard for future teams and their success is a reflection of their hard work and commitment.”

Hal High has a great track record of success in volleyball, with the senior team also winning their Kawartha championships Feb. 12. Paul said the squad is heading into COSSA Feb. 26 in Bay of Quinte hoping to secure another win.

All the girls on the team had prior playing experience, Paul said, giving her and fellow coach, Jami Marren, a “solid foundation to build on.” More than 30 girls tried out for the team, Paul said.

“Coming into the season, I approached it with the goal of running a truly competitive program. We focused on conditioning, communication, skill development and fostering a supportive environment,” Paul said, noting how she drew from the teachings of her old Hal High volleyball coach, Dan Gimon. “I wanted to channel his influence… he really inspired me to become a better athlete and shaped how I approach coaching.

“My goal was not just to win games, but to help these athletes grow in confidence, teamwork and skill,” Paul added.

She said the team has improved with every practice and game, giving them a great chance of competing with the best programs at COSSA.

“These girls never shy away from any drill in practice, no matter how physically demanding, and their willingness to push through challenges really set the tone for the team,” Paul said. “Their ability to read the game, set each other up for successful plays and maintain composure under pressure has improved dramatically [as the season progressed], which translated into their results on the court.”

With the senior squad also competing at COSSA Feb. 26, Paul said the two teams have an opportunity to raise the bar even higher for girls volleyball at Hal High.

Carving up the competition

Submitted

February 26, 2026

It was a big weekend for the Haliburton Nordic Team, with seven local elementary-aged athletes traveling to Sudbury to compete in the Ontario Youth Championships.

The competition, organized by Cross Country Ski Ontario and hosted at the Walden Ski Club, featured over 200 skiers from across the province.

Haliburton had representatives in the U14, U12 and U10 categories, with Thomas Ritchie (U10) recording the best finish, capturing bronze in the skate race and silver in the classic race.

Fellow Countybased athletes Adam Rieger, Ben Rieger, Jacob Waito and Jack Ward also posted top 10 finishes, with Isaac Fahrun and Liam Ward putting in strong performances.

The youth team is run by the Haliburton Highlands Nordic Trails Association and serves as a development club for students in Grades 4 to 8.

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