I’m languishing … how about you?

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April 22, 2021

Over the weekend, a buddy of mine from the States sent a link to a New York Times column written by Adam Grant about a collective state of mental health during COVID-19.

I’m sure I’m not the only one in Haliburton County who read the piece.

For those who haven’t seen it, Grant borrowed the phrase “languishing” to describe how many of us are feeling.

It resonated with me as I have had many of the symptoms. For example, I’m not depressed. I get out of bed every morning and go to work. I function around the house and in my leisure time. However, I have to admit that I am not my best self. I struggle with motivation and have trouble concentrating. I sometimes lack excitement or joy about the future. I feel a bit directionless.

Grant further said languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness, in his words, muddling through our days and looking at our life through a foggy windshield.

Camille Quenneville, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario, joined BNN Bloomberg in the past week to discuss the state of people’s mental health during another round of restrictions.

She said the plight of our collective mental health is getting missed in the broader conversation about this pandemic.

And yet CMHA polling has revealed some worrisome statistics.

They point to the fact that Canadians – and indeed Highlanders – are really struggling at this point in the pandemic.

At the start of COVID, 54 per cent of people said their mental health was very good. That had dropped dramatically to 35 per cent before the third wave. Polling also found about 80 per cent of people believe a serious mental health crisis is ahead.

And perhaps most telling, 57 per cent admitted they are lonelier since the start of the pandemic, due to lockdowns and stay-at-home orders.

Quenneville said the situation is getting worse, not better. She added that demand for their services is up 50 and in some cases 100 per cent. They are seeing uptakes in substance abuse, including alcohol and opioids.

She also said employers have a responsibility to ensure workers are managing well, especially if they are working from home.

And while it might seem like a cliché now, some of the advice that’s been out there since day one still holds true.

We should all be trying to get enough sleep and exercise, tracking our eating habits, taking breaks during the day and staying in contact with nature.

Back to the Times article and Grant suggests having a name for what we are collectively feeling actually helps.

The term was coined by sociologist Corey Keyes, who was struck by the fact that many people who weren’t depressed also weren’t thriving.

Grant offered some tips as well. He suggested becoming absorbed in a meaningful project to get your mind off things. He’s occasionally binged on Netflix, finding a story where he can attach to characters.

What he and Quenneville don’t mention by name is practicing mindfulness. Whatever you’re doing, give it your full attention. Being constantly distracted by every alert on your phone isn’t helping. And some days it’s perfectly fine not knowing how many COVID cases there were in Ontario that day or how many people died.

It also means giving yourself, and those around you, a break. After all, it’s become apparent than may of us are languishing. Once again, we’re all in this together and protecting our mental health is just as important as our physical health.

AH planning the future of docks and landings

By

Lisa Gervais

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April 22, 2021

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LG-AH docks and landings 2 — Algonquin Highlands staff and council discussed docks and landings at their April 15 meeting

The Township of Algonquin Highlands is continuing to discuss docks and landings in the municipality.

Director of parks, recreation and trails, Chris Card, tabled a docks and landings draft assessment framework and check list to the April 15 meeting.

“The attached check list is intended to be used as a starting mechanism to gather information to inform a go-forward approach for landings as listed in the township’s asset management plan,” Card said.

Council had previously chosen a phased approach with landings to be addressed individually in the order recommended in the asset management plan. They requested a project and decision-making framework so that as each project is approached, the information that is required to complete that project would be identified within the framework and utilized to make recommendations to council for approval, Card said.

Next steps would be an information gathering process with stakeholders. He said that will include identifying lake associations or main contact persons.

Some of the information they will be seeking is property surveys and lot limits, listing and identifying current features such as launches, docks, gangways, parking areas, access points, toilets, loading and unloading zones, mooring space, signs and message boards, retaining walls, drainage and fire hydrants.

Card added it would be helpful to know thing such as water level trends, number of water access properties, whether or not lakes are at capacity and opportunities for shoreline naturalization.

“All above information would be gathered to inform a recommendation for each landing that would be brought to council for review and approval prior to being tendered,” Card said.

Deputy mayor Liz Danielsen said the process is “going to put us in a position to be able to make good decisions about each one of our docks and landings.”

She encouraged that potential projects be examined a couple of years prior to their inclusion in draft budgets so the township can plan ahead for the economic impact.

Mayor Carol Moffatt added another reason around the conversation is “so we can prepare ourselves for the growth of the community.”

She said it is also about managing expectations since the township does not have the resources to provide full-time and seasonal residents with everything on their wish lists. She added there will be opportunities for private partnerships.

Card said one challenge is people are buying bigger boats than the original infrastructure was designed for.

Coun. Jennifer Dailloux raised the issue of parking, saying in ward 3, “some are beautifully self-managed by users, others are free for alls, it’s a mess.”

Moffatt said it is also identifying issues such as a location being used for fishing and day-use but not having public toilets, and perhaps having a privy program.

“What we’re embarking on has the potential to be incredibly costly. There are a lot of needs. The township can’t be expected to provide everything, for everyone, tomorrow,” she said.

Residents concerned about low water levels

By

Lisa Gervais

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April 22, 2021

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LG-water levels — Sherry Mulholland and granddaughter, Lily Neville, stand on Mulholland’s property overlooking the Gull Rive

Sherry Mulholland says the Gull River has never been so low at her Pine Lake home.

Overlooking the river from her property, there’s as much shoreline and muddy banks as there is water.

Mulholland says they draw their household water from the river that runs between the Eagle Lake dam and Pine Lake. They don’t drink it but are concerned about the source of the filtered water they use for washing dishes and doing laundry.

They’re also worried about recreational impacts with the water so low. Right now, it couldn’t sustain inner tubes or the rope jump from their tree. It wouldn’t be deep enough to swim or for the aluminium boats.

“It is so low. I have never seen it like this. There are more sand banks than water. Unbelievable,” Mulholland said April 17.

Algonquin Highlands Mayor Carol Moffatt discussed the low water level situation on her mayoral Facebook page April 13.

She said there’s been a 50 per cent shortfall in spring rains as of mid-April with temperatures above normal.

“The freshet was almost non-existent, certainly in comparison with recent years,” she added.

Seasonal levels expected for summer

Moffatt said some inconsistencies in usual runoff patterns, or how lakes usually fill up, is happening.

As a result, she said the Upper Gull was only 70 per cent full; Kennisis, Hawk and Kushog needed water and dams were closed off but operations at Red Pine and Nunakani were expected to see those lakes come up; the Maple chain is very low and one example of the inconsistent runoff patterns.

Moffatt noted it is still more than four weeks to the May 24 weekend “when it’s expected that the whole system will be full.”

Ted Spence is chair of the Coalition of Equitable Water Flow (CEWF).

He said on April 19 that “The most important point right now is that with the prolonged period without significant rain on top of a relatively dry early winter and spring, the local inflows to most lakes are very low and the levels are now dipping below normal levels for this date.”

Like Moffatt, he said the snowmelt was early and we have had very little rain.

“We clearly need significant rain to bring us to normal levels by the end of May.”

Spence said the Trent Severn Waterway (TSW) has added logs to all dams throughout the spring and stands ready to store water when it is available.

“The relatively low flows on the Gull River in Minden which have persisted for most of the last several weeks are evidence that the available flows have been managed to fill reservoirs where possible,” Spence said.

“But at this point the whole system including the Kawartha lakes are in need of significant inflows. We need some significant rainfall events.”

The TSWs Karen Feeley said water levels and flows fluctuate for several reasons. She said typically, watersheds rise or refill in the spring depending upon the rate and volume of snowmelt and spring rainfall.

“The total precipitation for this past winter was 25 per cent less than normal values, followed by 25-50 per cent less than normal amounts of precipitation in March. The watersheds experienced an earlier than normal freshet, which, combined with sustained warmer air temperatures, has resulted in the aggressive loss of winter snowpack during late March and melt runoff recession in early April,” she said.

Feeley added that since early March, higher temperatures and moderate winds have contributed to further losses of local inflows, and much of the runoff was absorbed by the soil.

However, she said on April 21 that water levels across the watershed are currently rising and, presuming a normal amount of precipitation throughout the month of April, the public can expect the current lake levels to continue to rise during May, achieving seasonal averages heading into summer.

Maple Lake seasonal resident, Char Booth Vitez, said she hopes conditions improve.

“We have many concerns about the water levels in our lake,” she said.

“Docks are sitting in sand and there’s no chance of moving them without water levels rising. Unlikely we will get boats launched as the river will be too low to navigate,” she added.

Bancroft OPP find missing woman

By

Lisa Gervais

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April 18, 2021

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Capture — A photo of Hope Jemimah, who went missing in Highlands East April 12. Photo submitted.

Bancroft OPP said April 18 they had located a woman who had gone missing in Highlands East.

Police said in a press release that they had found the 29-year-old Hope Jemimah alive and well at approximately 1:18 p.m. They said she was transported to a local hospital by emergency medical services for an assessment.

“The OPP wish to thank all the individuals who called in to support and assist in locating Hope,” Bancroft OPP said in a press release.

Jemimah had previously gone missing in Highlands East April 12 and had last been seen on Highway 118 near Cheddar Road.

The search team included the OPP Emergency Response Team, Aviation Services and a Remotely Piloted Aerial System.

Public regains voice on Highlands East committees

By

Lisa Gervais

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April 18, 2021

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JQ - Highlands east budget - 2 — File photo.

Highlands East council convened its advisory committees for the first time in more than a year after a hiatus caused by the pandemic.

Council held a joint committee meeting March 31, with almost all of its committees: recreation and culture, housing and grants, environment, trails and outdoor tourism, and economic development. The meeting was held on an online Zoom call, with each convening in turn.

The structure was approved Jan. 19. Meetings are to resume monthly going forward.

“We want everybody heard,” Mayor Dave Burton said. “We want to make everybody part of this.”

The only exception was the fire committee, which remains on hiatus.

Visitor information kits

The economic development committee plans to create a visitor information kit to help with a busy summer season. The kit was drafted and being edited before the pandemic.

It is a document focused on seasonal renters and hard-to-reach visitors, providing information about the community. Member Barbara Kraus said the kit should be a priority.

She added based on last summer, there will be a greater influx of people to the area.

“This is really our opportunity as a region to shine and present ourselves to the general public that, in the past, may not have even heard of us,” Kraus said. “This is a project we would be silly not to put in the foreground.”

Economic development coordinator Joanne Vanier said there is money in the budget to print the document. The committee agreed to make it a top priority at an April meeting.

Green burials back on the agenda

The environment committee is planning to take another look at green burials. Chair Suzanne Partridge said the committee explored it before going on hiatus. The environmentally-friendly burial practice was promoted by the local Green Burial Society, founded in 2019. No County cemetery currently offers it. Members agreed to discuss it at an April meeting and review the cemetery bylaw.

Trails projects resume

The trails committee reviewed a long list of projects after a year hiatus.

The committee’s plans include creating multi-use trail links in Gooderham, Wilberforce and Cardiff, creating a water trail map and adding more signs and markers to tourist mineral sites.

“We have lots of things on our plate, which is great. Gives us purpose,” chair Cam McKenzie said. “Because of COVID, there’s been a lot more outdoor activity going on.”

Lockdown, internet sideline concert

By

Lisa Gervais

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April 17, 2021

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JQ - Folk society cancellation - 2 — The Haliburton County Folk Society cancelled an online concert April 10. File photo.

The Haliburton County Folk Society’s plans to bring music to people at home April 10 were dashed by a combination of the provincial lockdown and poor local internet.

The society announced it was cancelling a virtual, open-stage concert April 8 due to the provincial COVID-19 health restrictions. The province enacted a shutdown April 3, which closed facilities including live-streaming concert venues, before adding a stay-at-home order with more restrictions April 8.

Folk society treasurer Don Gage said the show may have been possible under the restrictions given performers all operate from home. But the society cancelled because hosts could not get strong enough internet connections to broadcast without using closed public facilities such as libraries or the Rails End Gallery.

“Disappointed, frustrated, confused,” Gage said, adding it has been difficult to figure out the regulations. “If everybody here had good internet, we could do it.”

However, Gage said the society has worked out alternative arrangements to put on another show April 24 with the same slate of performers – all while staying within the rules.

The folk society has put on several virtual shows throughout the pandemic using live streaming. Its latest series have been virtual open stage shows, featuring local artists performing from home with pre-recorded songs.

Gage said they have also been adding bigger-name headliners, with folk artist Rick Fines scheduled to join the stream from home. Gage said the pre-recorded performances were a workaround to accommodate poor internet speeds throughout the County. Shows did still feature live hosts and interviews, with professionals like Fines in better-connected areas able to perform live.

“Our mandate is to support local artists. Our mandate is to provide good music,” Gage said. “Especially in these days of lockdowns and restrictions, being able to do some community-minded things and being able to continue to represent local artists in unique ways is important.”

The province closing isolated live streamed shows in concert venues has earned some ire in the music world.

The Canadian Live Music Association wrote a letter April 8 asking the government to revise restrictions to allow companies to continue rehearsing, taping, and live streaming.

“In live streaming, we convene small groups of highly-trained professionals in well-managed spaces to engage in closely-controlled work,” the letter said. “We are well-equipped to implement and work within world-class safety protocols. As a sector, our number one priority is the safety of our artists, workers and patrons.”

Gage said the folk society was able to reschedule by avoiding any “concert venues” and finding alternate sites with good internet. Hosts and performers alike will be broadcasting from different places.

“We don’t want to bend the rules if we don’t have to,” Gage said. “We want to stay within them the best we can.”

Gage said the society wants to continue with open stage events that spotlight local artists, who may not have the same live streaming opportunities that professionals do.

“Open stages have that sense of community, of everybody getting together in a room,” Gage said. “We’re trying to recreate some of that atmosphere.”

Developers seek to bring condos to Cardiff

By

Lisa Gervais

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April 17, 2021

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JQ - Cardiff development - 2 — A rendering of a proposed condominium development in Cardiff. Photo via Teska Development Corporation.

Developers are proposing a new 40-unit condominium project in Cardiff aimed at independent living seniors, at 2778 Monck Rd. using municipal property and offices.

Teska Development Corporation presented to Highlands East council April 13. Its plans includes two two-story buildings, each containing 20 units, utilizing wood-framing. The development would use municipal land, with the old township office used as a community centre but the library and post office on the property kept as is.

Corporate chairman Stephen Tunks said the project is designed to be affordable for the area – about $900 per month for a single-bedroom and $1,100 for a two-bedroom suite.

“We’ve kept the project costs really low by having a fairly simple design,” Tunks said. “It’s an attractive project, but we’ve done everything we can to design it to keep the costs down.”

It would include 16 two-bedroom units and 24 one-bedroom units. Tunks said the buildings would be fully wheelchair accessible. The rents would be all-inclusive except for satellite TV and internet, which the condominium would offer. Tunks sought to start working with the municipality to purchase the land and progress building permits.

“We’ve done an awful lot of consultation,” Tunks said. “We’ve done an awful lot of work to get to this point.” Cardiff-area

Coun. Cam McKenzie said housing is needed in the community.

“We’re looking for additional housing,” McKenzie said. “Affordable additional housing.”

But he added concerns about whether there is enough sewer capacity. He also said the services on the property, including the post office, food bank and library, need to be protected.

Tunks said they would be kept available. He also said the development could maintain the $1 annual lease for the library, which is currently paid to Highlands East.

On sewage, Tunks said they are willing to pay for any expansion needed, though it would play into land purchase negotiations.

“It’s doable, it’s just a question of what does it cost,” Tunks said. “It’s the first and primary concern we have moving forward.”

McKenzie said he has heard from constituents worried about the buildings being used for short-term rentals. Tunks replied the municipality could likely make it a building permit condition that short-term rentals are forbidden.

Other parts of the development include parking, picnic areas, an enclosed dog run and a solar power generation station. Tunks said they want to progress quickly.

Construction would take about 8.5 months. He said occupancy is possible in Spring 2022 but acknowledged COVID-19 meant it would likely take longer.

“With the circumstances, we’re just going to have to work with what we have,” Tunks said.

He further said he would like to have a public meeting to answer questions when health restrictions allow for it.

Council voted to receive the delegation as information.

Deputy mayor Cec Ryall expressed appreciation for the proposal.

“The fact that you are taking the time and effort to look at us and invest in our municipality, thank you for that,” Ryall said.

More information is available at teskadevelopment.com/Cardiff.

Province restricts outdoor gatherings, recreation

By

Lisa Gervais

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April 16, 2021

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JQ - COVID update - 2 — A microscopic image of the virus that causes COVID-19. Photo via Flikr.

The province is extending its stay-at-home order two weeks and restricting outdoor gatherings as COVID-19 cases rise.

The Ontario Government announced new measures to curb the spread April 16. These include limiting outdoor gatherings to members of your household only, closing all outdoor recreational amenities such as golf courses, and giving law enforcement new powers to stop and question people outside their residence to enforce the order. The new rules will go into effect April 17.

“As the latest modelling confirms, without taking immediate and decisive action COVID-19 cases will spiral out of control and our hospitals will be overwhelmed,” Premier Doug Ford said.

Other new restrictions include reducing capacity to 25 per cent for all retail settings where in-store shopping is permitted, including grocery stores. All non-essential workplaces in the construction sector will also be closed. Wedding, funerals and religious services will be limited to a capacity of 10 people indoors or outdoors. People who live alone can gather with one other household.

The move comes as COVID-19 rates continue to rise across the province, with hospitalizations and ICU occupancy at the highest rates since the pandemic began.

Cases are also increasing locally. The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit has 171 active cases as of Feb. 16, nine in Haliburton. Northumberland has 117 and Kawartha Lakes has 45.

The health unit sounded its own alarm April 16. Medical officer of health Dr. Natalie Bocking said a recent case spike has stretched district capacity to its limits. She said vaccinations are vital to addressing the pandemic but with expanded eligibility and no additional vaccine to provide locally, they are challenged to offer more clinics. The district is receiving less Pfizer vaccine than expected, down to 3,500 a week from 5,800.

“We are doing a bit of a dance right now as we continue to work through new cases while also rolling out our vaccination clinics,” Bocking said. “In the long run, the vaccinations will play a major role in changing the trajectory of the pandemic.”

The health unit announced they will email high-risk contacts with quarantine and testing requirements. It also said its call centre is facing hundreds of messages and will only address urgent ones. It will not respond to people checking on their vaccine eligibility.

“In more than half of our latest cases, there is no one point of exposure so that tells us we are clearly seeing the virus circulating in our communities,” Bocking said. “We need to stay vigilant, follow the directions and do our part to stop any further spread.”

Stay at home unless gardening

By

Lisa Gervais

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April 15, 2021

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During the current stay-at-home order, one thing Haliburton County residents can do is get ready for another gardening season, says Sue King of Pine Reflections in Carnarvon.

Reopening at the beginning of April, King said “I think it’s going to be just as busy or busier” than last year when the initial COVID-19 lockdown saw a surge in vegetable and flower gardening as well as outdoor space beautification.

King said COVID helped her and her staff to achieve a pre-pandemic goal of gently getting people to garden as a de-stressor at a time when the world was getting busier, faster and embracing instant gratification.

“I’d noticed a lot of people, their stress levels were just going through the roof, especially if they were coming up from the city. So, we were gently trying to get people into gardening. There’s something very meditative about digging in dirt and we know the holistic benefits of grounding yourself.”

“And then with COVID and the lockdown, people realized how important it was,” she added.

She said staring last spring, they began to get people interested that didn’t have the opportunity in the past because they were either too busy or just did not put it high on their priority list.

“It was a very exciting time for us because although we never want to force anyone to make a change in habit, to us it was a great way to show people the dirtier your knees are, the less stress you have.”

Kind said they had people who were growing vegetables for the first time.

“And there is actually something very exciting about watching something grow. And being able to eat your own tomato from your own plant.”

She said proud clients were coming back with photographs and “wonderful” stories about the beautiful spaces they were creating. She said they were also empowered, telling her and her staff, “I can do this.”

She added the Pine Reflections staff were able to educate people.

What is different this year is the supply and demand chain has been affected by COVID, so ensuring stock will be more of challenge for garden centres, King said. She is confident in her wholesale suppliers, however, making weekly trips to restock. In her tenth year in business, she added she is resourceful.

The industry is hoping people will stretch out their buying and not horde plants in May, similar to the toilet paper hording of 2020.

However, she said the local demand is already starting after a long winter in which people have been planning their 2021 gardens.

However, she reminds people it’s a bit early to get going.

“You’ve got to watch Mother Nature up here.”

That said, it is a good time to check your soil and your growing zone. She said a foot down the soils is too cold and wet to sustain root growth and expects the dirty work will begin midMay to early June.

She implores gardeners to be patient since a Farmers’ Almanac prediction of a warm summer will mean a long and abundant growing season.

“it was a great season last year and this year is going to be even bigger and better.”

Arts council keeping stable in pandemic

By

Lisa Gervais

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April 15, 2021

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The Arts Council Haliburton Highlands opted to keep its board steady for another year as it maintains programming amidst the pandemic.

Members voted at an AGM March 30 to extend chair Kate Butler and secretary Renée Woltz to serve an additional year, past the two-term, six-year maximum set out in the society’s bylaws.

The move came because of a board proposal to modify those bylaws to allow for three terms, given the difficulties of the pandemic.

Attendees balked at the bylaw modification but instead to give Butler and Woltz another year. Woltz said stability was important at this time.

“The board really feels this is not the time to be losing some experience on the board, given the challenges,” Woltz said. “And the fact with less social interaction it has been a little more difficult than usual to recruit new board members.”

Woltz said the two-year term limit was meant to keep the board fresh with new ideas and energy. But members said it did not make sense to change the bylaw or to provide an extra full term, which usually lasts three years.

“The bylaws are the backbone of the organization and you don’t go making adjustments annually,” Rails End Gallery curator Laurie Jones said. “That doesn’t mean that this has not been an exceptional period.”

Butler said she is willing to carry on for one year as an exception. She added she would be willing to provide advice beyond that.

“Hopefully, by that time, we’ll have a handle on what things are looking like as we’ve gone through this COVID-era,” Butler said. “And we’re coming out the other side and we’ll be in a better position.”

The society also voted to add Sophie Creelman and Danielle Martin to its board, joining Butler, Woltz, treasurer Pat Martin, Chris Lynd, Pat Jones and Scott Walling.

Programming carries on

The arts council reviewed its past year, how COVID-19 impacted the scene and what art programs have carried on despite that.

The organization had a 2020 deficit of $2,532, compared to a $1,642 surplus in 2019. Its general fund had $40,356 at the end of the 2020 fiscal year.

Martin said the board has worked to get more grants and donations to keep programs going.

“Your board has been working hard to ensure the financial viability of the organization,” Martin said. “While the COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge we have been able to initiate several new programs.”

Some of those new initiatives include a promotional video, a remote reading event called 6-Minute Escape, a monthly social media feature on local artists, an online artist course and a new radio play which premiered April 7.

“The resilience and creativity of our arts community here is remarkable,” Butler said. “We always find a way to make things work … Looking forward to another great year ahead.”.