Putting the general store back in mercantile

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November 28, 2020

The new owners of Minden Mercantile and Feed Co. Inc. are hoping to stick to the tradition of a good, old-fashioned general store, while looking to add and improve moving forward.

Marc and Cyndi Wilkens officially took over the 131 Bobcaygeon Rd. business on Nov. 3.

The couple, who have lived in Kinmount for seven years, said they’d spent the past five years looking for a business to buy in the area but found options were few and far between, especially for something they were interested in.

Their passions include a 75-acre property with horses, chickens, and three dogs. They love the outdoors and Marc likes to hunt. And they do a bit of farming and homesteading. In fact, Marc said he’d been coming to Minden Mercantile as a customer for several years.

A few months back, he was chatting with Kelly Pearce, who was at a crossroads.

“And something just popped into my head, I said, ‘Kelly, have you ever thought about selling the business?’ We decided to think about it more, to pray on it, and to come back together. And we worked on it over a couple of months,” Marc said.

As Marc runs an online business but wants to transition full-time to the store, Pearce helped him get some new staff in.

Marc said the business is in an older building in town that’s been around awhile in a few different iterations.

“The term mercantile was the general store. You think back in the olden days. People would go to the mercantile to get their food, their feed, to pick up sewing supplies, whatever. And one thing we both realized in this area is you’ve gotta’ drive 20 minutes here, or 40 minutes there, or an hour, to get the things you need. And locally here there’s certain things that farmers, bird lovers, homesteaders need that they have to drive a fair distance to get, so we see an opportunity to expand the business here and be a bigger part of the community.”

Marc said that could involve expanding the size of the warehouse and the retail space.

They also want to use the yard, whether it’s an outdoor cage, permanent gazebo with chicken coops, fencing, wiring, gates, shovels, wheelbarrows, hardware for farming, for seasonal items, such as skids of salt.

But before doing any of that, Marc said they are talking to customers, trying to get to know them, understand them and find out what they want. He said it is a diverse customer base, from someone who buys bird seed for art, to a cat sanctuary owner to farmers and homesteaders.

Cyndi adds, “and they want to learn about homesteading and how they can be more self sufficient so we want to be able to fill that need.”

Marc added they are also contemplating hosting events, for example speakers for people who want to learn about horses, chickens or gardening.

They’re now on Facebook and hope people will post about their animals, whether wild or pets. They’re also incorporating online ordering and curbside pickup.

“We’re already getting great feedback from people and have already activated new products in store. We’re excited and we’re having fun doing it,” Marc said.

Unknown hunter fires door-destroying bullet

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 28, 2020

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JQ - Hunting Crime - 1 — Dan Molenaar stands next to a door frame at his home, busted by a stray bullet that also pierced the glass door behind it. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

The Molenaar family recently came home to an unpleasant surprise – something had smashed their glass patio doors.

At first, they thought it might have been a bird, but the force required to break the glass made that unlikely. But after canvassing their neighbours, the source was discovered: two loud gunshots, heard earlier in the day.

Dan Molenaar said police would later investigate and find the bullet, likely shot by a hunter, embedded in an exterior wood wall on the deck of their Eagle Lake-area house.

“My concern is that this is a fairly populated neighbourhood in the community,” Molenaar said. “The fact that somebody would recklessly discharge a firearm without knowing the backdrop of where that projectile could potentially hit was just extremely reckless behaviour.”

Haliburton Highlands OPP confirmed the account. However, after police spoke with neighbours, Molenaar said they determined nobody from the area was hunting that day. The culprits are unknown, and the investigation reached a dead end, leaving the family to clean up and pay for $6,000 in damage to the impacted doors.

Molenaar said he is an experienced hunter. He said he has never encountered something such as this.

“Ethically hunting is a fantastic sport, but obviously there are individuals out there that may think differently and unfortunately give all hunters a bad name,” he said. “Police were shocked – I thought it might be something that’s fairly common. Apparently not.”

He said he and his wife were away at the time, but the bullet passed by areas of the house they frequent.

“I don’t think the hunter realized he could have endangered somebody’s life,” he said.

The couple is not sure if the culprit is aware of what happened. They hope that by sharing their story, the persons responsible might come forward.

“That’s what I’m struggling with,” Diane Molenaar said. “Just disappointed that nobody’s come forward.”

Anyone with information can contact the Haliburton Highlands OPP at 705-286- 1431, 1-888-310-122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Pandemic fate still in Highlanders’ hands

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Lisa Gervais

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November 27, 2020

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

With COVID-19 cases projected to spike dramatically across the province, health officials say Haliburton County can still mitigate the impact within the area.

Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table provided an update Nov. 12 that the province could reach more than 6,000 new cases per day by mid-December. That has yet to be felt in Haliburton, which has reported five new cases since Nov. 4.

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPR) medical officer of health, Dr. Lynn Noseworthy, said the district is seeing more cases. But she added the local trajectory of the virus is still in our hands.

The projection “is a worrisome finding, but also a call to action,” Noseworthy said. “People have the power to bend the curve – just as we did last spring – by following important public health measures that control the spread of COVID-19.”

Minden’s Dr. Nell Thomas echoed the sentiment. She said higher case numbers are avoidable if people are responsible, such as by limiting close contact to only people within their social bubble.

“It is not inevitable,” Thomas said, adding countries such as New Zealand have successfully contained the virus. “It is simply a reflection of human behaviour.”

However, the medical world has criticized the public policy measures in place for virus control as insufficient. Thomas said frontline healthcare workers and emergency responders are hurting and being treated as fodder.

“How long is that going to happen? Because pretty soon, we won’t have enough of them.”

Haliburton Highlands Family Health Team Dr. Norm Bottum said an increase amount of cottagers staying in the area over the winter months will also add more pressure to acute care and ER.

“We want to remind everyone if they have an issue of a minor nature or need medication renewal they should contact their primary care provider, regardless of where their practitioner is in the province,” Bottum said. “Our ER continues to be busy and given COVID protocols will be significantly pushed to keep up with the usual winter demand if it is significantly busier than usual.”

Some cases excluded

As more cottagers opt for extended stays in Haliburton, the exact number of COVID cases within the community is uncertain. Cases are tracked via primary address, meaning a case assessed here for someone from elsewhere but staying in Haliburton, would not be included in the local count.

Thomas said that is a significant problem for accuracy.

“When people say the numbers are low, we say, ‘no, not really’,” she said. “Those numbers aren’t shared with our community and it’s falsely reassuring.”

Noseworthy said there is an effective contact-tracing system in place and health units are in daily contact with individuals who test positive and their close contacts.

“The bottom line is that regardless of where a person lives or is tested for COVID-19 in Ontario, the provincial case and contact management system is very methodical, comprehensive and thorough.”

Holiday caution needed

The holiday season is approaching, but doctors advised health precautions need to be maintained.

Noseworthy said it would likely be prudent to celebrate with immediate household only. For those farther away, she said people could connect virtually or over the phone.

“I would strongly recommend local residents avoid any non-essential travel outside of our region – especially to areas with high COVID-19 case counts,” she said. “All of us need to redouble our efforts to follow important public health guidelines.”

Thomas said it is a manageable thing to do. She further said people can take solace that COVID-19 is something they can help control.

“Do not be complacent, do not be overwhelmed, do not feel hopeless,” Thomas said. “Be empowered.”

Retailers remain optimistic about holiday shopping

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 27, 2020

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JQ - Christmas COVID business - 1 — Glecoff’s Family Store owner, Clay Glecoff, said he is optimistic about the holiday shopping season due to increased traffic. Photo by Joseph Quigley

Despite a pandemic and the end of summer, Glecoff’s Family Store owner, Clay Glecoff, said business is going very well.

With more people staying in the County over the winter – including snowbirds staying home and cottagers escaping the city – he said traffic is significantly higher this fall.

“Based on current trends, our outlook is extremely positive,” Glecoff said. “This could potentially be our best winter we’ve ever had.”

Haliburton’s downtown businesses are expressing optimism about the holiday shopping season. Even with cancelled promotional events, Haliburton BIA administrator Angelica Ingram said there are plenty of businesses faring well.

“It’s not all bad news,” she said. “Some have seen a better year than normal because of people flocking to the Highlands more and staying.”

“We’ve seen a lot of people Christmas shopping already,” Lockside Trading Co. owner, Andrea Black, said. “A lot of locals want to do it in town.”

But Ingram said the outlook is not great for everyone. She said restaurants have had struggles, given dining restrictions.

Molly’s Bistro Bakery owner Molly McInerny said the Minden restaurant has seen less dine-in traffic, but it is faring better than the start of the pandemic. She added the restaurant has been able to do well with its takeout meal service.

“Everything’s a little different, it’s all shifting and you sort of have to pay attention to how,” McInerny said. “I’m hoping – and planning – that as far as the baker part of it, and frozen food part of it, it will be busier.”

As COVID cases spike across the province – though not in Haliburton – Ingram said there is concern about the possibility of another lockdown.

“People are a little anxious,” Glecoff said. “It doesn’t look like we’re trending the right way as far as the pandemic goes. We anticipate a possible lockdown, but until we do, it’s business as usual.”

Meanwhile, the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce is encouraging people to shop local. It got support from all four lower-tier townships for a BuyCloseBy season running from Nov. 15 to Dec. 31.

“It was just really borne out of recognition that our businesses have never seen conditions like this, especially as we face a second wave and a potential lockdown,” chamber executive director Jennifer Locke said. “We need to support them now more than ever.”

E-Commerce site launches

Meanwhile, TechnicalitiesPlus launched the ShopCloseBuy website Nov. 5 to support local businesses in the online shopping world versus the likes of Amazon.

The site is aimed at giving a local centralized e-commerce platform. Owner Donna Enright said it launched later than hoped and currently has only 10 vendors – though one of them is the arts council which will feature multiple artists.

“Making sales online is really beneficial for business especially at Christmas,” she said. “I hate seeing all the packages coming in from Amazon and other retailers who aren’t part of our community and really want to see us try and find a way to shift that.”

She added there are still 10 subsidies available to cover start-up costs.

Locke said there has been a global awakening about the importance of shopping local.

“They’re our neighbours, they’re our friends, volunteer organizations. You know these people. There is a little bit of comfort to be had with that.”

Jump rope returns from the playground

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 26, 2020

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CA-jump rope — Danielle Maia Carney of Rise Jump Rope. Photo submitted

by Carolyn Alder

There have been many trends in the exercise world, such as Zumba, water aquatics, and Pilates but the latest is jump rope. It’s similar to what you did in the playground at recess with your friends when you were a child.

Owner of Rise Jump Rope, Danielle Maia Carney, is hoping to bring back that playfulness with her online classes of interval jump rope.

“The reason I wanted to do this is because a lot of workout programs out there are by people in their late ’20s or ’30s and often times men, and I found I couldn’t keep up with a lot of those workouts so I wanted to create something that was an opportunity for people wherever they’re at to try something out,” Carney said.

Carney started jumping rope for exercise a couple of years ago at the suggestion of a friend. She’d not been as active as she would have liked. The single mom says when she first picked up her rope, she was shy to do it in front of friends and so began at home by listening to music and jumping in front of a mirror.

“At the beginning it was a bit more clunky and awkward because I was trying to figure out technique and posture. As everything was coming together it became easier.”

Carney then began holding her high intensity, low impact, interval training classes for her co-workers outside at Living Librations in Haliburton. She was going to expand her classes to include more when the pandemic started and she changed her idea to teaching online.

“It inspired me to keep going as a way to engage and move at home and stay connected with people. [The online classes] feel warm and being able to see and talk with each other supports that. It’s a social space. I wanted to create a safe supportive space as a woman for women without excluding men.”

Angela Andrews has been taking the online classes from the start. She said, “if you’re looking to try something new, it’s a lot of fun and a great workout and no one can really see you because you’re too focused on jumping that you don’t often look at the screen.”

Beginning classes run Monday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. while intermediate classes are Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. Blended classes are offered Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. Carney is offering a complimentary class Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. For more information and to register, email risejumprope@gmail.com before Dec. 4.

Doctor says flu vaccine shortages ‘distressing’

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 26, 2020

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KW-health unit board meeting — Some local residents have been put on a waiting list for the flu vaccine. Flickr

by Kirk Winter

The Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit focused on the problems they are having with providing enough flu vaccines and the planning already underway for the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine at their Nov. 19 meeting.

Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Lynn Noseworthy, said the health unit is having “challenges” in the rollout of flu vaccines for the 2020-2021 flu season.

“There are two different vaccines we are dealing with,” Noseworthy said, “the high dose vaccine and the quadrivalent vaccine that is designed to deal with four different strains of the flu. Currently we are all out of the high dose vaccine and the province is reviewing their procurement and distribution plans.”

She said they began their flu shot program in October and so far have used 42,000 doses supplied by the province.

Kawartha Lakes councillor Doug Elmslie said drug stores in his area are short of the vaccine and wondered what the health unit could do about the situation.

“We do not supply the pharmacies,” Noseworthy responded, “and there are currently waiting lists for the vaccine.”

It was suggested provincial health units were only supplied the vaccine at the level they ordered last year, with no consideration for a surge of requests fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The shortages were called “distressing” by Dr. Ian Gemmill, one of the physicians involved in the call.

Gemmill added the only silver lining regarding the flu season is data from the Southern hemisphere, which has already had their winter flu season and saw remarkably low numbers.

Health unit staff suggested there were two likely reasons for those hopeful numbers from South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. The first is “viral competition,” where the common flu virus has been overwhelmed by the much stronger COVID-19 virus and not given a chance to take hold in the nations providing data. The second is that precautions taken for COVID-19, including mask wearing, social distancing, hand washing and the cleaning of high touch surfaces in public buildings, are also very effective in limiting the spread of the flu.

“We still encourage people to get their flu shots (once they are again available). It is certainly not too late,” Dr. Noseworthy said.

Noseworthy also shared “promising results” about the rollout of the COVID19 vaccines pioneered by pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna.

“We expect the vaccine will be offered in a staggered manner with high risk individuals and those workers with an elevated risk of infection getting it first,” Noseworthy said.

“Aboriginal communities are also expected to be a priority,” Noseworthy added.

“We are working on a rollout which we expect in the first quarter of 2021,” Noseworthy said.

Elmslie asked Noseworthy how the vaccine will be distributed and whether it will follow the flu vaccine distribution model.

“The Pfizer vaccine needs to be kept at -70 Celsius and the Moderna vaccine at -20 degrees Celsius,” Noseworthy said, “and with that in mind the vaccines will likely only be available at health unit clinics.”

Noseworthy promised more information on the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available.

County sends shoreline bylaw to the public

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 26, 2020

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JQ - Shoreline bylaw review - 2 — A diagram of the protection area included in a new info document from the County on its previous draft shoreline bylaw in 2020. Photo via County of Haliburton.

The County of Haliburton is ready for a public meeting on its shoreline preservation bylaw with a possible requirement for renaturalization up for discussion.

County council reviewed the draft bylaw and new public information documents at a special meeting Nov. 23. The meeting delved into questions on the bylaw and how to present it to the public, with a variety of minor adjustments put forward for staff implementation.

One key point of discussion was over the renaturalization of shorelines. The bylaw as it stands does not require people to change already developed shorelines, only restricting future development. But councillors raised the possible need to codify shoreline renaturalization and agreed to include it as a question in upcoming consultation.

“There are passionate positions on both sides,” Coun. Carol Moffatt said. “When we look at the objectives of this bylaw (get County shorelines to 75 per cent naturalized), I don’t know if we’re going to achieve these if we don’t implement something that required renaturalization. But I think that’s a massive can of worms.”

The municipality has spent months reviewing the bylaw in response to public pushback. The Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners’ Associations (CHA) has pointed to research about shorelines requiring 75 per cent naturalization to maintain water quality and help prevent algae blooms. A CHA assessment of 60 local lakes found only 47-48 per cent of their shorelines were natural.

Deputy warden Andrea Roberts said the bylaw should remain as is, with something addressing renaturalization possibly coming later.

“How we move is a process,” Roberts said. “This is a step and I think we would be biting off more than we can chew.”

Warden Liz Danielsen said it makes sense to include it in public consultation. She added renaturalization could help alleviate the concerns landscapers have about the bylaw taking from their work.

“If we include a renaturalization component … we’re offering another opportunity. It’s just a different kind of work,” she said.

Public information addressed

Councillors spent approximately four hours reviewing the bylaw, addressing issues such as wording, fish habitat and pressuring the province to allow higher fines to stand.

They also reviewed three documents aimed at making the bylaw more digestible than the “legalese”: an illustrated summary document, a fact sheet and an online selfassessment tool to help property owners determine whether they need a permit.

The municipality has set a target date of April 15 to begin enforcement of the bylaw. Both staff and councillors called the date “ambitious” but said it could be adjusted as needed.

Council voted to receive the discussion as information and direct staff to initiate public consultation and organize a virtual public meeting. That meeting is expected to be some time in January.

Moffatt asked how much time would be allowed to review input.

“Whatever time it takes,” Danielsen responded. “There’s going to be things that we hear and agree with. There will be things we hear and disagree with or can’t do anything about for legislative reasons. We’ll have to wade through it all.”

Chamber hopes job platform can attract talent

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 25, 2020

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JQ-chamber programs 1 — A past Haliburton Highlands Secondary School job fair. File photo.

The Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce is bringing forward a new program to help local businesses tap into student and graduate talent from across the country.

Through the Chamber Partnership Initiative, the local chamber is partnering with Magnet, a Ryerson University digital job platform. With the program announced Nov. 11, businesses can access young talent from across the country. Also, the platform will allow businesses to access wage subsidies with the federal Student Work Placement Program (SWPP), offering up to $7,500 to organizations when they hire Canadian post-secondary students for integrated learning experiences.

Chamber executive director, Jennifer Locke, said the platform fills a need, allowing employers to easily search for workers with the right qualifications.

“It’s really quite all-encompassing,” Locke said. “The platform is really sophisticated in that it provides – when you submit the job – exactly how many qualified applicants will be personally invited (to apply).”

Besides enabling access to job seekers, the platform also provides employers with tools to make more diverse hires. It also offers business growth information from partners such as the Business Development Bank of Canada.

“The combination of a national recruitment platform and the SWPP wage subsidy will be an important lifeline for our members,” chamber president, Andrea Strano, said.

Locke said the platform helps build youth experience but can also get businesses qualified people from outside the community.

“Imagine getting someone out of a heavy-equipment operating course and they end up relocating to the area and they’re a 20-year employee,” she said. “It could be a significant way of getting an influx of people that are skilled.”

Locke said they plan to do a virtual walkthrough of the platform with members Dec. 8. She said the uptake has been strong so far, especially from local non-profits.

“Non-profits are excited because it will allow for them to have more hours than they would have been able to budget for,” Locke said. “They can see the value-add.”

Advocates call for swifter action on long-term care improvements

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 24, 2020

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LG-long-term care coalition 1 (1) — Terry Hartwick was one of the local Long-Term Care Coalition Haliburton-CKL members who held an information picket in Haliburton Oct. 8. Photo by Lisa Gervais.

The Nov. 5 provincial budget lays out plans to provide more support for long-term care and ageing in place, but local advocacy groups say it is not enough.

The provincial government announced Nov. 2 it would increase average daily direct care per longterm care resident to four hours a day, phasing it over a four-year period. That is in addition to a previously announced $1.75 billion to increase long-term care capacity by 30,000 beds. The budget also includes a new 25 per cent tax credit for 2021 for eligible home renovations, up to $10,000, to improve safety for seniors and keep them at home.

Haliburton-CKL Long-Term Care Coalition member Bonnie Roe said their group and other advocates were excited by the prospect of increased hours of care. But she said the target date for the changes is not acceptable.

“It sounds wonderful, but the changes need to be happening now,” Roe said. “There should have been details within the budget that would speak to starting to implement a plan.”

A provincial press release notes improving care hours is an ambitious plan that will “require significant changes in the long-term care sector” including tens of thousands of new staff, but does not specify dollar figures for that.

“Protecting people has been our government’s number one priority,” said Minister of Finance Rod Phillips. “We are making available every necessary resource to keep people safe, including our loved ones in long-term care and our frontline health care heroes during the second wave and beyond.”

The provincial long-term care commission included more care hours in its interim recommendations, announced Oct. 23. Roe said the budget should have offered more funding to address other recommendations, which also include a comprehensive HR strategy to address sector staffing issues.

Tax credit available

The home renovation tax credit is regardless of income and allows families who have a senior living with them to apply as well.

Roe said ageing in place is important, but a tax credit only goes so far.

“A lot of seniors are on the poverty line. So, I think that works for those who can afford to do that,” she said. “The amount is weak.”

Senior-advocacy organization CARP praised the credit but said it is not enough to keep most people at home. The organization also criticized the budget’s long-term care implementation and called for more short-term tangible actions, such as installing cameras in medication rooms.

“While there is a marked increase in health care investment and a promise to improve long-term care over the next few years, CARP worries that the immediate needs of older adults were pushed to the background,” the organization said in a press release.

Roe said the province could implement significant changes sooner but it lacks the political will.

“It just sounds very hollow,” Roe said. “Considering the state of our long-term health care system.”

Lakeview Motel owners look to retirement

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 20, 2020

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LH - Lakeview Motel - 1 — John and Holly McDonald have put Haliburton’s Lakeview Motel up for sale. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

Holly and John McDonald, owners of Lakeview Motel in Haliburton, have decided to call it a day.

After 18 years of maintaining the popular accommodation, the McDonalds have put the lodgings on the market and plan to retire. “We aren’t as young as we were in 2002 – business is great, real estate is booming but finding enough good staff is tricky – so it’s time,” Holly said.

Lakeview Motel was built in the 1960s and had five owners before the McDonalds.

The motel came up for sale in 2001, the year John was let go from his project management job at Nortel in Brampton. Holly had been a travel agent prior to having four children in five years. She had been providing daycare for many families for the past 20 years.

“It was far too early for us to retire with four kids to put through post-secondary education,” said Holly. “Six months of research and checking out other properties led us to agree to purchase [Lakeview] in November 2001 and we took over May 1, 2002. We liked the area, saw the potential for growth, [and] being close to the village and on sewers was a big plus.”

The McDonalds have devoted themselves to customer service and through that have put their own stamp on much of the motel over the years. Indoors, they converted the garage to two large rooms and a workshop, replaced everything from plumbing to bed linens, and added coffee makers, fridges and microwaves to all the rooms, which now total 14.

Outdoors, the pair kept the pool in shape, landscaped and hardscaped, installed a new well and created a 1.5-kilometre snowmobile trail that connects to the high-traffic B103 run close to Trail 18.

When the pandemic arrived, the McDonalds adapted to that as well.

“Living through the past seven months with COVID has shown us that you have to persevere, push through, and we’ve changed some of our practices,” said Holly.

After the sale, the McDonalds plan to move to their house in the area and relax. Once pandemic-related travel restrictions have lifted, they’ll travel and visit family and friends.

Owning Lakeview has meant hard work and a sense of community, said Holly.

“We’ve met many great customers, some we call friends … We’ve loved our time here and it’s home now.”