Arts Centre Foundation shoots for the stars

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October 29, 2020

The man behind the vision of bringing an arts centre to Haliburton County says one model they have looked at is the Midland Cultural Centre.

The Haliburton Highlands Arts Centre Foundation (HHACF) held its inaugural annual general meeting Oct. 20.

Daniel Manley, Wil Andrea and Brent Wooten formed the fledgling foundation in the Spring of 2018. Manley said it came about after orchestra rehearsal get-togethers on Friday afternoons. Michael Clipperton is also on the team.

“There was quite a bit of talk of looking for a place that would be good for us to play in and how the County needs it,” Manley said.

The HHACF was incorporated that December, developed a logo and website, has now been designated a charitable organization, worked with U-Links on a needs assessment, and secured a $5,000 grant from the Haliburton County Development Corporation. That allowed them to hire Melissa Johnston to synthesize and add to the Fleming College students’ report, which is due soon. They’ve also met with arts organizations and held a roundtable discussion and workshop.

Setbacks have included an unsuccessful bid for a $75,000 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant and COVID-19.

Despite that, Manley said the fiscal year 2020 was a very successful one since, “our three main goals were to officially become charitable, raise awareness of the HHACF within the local community, and to kick-off research.”

He said although they would like to see an arts centre built as quickly as possible, feasibility studies and business plans are essential to understanding what will be the right fit for the County and sustainable in the future.

He said goals for 2021 include growing and developing the board of directors; developing a strategic plan including fundraising, and raising awareness.

Tammy Rea and Beth Kipping were acclaimed as new board members.

Rea said, “I’ve just been on public record for about the last 20 years saying this is my dream before I die so I guess I better put up.”

She added with her HIFF family, including Marci Mandel and Lisa Kerr, “when we go to a film festival and we’re having a glass of wine this is what we always talk about so the whole movie committee is really strongly behind this.”

During a question and answer session, it was asked if there was a possible location in mind. Manley said they have some potential candidates but aren’t ready to reveal at this time. They were also asked about their vision.

“We’re trying to cover and include as many facets of the performing arts as possible,” he said, adding it will come down to funds and sustainability. However, he mentioned ideas such as acoustic shelling, theatre, orchestra pit, rehearsal space, office space for arts groups, a shared library of music, gallery, meeting and small conference space, audio and video for movies, a lobby for drinks at intermission. If in a downtown urban centre, possibly a café.

“Make it lived in, so it’s always used.”

One attendee suggested they study centres in other communities, such as North Bay, Parry Sound, Huntsville and Bracebridge.

Manley said the Midland Cultural Centre “is a really close model of what we’re looking at because they have a gallery and they have a café, they have a concert hall, they have a movie theatre, it’s more configurable and they have a rehearsal space. It’s almost exactly what we’re looking for.”

Clipperton added they have also talked about teaching space and studios.

As to timeline, Manley added it will depend on funding, and could take five to 10 years.

“We want to build an arts centre for all and together we’ll reach that goal,” Manley said.

Minden Hills staff remain in office despite COVID

By

Lisa Gervais

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October 29, 2020

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Minden Hills staff will continue to work from the office, not at home, councillors decided during a special council meeting Oct. 22.

The meeting was called by CAO Trisha McKibbin who tabled a working at home policy. It came after the Emergency Control Group (ECG), which comprises senior staff, the mayor and deputy mayor, recommended a return-to-home in the face of rising pandemic numbers across the province.

Following the beginning of COVID-19, staff did work from home until returning July 6. Since then, like the neighbouring municipalities of Algonquin Highlands, Highlands East and Dysart et al, staff are at their various offices, meeting with ratepayers by appointment only.

McKibbin said she’d like staff to remain.

“At this current moment, based on all the safety procedures and protocols that we have in place, I would like, my personal preference is, to have staff, as long as we can, in the workplace.”

McKibbin said the ECG has created an operational guide which lays out the practices that all staff need to be undertaking to ensure all health and safety requirements are met during COVID-19. She cited social distancing, non-medical masks, disinfectant on all desks, in all washrooms, and communal areas. She said washrooms have been assigned to staff and are cleaned after each usage, there’s a visitor questionnaire and sign-in sheet for contact tracing, staff sign-in and staff COVID-19 staff assessment.

She added the policy isn’t just for this pandemic.

“This is a good policy to have in place that lays out the guidelines and responsibilities for any time staff may have to work from home. Whether that is during emergency times or those one-off situations.”

Deputy Mayor Lisa Schell agreed staff should stay where they are.

“I do not see any reason at this time that we would be sending staff home to work again. We have spent a lot of money as a municipality to be sure all the safeguards are in place for staff. It’s a large building. Everybody has their own space. We have all of the stations, even bathrooms individually separate for people,” she said.

She was also in favour of the work-from-home policy, not just for a pandemic, but other future circumstances.

Coun. Bob Carter said there didn’t appear to be an imminent health and safety issue “because we have put into place parameters … procedures to maintain the health and safety of our staff. I’m having a difficult time in seeing why we would go ahead with something like this.”

Mayor Brent Devolin said he agreed but it was worth discussing, “being mindful that this can change in a moment.”

Coun. Jennifer Hughey said the policy could apply in a number of circumstances, for example staff expecting babies, or sickness, so “we should be treating this as an overall discussion for our work from home policy …”

Coun Pam Sayne noted the township is also responsible for home work spaces and Carter said there are also privacy issues with some staff working from home.

Council received the report as information, voted to maintain the status quo as of now, and requested a more comprehensive report to follow. There has not been a new confirmed COVID case in the County since Oct. 10.

Still in this together

By

Lisa Gervais

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October 29, 2020

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Usually at this time of year, Haliburton County’s small businesses are winding down from a busy – and profitable – summer and preparing for the leaner months ahead.

This year, as we all know, is different.

As County director of tourism, Amanda Virtanen, noted at a recent council meeting, we’ve all heard the anecdotal accounts that some businesses had their best summer ever and others were on the verge of having to close permanently.

We’ve heard grocery stores have done well, as have hardware outlets and garden centres. Some tourism outlets say they have benefitted from the mass exodus from the city. But some retailers and restaurants have clearly struggled.

On the plus side, from an economic perspective, we hope the cottagers do continue to come late into the fall and over the winter.

From a public health perspective, we’re a little bit leerier. We only ask that everyone, local or visitor, continue to follow health unit guidelines.

It’s only just recently that we have received some statistics to go along with those anecdotal accounts. Both the Haliburton County Chamber of Commerce and Virtanen’s department of tourism did some September surveys.

The chamber received 2.5 times the response rate of any other survey it’s done. The tourism department had a 20 per cent response rate.

The chamber had half of its respondents say they’d had to lay people off permanently or temporarily. That is a big hit. Business confidence is also, naturally, shaky. But confidence here is better than in cities such as Toronto, where businesses are starting to close their doors. In Haliburton County, nearly half the survey respondents believed in their ability to thrive, versus 39 per cent who said no. Thirteen per cent were unsure. That is good to hear.

The tourism survey also held some positive numbers. More said visits to their business was up this summer, than down. However, more said revenue was down this summer over last. More than 40 per cent said if they’d had more staff they would have done better. About one-third reported a better September to last year.

What does all this mean?

Certainly, Haliburton County is doing fiscally better than some areas of our province forced to retreat to Stage 2 reopenings. And whether you like the fact cottagers are coming more often and staying longer, it has a positive impact on the economy. It is the same for those people choosing to renovate their cottagers to stay longer, even permanently. We are seeing that boom in real estate and building.

Chamber board president Andrea Strano, in addressing the local layoffs, said it will impact the community for many months to come.

She’s right. We will likely see more businesses opt to close over the winter months instead of struggling to cover costs with the prospect of little return on investment. We’ll really see the full impact next spring, when some of those businesses will opt not to reopen at all. Some have said a vaccine might be ready for the spring which will certainly bolster business confidence. But, like all things with this pandemic, only time will tell.

In the meantime, County residents can do their part by continuing to shop local and helping the businesses that have supported them over the years, whether donating to charitable fundraisers or sponsoring our kids’ sports teams. After all, we remain in this together.

Highlands small business feeling the pinch

By

Lisa Gervais

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October 29, 2020

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Half of local businesses taking part in a chamber of commerce survey said they’d had to permanently or temporarily dismiss staff due to COVID-19.

It was just one of the findings in a September Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce survey.

Chamber executive director, Jennifer Locke, said many small businesses across the County are feeling the pandemic pinch.

The chamber recently released findings of a micro-survey it conducted in conjunction with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

“As our communities wind down from the busy season in the Highlands, this survey provides a snapshot of the local business conditions and attitudes,” Locke said.

She added many local chamber members participated in the questionnaire and as a result there are some regionally-specific results.

Those include getting a pulse of how businesses feel about their local communities and their ability to thrive in those regions, despite what might be a pessimistic national or provincial outlook.

She said 39 per cent of survey respondents said no to their ability to thrive, 48 per cent yes and 13 per cent were unsure. In addition, 32 per cent reported a lack of business confidence in the local economy, while 50 per cent of local respondents lacked such confidence at a provincial level.

Chamber board chair Andrea Strano said, “it is not surprising that half of our local enterprises had to temporarily or permanently dismiss employees; this is going to result in community-level impacts for many months to come.”

She added, “the pandemic has disproportionately affected certain sectors – accommodations, food services, arts, entertainment, recreation and retail have all been hit heavily.”

Locke said regional insights can be further explored on the OER Survey website.

The next wave of the survey is currently underway. The new survey link is research.net/r/2020_Wave 2_OCC?Local_ Chamber=[Haliburton].

The three-minute survey on business confidence, pandemic recovery and government support programs will help inform the upcoming Ontario Economic Report and the advocacy of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Locke said.

This survey was fielded by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce from September 3-23.

Tourism survey results

The County of Haliburton’s Department of Tourism also conducted a survey in mid-September.

Director of tourism, Amanda Virtanen, said the department had been hearing conflicting anecdotal accounts that some businesses were having their best summer ever and others were on the verge of having to close permanently.

“Therefore, we wanted to ask specific questions about revenue and visitation post-summer and leading into fall,” she said.

She said the survey was open for a two-week period, closing Sept. 28, and was sent to all tourism-focused operators. She said they got a 20 per cent response rate. Of those, 38 per cent were accommodators, 22 per cent experience providers, 20 per cent food establishments, 12 per cent retail and 18 per cent other.

She said highlights included: • 38 per cent of respondents noted visitation to their business was up this summer over 2019 (32 per cent said down); • 34 per cent of respondents noted revenue was up this summer over 2019 (40 per cent said down); • 41 per cent of respondents cited insufficient staff limited their capacity to do business this summer; • 30 per cent of respondents said September 2020 was on track for being up over September 2019.

Student residence on cards for Glebe Park

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Lisa Gervais

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October 29, 2020

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JQ - Student residence update - 2-web — Fleming College and Dysart et al revealed plans to build a new student residence in Glebe Park Oct. 27. File photo.

Dysart et al council is supporting in principle a new student residence building at Glebe Park for the Haliburton School of Art and Design.

A delegation from Fleming College presented to council Oct. 27 about progress on the development. It’s their first public presentation after months of closed-session discussions, according to Mayor Andrea Roberts.

The two are working towards shifting the lot lines around Glebe Park, from the main parking lot to the heritage buildings, to allow the college to build a student residence with 80-100 units.

Council voted in favour of changing the lines in principle. Roberts said the residence is a significant need.

“That has been identified for many, many years,” Roberts said. “The difference is now we have the college taking a lead on this and not waiting for someone else.”

The development will require the removal of a building currently used by the Nordic Ski Club. Roberts said they are cognizant of the college’s neighbours and the idea for the residence received unanimous approval by the Glebe Park Committee, which includes representatives from each of the organizations that use the park.

However, director of planning, Jeff Iles, said the location has been discussed but not yet confirmed.

Fleming College President, Maureen Adamson, said a student residence in Haliburton remains part of the college’s strategic plan, which they have not wavered on despite the pandemic. She said they have started a team to work on the initiative and a kickoff meeting with municipal planners is scheduled for Oct. 29.

“We really hope that it will achieve more than just expanding programming for Fleming,” Adamson said. “But it will also be a thriving economic vehicle for the local community.”

Recent efforts to create a new student residence date back to November 2018, when Greg Bishop proposed a location along College Drive on part of a 16-acre lot. Previously, the Haliburton County Development Corporation received a $50,000 grant in August 2019 to develop studies for sewer services to the stretch of land.

HCDC executive director Patti Tallman said the college took over the project from Bishop and HCDC is now working with the college. She said the previous location would have been significantly costlier than anticipated and the grant funding is now going towards studies at the new locale.

“It really looks like it’s going to come to fruition, so we’re excited to be part of that process,” Tallman said.

Deputy Mayor Patrick Kennedy asked about the timeline for groundbreaking. Adamson indicated she could not provide one yet.

“It’s a priority,” Adamson replied. “These projects take, I think, three years anyway, in around there. But it is not a complicated build, so certainly, we want it to happen as quickly as possible. I know that’s wishy-washy.”

Roberts said she can recall there was a lot of nervousness when the college first came into place at its location, but it has proven to be a great neighbour.

“I’m hoping through this public process, putting it out to the public now, that there won’t be a nervousness. That we really have, as a council, working with the college, addressed all the needs that we are foreseeing that you the public might be concerned,” she said. “This is going to be a great addition for our community.”

Haliburton Dance Academy opens new studio

By

Lisa Gervais

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October 27, 2020

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JQ - Dance Academy return - 1-web — Haliburton Dance Academy owner Chyna Schell stands outside her new studio. Photo submitted.

Haliburton Dance Academy owner Chyna Schell said she has worked for years to buy her own studio.

After going through a purchasing process since August 2019, she began getting ready to move her academy from the old Victoria Street School site to Industrial Park Road for fall 2020. She said she wanted the space to accommodate the business’s growth.

Then the pandemic hit in March, ending the dance season prematurely. The world and economy ground to a halt, but there was no way to back out of the purchase.

“To be told seven, eight months in that the world’s shutting down and there’s a global pandemic, I have to laugh because otherwise, I’ll probably cry,” Schell said. “The loans had been fulfilled; the paperwork had been done.”

So, despite the circumstances, the academy reopened on Oct. 19 at its new location. New health measures are in place, including social distancing and limited class sizes.

It is a matter of survival for the business, Schell said.

“Everything is different, everything changes and financially, you don’t know if you’re going to see tomorrow,” she said. “The reality was I need to take it very seriously.”

But Schell said the business is getting support from the community and beyond. It received help from the COVID-19 Regional Relief and Recovery Fund, distributed through the Haliburton County Development Corporation. The township has also provided the zoning approvals needed to proceed so far.

“We felt exponentially supported. I can’t express enough gratitude for how happy I am that this town has just been incredible,” Schell said.

Beyond keeping her business afloat, Schell said she wants to provide her young students with something for their physical and mental wellbeing. She said it was difficult seeing her students’ heartache at not being able to finish their season and show off what they learned, but she is excited to get back in the studio with them.

“To see them again and see the joy dance brings them and to pass the joy along to little ones in this town, it’s my favourite thing in the world. I just can’t wait.”

Some of those dancers have kept busy over the summer, with 12 participating in an Acrobatic Arts program virtually, run by an external company. All of them got top marks, Schell said.

Twelve-year-old Madelyn Walker was one of them. She said it was difficult, but it felt good to participate.

“I was really happy to still dance,” Walker said. “It felt nice to still be a part of something and not just sit at home.”

Walker said it was a letdown that their last season was cut short and she is looking forward to returning.

“I’m really excited but I’m also nervous too, I just don’t want the season to end again.”

She added her dance classmates and instructors are like a second family.

“It might be different this year, but we’re still really close with each other and we all love the same thing.”

Heritage Ballet back at it

Meanwhile, Heritage Ballet started its new season with new safety measures in place at the end of September after being closed since the spring. A big change will come with the traditional production of The Nutcracker this December.

Owner Julie Barban says this year the performance will be outside. It was a decision Barban says she has been thinking about since June.

“The more I thought about it, the more I thought, why not? People stand outside for the Santa Claus parade. People stand outside for dog sledding when it’s -28 degrees in February, so I thought I’m going to try it.”

Normally, The Nutcracker is performed at The Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion in Haliburton but with the province limiting the size of indoor gatherings, Barban had to make a decision on how the annual show could go on.

“It would be sad to not do it at all because so many people look forward to it, so (I thought) maybe I can present it in just a different way.”

As of now, the performance is expected to go in early December at Head Lake Park in Haliburton. (With files from Carolyn Allder).

Land Trust opens reserve for dose of ‘Vitamin N’

By

Lisa Gervais

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October 26, 2020

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JQ - Barnum Creek - 1-web — Haliburton Highlands Land Trust board chair Gregory Wickware cuts the ribbon for the opening. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust welcomed the public to its newest property with the opening of Barnum Creek Nature Reserve in Dysart et al Oct. 15.

After two years of preparing it, the Land Trust officially opened the 500- acre property to the public. It’s located five kilometres southeast of Haliburton village. The organization has created three recreational trails on the property, including maps and signs.

Leopoldina Dobrzensky, whose family donated the property in 2018, said the new reserve was made possible by the tremendous will of the Land Trust and its volunteers.

“In today’s challenging times, we need something called Vitamin N – which is Vitamin Nature – more than ever,” she said.

The trails total nearly seven kilometres through the property, which the Land Trust will maintain. The landscape also features forests, grassland and wetland. It is also home to a wide range of wildlife, including at-risk species.

Margaret Dobrzensky, Leopoldina’s daughter, said donating the land made sense.

“Why would we not? For us, it was always about the land, always was protecting the sensitive ecosystems home to a diversity of plants and wildlife,” she said.

She added the family has had the property for years and they worked to restore the forest area.

“We marvelled at nature’s ability to renew itself. Now the forest has matured and resolved and it’s ready for its next chapter,” she said. “Enjoy the magic of the Barnum Creek Nature Reserve as it awaits you.”

The reserve will allow hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and some bicycling. Motorcycles, snowmobiles, ATVs and camping are disallowed.

Land Trust board chair Greg Wickware said they expect the reserve will prove popular. Although not previously open to the public, it has played host to guided hikes during the Hike Haliburton Festival.

“We think it will be very busy,” he said. “This is a well-known property.”

He said a lot of effort went into readying the property and the Land Trust will protect it.

“It’s almost like the impossible dream come true,” Wickware said. “We’re just so thankful that we’re now open and people within the County, and all of Canada, can enjoy it.”

Finding normal in extraordinary times

By

Lisa Gervais

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October 25, 2020

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It is not easy finding “normal” these days.

Eight months into a pandemic, it is something I think we are all seeking. When I visited a Highland Storm practice last weekend, I heard from parents about the joys of finding a sense of normal in taking a child to the rink, even with the masks and the social distancing.

Of course, the public health rules mean it is not quite hockey – or life – as usual. The rules we live under are understandable but can wear on us all. As we embark on the last stretch of the year, we must accept a perfect sense of normalcy is not coming soon – and that is okay.

Hockey season would usually be coming into full force this time of year. The Highland Storm’s incredible efforts have allowed the minor hockey season to go on in some form, even if limited to 3-on-3 play without travel. Getting in and out of the rink is also more complicated and the arenas will be emptier.

It is not perfectly normal, but hockey is still back. Players and parents can still enjoy the game on the ice, even with its limitations. Kids can still have fun playing with their friends and making new ones. It will not be the same and that thought may linger. But it is still a chance for kids to get into Canada’s sport. The Highland Storm deserves all the praise in the world for making that happen.

Other recreational activities are staring up again too. The Haliburton Curling Club and Haliburton Dance Academy will also try to keep programming going despite the circumstances. Even if compromises must be made to follow public health rules, the incredible resiliency these and other groups are showing to offer something resembling normal should be commended.

The holiday season is also a time where people will seek tradition. Many likely bent rules to visit family for Thanksgiving and even more will do so for Christmas. Months apart has made our hearts ache for friends and family. However much we are willing to risk in these visits, they will not be quite like holidays of years past. But whether through a screen or at a distance outdoors, we can still find a sense of warmth and companionship with our loved ones.

None of this is to say we should forgo public health rules to find normal again. We must still be vigilant and wary where COVID-19 cases rise. If we want things to get back to how they used to be, following the best public health practices is our only option. Distancing, masks, sanitizer – those are part of normalcy too, now, and will likely leave their mark on the normal of tomorrow.

We can seek out our familiar comforts, but they are all going to remain a little off. That can make it hard to feel normal. But it is something we should accept about ourselves and our reality. It is normal to feel bad about these difficult days.

We still have a long way to go in this pandemic. We are in a marathon and we are all sick of it. Nothing but its end will set things quite right again.

But we will make it through. For people, that is normal.

Parents welcome hockey days

By

Lisa Gervais

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October 24, 2020

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JQ - Storm parents return- 2-web — Storm U11-Blue team player Hunter Hamilton controls the puck during a practice drill. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

Taking a child to hockey practice is a different experience for parents amidst the pandemic.

At the A.J. LaRue Arena, the warm lobby sits empty on practice days leading into the season. It’s a safety precaution. Parents must instead sit in the cold stands, socially distanced with masks. With only one adult allowed to accompany one child to the arena, the stands are emptier than they might be otherwise.

It is not hockey as usual, but parents attending practice Oct. 17 said they welcomed the changes and a sense of returning to some normalcy.

“It’s part of regular life, so it’s nice to have regular activities that we participate in,” parent Graham Borgdorff said ahead of an U-11 practice at the Haliburton arena. “There’s a little bit of disappointment that we aren’t able to do it as a family right now, but physical activity is important and some normal things are important.”

About 160 kids have returned to the practice ice for the Highland Storm. The season will be different, with only 3-on-3 and in-house competition. Off the ice, players and parents must wade through additional safety precautions.

Shannon McCracken said the new rules can be a little frustrating at times, such as the doors only being open 10-minutes before the practice and locked if missed. But she said her son is excited to start hockey again and they are thankful it is going ahead.

“Everybody is doing their best and we just have to figure it out within those guidelines,” she said.

Cynthia Hutchinson said her son loves being out on the ice and the new restrictions are understandable.

“It means the world just to be able to get out of the house and do something, be active,” Hutchinson said. “We’re just happy to be out on the ice so we’re going to do whatever it takes to be out there.”

Games are due to start this weekend, the product of months of effort by the Highland Storm to keep the hockey season alive, even if restricted. So far, there are no confirmed COVID cases stemming from the practices.

“They’ve put in an incredible amount of works and hours just to make this happen,” McCracken said of the Storm executive. “I’m truly thankful for the amount of dedication they have to youth playing hockey.”

Outdoors and creativity at heart of Highlands’ vision for tourism

By

Lisa Gervais

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October 23, 2020

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JQ - Tourism Visioning - 1-web — MMGY NextFactor senior vice president, Greg Oates, presents at a town hall event for a Destination Development Plan March 3. File photo.

Stakeholders envisioned how to make Haliburton a place where anyone can “celebrate the essence of Canada’s outdoor and creative spirit.”

That was the guiding vision pitched Oct. 19 by consultant MMGY NextFactor as part of a Destination Development Plan it is making for the County. More than 25 people attended an online visioning workshop to provide more feedback before it is brought to County council next month.

The draft plan was made with public input collected by surveys and town halls dating back to May 2019. NextFactor senior vice president, Greg Oates, said the plan will help the County grow while addressing challenges identified by stakeholders, such as youth and worker retention.

“In Haliburton Highlands, you’re completely, it seems, based on the data, leaving money on the table. Because there’s demand for businesses but not the people to support those businesses,” Oates said. “It’s a more long-term, overarching, sophisticated thinking that realizes that certain challenges need to be addressed in alignment with the marketing and driving growth.”

The draft plan is still subject to change but featured four strategic goals: optimizing the year-round visitor economy, diversifying destination development, enhancing the destination brand and strengthening community collaboration. To achieve those, NextFactor suggested many different strategies based on feedback, such as more gatherings amongst the tourism sector, expanding events and business hours and exploring options for more revenue such as a bed tax.

Attendees offered a range of feedback, such as how to improve marketing. Oates quoted one anonymous stakeholder as saying, “half of the people we speak to in Toronto don’t know about Haliburton Highlands.”

“We work at the tourism trade shows every year and concur with this statement,” Barbara Kraus said. “The 50 per cent that have heard of us generally have a family/ friend’s cottage, so the exposure, for the most part, does not come through our marketing.”

A point of contention was the promotion of Algonquin Provincial Park, 12 per cent of which is in Haliburton. Oates said that brings cache to the destination, but stakeholders pushed back and said there should be more promotion of other outdoor experiences.

“Algonquin Park is overused. Brand may be useful but we have great (maybe better) Algonquin landscapes and experiences,” Barrie Martin said.

NextFactor identified other challenges to tourism in the area, such as the need for more programming, transportation and long-term planning. Although outdoor recreation is the primary tourism driver, Oates said other initiatives such as arts, culture and food are also needed to increase visitor spending.

Ontario Highlands Tourism Organization executive director Nicole Whiting said it was important for Haliburton County to trust in the process, even in the pandemic.

“With everything happening right now, I find it super exciting we have an opportunity to focus on a discussion that is focused on possibilities. We’re living through a very stressful and difficult time but eventually, it will be behind us,” she said. “I have 100 per cent confidence this process is going to position Haliburton Highlands for a solid recovery.”