The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit is pushing against amalgamation out of concern it could reduce its ability to effectively deliver services. 

 As part of a mass reduction of Ontario’s health units from 35 to 10, the province has proposed merging the HKPR health unit with ones in Peterborough and Durham.

Units across Ontario have raised concerns about how this could hamper their ability to do their work.  

Dysart et al Mayor Andrea Roberts sits on the HKPR board and spoke to county council on the issue May 22.

She said the amalgamation will have funding implications for the unit.  

“It is pretty stressful times at the health unit right now because there’s more that they don’t know than what they do,” Roberts said. “I wish there had been more consulting. I wish the timeline hadn’t seemed to be so rushed.” 

 Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Christine Elliott has cited the 2017 auditor general report in defending the move.

The report said there is a lack of co-ordination between public health units and there was “significant duplication” in some of their efforts. 

“The Auditor General also reported since 2014, about one-third of public health units have undertaken research on the same issues,” Elliott said in a May 23 statement. “It’s clear that there are significant opportunities to more efficiently deliver public health while protecting and improving vital programs.” 

 However, the HKPR board has urged the minister to stop the overhaul.

Board chair Cammie Jaquays wrote to Elliott and Premier Doug Ford April 24 about the matter.  

Jacquays told The Highlander she is uncertain about how well the new model will work.  

“There’s a lot that we really do in preventative health in the community,” she said. “Will the new model be able to service the communities in a way they’ve been serviced up to now?”  

She said the HKPR district is more rural than Peterborough or Durham.

The merged unit’s population will also exceed one million. That puts the unit in line for the province’s plans to reduce its share of the funding split with municipalities for larger units from 70-30 to 60-40 come 2021-22.  

“That will put a strain,” Jacquays said. “The changes could have a huge effect on our community. I think people just don’t realize the major variety of the public health office.”  

The provincial government is expecting the changes to save it $200 million by 2021-22, according to an Association of Municipalities Ontario Report.

The report also said the province is telling health units to look for efficiencies rather than frontline cuts. But Jacquays said the units already “run a very lean shift.”  

Maintaining a voice for rural Ontario as part of a bigger jurisdiction is also a concern, she said.  

“We’ve been fighting for rural living for a long time. It is different. The needs of rural communities are different than the needs of Durham.”

The Rotary Club of Haliburton is planning to bring a new $250,000 washroom and welcome centre to Head Lake Park.  

The club presented its plan May 28 to Dysart et al council, who voted to partner for the effort. Besides washrooms, the facility is also proposed to act as a centre to offer tourist information, taking on the role from the CNR Caboose. 

Club director Andrew Hodgson said the idea was a natural fit for a 75th anniversary project.  

“We kept coming back to this beautiful park, that’s a beautiful signature piece of our community, has outhouses,” Hodgson said. “We thought a combined washroom welcome centre would be used for all the different events and also enhance tourism.”  

Rotary is committing up to $75,000 toward the project, with the remaining money coming from any available upper government grants and municipal funding.

Hodgson said the facility details are preliminary and can still be worked out with the municipality.

However, he sought approval in principle to apply for a federal grant which is giving preference for applications made by May 31.

 “As a Rotary Club, we can certainly help lobby in the sense of getting the community behind it,” Hodgson said. “We can help promote this as a good vision for us as a shared community.”  

The club is proposing the facility be fully accessible and have six gender-neutral washrooms.

Hodgson also said the facility would include change rooms, which could potentially be used for a splash pad in the future. 

Coun. Larry Clarke, who also chairs the events and programming committee, said this project would be critical for improving the area for events.  

“What we’re seeing is one of the big impediments we have for Head Lake Park right now is we don’t have proper washrooms,” Clarke said. “This is a key component for us to move forward with the park area.” 

However, Coun. Walt McKechnie expressed concern about costs.  

“It’s a great idea but I think I definitely don’t want to jump into committing to it,” McKechnie said. “It’s going to be a lot more money than we realize to do a washroom. There are horror stories about how tough it is to build.”  

Coun. John Smith said the initiative addresses a big problem but the township would need to consider how the operational expenses are covered.  

“We’re going to have to figure out a model that’s going to allow us to pay for this thing because it’s not going to be cheap,” he said. “There’s a lot of complexities.” 

Deputy Mayor Patrick Kennedy said the details could be worked out between the parties over time.  

“It’s exciting. I think we’re all pretty much in agreement in principle about washrooms and the park,” Kennedy said. “Whether we agree or disagree with the location of it or the square footprint, that’s irrelevant at this time.”

Something hot is coming to the Haliburton Home & Cottage Show this year and it’s not furnaces.  

Kegel Heating & Cooling will be showcasing their newest product, incinerating toilets, at this year’s event from May 31 to June 2.  

Kyla Sisson, Kegel Heating & Cooling’s office manager, said the toilets are a more eco-friendly option for “the growing septic issue in Haliburton County, and the surrounding areas.”  

“I think our main goal is to be able to offer an environmentally-friendly solution for people that are looking for alternative waste options,” said Sisson. “People are trying to make mindful decisions on how to deal with waste that can better the planet.”  

The toilets burn the material and leave ashes that can be used in gardens. No drainage, water supply or electric mains are required.  

“The ash is completely free of bacteria, and contains nutrient salts with potassium and phosphorus,” according to the Incinerating Toilets Inc’s website.  

The store currently sells two electric models of the toilet and will be stocking a propane option, that has just been approved in Canada, in the next month or two.  

“The prices range from $6,000 to $7,000 plus tax depending on the model and accessories purchased,” said Sisson. 

The product is imported from Cinderella Eco Group, a Norwegian company that’s been in the business for more than 20 years.  

The toilets are childproof, easy to install according to the website and can be used for non-typical homes (Tiny, mobile or off grid homes).  

“These units are cost-effective in comparison to having to redo your septic system, especially with water access properties,” said Sisson. “These units are completely waterless as well, so not only are we saving on using water with each flush, these units don’t require any winterization in cottages and can be used year-round.”

The Kennisis Lake Cottage Owners’ Association (KLCOA) is educating people out of concern about pesticide use around lakes.  

The association hosted Muskoka’s Dr. Chris Brew May 18 during its spring general meeting. More than 100 people attended the session, which detailed issues behind pesticides and the risk they pose to the health of lakes, pollinators and humans.  

Brew said some of the research done around pest-control sprays, namely ones containing the insecticide permethrin, have flaws and are using out-of-date information.  

“The dangers of permethrin to both ourselves and wildlife are potentially seriously underestimated by government pesticide regulatory bodies,” Brew said. “I get the feeling we don’t know really how contaminated our water system is.”  

“We stand in direct contrast to the European Union. They got on the bandwagon early and they have banned it for agriculture because of the concerns of letting it into the water,” Brew said.  

KLCOA vice president Jim Prince said the board decided to host Brew’s presentation after members brought forward concerns about applicators spraying properties broadly for insect control.  

“We thought it would be a good idea to bring somebody on board that could help educate the membership and the general population of the lake on the impact of permethrin,” Prince said.   

Brew highlighted the potential damage spraying pesticides can have on the ecological system.

Using the example of the spray DRAGNET, she said ingestion can cause damage to bees, birds, amphibians and soil health. 

Prince said the KLCOA will poll its members to decide what to do about the issue.

“When we get the signal back from our membership, we’ll go forward and do some more work on this,” Prince said.  

President Deb Wratscko said the association would also be considering positions on short-term cottage rentals, abandoned docks and boating safety with respect to shoreline erosion. 

 “We want to know what our members are thinking in relation to these issues so we can develop a position as a membership group, if we want to go to Dysart (et al) with it,” she said. 

Dysart et al’s environment and climate change committee discussed pesticides and fertilizers May 9.

Although it made no recommendations, the committee did consider asking for the upcoming county shoreline protection bylaw to include limits on the chemicals.  

The area’s cottage associations are in the midst of the spring meeting season.

Haliburton’s tourism sector debated how to best overcome their challenges in the highlands through a destination survey and workshop May 15. 

The consulting agency NEXTFactor polled the sector about the strengths and weaknesses of county tourism.

They conducted the survey over the past two months, culminating in a working session with respondents at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 129 Haliburton.  

The company has done the survey at destinations worldwide, with Haliburton having the smallest population of any locale ever to take part.  

County of Haliburton director of tourism Amanda Virtanen said there was strong uptake, with 82 responses.  She added the results  – which identified communications infrastructurue, mobility, access and hospital culture as issues – were not surprising.  

“We’re already aware of a number of the opportunities and gaps we have in our area,” Virtanen said. “But what I think it does is validate and get the group for the entire community to focus.”  

The survey asked respondents about aspects of tourism they find important and how well they think Haliburton is performing.

Those results were then compared to surveys in other destinations.

The Ontario Highlands Tourism Organization funded the project.  

The county performed well and above average in areas such as branding, industry support and tourism partnerships. 

Municipal officials participated in the discussion. Algonquin Highlands Mayor Carol Moffatt highlighted the need to improve the hospitality culture, which she said has been discussed repeatedly at these types of meetings.    

“There’s some really [terrible] customer service in Haliburton County,” Moffatt said. “It needs to get fixed. Chamber won’t address it, county can’t address it, BIA, everybody’s nervous. Nobody wants to be the one to go into a store and say, ‘hey … your staff are terrible and you need to smarten them up.’” 

Workshop attendees then talked about the resentment some people born-and-raised in the county feel toward seasonal residents and tourists.  

Minden Hills economic development, destination and marketing officer Emily Stonehouse said there needs to be a change of perspective. 

“We actually need to shift the whole mindset of including our local audience, encouraging the fact that tourism is an economy here,” she said.

Virtanen said she is preparing a report for county council on the workshop.  The next step will be a destination development plan, aimed at improving highlands tourism.  

She said it could be a way to help address the divide between full-time residents and the seasonal population. 

 “If we work on a destination development plan that involves the community and gets more input in the community, maybe they’ll feel more included in where tourism is going.”  

Virtanen said if the plan goes ahead, it will be explored for the 2020 budget and take 10-12 months to develop.  

Haliburton Highlands Brewing vice president Michael Schiedel-Webb took part in the workshop and said it is positive the sector is focused on making the community better as a whole.  

“People generally seem to be on the same page, understanding we have to work together to make everything a little better for everybody,” Schiedel-Webb said.

When Terry Moore had to go through the tragedy of burying his 32-year-old son Kyle, he wanted to recognize Kyle’s environmental stewardship with a green burial.  

But the barriers he faced made it impossible to do that in the County of Haliburton. Now, Moore and Environment Haliburton! are starting an initiative to encourage them year-round in the county.  

Moore presented to Algonquin Highlands Council May 16 about the proposal, seeking municipal support for the effort.  

“It was a real problem for our family,” Moore said. “We wanted to do something to see if we could move toward an option of year-round (green burials) … as a legacy we could create in Kyle’s name.” 

 Moore said in a letter that after Kyle’s passing in February, they discovered there were no winter burial options in all the county townships.

While green burials avoid the use of embalming chemicals and vaults, existing bylaws require their use for bodies put away for spring funerals.  

The family decided to bury him close to his home in Algonquin Highlands after winter.  

Moore said a handful of other locations in Ontario offer eco-friendly burials, which entail putting the body directly into the earth with biodegradable shrouds or unfinished wooden caskets. 

 “Green burials are a way of caring for our dead with minimal environmental impact while protecting sustainability and protecting natural resources,” Moore said. “The goal is to have human remains absorbed quickly.”  

Environment Haliburton has raised $4,000 toward the initiative to date and efforts are underway to create a society for the effort.

Over 60 people attended an event for the subject May 14, including municipal staff and councillors, Moore said. 

Algonquin Highlands council voted to support the concept, have staff continue to review it and temporarily hold the northernmost section of St. Stephen’s Cemetery for the possibility of the burials.  

Mayor Carol Moffatt said the County of Haliburton municipalities are working on the issue now.  She said staff have to research background on the subject.  

“Your message and request have been heard loud and clear and I don’t think it’s unreasonable by any stretch,” Moffatt said. “We can’t make a lot of commitments until our staff do the research,” she added. “It’s on everybody’s radar.” 

 Coun. Jennifer Dailloux said she will keep an open mind but hopes the staff research will back Moore. 

 “I admire you for coming so soon after your son’s funeral. The bravery is well acknowledged,” she said to Moore. “Green burial is my choice. It is what I am doing and I will be delighted if indeed the county finds a way to bring it to Haliburton.”  

Moore said he plans to present to other area councils about the subject. He said based on the response to date, many people share his family’s interest in the topic.  

“Our family has experienced a huge loss with Kyle’s death and we believe our grief at that loss would have been made easier to handle had we had access to winter time green burial options.”

Fees and charges are being reviewed across a number of Township of Minden Hills departments, with many poised to go up, some slightly decreasing and others remaining the same.  

Clerk Dawn Newhook presented a five-page review of fees and charges report to the May 9 council meeting.

There was a public meeting on it and it’s expected council will pass the changes at its May 30 regular council meeting.  

They affect: administration; cultural centre programs and facilities; planning; cemeteries; community services programs and facilities; water, sewer and landfills and local community insurance.  

For example, the township is considering a new fee for brush, charging $30 per cubic yard. People getting rid of boat shrink wrap will now pay $26 per wrap, up from $5.

The cost of disposing of boats would double up to a maximum charge. Getting rid of mattresses and box springs will now cost an extra $5.  

Roads superintendent Travis Wilson, who is now looking after the environmental and property operations portfolio, defended the proposed increases.  

He said Dysart et al charges $50-percubic-yard for brush.  

“Staff feels it is a fair charge,” he said. “It costs us money to dispose of that material.”  

He said boat disposal costs are now in line with Dysart et al.  

While the shrink wrap increase seems large, there is a cost to the township to have it collected and taken away, he said.

There were 28 last year and the township paid $730 in disposal fees.

As for the mattresses, Wilson said they take up a lot of space at the landfill and the township pays to have them shipped to Mississauga before being sent to Montreal for recycling.  

Other changes at the landfill include: people can drop off four tires, not five for free; a $1 increase fee per bag over the three-bag limit and for unrecycled and unsorted bags.  

Coun. Jean Neville asked how they would measure a cubic yard of brush.

Wilson said guidelines would be sent to the landfill contractor and common sense used. He also advised the public to take the time to cut brush into smaller pieces to compact it down.

Marriage license fees, and the cost of ceremonies, are going up $25 as are photocopying charges. There’s a new fee for people requesting tax or water statement accounts.

At the cultural centre, there is a new image reproduction fee of $10 per image for black and white.  

Jim Mitchell of Canning Lake asked council to reconsider this fee during a public meeting. He said the Haliburton Museum does not have a fee for local authors and he would like that to continue in Minden.

There’s new photocopy, a speaker fee and a new wedding package at $1,000.  Planning fees are slated to increase for minor variance applications, official plan amendments, zoning amendments and increased administration fees.

There are also some decreases.  

There’ll be changed prices for recreation programs and an increase in portable toilet rentals.  

For a full list of the changes, go to mindenhills.ca to find Newhook’s report.