Inaugural meetings are always nice affairs. It is an opportunity for returning and new councillors to read aloud their declarations of office. After being elected way back on Oct. 22, it’s the first time they see that brass plaque with their names and councillor written on it. They get to sit at the council table. It is also a chance for their family, friends and supporters to join in the celebrations. The mayors make their inaugural addresses, a bit of a look back at what was, and a look forward, to what may be. Councillors can speak, too, if they want. Then, there’s usually lots of pictures, a public reception or a meal in or out. Highlands East is holding its inaugural meeting today (Thursday, Dec. 6). Dysart et al kicked things off with an afternoon meeting this past Monday. Minden Hills held theirs Monday night and Algonquin Highlands during the day Tuesday. Each of the inaugural meetings, like their townships, was different. For the most part, the focus was positive with lots of platitudes. And that’s great … for an inaugural meeting. However, the real work begins from today. Algonquin Highlands is holding a projects and priorities special meeting this morning. It’s the kind of thing Dysart et al Mayor Andrea Roberts has also been talking about. Dysart councillor John Smith touched on it, too, at the inaugural. He said it’s essential they sit down at the beginning of the term and document their priorities. It is. Just as someone would not launch a business without a business plan, no council can embark on a four-year-term without looking at its priorities and projects for 2018-2022. This should be the first order of business for councils. In Minden, they’ll be having a public meeting Dec. 17 so people can look at plans for the refurbished S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena. This project has proved controversial in the community, so it will be interesting to see what comes of this meeting. It will be a bit of a feet-to-the-fire affair for returning and new councillors. Each council has both shared and individual challenges moving forward. Collectively, there’ll be prickly environmental decisions. The province has made it abundantly clear that it’s looking at our landfills, and the spreading of septage. There’s also climate-change related decisions that will have to be made, especially in places such as Minden with its past flooding. The emergence of blue-green algae on an AH lake earlier this year is another concern that should be shared by all, especially when septic re-inspection programs are finding less than stellar results. And, the short-term rental debate, shelved by a number of municipalities up to now, will have to return. Other looming issues include a shortage of housing, crumbling infrastructure including roads and bridges, and the need for expanded Internet coverage. During the all-candidates debates sponsored by the local news media, a number of councillors commented on the usefulness of the question and answer portion of the debates. Some even suggested that councils should hold town hall meetings. We absolutely agree with that. We look forward to seeing these added to council rosters in the new year. Let’s face it, unless people are appearing for a specific item, the general public does not attend council meetings. Part of the reason is that they are held during the day. The other reason is apathy. In the same way, public meetings are often missed. It wouldn’t hurt councils to hold town hall meetings every three month or every six months to better engage with the public. There were a lot of platitudes this past week about better communication with the public, but talk is cheap. Let’s see some action on this.
Red Hawks scorch Flames, win home-opener 3-0
The Haliburton Highlands Secondary School (HHSS) Red Hawks boys hockey team took less than a minute to score the game-winning goal, as they started their season with a win over the Campbellford Flames Nov. 22. Just 53 seconds into the game, Joe Boice sent a puck in on net, beating the Flames goaltender and quickly turning the A.J LaRue Arena crowd’s buzz into a cheer. The team would go on to win 3-0. Red Hawks head coach Jason Morissette said it was a fantastic way to start the game and he was pleased by his team’s overall performance. “ It’s one of those things, you put it on the net, good things happen,” Morissette said after the game. The stands were filled with HHSS students, waving signs to support their team at its first game. Morissette said the home opener excitement energized his team, but also contributed to the undisciplined play which caused the Red Hawks to take six penalties.
“They’re really excited to get the season started. They have lots of expectations,” Morissette said. “A few penalties there and some were uncharacteristic. Just a bit of heat of the game and excitement about playing in front of the home-opener crowd.”
Nik Dollo scored late in the first period on the power play to give the Red Hawks a 2-0 lead. The Red Hawks shut out the Flames from there, adding to their lead with a goal from Owen Gilbert early in the third period. Hawks assistant captain Jacob Haedicke said the team played well all around. “We played great power play, penalty kill,” Haedicke said. “It was very exhilarating. Everybody’s loving the team.” The team also kicked-off its season-long fundraising campaign for Heat Bank Haliburton County. Heat bank co-ordinator Tina Jackson dropped the puck for an opening ceremonial faceoff and said the organization is pleased the Red Hawks decided to support them. “I’m beyond thrilled that they’re engaging with us,” she said, adding the team will also participate in wood splitting for the heat bank. “That really gives those youth an opportunity to connect with their community.” Morissette said as long as the group works well as a team, they have the talent to succeed this season. “Just because you have talent doesn’t mean that they’re going to do the team thing. If they do the team thing first and they kind of check any selfish play at the door, these guys can do really, really well for us,” he said. The Red Hawks also defeated Norwood 7-1, Nov. 26.
Mary Poppins headlines 2019 HSF lineup
The story of the world’s most magical nanny is touching down in Haliburton next summer as the stage musical Mary Poppins is set to open the Highlands Summer Festival. The festival announced its lineup for its 20th annual event at McKeck’s Tap and Grill to a crowd of volunteers Nov. 18. The 2019 lineup includes three in-house productions, leading off with Mary Poppins June 30, as well as the plays Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks and The Ladies Foursome. The season will also feature two external productions: the one-woman show Trudeau Stories and the TorQ Percussion Ensemble. Festival artistic producer Scot Denton said this year’s festival has good variety. “It’s quite a nice mixed event. We’ve got three things that are quite musical,” Denton said. “There’s comedy and it’s a nice mix of stuff, so I’m very pleased.” Outgoing festival president Jack Brezina said he expects the famed Mary Poppins to bring in a wide-ranging crowd. “Mary Poppins is a really popular musical. It appeals to a wide section of our community with the children’s aspect,” Brezina said. “We’ll have young people as well as parents or grandparents coming with them, so I’m looking forward to that.” Festival volunteer Daniel Martiens said he is looking forward to the entire 2019 festival lineup. “Mary Poppins is a wonderful musical,” he said. “All the smaller shows, as well, all sound like something that I might go to, because they all just sound very interesting in their own way. It’s going to be super exciting.” The festival had a small deficit in 2018, Denton said. He added that did not influence the lineup choices, but he was glad to get a musical as popular as Mary Poppins. “I have a feeling it will be gone at this time next year,” Denton said of the deficit. “Certainly, I was glad to find that Mary Poppins was a show that we could take pleasure in doing, because it’s likely to be popular.” Tickets and passes are now on sale for the 2019 festival at highlandssummmerfestival.on.ca. Passes to see all five productions are $160, while single tickets are $37.50.
Local author releases fictional haliburton thriller
Local author Michael Barnes decided to venture into a new medium to publish his latest novel, The Haliburton ISIS Blow Down, as an e-book on Amazon. The 84-year old author has published more than 40 books since 1973, most recently with the now closed General Store Publishing House (GSPH) in Renfrew. But for his latest story – a thriller about the terrorist organization ISIS within Haliburton County – he decided to publish online, releasing a version Sept. 18. This is the first time the Order of Canada author has self-published. Barnes said this story breaks out of his usual fare in more ways than one. “This is the first adult fiction I’ve done,” Barnes said. “I started with a premise that Haliburton is very big and very quiet and there are lots of places where the hand of man has never trogged. In other words, it would aid someone that wanted to be lost in the crowd.” Barnes said he did not want to give too much away about the story, which stars an ex-British special air service member. But he added the locality of the story is important. “Thrillers are a very popular genre. The fact that it is set in Haliburton, and over towards Bancroft as well, would interest people from this area,” he said.” The book is the first Barnes has had published since 2014, the longest gap between his published books since 1985. He said this is a result of the end of GSPH, which closed in January 2015. Tim Gordon originally founded GSPH and was publisher at the time of the closure. He said when the parent company of GSPH was bought, new ownership started shutting down the publishing house. Authors were given the option to take and buy back the stock of books at a reduced price, or else have them recycled. Gordon said seeing the company end that way was “completely devastating.” He added Barnes 2014 book, Scoundrels and Rogues – The Canadian Connection, was one of the last the publishing house put out. “That was the nature of the beast,” Gordon said. “I published a lot of books with Michael Barnes. We did really well with most of his books.” “It’s very sad,” Barnes said. “So that set me back, and romancing a publisher takes time.” Since then, Barnes said he has been doing other writing with magazines and newspapers. When it came time to write his newest story, he said it took 12 months. Publishing the story online after that was a simpler option, Barnes said. “When you don’t have a publisher all of a sudden, you’re out in the cold,” Barnes said. “This is relatively easy, to get it onto an e-publisher.” The Kindle version of the book is available through search on Amazon.ca for $5.20.
Bringing the heat with hockey
Red Hawks Hockey is going to help bring the heat to the county by fundraising for Heat Bank Haliburton County at its home opener Nov. 22.
The Haliburton Highlands High School hockey team will invite its patrons to donate to the heat bank at its home opener at the A.J. LaRue Arena. The initiative will include games and an opening-puck drop dedicated to the heat bank, according to team head coach Jason Morissette.
“Winter can be really long and tough in Haliburton and it’s good for our student body, just something they want to take on,” Morissette said. “Hockey is community. It’s about being a part of a larger team.”
With the “Red Hawk Hockey Bringin the Heat!” tagline, the team will be fundraising for the Heat Bank at all of its home games this season, Morissette said.
“They love the county they’ve grown up in,” Morissette said of his team’s players. “It just helps them connect.”
The team will also be doing a day of volunteering for the Heat Bank Dec. 1, chopping and delivering wood.
Assistant captain Shawn Walker said the volunteering will be a good team bonding experience.
“It’s good just to help out the community and do something special for people,” Walker said.
“We’re going to come closer together and we’re going to have lots of fun.” “It’s great to get out in the community,” team left wing Zach Morissette said. “We’re willing to do this on our free time and really help out people in need.”
The initiative falls on the school’s kindness week and is another way to promote kindness, Jason Morissette said.
He added he hopes this fundraising and volunteering can become something the team does annually.
“It’s a win-win,” Morissette said. “It’s a good way to partner and bridge with the community.”
The team’s home-opener takes place at the A.J. LaRue Arena against Campbellford. Puck drop is at 1:15 p.m.
Vape shop opens in downtown Haliburton
Haliburton residents who vape as an alternative to smoking don’t have to drive far to pick up the products they need. On Aug. 1, Muskoka Vapor Haliburton opened its doors at 24 York St. The business has a wide variety of products, including starter kits, e-liquids, mods and accessories. It’s co-owned by Vancouver residents Andrew Betteridge and Herman Ho. A former smoker, Betteridge picked up his first e-cigarette in 2011. “I came across somebody that was using an e-cigarette and asked them what that was,” he said in a phone interview. “I smoked at the time, and bought one the next day. I stopped smoking immediately. A few weeks later, I thought I’d start selling them as a business.” Betteridge, a former Bracebridge resident, also ran a construction business. But in 2014, he went into the vaping industry full time. He has four shops located in Bracebridge, Vancouver, Squamish, B.C. and Haliburton. It made sense to open in Haliburton for several reasons. There wasn’t a shop in town, and many of their customers in Bracebridge travel from Haliburton, he explained. And the timing is right because Health Canada recently declared vaping safer than smoking. At the end of May, the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act replaced the Tobacco Act. It regulates vaping products to “protect young persons from nicotine addiction and tobacco use, while allowing adults access to vaping products as a less harmful alternative to smoking.” None of the products will be sold to anyone under the age of 19. In fact, if anyone who appears underage walks in, they will be asked to show identification. “We’re not allowed to let kids in the store,” he said, adding the windows are blacked out so products aren’t visible outside. They have a manager who runs the shop. She is allowed to provide customers product demonstrations, said Betteridge. They plan to hire a part-time employee. Betteridge and Ho want to keep the store open long into the future. The response from the community has been very positive so far.
“It’s been great,” he said. “Out of all the stores we’ve opened, it had the fastest growing sales in the first week.” They’re open six days a week, but that will change to seven soon. A grand opening will be held in the next few weeks.
Young people must be part of solution
A community forum on ‘supporting youth in wellness’ was held last Wednesday in Haliburton, but despite repeated comments that young people must be part of a solution to what’s been deemed a community in crisis, The Highlander only found one student in the middle gym.
Another current Grade 12 student told the paper she didn’t know anything about the Nov. 30 ‘Hurting to Hope’ gathering. She hadn’t heard about another one, Oct. 30, at the Haliburton Legion, either.
“We haven’t been notified at all,” the student told The Highlander. The forums have been advertised for ‘all caring adults.’ But, more and more, it’s being acknowledged that students, and parents’ voices must be heard.
Haliburton Highlands Secondary School (HHSS) graduate Maddie Phippen was there last week. On social media, she’s publicly condemned the school, Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) and the police for a lack of action on bullying, which she and others say contributed to the sudden death of Grade 9 student Phoenix Acero last May – one of the deaths that has sparked this crisis in Haliburton County.
Phippen said police have claimed that bullying reports get seriously investigated but “that is far from the truth” and “the school does not do anything.”
The TLDSB says schools in Haliburton County are tackling bullying and other issues that affect the well-being of students.
Some of the supports they offer include assemblies, restorative practices for new teachers and a mindful martial arts program (offered at HHSS), among others. They also say they work with local agencies to support students when “critical incidents” occur.
The Haliburton Highlands OPP says people must report incidents so they can conduct “thorough and detailed investigations.” They say they strive to maintain bully-free environments. If laws are broken, “criminal charges will be laid” and then it’s up to the courts to make a ruling, they say. (See related story on p. 3 by Mark Arike).
Amid all of this, educators and parents packed last week’s forum to listen to a panel of experts. Marg Cox, the executive director of Point in Time, which organized the forum, told The Highlander in an interview, “I think the TLDSB, and the high school specifically, are really trying hard to make a difference in a very difficult situation. It’s very tricky when you know a lot of information and you’re not able to share it. Parents could feel … ‘I’m not being heard, it’s not being dealt with,’ but I do know, in fact, it is being dealt with,” Cox said.
The Grade 12 student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, conceded it’s sometimes hard to prove bullying when students can use Snapchat, which erases messages in 10 seconds.
Not enough being done However, she’s adamant not enough is being done to help students deal with their emotions, or about bullying.
“We are actually not allowed to speak about what happened to Phoenix. If a teacher overhears, they’re mostly likely going to tell you, you just shouldn’t talk about it … it’s irritating.”
She added that when Phoenix passed away, students wrote on his locker but she claims the school sanded it off twice until students threatened to bring power tools to remove the locker door and give it to Phoenix’ mother, Dulce.
Catherine Shedden, spokeswoman for the TLDSB, did not address the locker issue specifically but said ways are provided for students to “respectfully acknowledge and honour a classmate who has died.” For example, a book or poster board for comments and signatures, that are then given to the family.
She said that immediately following a student or staff death, grief counsellors are available at the school for as long as needed by students.
“It is important to note that teachers are not necessarily comfortable speaking about the death of a student beyond the initial sharing of the news. Also, teachers may be asked to not have class conversations about a particular situation as this may trigger an emotional response from one or more students. Teachers direct students to the supports available at the school,” Shedden said. She added that teachers also feel the loss and students who need to talk need to go to the school guidance office.
Local counsellor Dianne Mathes told The Highlander in an interview a lot of teens have never experienced death, unless it’s a grandparent, so to lose a peer, “threw them into a lot of chaos, confusion, grief and overwhelm.”
She said when summer ended, and the shock abated in the fall, “that’s when we started seeing kids not wanting to go back to school, not being able to focus, saying ‘I can’t do this. I’m overwhelmed,’ drinking more, using dope, because at this point they’re into some very deep pain around the grief and they don’t know what to do with it so they numb it out. “She thinks “both the high school and police could be doing much more around education” when it comes to grief and bullying.
“Where do we have conflict resolution in our community? What do you do if someone steals your girlfriend and you’re really angry and upset? Well, you text. You’re mad and you say all sorts of stuff.”
The Grade 12 student told us it’s not just text bullying. She said she had a kid in class tell her to kill herself and claims “the teacher just looked at me, looked at him, looked at me and continued the lesson.”
Just the other day, she said some kids pelted her face with dimes, for no apparent reason. A friend has been fat-shamed, she said, and despite complaining, it’s been over a month and nothing’s been done. Students afraid to go to school “A lot of what we want is security,” she says. “Because going to school is terrifying. I know people who cannot go to school because it makes them feel sick because the school doesn’t do anything.”
She said HHSS has tried, but there’s been no follow through. For example, there was a grade assembly at the beginning of the year where she said kids were told bullying would not be tolerated.
They were offered a chance to send their complaints online to be dealt with. But she said they’re not acted on and kids can’t be anonymous.
She said students won’t go to the office to report bullying either since you “walk out with a target on your back the size of an elephant.”
“What I think they need to do, and what I’m hoping will happen, is that they’ll actually start cracking down on the things they said they were going to,” the student said.
Shedden said the board can’t respond to specific comments shared with The Highlander by students, other than to encourage them to speak to someone in the guidance office and “all concerns shared by students are investigated, and if necessary, acted upon.”
Dr. Ian Manion, a clinical psychologist who specializes in youth mental health and suicide, told The Highlander “suicide is a complex phenomenon associated with many factors that interact together to put someone at risk.” He said there is a link between bullying, both as a victim and as a perpetrator, and suicidal thoughts and behaviour.
However, he said, “It is not clear if the link is a direct association or related to other co-occurring factors, such as mental health status, sex and gender, social context, etc.”
“Not everyone who has had suicidal thoughts or behaviours has been bullied,” Dr. Manion said, “and not everyone who has been bullied has suicidal thoughts and behaviour.” He said relational violence, including bullying, “clearly has an impact upon the mental health of those involved.”
Katies Run proceeds support genetics project
More than $100,000 is going toward finding a cure for Dravet Syndrome and other genetic forms of drug-resistant epilepsy because of Katie’s Run and the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI). Katie’s Run organizers and the OBI recently announced that almost $38,000 raised from the event will be donated to the EpLink Genetics Project, led by Dr. Berge Minassian and Dr. David R. Hampson, a professor in the department of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Toronto. Each dollar raised was matched with an additional two dollars from the OBI, a research institute funded by the provincial government. Katie Woudstra, the inspiration for the run and walk fundraiser, is a firm believer in the project. “This genetics project is something we’re so happy to stand behind,” said Woudstra in an interview. “We see this project as something that could be so far-reaching.” Woudstra, who is from Haliburton, was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 16. She points out she has a genetic form—like 75 per cent of epilepsy sufferers—but it’s not Dravet Syndrome. After finding the right medications, she was epilepsy free for five years. But after facing some other health issues, the 21-year-old had a grand mal seizure last August. She was two months shy of graduating from a dental assisting programand about to move into a new home in Vancouver. “I was getting ready for my career and all this stuff, and then it completely disrupted everything,” said Woudstra. After undergoing tests, her doctor’s best guess was the seizure was caused by a combination of things. In the summer, she was diagnosed with celiac disease and had her gallbladder removed due to gallstones. Woudstra hasn’t had a seizure since. She returned to Haliburton and is focusing on helping people with epilepsy. Dravet Syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy, and people with it also exhibit cognitive and behavioural impairments, according to a press release. “By using gene therapy techniques, our team hopes to develop a viable long-term therapy for treating Dravet Syndrome,” said Dr. Hampson. “Our deepest thanks to Geri Katie’s mom] and Katie of Katie’s Run for selecting this project and supporting our efforts.” The 7th annual Katie’s Run will take place July 7, 2018 at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School. Woudstra is grateful for the continued support from the Highlands. “We always feel supported by our county and our donors,” she said. “It’s a huge blessing to be a part of this community.”
To learn more, visit katiesrun.ca.