Hydro One estimated more than 7,500 customers in Haliburton County were without power as of noon, April 2, as recovery from the weekend’s ice storm continues.

Work was underway at over 60 locations across the Highlands as of press time, with crews doing what they can to restore downed and damaged power lines, said Hydro One representative Tiziana Baccega Rose.

So far, approximately 820,000 customers across Ontario have had power restored, with 203,000 homes still in the dark. The company did not say when it would have power restored for most County residents, though its online outage map states most should be back online by April 3 at 11 p.m.

“After most storms, we typically see damage concentrated in specific areas. This storm has been widespread, with damage accumulating over several days. On some lines, crews have identified multiple types of damage that need to be addressed before power can be restored.

“Crews are focused on restoring the main lines that run from the local stations to the community. Then they will be able to focus on cleaning damage from lines that serve smaller groups of customers to get the power back on… we expect restoration in the hardest hit areas to continue throughout the week,” Rose told The Highlander.

She said Hydro One workers have been called in from other parts of the province to support areas most impacted, with local utility companies and contractors also assisting.

Thousands still without power

Rose said reconnection for residences in remote areas and for water-access only properties will take longer. She also warned that another storm system, beginning April 2, may result in further outages.

Municipal response

After Minden Hills declared a state of emergency March 31, mayor Bob Carter said the community is “suffering through unprecedented series of challenges.” Many people are also without cell and internet service, Carter said.

“Our staff and emergency control group have been working through the weekend… now supplemented by staff from the County of Haliburton, our neighbouring municipalities, Renfrew County, York Region, and the province,” Carter said.

S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena has been open 24 hours a day during the emergency, serving as a warming centre for those without power and an information hub for people looking for updates on cleanup and restoration efforts. There are shower facilities available, as well as spots for charging devices. Pets are not permitted at the arena.

A mobile virtual triage and assessment centre has been set up at the arena. Paramedics will be available to treat health concerns 24/7, no appointment needed.

Carter said all other municipal facilities are temporarily closed. While landfill sites remain open for regular winter hours – as with all across the County – most locations are cash-only.

Dysart et al mayor Murray Fearrey said Haliburton village was largely unscathed.

“Fortunately, we got a couple inches of snow before the rain and it certainly reduced the impact. We have had several power outages, most are coming back on. We do have some trees down but issues we can deal with. Nothing compared to what I’m seeing in Minden and Algonquin Highlands,” Fearrey said.

He said the township hadn’t established any warming stations in the community, noting “[we] haven’t had any requests or need that I have been aware of, or staff.”

Dysart town hall reopened April 1. The township has also ended the significant weather event it declared alongside the County and other three lower-tier townships March 28.

Algonquin Highlands opted to extend its warning until April 4, given the threat of more freezing rain this week. The township office on North Shore Road will remain open to the public during regular operating hours, with the Dorset Recreation Centre also open.

Deputy mayor Jen Dailloux, said residents endured “treacherous conditions” over the weekend.

“There were intermittent power outages, and a couple of localized outages continue as branches get cleared off lines. But the greatest impact was the partial communications blackout, which affected the southern half of the township.” Dailloux said.

She noted the township deployed public works staff to Minden Hills to assist with storm clean-up. Highlands East municipal office in Wilberforce was closed March 28 to April 1, but reopened April 2.

Other closures

All Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) schools, including those in the County, have been shuttered since Monday.

“Some areas within TLDSB are still without power and are dealing with the aftermath of the storm, such as power and internet outages, downed trees and hazardous conditions. In addition, there are freezing rain warnings [Wednesday] morning. In the interest of student and staff safety, we have made the decision to keep schools and childcare centres within schools closed,” said communications lead Carolynne Bull. “Schools will not be moving to online learning.”

The Haliburton School of Art + Design was also closed March 31 and April 1.

Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) is under a Communications Code Grey, with all telephone, IT and internet services offline. The emergency department in Haliburton remains open, with the Urgent Care Clinic in Minden reopening Wednesday with regular hours, after closing March 31 and April 1. LifeLabs also reopened Wednesday.

HHHS’ community support services will be interrupted, including adult day program, meals on wheels and transportation. For those in-need, meals can be picked up in Haliburton between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. this week.

Highland Wood and Hyland Crest longterm care facilities remain open to visitors. Staff noted phone lines at the centres remain down as of press time.

Most businesses have reopened in Haliburton and Minden, though are cash only.

Mary Douglas, owner of Let’s Get Local in Minden, said, “it’s been a rough go for everyone, that’s for sure. Lessons learned – always have some cash on hand. We’re cash-only while systems are offline.”

Pitching in

Cheryl Smith Hamilton was trying to get down Deep Bay Road in Minden on Sunday to check in with her parents, who live on the road, but found it impassable due to downed trees. After confirming they were OK, Smith Hamilton said rather than wait for municipal staff or hydro workers to clear the route, her family got to work.

Larry and Donelda Smith, Kirk Smith, Smith Hamilton, and Mike Hamilton spent hours trimming branches buckling under the weight of ice build-up and clearing limbs that were blocking the road.

“As we were clearing, other travellers would join in to pull debris off the road. About midpoint down Deep Bay, we were met by another individual who had been clearing it from Hwy. 35-way up,” she told The Highlander.

She posted a video to her social media March 30 showing the damage, which was shared almost 900 times. An update on April 2 showed the road back to normal, with Smith Hamilton adding, “so thankful that I live in a smalltown where locals and visitors never hesitate to jump in and help out anyone in need… it truly takes a village.”

North Shore Road resident Paul MacInnes said he had power earlier this week when many of his friends and neighbours didn’t. So, he and his wife, Susan, opened up their home. They offered people a hot shower and home-cooked meal.

“You do what you can in situations like this. That’s what community is all about,” MacInnes said.

Dysart et al council has supported a draft plan from the Campbell family, owners of Curry Chevrolet Buick GMC in Haliburton, to create five new commercial lots on just over seven acres of land between Mallard Road and County Road 21.

Addressing council March 25, Dysart planner Kris Orsan said the proposal features lots between one and two acres, totalling 7.4 acres, and would be serviced by a private road currently made up of driveways accessing the property from Mallard Road and CR21 by Todd’s Independent Grocer.

The property is zoned highway commercial, which Orsan said supports things like restaurants, banks and clinics.

“The property is surrounded by a mix of industrial, commercial and residential uses. The proposed development aligns with the character of the surrounding area and serves as a suitable transition between the industrial park to the north and the residential areas to the south and west.

“Its design and scale will… support economic growth and community integration. The development will also enhance the overall functionality of the area by providing a buffer between differing uses, promoting a cohesive and wellplanned urban environment,” Orsan wrote in his report.

He noted the application was prepared by Bishop Geyer Surveying and included a draft plan of subdivision, functional servicing report, stormwater management and construction mitigation plans, hydrogeological service study, and environmental impact study. All reports were peer-reviewed by Michalski Nielsen Associates on behalf of the township in June 2024.

While the hydrogeological servicing study confirmed there are enough groundwater resources to adequately meet the needs of the development, Orsan said the municipality will require proof of potable water at the site. He said they may also mandate a more thorough examination to ensure any development won’t impact water quality or access for neighbouring properties.

Haliburton County mapping identified four wetlands in the vicinity, with two located within 120 metres of the subject property, though Orsan noted none are recognized as provincially significant. He added, “the development is not anticipated to have a negative impact to the features.”

The environmental impact study identified potential habitats for three endangered bat and bird species. Orsan said the owners will be responsible for complying with provincial and federal environmental regulations, while noting the report recommends vegetation clearing be done between May 1 and Sept. 30 to prevent harm to animals using trees for roosting.

Next steps

Orsan said the project will now go to the County for draft plan of subdivision and condominium – there’s no residential aspect, with the latter covering an application to create a recognized private road. Pending County approval, it will come back to Dysart to develop a subdivision agreement.

Tony Usher, representing the Campbells, said this plan has been in the works for several years. He noted the 7.4 acre parcel was severed from the Curry Motors property prior to 2019, which is when he was retained.

Usher said the proposal includes a two per cent allocation of land to the township for a park, or cash payment of two per cent of the land’s value pre-development.

There was some discussion among council over the need to install a walking path – as requested by the former Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge district health unit (HKPR). Some members felt that was unnecessary given no other business in the vicinity has a footpath.

Clerk Mallory Bishop recommended council mandate footpaths for new businesses on that side of town.

“The intent is to develop out into that area. Pathways will be needed for walking. Council has bought land out in that area… this is something to consider for the future of this town,” Bishop said. “Pedestrians will be able to navigate the area better with a designated footpath, which is important… especially if something like a clinic were to go in.”

Usher said the Campbells are happy to include walking paths in their proposal.

In a follow-up with The Highlander, Usher said, if approved, it will likely be several months before the lots are severed and development can proceed. He noted the Campbells may retain one lot but intend to sell the rest. There are no immediate plans for how or when they will be developed.

The Campbells declined an interview.

Four years into a volunteer-led program removing invasive Chinese mystery snails from County lakes and Paul MacInnes, chair of the Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners’ Association (CHA), said almost 1.4 million critters have been evicted to date.

Speaking at U-Links celebration of research event March 29, which took place virtually due to the weekend ice storm, MacInnes said the effort is going strong. Launching in 2021 with 235 volunteers, he said 425 people were active on 41 County lakes last summer.

He expects that number to grow again this year. For participants, it’s not as simple as turning up with a can-do attitude, there’s training involved on how to properly handle and dispose of the snails.

MacInnes said the snails have been a major problem on lakes through the Trent Severn Waterway system for decades.

“They’re not like normal snails, which lay eggs that are eaten by fish. These snails are born in their shell, so it makes them very resistant to being eaten. Females can give birth to up to 100 juveniles a year.

“They are a threat to lake and human health because they force out native species, they’re a vector for parasites, cause swimmer’s itch and reduce recreational pleasure on lakes,” MacInnes said.

Last summer, he said one group on South Lake collected over 80,000 snails in a single day. The species originated in eastern Asia, landing in North America in the late 1800s. The snails were introduced to the Great Lakes around 1931.

Given how entrenched the snails are in our lakes’ ecosystems, MacInnes said full eradication isn’t realistic. The program’s effectiveness differs from lake-to-lake.

“It depends very much on the make-up of the lake and how many volunteers are involved. On some lakes, we have made significant progress. The goal is to keep the snails under control to a point where people can go swimming.

“For lakes I’ve visited, it’s much better with this control than on lakes where there’s no volunteers collecting. On those lakes, it’s basically impossible to go for a swim now,” MacInnes said.

More monitoring

Dr. Pedro Antunes, an invasive species and climate change biologist teaching at Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie, provided a high-level overview of plant-based and insect invasives at the event.

He said there’s a correlation between climate change and the onset of some invasive species. Antunes noted the average temperature in Canada is 1.1 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels. In some northern areas, the change is closer to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“With this changing temperature, plant communities are changing,” he said, noting other contaminants like microplastics, pesticides, heavy metals, and intensive agriculture can lead to more nitrogen filtering into the ground, which he says is a negative.

Antunes said Ontario is a hot spot for invasive species in Canada, hosting the highest number of invasive plants in the country. He attributed this to overseas shipping, estimating 64 per cent of containers entering Canada come via the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence corridor.

“Most of the invasive plants come from the agricultural and horticultural sector, things like ornamental plants… we have a very good grasp of where these plants are coming from and where we need to keep vigilant,” he said, plugging a guidebook published in 2013 that identifies 14 plants and 11 insects and pathogens that are most concerning.

He and his team developed that list using data to see “what species are moving the needle more than others and then target these species for control.” Antunes said the goal is to get to a point where, through continuous tracking, scientists will be able to detect new invasive species before they spread. He said this has been done in the U.S. with some forms of algae.

“We just need better monitoring,” he said.

Community plays ‘big role’

Kayleigh Mooney, an ecological restoration student at Trent University, said community members can play a significant role in aquatic science. Speaking at the event, she shared how, when surveying Gilchrist Bay north of Peterborough, she watched a lakefront resident pulling what she thought was starry stonewort, an invasive macroalgae, from the water. After going to speak with the resident, Mooney said it was a native plant she was removing.

“By pulling them out, she was removing the buffer that could lead to more of the starry stonewort coming in,” she said, highlighting the importance of people knowing the difference between a native and non-native before springing into action.

Mooney said people who frequent a lake more often than visiting scientists can be key to understanding how invasive species adapt to and change their surroundings.

“There’s more to the story than just the species itself. The wider community and ecosystem it’s a part of is important too,” she said. “Folks have the opportunity to intimately understand and observe these relational interactions in a way researchers could never capture. We get one side of the story, but there’s a role that could be filled by the community to capture the other side. One that shows the full extent of what’s truly happening within our lakes.”

Boshkung Social and Haliburton Highlands Brewing are two craft breweries featured in a new board game called BrewHouse.

Creator, Doug Salloum, a retired brewer, and his wife, Ruth-Ann MacKinnon, were in the County last week to unveil the game.

Now retired, Salloum said brewing was the most fun job he ever had, and he had a lot of jobs.

“After I retired, I decided to share the brewing experience with others … by designing BrewHouse, a board game for people who like craft beer,” he said.

“The game is realistic without being too technical. It is easy to set up and to play. You don’t need to know anything about brewing to play, but along the way you will learn a lot about running a brewery.”

In the game, each player starts with a game board representing the basic brewing processes found in any brewery. Players also start with some capital, called beer bucks.

Players first choose a brewery card. These cards represent partner breweries from around Ontario who helped make the game happen. When a player chooses a brewery card, they “are” that brewery for the game. They also acquire a player advantage specific to that brewery.

Players then choose which beers they want to brew, from the pack of 50 different beer cards. The beer cards provide recipes for classic beer styles. They also have beer trivia (on which players may be tested during the game).

Players spend their beer bucks to purchase the brewing inputs they need (malt, hops and yeast) and move their beer, represented by keg-shaped markers, through each stage of the brewing process. Once the beer is in the tap room, players can sell it for more beer bucks.

How many beer bucks are earned when selling the beer depends on the style of beer and the quality of beer produced, as in any craft brewery.

Salloum said players earn brew master credits along the way by meeting sales milestones, by having a great range of beers in their tap room, by making money, and by strategically investing their profits.

A wild-card element is that players must select a card from the ‘things happen’ deck after every turn and respond accordingly.

The winner is the player with the most brew master credits at the end of the game.

Braden Labonte turned the imagined brewery into a game with a German biergarten colour palette, keg-shaped markers, beer bucks, and breweryappropriate ‘things happen’ cards.

Salloum said friends, family, and former colleagues, game-tested and suggested tweaks and rules changes along the way.

Then came digital-age marketing challenges. Salloum said social media and other sites “promised a lot and cost a lot, but ultimately failed to deliver.”

So, he fell back on real relationships, with real people.

Now that he has the finished product in hand, after 3.5 years of work, Salloum said he’d never seen anything like it, and said he felt “a combination of pride and relief. Happy and relieved, because it does look great.”

MacKinnon added, “one of my favourite features of the game is players have the option to put their ‘profits’ into social or environmental investments, such as hosting a music festival or installing a carbon-capture system.

“This is a fun new game and we are really thrilled it will be available in cottage country this year,” she added

BrewHouse is available from partner breweries across Ontario (including Boshkung and Haliburton Highlands) and from a Shopify site (in late March or early April).

While he now spends much of his workday surrounded by food, Boshkung Brewing owner Mathew Renda remembers what it was like as a kid struggling to get by on an empty stomach.

The Minden entrepreneur launched a new breakfast program at Archie Stouffer Elementary School (ASES) recently, providing a free hot meal for between 50 and 75 young students.

Renda, his wife Deborah Banks and several Boshkung staffers, who volunteered their time, pitched up at the school March 21, serving bacon, scrambled eggs, muffins, yogurt and fruit salad to those most in-need. He said the food was prepped in the kitchen at Boshkung Social.

“What a morning – we were in there for about 8 a.m. and were serving kids until about 9:15. Just seeing the kids be so excited, they all came in and had little breakfast coupons the school has had made. The smiles and joy on their faces, it was awesome,” Renda said.

The program will run weekly, every Friday morning, adding to the ‘healthy snack bin’ program the school currently provides.

ASES principal Mike Gervais said ASES has had other food programs in the past, supported by Food for Kids Haliburton, President’s Choice Power Full Kids, and local donors, though noted this new offering is hitting a specific need.

“This initiative targets students who would benefit most from a healthy meal… the goal is to provide nutritious options that fuel students for the day ahead,” Gervais said. “The school recognized some students could benefit from a proper breakfast, especially those who may be skipping the meal.

“On the first day, the program saw a noticeable increase in attendance from the students it was designed to support,” Gervais added, noting studies show children who regularly eat a balanced breakfast perform better academically, are more alert in class, and exhibit improved problemsolving skills.”

Renda said he regularly used his school’s breakfast program when he was a student in Durham Region. With the cost-of-living crisis impacting many County families, Renda said he felt a calling to give back to the community.

The idea came about after a conversation Renda had with one of his workers at the Social, who has a child enrolled at ASES and felt an enhanced breakfast program would do a lot of good.

“So, we jumped right in – we do a lot with our food banks and other organizations, but nothing that directly helps and impacts students. As someone who has been there – my dad was a shift worker with Toronto Transit, my mom stayed home, so we didn’t have a ton of money. Now that I’m in a position to step up, it’s something I want and need to do,” Renda said.

There are dishes lined up throughout April, with French toast, waffles, and pancakes on the menu.

Renda plans to run the program as long as he’s in business in the County and hopes to expand in future. “If we can progressively build this program so that we’re feeding 100 kids, that would be awesome. I want to feed as many mouths as I can.”

For feeding up to 75 kids, he estimated it will cost around $5,000 to run the rest of this school year and about $11,000 for a full year.