Part 10: Prisoner of War

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September 23, 2020

MB-Left to Tell option 1 — A note from a prisoner of war in the Second World War. Flickr.

By Mabel Brannigan

Merrill Bailey was one of the prisoners of war from Haliburton and this is in Merrill’s own words.

“I joined the RCAF in December, 1940, and my first billet was Manning Pool, The Coliseum Building in the CNE grounds. My next stop was in Kingston on thence back to Toronto to the Eglington Hunt Club buildings on Avenue Road. From there, I was transferred to Malton Airport (now Pearson International Airport) and began my flying training on Tiger Moths with my cousin as instructor. As I was being trained as a bomber pilot, I was sent to Brantford on twin-engine Ansons. It was there that I obtained my wings as a pilot in August 1941.

In the same month, I married Muriel Johnston, and thence overseas, arriving in England on Sept. 1. After training at Wellesbourne, Warwickshire on Wellington bombers, I transferred to Water Beach, converting to four-engine Stirling bombers. From there, I was sent to Oakington (near Cambridge) No. 7 Squadron, a Royal Air Force unit. There, we began our night bombing operations over enemy territory. After several operations, about 19, on July 1, 1942, our luck ran out. We were caught in searchlights over the target with a steady stream of anti-aircraft fire directed our way. Taking frantic evasive action, I managed to escape the target area, although we had taken several hits. One engine was out of commission and the hydraulic system controlling the guns was also a casualty.

Crossing the coast, we sustained another burst of fire. Suspecting a German night fighter, I dived beneath the clouds and proceeded over the North Sea at a low level.

The engineer then reported the gauges indicated a fire and that we were running out of fuel in the wing and that had been hit. The situation was getting desperate when we flew over a German flak ship. They opened fire on us and we crashed into the sea. Two gunners and I survived and the other five crew members were killed. The crew of the flack ship picked the three of us up and we were prisoners of war in Silesea in eastern Germany near the Polish and Czech borders. This area now belongs to Poland.

This camp held thousands of prisoners and many more thousands were away from camp on work parties. Our flying suits and boots were confiscated to be put to use on the Russian front. We were issued wooden clogs, mine being about four sizes too big having to be tied on to keep from falling off. There were 200 in our end with broken window glass, making it cold in the winter. Breakfast was non-existent. Lunch was a few small potatoes. Supper was a hunk of coarse brown bread with the consistency of sawdust. Fortunately, we received a Red Cross food parcel occasionally which we shared. For some time, we were kept in handcuffs. Fleas were our constant companions. And bed buds. We fared better than the Japanese prisoners of war.

From this location in January, 1945, and hearing the guns booming in the distance, the Germans started us on a 600-mile march to keep us from falling into the hands of Russians. Some of us tried to escape. The Nazi sergeant pulled his pistol but just motioned to join the column.

We made our way to England and to New York with Americans. I was too sick to celebrate V.E. Day. I caught a train to Montreal and was hospitalized. My wife came to see me. After my recovery, I rejoined my father in the lumber business at Eagle Lake.”

Bad internet creates ‘countless lost economic opportunities’

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Lisa Gervais

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September 23, 2020

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LG-chamber AGM — Executive director Jennifer Locke and The Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce held its 59th annual AGM via Zoom Sept. 15. Photo by Lisa Gervais.

The Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce “is in a good position although the future is uncertain,” executive director Jennifer Locke told the organization’s 59^th annual AGM Sept. 15.

She added the positivity comes despite COVID-19 due to “savvy and adaptable entrepreneurs that make up our membership, and make up our community …”

While the AGM covered business for the 2019-2020 year, much of it before the pandemic, Locke and board president Andrea Strano referenced the health crisis throughout the meeting. “The story is what happened at the end of this term, with COVID-19 and what opportunities presented themselves,” Locke said. She added she’s constantly asking how she can best serve members and the new board will be coming together in a few weeks for its inaugural meeting, and rolling out new activities.

She encouraged members to do three micro-surveys via the Ontario Chamber of Commerce to outline their issues. In Haliburton County, she said she’s hearing, “cellular and internet infrastructure continues to be a stumbling block and has presented new challenges during COVID-19. Our system is being bogged down with loads we’ve never seen before with remote learning and working and we have multiple generations of families being affected now and countless lost economic opportunities.”

Strano said she’d witnessed acts of kindness, strength, resilience and unity during these unprecedented times and said the power of human connection and networking has never been more obvious.

She said this year, they’ll be opening new virtual channels of promotion and community building for their membership, and supporting the implementation of technology in the workplace.

“It will be a busy year and we remain committed to strengthening business and community by supporting, advocating and serving the community, and like Jennifer said, we are stronger together.”

Locke said economic recovery will come here on the backs of small business.

“The reality is, in Halburton County, if you don’t work directly or indirectly for government you likely work for a small business or enterprise. Make no mistake, small business and small enterprises [are] the economic drivers that will get our community back on its feet.”

During general business, the board bid farewell to departing members Bram Lebo, Amanda Virtanen and Stefan Bjelis and welcomed Melissa Valentini, Mark Bell and Simon Payn. Returning members are Strano, Greg Hebert, Patrick Louch, Joe Cox, Lisa Tompkins, Rob Berthelot, Emily Keller and Jennifer Morrow.

Firefighters on scene south of Carnarvon

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Lisa Gervais

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September 22, 2020

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BREAKING NEWS: Emergency crews are on site at a structure fire at JC Powersports Marine along Highway 35, just south of Carnarvon. There is a lot of smoke in the area but no visible flames. We will update the story Sept. 23.

Boundless revving up engines for takeoff

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Lisa Gervais

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September 22, 2020

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LG-Boundless 1 — The main character, Betty. Photo by Samantha Falco

Kate Campbell’s 10-year odyssey to bring the story of Second World War female pilots to the big screen is about to land.

The short film version of Boundless is nearing completion and Campbell, from Haliburton, is in the process of shopping it out to film festivals around the world.

It’s one step in a much larger project to eventually produce a miniseries, Campbell told The Highlander in an interview. “We’ll start submitting to festivals this week, though we still may be tweaking sound and finishing the titles and credits until the end of September,” she said.

It will then begin its festival tour wherever it is accepted. Most festivals are now online due to COVID.

“It would have been nice to have had a proper in-person premiere, which we will still have when it’s safe to do so, but I’m embracing online because it’s time for the piece to get out into the world now, and because it also has the potential to be seen by more people through festivals online.” Campbell said they’ll use it as a pitch for the larger version of the project.

It’s been more than a decade of interviewing, travelling, writing and researching to get to this stage, Campbell said.

Being from from Haliburton, it was important for her to include the County in this production. Tammy Rea is one of the producers and Anabelle Craig, Joey Varga and Hannah Sadlier helped on set. The Haliburton County Folk Society and Nick Russell assisted with the soundtrack [see next week’s Highlander] and there’s been financial support from the Haliburton County Development Corporation and the Haliburton Legion.

Campbell said she’s very excited to share the film and everyone’s hard work with the world, and ready for the next Boundless adventure.

The project was inspired by her grandmother, Betty Greply (nee Ward), who became a pilot to conquer her fear of heights in the 1950s at Buttonville Airport behind her husband’s back. She

was a member of the Ninety-Nines Flying Organization, which began in 1929, and where Amelia Earhart was a president.

Dini Petty plays the older version of the lead character, Betty. The Canadian broadcast icon was the first woman in the world to pilot a helicopter while broadcasting over the radio at the age of 23.

“My grandmother and Dini flew out of Buttonville at the same time in the late 60s and early 70s,” Campbell, who is a student pilot and member of the Ninety-Nines, added.

Between 1942 and 1944, more than 1,000 female pilots flew a collective 60 million miles in service in a specialized training program to free the male pilots for battle. The program was based out of Sweetwater, Texas and was headed by famed aviatrix Jaquiline Cochran.

“As the war was ending, the women were abruptly disbanded, denied military status, shamed for taking the jobs of men returning from war, and were forced to pay their own way home,” Campbell said.

“It’s a really important untold story that was not in our history books, so being able to share this education is significant.”

Pandemic rocks Wilberforce Curling Club plans

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Lisa Gervais

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September 22, 2020

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JQ - Wilberforce curling season - 1 — The Wilberforce Curling Club has cancelled its season due to COVID-19. File photo.

The Wilberforce Curling Club has cancelled its season due to the pandemic.

In a letter to members Sept. 11, club president Gord Fitch wrote about the decision to call off their 2020/21 season entirely, the first local club to do so.

Fitch said the executive met earlier this month and decided they could not proceed given the difficulties caused by the pandemic.

“After an extensive and exhaustive debate about the potential risks and liabilities we face as a club, it was overwhelmingly decided that we can not move forward successfully and responsibly with curling this year,” Fitch said in the letter.

Curling clubs across the province have grappled with whether to proceed this season with restrictions. The neighbouring Halliburton Curling Club and Minden Curling Club both put it to membership votes, with Haliburton deciding to go ahead and Minden deciding to cancel its season for now, with plans to re-evaluate in December.

The Wilberforce club uses a municipal facility and Fitch said between regulations, limited membership dues and increased costs, the season would be severely hampered.

Other concerns included social distancing restrictions, limited social interaction and the possibility of closing mid-season due to an infection.

“As an elected executive, it is our responsibility to look out for the best interest of our membership and the financial success of our non-profit curling club,” Fitch said.

Fitch added the club would help co-ordinate, but not sponsor, some winter events to help keep people active and in shape for next season.

Fundraiser goes ahead

Meanwhile, the club and the Wilberforce FUNRaising Group are partnering to go ahead with an annual birthday calendar fundraiser to help both of their suffering coffers.

The groups are selling the custom calendars which highlight people’s birthdays, with the proceeds split between the two.

FUNraising Group member Kathy Rogers said the pandemic has curtailed their usual fundraisers, but this was one they felt they could still do. She added though the curling club is not running, they will still need funding.

“Our people are hurting too much, we need to do this,” Rogers said. “They can’t hold curling at all – it’s going to be building the club back up again.”

The calendars are $10 each and available by contacting 705-448-1285 or 705-935- 0098.

“It’s good community fun,” Rogers said. “And all the proceeds go back into the community.”

Beloved pastor remembered

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Lisa Gervais

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September 21, 2020

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JQ - Doug Ross memorial - 2-web2 — Lighthouse Pentecostal Church pastor Doug Ross was mourned by his community after passing away at the age of 65. Photo submitted.

Several days before he passed, Haliburton’s Lighthouse Pentecostal Church pastor Doug Ross was doing what he loved: sharing the word of God.

Though the pandemic meant he had to do it from a basement via live stream, he continued to reach out to his community, and they watched. His wife, Kim Ross, said he often attracted more than 100 viewers, with people tuning in from outside Haliburton.

“I’m a preacher that preaches about the love of Jesus Christ,” Ross said in his final sermon. “Sometimes people accuse me of preaching about that too much, but can you preach about the love of Christ too much? I don’t think you can.”

Ross’s family and community are mourning his loss after he died July 29 at the age of 65. The long-time pastor, businessman and school board trustee is survived by four children, 10 grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.

Kim Ross described him as a very outgoing person who touched the lives of many people.

“Had a fantastic sense of humour. I think pretty much anywhere he went, he would just kind of brighten up,” Ross said.

Ross said her husband grew up poor, raised by a single mother. During his last sermon, the pastor described himself as a lost, “nasty person” in his youth.

“All I could think of was survival,” Ross said. “I said ‘God, there must be more to life than this. If that’s what life is really like, it’s really not worth living.’ Within a matter of two days, God sent somebody to talk to me about him and share Jesus Christ with me. Within less than a week, I gave my heart to Jesus Christ.”

That person was a pastor, Kim Ross said, who convinced the then 18-yearold to come to church, where he was moved. She said they met at a camp near his home in New Brunswick soon afterward and started a whirlwind romance.

They originally met in August and were married by February of next year as teenagers.

“We only knew each other a short time,” she said. “But we knew we wanted to spend the rest of our life together.”

The two started a family in Ontario. While Doug Ross began working as a pastor in Oshawa, he soon started selling cars. They moved to Whitby and after going through a difficult financial crunch, they got into the food business.

The family began selling peanut brittle made with an old family recipe. A successful Christmas season run at Zellers got them a recurring business. It would become Granny Williams, a confectionery manufacturing business that would go for 30 years, operating at many Zellers locations.

They also opened a café in downtown Oshawa, which Ross said was an important hotspot in the city. While selling cars, her husband also struck a friendship with famed Toronto Maple Leaf Eddie Shack. That eventually led to him owning two restaurants under the Eddie Shack’s Donuts and Snacks brand.

She said Shack would often invite Ross to hang out with other Leafs alumni at the famed Hot Stove Lounge and when pictures for autographs would go around, Shack insisted Ross sign it.

“People always wondered who this guy is,” Ross said. “There was a lot of laughs with Eddie Shack.”

Ross was also civically engaged, acting as a trustee for 12 years with the Durham District School Board. One of his colleagues, Patty Bowman, described his dedication to his constituents during Ross’s celebration of life Aug. 7. She also recounted his efforts in working through the implementation of Canada’s first modified school-year system, balancing out holidays throughout the year.

“He was tenacious about sitting down across the room … trying to figure out where we could find our common ground and he would never give up,” Bowman said. “Because when we agreed, everything shifted and moved in our communities and we saw it happen.”

His passion for pastorship remained central in his life. Kim Ross described his evangelist-style that moved a lot of people.

“He had such a love for people, and he has so much patience with people,” Ross said. “He had so much energy for life. He loved God with all his heart.”

But his health suffered with a stroke and though he survived, she said it was a difficult, year-long recovery. They chose a slower life after that, moving to Fenelon Falls and eventually Haliburton to take on pastorship at the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church in 2012.

He volunteered for various boards and the local Rotary Club. Kim Ross said he has touched the lives of so many people, with hundreds of messages flooding in recent days about all the good he did.

“It’s been a fascinating life,” Ross said. “He didn’t actually just live 64 years, he lived 80 years or more because of the amount of living that he did.”

Despite everything the pastor achieved, in his last sermon, he downplayed it compared to what was most important to him.

“I don’t think I’ve done a lot of great things in life. I’ve had some small accomplishments,” Ross said. “The most precious thing that I have in my life is that Jesus Christ loved me.”

Planned power outage Sept. 27

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Lisa Gervais

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September 21, 2020

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A planned power outage Sept. 27 will affect 6,000 Hydro One customers in Minden and surrounding areas.

In a release, Hydro One said the outage is required for crews to safely complete upgrades to local equipment and perform scheduled maintenance.

They anticipate the power will be out between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Affected areas include: Galway, Minden, Somerville, Minden Hills, Snowdon, Glamorgan and Cavendish.

Hydro One said the work will “help ensure a safe and reliable supply of electricity to homes and businesses.”

They elaborated they will install three smart switches, which is equipment that helps to reduce the frequency and duration of power outages, while limiting the amount of customers affected.

Crews will also replace 43 poles that have reached their expected service life with a mix of wood and composite poles, which help to deter woodpeckers. Additional crews and equipment are being brought in to complete as much local area work as possible during this outage.

They provided some tips:

Make sure your appliances are in the off position, such as the stove.
Make sure your devices, such as a smart phone, and extended battery packs are fully charged.
Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Use a cooler with ice for items you’ll need during the planned outage.
Consider filling jugs of water to use for drinking and cooking if you have a generator.
If you plan to use a generator, remember to use it in a dry area outdoors away from any open windows, doors and vents. Visit the Electrical Safety Authority at esasafe.com for more tips.
If you have a bathtub, consider filling it with water before the planned outage begins. You can use the water and a bucket to fill your toilet tank to be able to flush.

In order to ensure our crews can continue working for all Ontarians, we ask that customers respect physical distancing.

Affected customers are notified via auto dialer and can visit Hydro One’s outage map or call 1-888-664-9376 for additional information.

Seasons change

By

Jack Brezina

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September 20, 2020

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There is always a tinge of sadness when Labour Day comes around on the calendar.

The holiday weekend marks the end of one of the last flings of the summer. The colour showing on some of the trees and the light fading too soon in the evening, the cooler temperatures, even hints of frost to come … yes summer is indeed just about done. The boat trailers and packed cars heading south Labour Day weekend, a reverse of the parade north in May, provide more signals of summer’s end. Those who haven’t closed up their cottages, know that the next visits will require sweaters and windbreakers with the bathing suit folded and tucked away for another year.

It was a summer in which the extra layer of concern brought on by COVID-19 made things a little trickier for everyone. While cottages provided ideal hide-aways, places to avoid the crowded cities, gatherings in town or with neighbours were tentative and reserved. Masks were de rigueur as shoppers lined up outside stores, for the most part, six feet separating one patient customer from the next, waiting for the nod from the door monitor, grabbing a freshly wiped cart and following the arrows. Restaurants pushed their service out of doors, commandeering the fresh air, while inside, tables carefully distanced, offered another option when the weather was not conducive to alfresco dining.

Municipal council sessions, church services, family get-togethers and all manner of meetings moved on-line, with Zoom taking on a whole new meaning … and it appears those sorts of gatherings are destined to remain in that format for some time to come.

Missing from the summer scene: just about every activity and event that makes this a vibrant community. Without live theatre, opera, festivals, agricultural fairs, and outdoor events predicated on a large gathering, the vibe in the community wasn’t quite the same. Attempts to bridge the gap with drive and boat-in events had some appeal, but fell short of the full-blown events. Children of the internet age were able to discover, with their parents, the magic of movies on a big outdoor screen while curled up with their family in cars. The artists of our community continue to be productive and present their work individually or as part of weekend tours.

Labour Day also heralds a return to classes for students of all ages. New beginnings and exciting challenges await them and their parents this year, as they juggle the staggered opening schedule, many new rules and wrestling with the decision to go back to a classroom or continue with at home, on-line education. There appear to be no easy answers.

As summer fades into the most colourful season of the year, there is another tinge of worry in the air. So far, we have confronted this pandemic during a period of hospitable weather. With the arrival of winter, the social distancing and restrictions of large gatherings will increase the isolation that many have found emotionally draining even in good weather. Reaching out to neighbours and friends, looking for opportunities and contacts now, will help ease the burden we will all feel as the fight continues through the coming winter. We have come this far and can find common cause as we forge ahead together

Minden Hills projects ‘sizeable’ budget surplus

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Lisa Gervais

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September 19, 2020

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The Township of Minden Hills is projecting a sizeable surplus at year end, director of finance/treasurer Lorrie Blanchard told the Sept. 10 committee of the whole meeting.

Reporting up to July 31, 2020, she said the municipality was showing a $918,452.23 overall surplus. Of that, the general surplus is $767,195.43 and the water and wastewater department surplus $151,256.80.

She said overall expenditures are below anticipated 2020 budgeted amounts due to a number of factors.

They included wages and benefits, at $322,530.

“And that is due to positions that we still continue to try to recruit for,” Blanchard said.

There was also a significant amount of money not spent on major equipment purchases, repairs and maintenance, and capital, materials, supplies, and building repair and maintenance, totaling $364,100 combined.

Blanchard noted various revenues are also below anticipated 2020 budgeted amounts due to COVID-19, such as not accepting landfill items for a period of time during the pandemic, impacts on building permits and planning application fees; decreased interest due to outstanding taxes; cancellation of events and programs; and the arena closure this year.

She said COVID-related costs were about $82,935, primarily for wages and benefits. However, she noted that had been offset by Provincial Safe Restart Agreement Funding.

As far as revenue from taxation, she added, “folks have decided to go ahead and pay their taxes for the most part, which is very good news.”

Last year, the township ended 2019 with a $528,000 surplus.

“Short of something significant presenting itself that would incur significant expenditures to the township … we’re looking at another sizeable surplus I would say for 2020,” Blanchard said.

Coun. Bob Carter commented, “one of the things is obviously our wages and benefits. We still have vacancies and in fact we have more vacancies [since the report] so that number is not going to be used up and will continue to increase.”

He added, “one of the things we have to be careful of for 2021 is the fact we can’t have our normal projects plus all the projects that we missed in 2020. We probably just don’t have the physical manpower and administrative power to be able to handle all those projects, so we’re really going to have to take a hard look at what is realistic. There’s no use budgeting for X million dollars’ worth of projects when you don’t have the manpower to be able to accomplish that. It just becomes bad budgeting.”

Opera Studio ‘love letter’ concert cancelled

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Lisa Gervais

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September 19, 2020

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LH-opera 1 — Tenor River Guard and soprano Lauren Margison will perform at an outdoor Highlands Opera Studio concert on Sept. 20 in Haliburton. Photos submitted.

Highlands Opera Studio’s 2020 season was “an enormous success” despite the pandemic, says Valerie Kuinka.

She added they are planning an outdoor concert Sept. 20 to thank and support the community. However, the concert was cancelled Sept. 19 due to the province increasing limits on private outdoor gatherings, decreasing it from 100 to 25.

HOS invites up to 25 emerging operatic talents to the Highlands each summer to train with leading opera professionals from around the world and perform in several local concerts. The program is operated by internationally-acclaimed Canadian tenor Richard Margison and former Metropolitan Opera stage director Kuinka, who serve as artistic director and general/co-artistic director, respectively.

The program ran online this year, with 17 participants. However, they could not train in Haliburton, and there were no performances to raise money.

Kuinka said the pandemic brought operatic careers to an abrupt halt and is causing significant psychological damage, but also gave participants time to slow down and reflect.

“The priority was on positivity, clarifying and realigning personal career goals, building skills, and looking toward making positive change through opera,” said Kuinka.

Conversations focused on topics such as personal and professional reflection and growth, emotional health, community, adaptability, systemic racism in opera, and vision for the future of professional opera. As part of that future, HOS also officially launched the HOS Racial Equity Advisory Council, which had been several months in the making.

Participant Geoffrey Schellenberg, a baritone from Vancouver, said in a Facebook video that HOS provided “absolutely incredible resources” that changed everything about his singing for the better.

“This is more important than ever now when performing is very limited,” said Schellenberg. “[To] have something that is as inspiring and as helpful as Highlands Opera Studio really makes a difference in all of its participants’ lives.”

The success extended to funding, where the pandemic had a lesser effect than it might have done. This was in part due to existing and new sponsors and supporters such as BMO Financial Group, the Azrieli Foundation, and Haliburton County Development Corporation, but also due to very dedicated private donors, many of them local. HOS is extremely grateful to all, said Kuinka.

The concert was planned as a “love letter” to the community because the usual performances and community interaction are “a very important half” of the program and they were deeply missed, said Kuinka.

“This little moment is going to be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect in a small way with the community.”

Soprano Lauren Margison and tenor River Guard was to perform a variety of music styles with pianist Stéphane Mayer . at the Head Lake Park bandshell in Haliburton.

Although the concern is not going ahead, the studio said it would record much of the music that was going to be performed and post it in social media.

“We will continue to miss all of you and will bring this concert to you as soon as possible!” HOS said in an email.

HOS has been operating since 2007. The program is valued at up to $15,000 per participant and is free to Canadians. The housing costs generally charged to international participants may be offset by sponsorships.

This season’s participants have been invited to return next year. To learn about 2021 performances and buy passes, visit highlandsoperastudio.com.