County council will hold on to the former Land Registry Office in Minden, but has shelved plans for an extensive $2.5 million redevelopment of that building and the current County offices across the street.

Director of public works, Sylvin Cloutier, presented a report to the May 28 council meeting. In it, he said work at the building at 12 Newcastle St., (the former Land Registry Office) would have cost nearly $1.3 million: including moving the existing council chamber at 11 Newcastle St. across the road; another $165,000-plus for exterior work; and $100,000 for a lift. He noted a big chunk of that would be for accessibility requirements.

He estimated another $1.145 million for the current County office building, with $600,000 being for accessibility upgrades.

Coun. Murray Fearrey said he could not justify spending the $2.5 million to taxpayers. He felt a new council chamber was not necessary, as it would only be used for a limited number of meetings every month.

“In these times, I just cannot accept spending $2.5 million on both,” he said in asking to defer the project. However, he did back doing the government-mandated accessibility upgrades at the current office, at the $600,000. Fearrey added with council committing to furthering the service delivery review, now was not the time. “This project needs a lot of consideration.”

Coun. Walt McKechnie was firm in his opinion that the County sell the Land Registry Office, making it available for future affordable housing; “some real nice apartments in there, which is what’s really needed,” while upgrading the existing office.

Coun. Jennifer Dailloux didn’t want to surplus the building. “We will be expanding. It would be shooting ourselves in the foot to get rid of a building during a trend of continuous expansion.”

Coun. Cec Ryall asked about the space needs of County staff. Dyke said they have capacity issues. He said for now, they could get by, but “from a growth, flexibility standpoint, that doesn’t exist in its current form.”

Deputy warden Liz Danielsen said she is always concerned about deferring projects, as, “nothing gets cheaper.” She suggested an RFP that could break down work and costs. “At least we have the information. If we decide not to go ahead, so be it.” She said they may ultimately run out of space and it will cost more to redevelop at that time. She also asked about other sources of funding. Dyke said they are investigating other money possibilities.

The prospect of sharing a council chamber with Minden Hills was raised.

Dyke felt council was proposing “forget about doing work at 12 Newcastle St. for now, proceed with renovations at the existing County office, and possibly share council chambers with Minden Hills.”

His second option was leaving the former Land Registry Office alone; doing all upgrades at 11 Newcastle St., including modernizing the existing council chamber space, and dealing with growth as it happens.

He said both could be done within existing budgets.

By recorded vote, council elected for the first option; the complete renovation at 11 Newcastle St. and discussions with Minden Hills about a shared council chamber. Only McKechnie voted against.

Minden Hills mayor Bob Carter told a packed house at the Minden Community Centre last week that he has never understood why municipal elections attract so few voters to the polls.

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) brought its travelling ‘healthy democracy project’ roadshow to town May 28, with speakers Petra Wolfbeiss and Henry Khamonde discussing ways County residents can get involved and help make a difference ahead of the next election, scheduled for Oct. 26, 2026.

Kicking off the event, Carter spoke about low voter turnout for the most recent municipal election in 2022. Dysart et al reported 31.47 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot, with Algonquin Highlands at 28.9 per cent, Minden Hills at 24.76 per cent, and Highlands East at 21.26 per cent.

This is a far-cry from the 72.36 per cent of voters in the riding (which also includes Kawartha Lakes) who re-elected Jamie Schmale to parliament in April, and the 48.95 per cent of people in HaliburtonKawartha Lakes-Brock who gave Laurie Scott a seventh term as MPP in February.

“The day-to-day relationships most of us have with government is at the municipal level – waste management, fire services, road upgrades… so, the area that affects us the most we pay the least attention to,” Carter said. “This apathy is also reflected in the number of people we attract to run.”

Wolfbeiss said AMO is working to flip those statistics on their head. Involving and engaging the public is key to the process, she said. So too is understanding why interest is so low.

“Municipal governance is the least understood… so educating people about all the different things their municipal government is responsible for is vital. We also need to get back to a place where we can have frequent conversations, disagreements and debates and for that to be OK,” Wolfbeiss said. “It’s only through those conversations that good change can happen.”

She noted the project has one clear objective – to increase the diversity and number of people running for election in 2026.

The 2022 election had the highest number of acclamations in history with 560, up from 380 in 2018. There were 32 communities where the entire council was acclaimed, meaning they automatically secured a seat because nobody run against them.

In Haliburton County, 12 of 22 officials were acclaimed, including the mayors and deputy mayors in Dysart and Minden Hills.

Wolfbeiss pointed to two blinding issues – low pay and increases in harassment, violence and abuse. She told how, recently, Leamington mayor Hilda McDonald had to be escorted out of a meeting after an “online conspiracy theory group” ambushed a meeting about the township’s official plan. She has reportedly received repeated threats against her life.

In Quebec, nine per cent of the province’s approximate 8,000 elected officials have resigned since November 2021, citing toxicity at the council level and abuse from the community.

“It’s low wages, high demand. That narrows down the number of people who want to do it. People are seeing too much risk and not enough reward,” she said, noting AMO is developing a civility and anti-harassment strategy.

It’s also inviting municipal politicians, active or not, to share stories from when they were in office – the good and the bad – to help form future ‘healthy democracy’ directives. Staff will engage with diverse candidates representing different minorities who have run for office.

Wolfbeiss said AMO is also revamping its training for new councillors and will provide additional resources to ensure they feel informed and supported.

“Through this work, we hope to build up representative councils, develop resource tools and training, foster a respect for democracy, and increase trust in local government.”

Youth are key

Khamonde, a youth fellowship intern with AMO, said the organization has recently collaborated with Apathy is Boring, a non-partisan group that promotes youth participation in politics. They released the report ‘Youth and Local Democracy’, which highlights existing barriers.

“To put it simply, youth don’t think their voice holds weight in local government. It’s up to us all to shift their frame of mind, so they know they do have a say,” Khamonde said. “They haven’t yet established that connection with their municipality and the role it undertakes.”

Seeking youth input on important issues is a good first step to bridging the divide, the AMO representative added. “Local municipalities have the power to invite youth to the table and inspire change.”

A “homegrown” healthy democracy project will be kicking off in the Highlands this fall. It’s operating under the umbrella of the Telling Our Stories Speaker Series, as part of the Haliburton County Community Cooperative. Four sessions are planned, designed to boost candidate numbers ahead of next year’s municipal election. A full itinerary will be released over the summer.

To learn more, contact Sean Pennylegion at pennylegion@gmail.com.

Stephanie Field of Cottage Care Rentals and JT Lowes of All Season Cottage Rentals asked Minden Hills council, May 29, to tweak its short-term rental rules.

The two said the township’s bylaw wording about buildings and structures is confusing. They added when people are applying for a short-term rental licence, and are told they have to pay additional money for a licence of occupation for a dock, and proof of added insurance, they are taken aback.

Lowes said “many owners have decided, with the extra expenses, they’re no longer going to rent. It’s just not worth it.” He said his business has lost 75-80 per cent of its renters in Minden Hills.

He and Field clarified their market is people who rent out for three to five weeks a year to help offset costs of running a cottage, such as paying taxes or for new docks or decks. He said they are being impacted by the new short-term rental rules much more than people on online platforms renting 365 days of the year who are getting much more income.

As a result, Lowes said bad renters are staying in the game and good ones leaving. He noted cottage rental companies do the things the bylaw covers, such as ensuring properties are safe and up to code. They deal with neighbour complaints.

The two suggested a class B licence for cottage rental companies. They said the township could be included in indemnity waivers to ease fears about liability. That would eliminate the need for a licence of occupation for a dock, as well as extra insurance.

Lowes said their loss of rental properties will affect the Highlands’ economy, and has already resulted in job cuts. Field added they are losing repeat renters.

Algonquin Highlands and Dysart et al do not require licences of occupation, or proof of insurance, for docks on shore road allowances.

Mayor Bob Carter said the existing rules are about liability. “Since we own land, and are letting someone operate a business on the land, we are the last stop for collection of any insurance claims.”

Coun. Pam Sayne said cottage rental agencies have been in the County a long time and provide a valuable service. She said they are full-time operators who understand all aspects of the business. They inspect properties to ensure safeguards. She said the township should look into the request by way of a report back from staff.

Carter said the County and, subsequently, the townships, passed short-term rental rules to crack down on a growing business that was creating problems in the County. “But, as often happens, what you write sounds great, until it gets to be a practical situation…”

He was intrigued by the prospect of an indemnity clause. He said staff could look into that and encouraged Field and Lowes to provide ongoing feedback. Deputy mayor Lisa Schell was also in favour of taking another look at the bylaw. Coun. Tammy McKelvey said short-term rental owners are facing rules others are not, while coun. Bob Sisson said they don’t want to lose business in Minden Hills.

Council received the delegation for information only, and, later in the meeting, agreed they need a staff report on definitions of a structure, possible licensing classifications, and the potential for indemnification.

Editor’s note: This story has been edited to correct two issues. The original story stated the file will go to County council for final approval, but since there was no proposed change to the official plan, that isn’t necessary. The original story also stated the proposed hobby farm would be located at the rear of the property, closest to the water. That site is actually the furthest point from the water. The Highlander apologizes for these mistakes.

Algonquin Highlands council has unanimously supported a request to rezone roughly six acres of land close to Halls Lake, paving the way for the applicants, Tim and Laura Kegel, to re-establish a hobby farm on their property.

Council chambers was filled to the brim May 29 as elected officials met to discuss a rezoning application for 1572 Little Hawk Lake Rd. Last summer, the Kegels applied to transition the land from Shoreline Residential Two (SR2) to Rural-Exception (RU).

The couple wants to raise pigs and chickens and build a secondary residence on the property, though their application has been opposed by dozens of other cottagers on the system. A petition signed by 565 people before the vote called for council to turn the proposal down, claiming the hobby farm would have a negative impact on Halls Lake.

In his presentation, planner Sean O’Callaghan said the township did receive an environmental impact study, nutrient management strategy and plan, and an Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) inspection report, with “no concerns noted with regards to the proposed hobby farm.”

The planner, however, recommended council deny the application based on comments received by County planner Elizabeth Purcell, who indicated the property would be in violation of the uppertier’s official plan if it were rezoned RU.

O’Callaghan said this is due to verbiage in the official plan stipulating that RU zones be accessible directly from a public highway. The only access to the Kegel property is off the neighbouring Shalom on the Lake resort, which is owned by family.

Mayor Liz Danielsen felt that was a non-factor, noting “nobody seems concerned about the issue of access.” Deputy mayor Jennifer Dailloux agreed, feeling it’s “a technicality… not the heart of this application.”

While there was discussion about the file potentially going to the County, O’Callaghan noted since this is just a zoning bylaw amendment, with no changes proposed to the official plan, that it won’t be heard by the upper tier.

What was approved?

Included within the RU designation is an exemption that will prohibit the Kegels from setting up a portable asphalt plant, commercial kennel, or group home. It will allow a hobby farm, which Kegel previously had on the site from about 2018 to 2023, but council implemented limits on the number of animals allowed.

O’Callaghan said the threshold for total nutrient units (NU) on the property has been set at 1.5, which should allow for up to four pigs and some chickens. NU refers to the amount of nitrogen and phosphate nutrients generated by livestock and poultry. In Ontario, one unit is defined as the nutrient value equivalent to 43 kilograms of nitrogen or 55 kilograms of phosphate.

Asked who would police that, O’Callaghan said since it would be a zoning matter the township takes point but would likely have to consult with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFRA) to determine if the property has exceeded the limit.

Council also opted to retain site plan control of the property, meaning any addition must first be ratified by the township. O’Callaghan said the Kegels included their plans in the EIS and nutrient management reports, so the township is aware of what and where they plan to build.

Kegel plans to house the pigs in pens at the rear of the property, furthest away from the water. He also plans to construct a secondary residence on the site, with O’Callaghan telling council a building permit will be required before work can begin.

Council also directed staff to confirm setbacks for new structures from neighbouring properties.

How they got there

One of the primary concerns levelled by the opposition was that the EIS and nutrient management work was completed last October and November, when there would have been no run-off towards the water. They wanted tests done in the spring to show that contaminants won’t seep downhill and into the lake.

O’Callaghan said he is “quite confident” there will be no impact.

“The study was done based off eight pigs being on the property, so almost double what’s being proposed. It demonstrated there would be a negative nutrient load on the property. Because the applicant intends to mix manure generated by the pigs with topsoil to make fertilizer that will be applied to plants and gardens on the property, they will absorb more nutrients than the pigs are producing,” he said.

The planner also noted no streams or drainage courses leading to Halls Lake have been identified on the Kegel property, saying “the studies we’ve been provided show there shouldn’t be any overland drainage off the property. The soil type has been identified as being a sandy-ish soil, so not clay, meaning it would absorb any water run-off.”

Dailloux felt approving the application was “the fair thing to do,” noting there are several other RU properties in the township that are closer to waterbodies than the Kegel property. The deputy mayor said she has seen no evidence to suggest the planned hobby farm would negatively impact Halls Lake.

“The environment is paramount for our community. But I’m not seeing a reason from what we’ve been given that suggests this would jeopardize the lake in a direct way,” Dailloux said.

‘Heartbreaking’ decision

Beth Carey, one of approximately 100 waterfront residents on Halls Lake who opposed the application, sobbed when council delivered its decision last week. Her grandfather was the first to establish a cottage on Halls Lake. She has spent her whole life summering on the “pristine water,” though is worried her grandchildren won’t have that same opportunity.

“They usually play for hours in front of our cottage, jumping into the water… I’m worried this is the first domino to fall… for me, this is not just about the Kegel property. It’s about precedent,” she said, noting other landowners may be encouraged to put in similar applications now. “That’s why this was an important one to take a step back, do all the work, and make a truly informed decision.”

Sherry Lawr, who has been visiting Halls Lake for almost 50 years, was disappointed the township didn’t have the reports submitted by the Kegels peer reviewed by an outside firm. She also felt more potential uses should have been outlawed, such as implementing a cemetery, daycare, commercial greenhouse or veterinary clinic.

“We all support homesteading and farming activity as long as it is located in an appropriate location,” Lawr said.

The Halls Hawk Lakes Property Owners Association (HHLPOA) is investigating whether it can appeal Algonquin Highlands’ decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal. Following the passing of Bill 23 in 2022, neighbours can no longer appeal development decisions made by a local council. Instead, that falls to certain advocacy groups, such as conservation authorities.

Given there’s no conservation authority in Haliburton County, HHLPOA president Shelley Fellows believes she may have a case.

“I am disappointed in the decision. I feel the community was concerned for all the right reasons and that there should have been a lengthier environmental study done,” she said. “In the absence of a conservation authority, to me, the next level would be a property owners association, or a lake association. So, we’ll see.”

MPP Laurie Scott visited SIRCH’s Bistro and Bakery May 20.

She came to see what the organization has done with a $190,000 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant it received in April 2023 to help recover from COVID and build resiliency.

The community kitchen is just one of many initiatives made possible through the grant.

It was noted they were able to hire a kitchen coordinator and a food donation coordinator.

Executive director, Gena Robertson, said they’re now distributing 1,750 frozen meals a month and doing the Lunch is On Us program.

Scott commented on how SIRCH is “always finding ways of trying to help the community.”

Central Food Network (CFN) executive director Tina Jackson was all smiles after being presented with a cheque for $22,118.03 on May 13, proceeds raised through this year’s Tim Hortons SMILE cookie campaign.

Franchises in Minden and Haliburton donated 100 per cent of the proceeds from cookie sales April 28 to May 4 to the non-profit, which operates food banks in Cardiff and Wilberforce, as well as the Haliburton County Heat Bank.

This was a record-breaking year for the local effort, more than doubling the $10,324 raised for Volunteer Dental Outreach in 2024.

Last year, CFN registered 4.128 visits to its food banks, up 37 per cent from 2023.