Highlands East tightening roadworks

September 18, 2025

The Municipality of Highlands East has put some churches, legions, and private road residents on notice they will need agreements, and insurance, as of Nov. 1 if they want the municipality to continue to maintain these properties.

The program is going to be reviewed in 2026. At a Sept. 9 council meeting, public works manager, Perry Kelly, raised the issue.

He said the municipality had historically provided maintenance services, including snow removal, on properties not under its ownership, and with no formal agreements in place.

He said it included private property, roads, and land under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

“While these services were provided with good intentions, they now present significant concerns regarding liability, cost, and resource allocation,” Kelly said.

He added, “the expectation from private and non-municipal property owners for continued service places undue pressure on municipal staff and resources. This diverts attention from municipally-owned infrastructure and compromises service quality and efficiency.”

Staff consulted with their insurance provider and solicitor. While the municipality has a duty to maintain public highways in its jurisdiction, diverting resources to private and Crown land puts them at risk of being unable to fulfill that duty, Kelly said, putting them in danger of negligence claims.

As for the private and Crown land, he added, “in the event of a slip, trip, fall, or motor vehicle accident, a claimant could pursue legal action against the municipality, irrespective of legal ownership.”

He said the average unit cost per winter event is more than $1,300 during regular hours and more with overtime. Kelly was further worried that continuation of the maintenance activities may set a precedent leading to further requests from other private property owners for the same service.

He presented four options to council for their consideration: stop the maintenance immediately and tell property owners to make other arrangements; do Crown land only, with agreements and insurance; continue but get agreements and insurance; or maintain the status quo. Council opted for a slightly revised option three.

Coun. Cam McKenzie said he’d had some residents, particularly from churches and legions, express concerns about the impact.

“Financially, probably most of them are on thin ice. If this comes to pass, some may close.” He said that would impact the work they do in the community. He added the timing was not great, soon going into the winter season. Coun. Angela Lewis agreed.

Deputy mayor Cec Ryall commented, “it’s a service that we don’t have to supply but morally should be supplying.” However, he shared liability concerns. He was not in favour of the status quo, thinking option three was the way to go.

Mayor Dave Burton said with tight timing, he’d prefer status quo this year, moving to option three in 2026.

CAO Brittany McCaw suggested they still try to get agreements in place this year, with a minimum $5 million liability. “Then we can review this program again next year to decide what it is you decide to do moving forward.”

The decision impacts four churches, two legions, five roads and a staging area, two MNRF properties, an MTO property, and one unassumed laneway.

HSAD support staff take to picket line

Mike Baker

September 18, 2025

Jennifer Downham has been involved in several strike actions during her 36 years of working at the Haliburton School of Art + Design (HSAD), but she feels this latest one, launched Sept. 11, is different.

More than 10,000 full-time college support workers are striking across Ontario, impacting operations at 24 publicly-funded institutions. Here in Haliburton, about 15 HSAD support staffers are picketing daily off-campus on College Drive. They share a united voice, Downham said.

“This is about protecting schools, protecting local education,” Downham told The Highlander during a Sept. 16 interview. “Over the last couple of years, there has been over 10,000 people laid off [and 650 program cancellations] across Ontario. Things are shifting… I’m worried about the future of public post-secondary education.”

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), representing the workers, claims provincial funding for colleges has dropped 30 per cent since 2013/2014. It further claims that per-student funding in Ontario is the lowest in Canada, at approximately 56 per cent of the national average.

JP Hornick, president of OPSEU/SEFPO, believes this is a “government-led agenda to systematically defund Ontario colleges.”

They claim investments in non-college private training programs, through the province’s Skills Development Fund, has increased by 800 per cent since 2020, with $2.5 billion spent thus far and another $1 billion committed over the next three years.

Full-time support staffers saw their contracts expire Aug. 31. OPSEU Local 351 president Marcia Steeves said, provincially, 77 per cent of employees voted in favour of a strike mandate last month. Across Fleming College, which employees 250 support staff, including 15 at HSAD, 79.8 per cent were in favour of striking.

“This is a fight not just for an improved contract – it is about the future of student supports at colleges across Ontario,” Steeves added.

Since 2020, she confirmed HSAD had lost four full-time staffers, dropping from seven academic support roles to three.

Downham was one of 29 Fleming employees to be informed in July that their positions were being terminated. A coordinator for the arts certificate program, her last day is Oct. 9, but there’s no guarantee she’ll be back on campus before then.

Joining HSAD when courses were run out of the old schoolhouse in Haliburton village, Downham said she’s watched the school blossom and grow in her three-plus decades of employment but is now fearful for its future.

“It would be like one of my children being harmed in some way [if it were to close]. It breaks my heart to see the way things are going… the arts are woven into the fabric of this community and HSAD plays a major role in that.

“I feel like if we don’t do something soon, our public college system is going to completely dissolve,” Downham said.

A Fleming College spokesperson said classes at HSAD are continuing to run as scheduled, though would not comment on the strike action.

Deal ‘not close’

The College Employer Council (CEC) is ready to negotiate, its CEO Graham Lloyd said, though he has labelled the union’s response to the latest offers “unacceptable.”

He told The Highlander the CEC had offered a package totalling $145 million in increased benefits over three years, but that the union’s counter would set colleges back about $400 million – at a time when, he claims, enrollments are down by about 50 per cent compared to 2023/24.

The offer includes a two per cent wage increase per year; a 75 per cent increase in on-call premiums; enhanced vision and hearing benefits; improvements to job security from AI; and 50 per cent increase to severance packages for employees laid off due to the current financial crisis.

OPSEU is asking that CEC commits, in the contract, to maintaining all existing college campuses for the next three years and prohibit any college merger or staff layoffs.

After failing to make any headway Sept. 16, the fifth day of the strike, Lloyd said the union needs to reassess its position if a deal is to be reached.

“Four of their demands, we’ve told them, we could never accept,” Lloyd said. “We don’t know where we’ll be in three years. It’d be fiscally imprudent to be able to guarantee that.

“No college wants to be in this position, but there’s a reality that, for reasons outside the college’s control, they’ve had massive cutbacks and that has had an impact,” Lloyd added, blaming the federal government’s limitations on international student for the current financial predicament.

With no agreement in sight, he suggested the best alternative is going to third-party arbitration – saying that was an effective way of striking a new three-year deal with academic staff in June.

“Spend a few days with a mediator and then, if we still can’t come to a resolution, they will act as an arbitrator and impose [a new contract],” Lloyd said.

Health unit unveils new brand

Mike Baker

September 18, 2025

The recently-merged public health agency covering Haliburton County, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County and Peterborough launched a new brand identity last week – now collectively known as Lakelands Public Health (LPH).

The union between the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge district health unit (HKPR) and Peterborough Public Health (PPH) was approved by both boards and the provincial government in December 2024, coming into effect on Jan. 1.

The decision was made after the figurehead of each agency – Dr. Natalie Bocking at HKPR and Dr. Thomas Piggott at PPH – said annual funding increases from the Ministry of Health, capped at one per cent for the next three years, weren’t enough to maintain current service levels.

The Ontario government has committed $10.1 million to support the partnership – with $2.5 million of that used to pay off a mortgage on PPH’s home base at 185 King St. in Peterborough, which will serve as Lakelands Public Health’s headquarters. All former HKPR offices, in Port Hope, Lindsay and Haliburton, will be maintained as satellite locations.

Unveiling the new brand Sept. 11, Piggott, LPH’s medical officer of health, said the transformation reflects a unified vision for advancing public health across the region.

“This is more than a new name and logo, it’s a commitment to building a healthier future together for generations to come,” Piggott said. “By bringing our teams, expertise, and resources under one identity, we’re better equipped to meet the evolving needs of our communities.”

He said people will continue to access “the wide range of public health programs and services they rely on,” such as immunizations, infectious disease prevention, environmental health and emergency preparedness.

When announcing the merger, the two health units committed to continuing all existing programs and maintaining existing staff levels. HKPR employed about 170 people and PPH 130 people.

LPH board chair Ron Black said the merger, now nine months in, has enhanced coordination and partnerships with many other health-related organizations across the region.

He believes the new brand identity “reflects who we are today and the collective impact we will have moving forward.

“Our communities deserve a strong, unified public health system that responds to local priorities while preparing for future challenges,” Black said.

The transition will be phased in over several months, with updates to signage, online platforms and program materials. A new website has been launched – for more information, visit lakelandsph.ca.

New drug lead

The Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland Drug Strategy announced Ashley Smoke has joined the group as its new drug strategy coordinator.

With over 10 years of experience in harm reduction, overdose response, Indigenous health systems, and as someone with lived experience, Smoke brings a fresh perspective and a deep commitment to promoting health, safety and resilience, said the group’s board chair, Dane Record.

“We’re excited to welcome Ashley to this important role. Their experience and passion for community engagement will strengthen our collective efforts to address the complex challenges of substance use with compassion strategy and innovation,” Record said.

In her new role, Smoke will lead the implementation of the local drug strategy – a collaborative, evidence-informed approach aimed at reducing substance-related harms through prevention, education, harm reduction, treatment and enforcement partnerships.

“This is a critical time to come together as a community and take bold, coordinated action,” said Smoke. “I intend to highlight the great community work in motion and look forward to finding sustainable funding solutions to improve those efforts already underway.”

As of Aug. 31, there have been 153 emergency department visits in Haliburton County, Kawartha Lakes and Northumberland County due to drug overdose, with 26 suspected opioid-related deaths.

For more information, or to access support and services, contact coordinator@ hkprdrugstrategy.ca.

AH addresses Big Hawk Lake concerns

Mike Baker

September 18, 2025

Algonquin Highlands council has opted to reduce the speed limit and install speed bumps along the busiest section of Big Hawk Lake Road, from the log chute to the marina, despite recent traffic data suggesting at least 85 per cent of drivers travel under the current 50 km/h threshold.

In July, the township heard from Chris Ewles, general manager of Big Hawk Lake Marina, who pitched lowering the speed limit, establishing a community safety zone and installing speed bumps, cameras, a stop sign and pedestrian crossings to alleviate safety concerns.

Ewles told council he has witnessed many near misses involving vehicles and pedestrians due to speeding and dangerous driving over the past 18 months.

Public works director Adam Thorn, at a recent meeting, said that, in response to those concerns, municipal staff had two digital speed radars on the road from July 29 to Aug. 5 – one just past the log chute parking lot and the other by the marina.

The first sign clocked 872 inbound vehicles, with 90.14 per cent traveling at or under the posted limit, and 899 outbound vehicles, of which 84.98 per cent were moving at an acceptable speed.

At the second camera location, only two of 716 inbound vehicles (99.71 per cent) and one of 737 outbound vehicles (99.86 per cent) exceeded the 50 km/h limit. Most, at 77.23 per cent, were travelling less than 30 km/h, with 19.97 per cent travelling between 31 and 40 km/h.

“I was very surprised by the data, especially around the marina. That 99 per cent of the public are travelling the speed limit or less than, that’s really good to see. I don’t know how you can get much better than that in a rural area,” Thorn said.

He noted the devices clocked between 102 and 125 vehicles per day on average, a significant reduction from the 225 vehicles per day recorded during a 2017 study.

Mayor Liz Danielsen suggested the issue was more about congestion than speed.

“This is something where we have traffic moving in all directions, a public landing, a beach,” Danielsen said, expressing her preference to reduce the speed limit. “We do have a responsibility for the safety of our residents.”

Earlier in the meeting, council heard from Shelley Fellows and Jim Anderson of the Halls and Hawks Lakes Property Owners Association (HHLPOA), who said about 300 people had expressed concern this year over risks to public safety, personal property and vehicles due to congestion and a lack of parking on the lake system.

They asked council to improve parking options – Danielsen said the township has considered adding to the 28 angled spots by the marina, with Thorn saying a proposed redesign of the road could see up to 80 new spots created between the marina and the log chute.

“The road is supposed to be two lanes wide – it will be once it’s rebuilt. Right now, with the parking, it’s only a lane-anda-half wide, and obviously worse in the wintertime,” Thorn said.

Policy needed

Following a hearty discussion, council opted to drop the posted limit to 30 km/h from the log chute to the marina, while also calling on Thorn to investigate installing two seasonal speed bumps in front of the marina building.

“While I’m happy to see the driving stats, it’s clear there’s still fear in the community,” Dailloux said.

Danielsen added, “people are doing the speed limit, but maybe it’s not the right speed limit for the area. It’s truly congested compared to a lot of other areas. It’s rather unique.”

Thorn said the speed limit around speed bumps will likely have to drop to 15 km/h, while he confirmed staff will install signs warning drivers about potential pedestrians ahead.

To ensure fairness and consistency, Thorn recommended council develop a policy for changing speed limits.

“We need to have a wholesome conversation about thresholds and what triggers the response to lower a speed limit. Do we do a traffic assessment like this, where we put signs up, pull the data and anything below 75 per cent we can start talking about it? Should that number be 85 per cent? We need some kind of agreement,” he said.

Haycock family legacy on show at Minden gallery

Mike Baker

September 18, 2025

Debuting this week, the new ‘Like Father, Like Daughter’ exhibit at Minden’s Agnes Jamieson Gallery is heavily influenced by a man who, for years, studiously learned alongside one of Canada’s famous ‘Group of Seven’.

The family showcase will feature about 70 pieces from landscape artist Maurice Hall Haycock, his daughters Kathy Haycock and Karole Haycock-Pittman, and granddaughter Erika Pittman. It opened Sept. 18 and runs until Nov. 15.

Several of the paintings on show in the “colourful” exhibit bear a striking resemblance to the style made famous by A.Y. Jackson – one of Canada’s most prominent painters and a founding member of the group that has inspired artists for generations.

Kathy Haycock, in a recent interview with The Highlander, said her dad met Jackson in the late 1920s on an expedition to Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. A surveyor, the Haycock patriarch struck up a close friendship with Jackson and, after being moved by some of the artist’s works, decided he’d try his hand at painting too.

After graduating from Princeton University with a degree in mineralogy, Haycock started working in Ottawa in 1931. Wowed by the natural landscapes surrounding him, he jumped into his new pastime, painting whenever and wherever he could.

He kept in touch with Jackson and, after a several years of honing his craft, was invited to paint alongside him in the 1940s. Kathy said her dad followed in Jackson’s footsteps, trading in his easel for a wooden sketch-box that he’d carry around with him everywhere he went.

Plein air painting, done on location usually in the wilderness, was Haycock’s chosen method – one that his descendants still use today. He is famous for being the first artist to paint in-person at the North Pole.

Kathy said she didn’t really recognize or appreciate her father’s talents as a child but waded into the arts in her adult years through weaving. It wasn’t until 1998, a decade after her father passed, that she picked up a paintbrush for the first time.

“My sister was visiting from Nova Scotia, which is where both our parents are from, and she presented me with my dad’s old paintbox and materials. She sat me down, showed me what to do and, immediately, I was hooked,” Kathy said. “After that, I just wanted to paint again and again and again.”

Her style mimics that of her father – bright colours showcasing the beauty and serenity of nature undisturbed. There are scenes depicted from nearby Algonquin Park and rural paradises from all corners of the country. Many of the younger Haycocks’ paintings are of locations sought out by their father decades earlier.

“I tried to pick a nice selection that covered my dad’s whole career and early paintings from myself, Karole and Erika, right up to present day – it shows a progression in style… the gist of the exhibition is to cover 100 years of travelling and exploring in the wilderness,” Kathy said.

She will be in attendance for the show’s opening reception Sept. 20 from 1 to 3 p.m.

“I’m very excited – this show is going to be kind of like our family legacy,” Kathy said.

Doubling up on goodness at Rising Thymes

Submitted

September 18, 2025

by Susan Tromanhauser

It all started with being homesick for a vegetable.

Unable to find vegetables specific to her Japanese upbringing, Yuki Renel grew her own. The abundant garden thrived into a small business. Her best customer recognized Renel’s interest in healthy foods, and her work ethic, and offered her a job at her health food store, soon followed by an opportunity to buy the business. Rising Thymes in Minden was created.

But the story doesn’t end there. After gaining confidence in her business skills, and recognizing the needs of the community, Renel expanded her business and Rising Thymes has opened its second location in Haliburton.

Previously, many customers in Haliburton and in the eastern parts of the County traveled to Lindsay or Peterborough to meet their diet or lifestyle needs. Rising Thymes is able to do so in Haliburton at their County Road 21 location. The second outlet allows Renel to take advantage of bulk buying, keeping costs down and enabling Rising Thymes to compete with online sales. Renel’s customers want fresh, healthy food, preferring Canadian products and wanting to spend their money locally.

To ensure freshness, many products at Rising Thymes have a very short shelf life. This was a conundrum for Renel because many of those same products have a minimum order size – too large for one store alone. By splitting the order between the Minden and Haliburton stores, Renel can make available fresh products at a reasonable price. Another strategy Renel uses to keep prices low is taking larger bulk items and repackaging them into customers’ preferred sizes.

Renel explains “everybody’s health needs are different” and she offers products to meet individual wants and needs. Rising Thymes in both locations provides products which are gluten-free, sugar-free or have sugar substitutes, as well as a variety of supplements. Customers in search of specific ingredients to make their own yogurt or sourdough bread, or even soaps, will find what they need. Rising Thymes provides refrigerated displays to ensure the freshest, healthiest ingredients.

Patrons are not just concerned with their own health, but also the health of the environment, cautious about what goes into lakes and septic systems. Renel responded to this concern with eco-friendly detergents and soaps, sold in refillable bottles. If a customer seeks something new to Rising Thymes, Renel becomes a detective, researching the unknown item to learn about its health benefits and locating a source.

Not only can patrons get products they are looking for, but they can also get free advice. Many customers look to Renel for guidance to improve their own gardens. The Minden location offers gardening workshops in the spring. Renel’s Japanese roots also come in handy for tips in Asian cooking.

The big attraction at Rising Thymes is still the fresh vegetables grown in Renel’s own garden. However, gardening is not just another task on the businesswoman’s long to-do list. Renel views gardening as her ideal way to de-stress and relax when away from her growing Rising Thymes.

Penalty trouble at Showcase

Mike Baker

September 18, 2025

The Haliburton County Huskies put together another solid win on home ice Sept. 13, defeating the North York Rangers 5-2, before a tough showing at the annual Jr. A Governor’s Showcase saw the young team drop back-to-back games.

New head coach Jordan Bailey said he was encouraged by the team’s start to the season, which also included a tight 4-3 win over the Cobourg Cougars on opening day Sept. 6, but was disappointed by the poor showing in the leaguewide tournament in Niagara Falls.

The Huskies were soundly beaten 4-0 by the Leamington Flyers Sept. 15, the first day of the Showcase, and followed up with a 5-2 losing effort against the Milton Menace Sept. 16.

That left the team languishing in eighth place in the East Conference, with four points from the opening four games. Bailey felt it was too early to make any real determinations on how his side stacks up against the rest of the league, with the season still in its infancy.

“It’s hard to say how [we compare], it’s only been four games for us, the most any team has played is five or six and, looking throughout the league, there’s a lot of very young teams right now,” Bailey said, noting the Huskies still have seven max-age roster spots open. The team will likely be a major player when Ontario Hockey League clubs start making roster cuts over the next few weeks.

Huskies 5-2 North York

The 470 fans in attendance at S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena Saturday were treated to an offensive clinic, as the Huskies pummelled the Rangers through three periods – outshooting the visitors 61 to 23.

After a frustrating opening frame, where North York netminder Nicolas Morvan made 20 saves, the Huskies burst into action in the second.

Daniel Vasic got things started with a powerplay marker at 7:21, assisted by Ivan Mentiukov and Jacob Smith, before goals from Chase Del Colombo, Christian Giancola and Carter Petrie made sure of the result. Harrison O’Connor added some gloss to the scoreline in the third, adding another on the man advantage late on, to send the fans home happy. Defenseman Ronen MacFarlane was a standout, recording three assists.

“I thought we played very well – we stuck to our game plan and executed it well, throwing a lot of pucks on net, our rotations in the offensive zone were very good, very physical. It was a strong performance,” Bailey said.

Discipline costs team

Heading into the Governor’s Showcase, Bailey said the message to his young squad was to take advantage of the opportunity to play in front of a packed arena at the 2,170-capacity Gale Centre and not get overwhelmed or deviate from team plans and systems.

Bailey lamented issues with discipline, which he believes was the main contributor to Monday’s 4-0 defeat against Leamington. The Huskies took eight penalties in the game – including three in the opening period and a checking from behind major in the third – with the head coach feeling that lack of control cost them.

“Penalties kind of killed us there – when you’re spending almost a full period in the box, it’s hard to establish any kind of rhythm. Guys are sitting for long periods of time and when they did get back out there, there was no flow to the game for us,” Bailey said. “Coming out of that, I told them that it’s going to be very hard for us to win hockey games taking that many penalties.”

The blue and white gave up one powerplay goal in the opening period and another midway through the third, with the Flyers tallying two more goals late-on.

It was more of the same against Milton on Tuesday. There wasn’t much five-on-five action in an opening period that treated fans to four goals – three of them on the powerplay – as the two sides evened each other out.

At 2-2 heading into the second, Bailey felt his team had a good shot at a bounce-back win, but more penalty trouble – three minors in the second and two in the third, hurt them again. The Menace tallied off three straight powerplay goals in the second to make sure of the win.

“We’ll be talking about this with our players, but we’ve got to stay out of the box. Constantly playing a man down against top-tier teams like Milton is never going to go well for you,” Bailey said.

The Huskies are back in action Sept. 19 for a road game against reigning league champions the Trenton Golden Hawks. They follow-up with a home tilt against the St. Michael’s Buzzers in Minden Sept. 20. Puck drop is 4 p.m.

Enhanced hike fest

Lisa Gervais

September 18, 2025

Thanks to a FedDev grant, organizers of this year’s Hike Haliburton say they are offering an “enhanced” festival for 2025.

Tourism manager Angelica Ingram said, “we’re excited because we have a lot of hikes this year, a lot of different kinds of hikes than we’ve had in previous years, and a lot of musical themes tied in to the festival.”

She added they have two Indigenous events they’re enthusiastic about, that are “a new offering for Hike Haliburton.”

On Friday, Sept. 19, from 7-9 p.m. at Haliburton Forest, Jared Bigcanoe is hosting a campfire. Bigcanoe is a Coldwater Ojibwe artist, entrepreneur, and healer. He is also a skilled rapper and poet. He will share Indigenous stories, songs, drumming, and demonstrations.

On Saturday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Bigcanoe will join the Forest’s Tegan Legge on the Chessel’s Pond Trail to discover forest-sacred medicines and how they are used for healing.

Ingram said the two offerings are a means of “seeing the Highlands and the festival through an Indigenous lens.”

The tourism manager added they have another new hike featuring the Haliburton County Folk Society at Abbey Gardens. On Friday, Sept. 19, from 3-5 p.m. Folk on Foot hikers will encounter four local singer/ songwriters who sing in, and for, nature.

Ingram said the FedDev funding also allowed them to change their registration system and update their website. She said in the past, people would reserve spots for hikes and not show up, which was frustrating for hikers and hike leaders.

The new system makes registrants more accountable for attendance. She added there are still spaces for many hikes.

“We’re just really excited. The weather forecast looks great. I think it’s going to be a good year. Lots of family-friendly ones, challenging ones, lots at the Frost Centre, it’s neat going back there.”

Established in 2003, the Hike Haliburton Festival is Canada’s largest hiking festival.

Colourfest

Colourfest coincides with Hike Haliburton this year, being held Sept. 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Head Lake Park.

Andrea Mueller, manager of programs and events for Dysart et al, said new this year is The Haliburton Curling Club bringing outdoor curling to the park.

“It’s pretty cool; it’s a big curling sheet with inflatable edges they’ll put on the lawn. It simulates curling. Someone can be at one end and take a rock and actually try to get it in the house at the other end.

“It’s great because it gives people a chance to try an activity that may be of interest to them but also to help promote registrations,” Mueller said.

She said it is a way for the curling club to get more involved in the community as well.

They’ve also invited The Critters of Wooley Wonderland Farm.

“They’re bringing a variety of animals; most of them are going to be miniature versions or babies of farm-type animals. It’s kind of exciting, and people can go in and pet them or sit with them. And we’ve purposefully asked for the grass to be left longer in the one area so they can munch away and take care of the grass for us.”

Ep 1: The Healthy Democracy Project

Lisa Gervais

September 11, 2025

Bram Lebo and Highlander Editor Lisa Gervais discuss a group effort in Haliburton County to get more candidates running for local office and other news happening in the County this week.

Getting public into politics

Mike Baker

September 11, 2025

Sean Pennylegion doesn’t want to see history repeat itself during next year’s municipal elections in Haliburton County, so he’s helped launch a new movement meant to drum up political interest ahead of the Oct. 26, 2026 vote.

The Haliburton Highlands Healthy Democracy Project (HHHDP) is a homegrown initiative that Pennylegion says will educate people about the importance of civic engagement.

Lower-tier elections in Algonquin Highlands, Dysart et al, Highlands East and Minden Hills broke records for all the wrong reasons in 2022 – setting new benchmarks for acclamations and voter turnout.

Dysart et al saw 31.47 per cent of its population cast a ballot – the highest among the County’s four townships. Algonquin Highlands was next at 28.9 per cent, with Minden Hills at 24.76 per cent, and Highlands East at 21.26 per cent. Countywide, the average turnout was 26.59 per cent.

Twelve politicians were given seats on council after running unopposed, including the mayor and deputy in both Dysart and Minden Hills and eight councillors – three in Highlands East, two each in Algonquin Highlands and Dysart, and one in Minden Hills.

“We need to somehow do something to motivate people to become more involved,” Pennylegion said. “That last election is, by far, the least amount of participation I’ve seen at the local level. Which is a shame, because our closest contact with government is municipal.

“When you look out your window, most of what you see and the services we have are controlled by the municipality. People don’t understand what kind of effect they can have on their future, on how their town is run just by speaking up or registering a vote,” he added.

Joining Pennylegion on HHHDP’s steering committee are Jessica Slade, Lauren Hunter, Barrie Martin and former Algonquin Highlands mayor and coun. Carol Moffatt.

The initiative is being run in partnership with the Haliburton County Community Cooperative and is supported by the Haliburton County Development Corporation and Telling Our Stories Speaker Series, which has contributed $5,000 to program development.

Teaching people how system works

Learn, meet and mingle

The group’s first step has been to organize a four-part ‘Voices and Votes’ series that Pennylegion says will inform people about the ins and outs of municipal governance.

The first session ‘partnership in action: community and council’ is being held Sept. 16, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Haliburton Legion. There, Slade, who works as a civics consultant, will talk folks through how they can contribute to community development by working alongside local government.

“It will include some success stories that have happened, things that regular people have done, working alongside council, in each of our four municipalities,” Pennylegion said.

The second talk will feature former MPs Barry Devolin (Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock) and Maryam Monsef (Peterborough-Kawartha) discussing why people should get involved by running for office, supporting a political campaign, or being an informed community member. It will take place Oct. 7 at the Lloyd Watson Community Centre in Wilberforce.

The final two events will take place in spring 2026 and will focus on what it’s like to run for office and serve as a municipal representative, featuring stories from past politicians. There will also be details about what a successful campaign looks like – for a candidate, supporter or voter.

We all play a role

After serving 16 years on Algonquin Highlands council from 2006-2022, one term as a councillor and three as mayor, Moffatt knows what she’s talking about when discussing municipal politics. She discussed being a panelist in one of the sessions with Martin and Hunter late last year, but after learning more about HHHDP decided she wanted to be more involved.

“My years on council showed me that local government is widely felt to be confusing and inaccessible to the average person. They don’t know the agendas are public, that meetings as open and now streamed online, they don’t know they’re supposed to have a relationship with their councillors.

“This is an opportunity to teach folks how the system works so that they can participate. It has felt to me, for years, that people have things to say, ideas to share and perspectives to put forward, but they don’t know what door to knock on to get there,” Moffatt said.

Inspiring the next generation of leaders is just as important – almost every elected official in the Highlands is at least 40, with the average age of County council, made up of mayors and deputies from the four townships, over 65.

Moffatt admitted life in the public spotlight can be difficult – abuse is a lot more common now than 20 years ago, thanks to social media, but said she feels the good drastically outweighs the bad.

“You get to have a say in shaping the future of your community – there aren’t many things [more fulfilling] than that,” Moffatt said.

She and Pennylegion say HHHDP will also talk about the importance of volunteering – whether with a municipal committee or event, or another community organization. In recent years, groups like Haliburton Highlands Health Services, area food banks, churches and legions, Pride in the Highlands and more have seen a marked drop-off in volunteer numbers.

“One of the things that needs to be brought to the fore is that when you have a lot of volunteer-run organizations that have come to provide anchor services in a community, and they’re run by people who are getting older; and you have a younger cohort that is disengaged and perhaps not overly interested, then the burden to continue to provide those services will fall to a municipality,” Moffatt said. “Then taxes go up and people get angry.

“We’re getting close to a breaking point here… we need to find ways to connect with people so they know they are needed, they do play a role in helping make our community run,” she added.

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