Things are moving at the Minden Hills library and cultural centre – but it’s not the kind of movement staff or council are embracing.

Chief building official, Eric Guay, told council Aug. 28 that the retaining wall that supports the accessibility ramp is moving away from the building.

He said they had checked six points and the wall has moved half-an-inch to three-quarters-of-an-inch in some areas.

“The frost heave that we are seeing in the wintertime is causing significant issues. As well, the posts holding up the gable entry structure have not been put below frost levels,” he told council. He added when the ramp moves, the structural posts are moving with it.

He said the municipality has received some Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program funding to put towards various accessibility projects at the library and cultural centre, Lochlin Community Centre, Irondale Community Centre and Minden Curling Club. The federal government pays 40 per cent ($358,800), the province 33.33 per cent ($298,970.10) and the township 26.67 per cent ($239,229.90) for a total of $897,000. Expenses must be as of March 31, 2027.

Guay noted the township’s accessibility priorities had changed since 2021 when they got the grant and they are reviewing curling club and Irondale community centre needs. The township is also looking for someone to demolish the Lochlin community centre, and replace it with a pre-fabricated structure.

“Staff intend to follow up with the grant approval authorities to discuss the potential to reallocate remaining grant funds,” Guay said.

He recommended contracting Tatham Engineering to do engineering work for the accessibility ramp and retaining wall, at a cost of $20,300 plus HST; followed by using grant funding for the retaining wall and ramp.

Mayor Bob Carter asked about timelines, and Guay said engineering work first, then construction next year. “It is not an imminent danger, but it is a situation that will develop and get worse over time.”

Coun. Pam Sayne supported the ask, but said there were long-standing problems with the library and cultural centre, not just the ramp and retaining wall, but roofs. She questioned the need “for a different engineer or better designs. We have other things that have been pressing much longer that require money as well.”

Coun. Tammy McKelvey said they’d hired Tatham for engineering work for the curling club roof, and library and cultural centre roofs for $27,500 and were looking at another $20,300 for the retaining wall and ramp job.

“Would we not have been better to put all these together? We needed to get this a little better organized.” She added there will be more work coming with staff entrances at the administration building.

She said they have to make sure the funding can go to the retaining wall and ramp project.

CAO Cynthia Fletcher agreed, “I think we need get a lot more coordinated” when it comes to facilities. However, she said they wanted to start using grant money they have received.

The County of Haliburton is looking at hiring an engineer as part of the service delivery review. Mayor Bob Carter said it could be a resource his township can use.

McKelvey and Sayne also asked about progress on the curling club, cultural centre and library roofs.

“This is an emergency, practically,” Sayne said of the cultural centre roof.

Guay said Tatham was close to completing engineering work for the curling club roof “and then we’ll look at the cultural centre as the next step as well.” However, he pointed out this funding has to do with accessibility, not facility upgrades.

Council approved Guay’s ask for using the grant money for the retaining wall and ramp.

Human remains discovered in Algonquin Park in 1980 have now been identified through the use of investigative genetic genealogy (IGG).

The OPPs Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) said on Sept. 4 that the 40-plus year case has now been solved.

On April 19, 1980, a hiker found the remains near the Hardwood Lookout Trail in the park and members of the Whitney OPP, under the OPP CIB, began an extensive search with the assistance of the Ministry of Natural Resources. Over several days, a boot, a leather wallet, clothing, a sleeping bag, camping gear and additional remains were located and examined by the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OFPS).

It was determined the deceased was a white male between 18 and 21 at the time of his death. Foul play was not suspected.

It was initially estimated the male had died between July 1, 1971, and spring 1978. Further investigation narrowed the estimated time of death to approximately two years before the remains were discovered. Despite comparing the remains to several missing persons reports and issuing public appeals, the case remained unsolved.

On March 23, 1995, additional remains were discovered along the trail. A jawbone was examined by the OFPS and confirmed to belong to the human remains found in 1980. Although further searches were conducted, no additional remains or items were found.

In 2017, the OPP unveiled a threedimensional clay facial reconstruction created by their forensic artist. This generated dozens of tips, but none led to a confirmed identity.

The investigation continued and, in April 2022, the male’s DNA was submitted to the DNA Doe Project for IGG analysis in an attempt to determine his identity through family members. By September 2023, the presumptive identity was verified and used by CIB detectives to locate living family members. DNA from family members was used to confirm the male’s identity and the family was notified.

After more than four decades, the deceased has finally been identified as Eric (Ricky) Singer of Cleveland, Ohio. Singer had last been seen at his parents’ residence in Berea, Ohio, on Oct. 4, 1973.

The CIB said that this summer, Ricky’s sisters travelled from the U.S. to walk the trail with investigators and visit the place where their brother spent his final days. Ricky’s youngest sister, Merry Singer, said, “up until this time, I never felt sad because it has been such a long time and you get numb to it. This cuts through. I’m honoured, I’m humbled, I’m grateful. He was eventually found. He was identified and we were able to put him to rest and put ourselves to rest.”

It offered closure to investigators as well.

Detective sergeant Philip Holmes, OPP lead investigator, said “Eric Singer’s remains were found before I was even born. The fact that I’m involved in supporting his family in understanding what happened to him feels a little surreal. This case demonstrates the incredible results that are possible when modern investigative tools, such as investigative genetic genealogy, are used to resolve historic cases and provide long-awaited answers to families. This was one of the most rewarding investigations of my career.”

Brooksong Retreat and Cancer Support Centre wrapped up its sixth annual Haliburton Highlands Challenge with a celebration at Haliburton Highlands Brewing Sept. 6.

Executive director Barb Smith-Morrison said they had raised more than $100,000 over the summer, which she called a “wonderful accomplishment.”

She dubbed it a peer-to-peer fundraiser. “It’s actually people who have come to a program; people who have come to a retreat, board members, many volunteers who have gone out and chosen a way to get moving in their community and then invited others to donate to support the work we do.”

Smith-Morrison said they had more than 200 people on their waitlist for a cancer support retreat.

She added they were one-of-a kind in Canada; “people are really getting to know the work that we do.” She noted they offer the retreats at no cost to participants “because when you are in the midst of a cancer experience, we know that we need to make sure the kind of support we offer is really accessible to you.”

The executive director added when people arrive, they are well cared for, build community with other people living with cancer, offered evidence-base practices that help with stress, PTSD, anxiety, body pain, difficulty sleeping … “wellness practices that you can take into your life.” She said they also invite the caregiver, or key support person, to lend support to them.

Smith-Morrison said one of the special things about this summer has been the way the local community “has come shoulder to shoulder” with us. She noted a number of people living locally with cancer had reached out to them. There were two corporate challenge teams, Hudson Henderson Insurance and Willow Organics. There were Brooksong days; at Glecoff’s Family Store, Hook, Line and Sinker, Sweat Social, the Bonnie View Inn, and an upcoming one at Heat-Line. She said it’s gifted Brooksong community awareness and support.

The total was $102,820, with people still able to donate until the end of the month. Smith-Morrison said that would move “a number of people” off their waitlist; enfold more locals living with cancer in a ‘warm hug from the Highlands’ quilt; and continue to build support and community.

“Our hope is that we continue to grow and fill such an important gap in cancer care.”

Bob Lake’s fourth annual ‘Rock the Dock’ event raised a record $6,345 for the Minden Community Food Centre this summer – bringing the four-year total to $18,295.

An all-Canadian playlist by the Bo Blake Band kept the crowd energized throughout the afternoon, with the highlight being the return of the raffle, introduced in 2024, which “was a major success and helped boost fundraising efforts,” said Pamela England, a member of the Bob Lake Association.

“It’s truly inspiring to see how our community comes together for a great cause.”

The Minden food bank is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with hours expanded to 4:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of the month. Manager, Jean Munroe, reported an 18 per cent increase in demand through the first quarter of 2025. In 2024, it served 3,248 people, averaging 271 visits per month.

Residents on Lake Kashagawigamog are raising the alarm over Dysart et al’s proposed sewage treatment plant expansion, believing it could impact water quality throughout the lake chain. The facility’s lead engineer, however, says he has no concerns, noting it’s one of the topperforming, environmentally-sound plants in the province.

John Puffer, a member of the Lake Kashagawigamog Organization (LKO), has been on the lake for close to 70 years. His grandmother purchased what is now known as Puffer Island in 1918, with his family maintaining a presence there ever since.

In a recent interview with The Highlander, he recalled how, as a young adult, he could swim and fish for lake trout almost anywhere on the lake. That’s not the case anymore – he said the lake’s makeup has drastically changed over the past 50 years, with a steady decline in water quality.

When the township proposed its initial expansion to the plant, located off County Road 21 between Head and Grass lakes, in 1995, he was one of 150 people to attend a meeting at the Wigamog Inn – it was there the LKO was formed.

“We were concerned about the impacts on the lake then and are even more so now, given the negative changes we’ve seen in the 30 years since,” Puffer said, noting what used to be “sandy bottoms” on the lakebed has made way for murkier silt. Algae-related scares are a common feature of summer now, Puffer added.

Dysart pursuing a 50 per cent expansion

The group is mobilizing again with the township pursuing a 50 per cent expansion to its treatment facility.

John Levie, vice president of engineering at Clearford Water Solutions, which operates the plant on behalf of Dysart, said an application to increase the amount of treated water put back into the lake chain, from 1,575 cubic metres per day to 2,375, will be submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) in September.

The project is estimated to cost $12-15 million and would allow the township to add about 810 new connections to its sewage system. Levie said the proposal mirrors a phase-two expansion the Ontario government approved in the 90s.

On paper, the facility is operating at capacity, meaning the township can’t approve any further in-town development until it’s expanded. In reality, he said water flows are about 73-75 per cent of what the plant is designed to manage, typically seeing between 1,000 and 1,200 cubic metres on an average day.

When it comes in, the liquid is a light-brown colour, like that of chocolate milk. It goes through a five-step treatment system, where large solids and floatables such as wipes and toilet paper and miniscule nutrients like carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous are removed. The treated water is then flowed back into the lake.

Water quality a concern

Lance Payne, an LKO member and chair of the group’s water quality and development committee, said a recent survey of LKO members showed 95 per cent are concerned about water quality on the lake.

“We know this expansion is to facilitate a new residential development off County Road 21, near to Grass Lake, which feeds into Lake Kash. With the number of units being talked about (at least 100), it will be high-density and so we feel it’s going to put even more stress on our struggling lake,” Payne said.

He stressed the lake association isn’t opposing the expansion but wants to ensure the township considers all possible sideeffects and alternatives before committing.

Puffer said he hasn’t seen any studies over the past 30 years that can definitively say whether the plant’s original expansion has had a negative impact on the lake, but he does have water analysis from U-Links that shows the lake chain contains “concerning” levels of phosphorous and ammonia.

During last year’s monitoring, U-Links found three spots on Lake Kash where concentrated ammonia levels exceeded limits set out by MECP. Last fall, researchers recorded ammonia levels of 0.0232 milligrams per litre, 0.022 mg/l, and 0.0263 mg/l – all higher than the 0.019 mg/l limit. On Head Lake, phosphorous levels reached 0.01225 mg/l in the spring and 0.01095 mg/l in the fall. These were both higher than the 0.01 mg/l limit.

Ammonia is toxic to fish and other aquatic life and can cause excessive algae and plant growth. Phosphorous is a growth tank for algae and aquatic plants in the water.

Levie said he doubts those levels have anything to do with the plant, saying it “runs beautifully… this place has got the most stringent nutrient limits in the area, we never see any problems.

“There are two reasons this plant is working so well – one, it was designed very well initially and the process is easy for operators to manage and maintain. The other is the type of properties – it’s mostly residential here. A lot of municipalities have a large commercial and industrial flow, which is typically harsher or [generates] more volume.”

He said the treatment process removes 98 per cent of the carbon, 98-99 per cent of the nitrogen/ammonia, and 97-98 per cent of the phosphorous that comes in.

Staff test the water weekly, with Levie saying he hasn’t seen any major issues in his 21 years at the site. Per the MECP, the Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) for nitrogen/ammonia is 5.0 mg/l, with phosphorous at 0.2 mg/l.

Looking at annual data stretching back to 2021, Levie said the highest level of nitrogen/ammonia was recorded from January to August of 2024, at 0.06 mg/l, and the highest level of phosphorous in 2022 at 0.05 mg/l. This was the equivalent of 1/1,400,000th tablespoons per cup, the engineer said.

Levie said he was recently speaking with a colleague who said ash from forest fires being deposited into lakes is likely a big contributor to declining water quality. So too runoff from properties with mowed lawns, aging/failing septic systems and salt/other contaminants used for road maintenance.

“Then there’s the increased boat traffic and added development around the lakes, which are also much more likely [to impact water quality],” Levie said.

Next steps

After reading into membrane bioreactor technology, which uses micro or ultra filtration, similar to reverse osmosis, to separate solid and liquid waste, Puffer feels the township should investigate that – even if it comes with a hefty price tag.

Levie said that sort of build would add another $10 million to the project without bringing any substantial benefits.

“The way I look at it is at my house, I can add insulation to improve my energy efficiency. I can spend thousands without getting any noticeable return. These aren’t my tax dollars, I make a recommendation based on sound engineering principles, but if it was my money I wouldn’t spend it there. It’d be like buying spinner rims on a Corvette for winter driving – doesn’t make sense and there are no major performance benefits.

“You’d be better off investing that money to address other issues contributing to decreased water quality,” he said.

Levie said he expects a response from the ministry on the pre-consultation application in the first quarter of 2026. If approved, the project will move into detailed engineering for the mechanical and structural expansion, which will take about a year. From there, an application can be submitted to amend the environmental approval for the plant, which is a 12-14 month process. Once that’s back, the project can go to tender for construction.

Levie said he wants to conduct a “stress test” of the system – holding back sewage and feeding at a fixed rate to see how it reacts to increased loading – before submitting a final application, believing there’s potential to land an additional 10-15 per cent in capacity.

That could be important down the road, with Levie stating there will be no more physical room to expand at the current site.

“That would buy the township more time before it has to start looking at additional land and additional treatment options,” he said.