Community grieves for one of its own

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December 6, 2019

Justin Daniels was remembered for his love of family and carpentry during a Celebration of Life and Reception at the Haliburton Legion.

Family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances are grieving the loss of the 37-year-old tragically killed in a motor vehicle accident Nov. 20 in Algonquin Highlands.

A GoFundMe page started by his mother, Valerie, a former owner of the Oakview Lodge and Marina, has garnered more than $30,000 for Daniels’ wife Michelle and children, Peyton, Cameryn, and Addison.

Images of Daniels played on a projector on the wall, accompanied by county and western music. A table gave some insight into the type of man he was. It featured pictures of him and his family, work boots and other tools of his carpentry trade, a guitar, and a photo of him on a dirt bike.

Irene Gerber, the wife of Justin’s boss, John, was the emcee. She said people had gathered in sadness and love.

“Today, our souls honour his soul,” she said.

She added that when a tragedy such as Justin’s death occurs, “the first reaction is disbelief and an outpouring of emotion.” However, “something amazing takes its place,” in describing how people had rallied around the family, including starting a MealTrain to provide daily meals to the family.

John said Justin had worked for him for about five years, and “I very quickly came to realize that he was highly dependable, a leader, and a skilled craftsmen.” He said the young man’s positive attitude and upbeat nature made the job site a fun place to be.

He added that Justin, “garnered respect through his high standards and work ethic” and stood out amongst his peers.

He said their team had built many homes and cottages over the years and Justin often befriended clients and would tailor the workmanship to their needs, particularly the female clients. “They would share their vision and idea and Justin would make them all come true.”

He further described him as a “sincere, honest, hardworking family man. Providing for his family was in the core of who he was. His presence will be deeply missed by his coworkers and myself. His absence will be large but his shadow will watch over us on all future projects and we will strive to pursue the excellence he pursued every day as a legacy to him.”

Justin’s uncle Ian spoke to Daniels’ love of family.

He told the story of how after his first date with Michelle, he declared that he was going to marry her and he did, and the two went on to have three beautiful children together. He recalled that on the night before he died, Daniels’ was teaching Peyton the guitar.

“Speaking for everyone: We love you and we miss you,” Ian said.

Biggest cast ever for Nutcracker’s 16th staging

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Lisa Gervais

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December 6, 2019

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In many ways, Haliburton County and Heritage Ballet’s The Nutcracker are synonymous with the Christmas season.

The iconic ballet comes to the stage of the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion for the 16th time this weekend.

Heritage Ballet’s Julie Barban said it is the biggest cast ever – with 82 children – and about 10 adults, performing Friday and Saturday.

“We’re up 10 kids,” Barban said during rehearsal last Saturday. “We now have 82 kids. We had 72 last year. So, that’s kind of new.”

She added that Ania Smolen will play The Sugar Plum Fairy this year. She’ll also play The Peacock.

“She was also The Peacock last year and she wanted to do it again,” Barban said.

She added that with all of the new, young dancers, she has added a few extra things, which she always does.

Asked how she can keep the momentum going year after year, Barban said, “it has become a tradition and sometimes I wonder, oh my gosh, it would be nice to take a break but I don’t know. I still love it just as much as the kids do. I don’t see it ending for a while.”

She said the other endearing thing for her about The Nutcracker is the music.

“I never seem to tire of the music. That’s not totally true. After the Nutcracker, I don’t want to listen to it for a while, but then as soon as I hear it, I have the dances in my head.”

She said Dani Smolen is again busy working on costumes. She said she’s been redoing all of The Snowflake costumes.

“I haven’t even seen them, so it’s going to be a surprise to me. And then there’s a new Spanish. We did get a new Chinese costume this year because the other one was showing its age.” She added there are new poinsettias and flowers as well.

They all began work on the ballet in late September, so with this weekend’s performances finally upon them, Barban said, “I’m feeling excited.” She is also looking forward to a nice long break afterwards.

Charlotte Moynes, 13, has four characters to play, including the Raven Queen, Snowflake Three and a Big Soldier. This is her seventh Nutcracker.

“It’s kind of nerve wracking because it’s very stressful to get everything done for the fast changes,” she said of the upcoming shows. She added that “in the big dances, it’s harder, because with Snowflake Three, there’s so many kids.”

Despite the challenges, she is really looking forward to it.

“I think it’s kind of cool. Professional dancers are doing it and then Julie puts together choreography for our own ages and she makes everyone feel included and like they have their own personal role.”

Shows are Friday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7 at 2 and 7 p.m. See: onstagedirect.com or contact Barban directly: julie.barban@gmail.com 705-457-1990

Land donated for future Dysart rec centre

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Lisa Gervais

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December 6, 2019

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Dysart et al has been gifted a piece of land that could someday hold a new recreation centre.

The municipality made the gift public at a council meeting Nov. 26. The 15.75-acre block is at the corner of County Road 21 and Soyer’s Lake Road, across from the Pinestone Resort. A condition of the transfer is that it can only be used for a new rec centre.

Marnnie Blair made the donation to honour her parents, Lee and Marie Blair.

“The community meant a lot to both of my parents and, as such, I am delighted to make this contribution to the health and well-being of all,” she said in a message to the township.

She declined an interview but added she is glad “to support the community in this way.”

Mayor Andrea Roberts said it is an area she has considered for years and she is excited by its possibilities.

“I am absolutely thrilled,” Roberts said. “It’s flat, it’s on County Road 21, it’s the last property that’s actually on sewers.”

However, Roberts said although this is a good first step, she emphasized the municipality is a long way from starting any development.

“This is fairly far off in the future. I don’t even think anything will happen in this term of council,” Roberts said.

It is no certainty that the piece of land will be the site of Dysart’s next recreation centre, with no feasibility study yet done. But Roberts said the municipality did not own any excess land which would be a good fit.

“The reality is there’s very little land that we have to build anything like that on,” Roberts said.

She said there are issues with A.J. LaRue Arena as a community centre, such as accessibility. Though she does not expect to start advancing a new rec centre in 2020, she said council might strike a committee later in its term.

“It’s an asset for the community,” Roberts said. “This isn’t something that’s going to be done just with council.”

County secures daycare future

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Lisa Gervais

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December 3, 2019

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The County of Haliburton hopes to protect the future of Haliburton Wee Care daycare after purchasing its facility for $770,000.

Council agreed Nov. 27 to have bylaws presented for the purchase of the County Road 21 property in Dysart et al. The municipality is buying it from the Hodgson family, who started and managed the non-profit Wee Care but want to retire. The daycare currently leases the property from the Hodgsons and will continue to under county ownership.

Chief administrative officer Mike Rutter said the City of Kawartha Lakes, which manages child care on behalf of the county, noticed the Wee Care property up for sale in 2018. He said the family is committed to Wee Care and did not want to leave it in the lurch. The municipality stepped in to buy it.

“This ensures that both day cares in the County remain in public ownership and stable ownership,” Rutter said.

The municipality also purchased the Ontario Early Years Centre daycare facility in Minden in August for $2, to ensure that daycare could continue running.

Wee Care supervisor Denise Wolm said it is a positive development.

“It’s been a great thing for us because the county is working on our behalf. They’re looking to support us in whatever way possible. It’s not going to change much for the day-to-day operation,” she said.

Wolm added she hopes the municipality can help secure provincial funding so the facility can expand and take on more children. She said they are licenced for 24 pre-schoolers and 10 toddlers but have a waiting list of approximately 30.

Wolm said management briefly explored a new location in light of the Hodgsons selling the property, but it was not a serious threat. She added the board of directors also examined purchasing the property themselves as a non-profit but found it was not feasible.

“This is definitely the best arrangement we could possibly hope for,” she said.

The annual rental revenue for the property is $36,000, which will pay off the county’s purchase in 21 years. With interest, the county expects the annual taxpayer-funded investment will be no more than $15,000.

Rutter said the property is large enough to be the site of future development near the daycare, suggesting housing or community gardens.

Coun. Andrea Roberts commended the purchase.

“Really good day for young families in Haliburton County. I can’t image not knowing where my child is going to go to,” Roberts said. “This is sort of a forever and I think this is really forward thinking … just as much as we need doctors in our community, we need daycares.”

Minden tells residents water lead-free

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Lisa Gervais

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December 3, 2019

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The Township of Minden Hills is assuring residents that its drinking water system is safe from the high lead levels being uncovered elsewhere in the country.

The municipality responded Nov. 13 to an investigation which highlighted high lead levels in drinking water across the nation. The township said its latest lead tests are well below the safety thresholds set by both provincial and federal governments.

In 2018, the Minden system tested between 0.01 and 0.43 μg/L (micrograms per litre) of lead, well below Health Canada’s maximum acceptable concentration of 5 μg/L or Ontario’s 10 μg/L. The latest test for Minden’s Lutterworth Pines drinking water system in 2016 tested between 0.14-0.58 μg/L.

“The main source of lead in water is from lead pipes in ageing infrastructure,” the township and the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) told The Highlander. “Water systems constructed prior to the 1960s typically were constructed using lead components.”

Minden built its systems post-1960 and thus they lack lead, the organizations said.

A year-long investigation from nine universities and 10 media organizations collected test samples for lead exposure in 11 Canadian cities. One in three of the 12,000 samples collected since 2014 exceed the national guidelines, according to The Toronto Star.

Minden is the only County of Haliburton township with municipally-run water systems. Residences elsewhere are either serviced by individualized well systems or non-municipal year-round residential systems for places such as apartments.

The year-round residential systems are bound by similar rules to municipally owned ones and must test for lead regularly. Designated facilities such as schools and health care must also conduct regular testing.

Jacob Wood owns and operates Halliburton Artesian Well Drillers. He said most of the county’s well systems do not risk lead contamination. That might only come from plumbing joints from systems before the 1980s.

Wells are not built like that anymore, Wood said. The composition of Haliburton’s groundwater also makes lead contamination unlikely.

“Acidic water will actually eat away at those joints more,” Wood said. “Typically around Haliburton, we don’t get any acidic water in the granite. It’s very rare.”

The Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes, Pine Ridge District Health Unit offers well testing for bacteria, though testing for other substances must be done at private labs.

The unit’s manager of environmental health Bernie Mayer said people should inspect their wells once a year and test them three times per year.

“Surface water can enter through the sides of the wells if the well was not properly constructed or maintained,” Mayer said.

Wood said groundwater wells remain a safe way to get clean water.

“We are fortunate in Haliburton, we don’t really have to worry about that (lead contamination) too much.”

Intimate concert keeps Lochlin rockin’

By

Lisa Gervais

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December 3, 2019

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The Lochlin Community Centre will be the setting for the next offering of the Haliburton County Folk Society.

Guitarist and singer-songwriter Rob Lutes will be hosting an intimate ‘house concert’-style show Friday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. said the folk society’s Sue Shikaze.

Shikaze said Lutes’s masterful fingerstyle guitar work and soulful voice brings an unmistakable intensity to his live performances.

She added that since the release of his first album, Gravity in 2000, Lutes has steadily built a collection of “exquisite” songs that inhabit the intersection of blues, folk, Americana, and the contemporary singer-songwriter genre.

Originally from New Brunswick, the long-time Montreal resident is a former Kerrville New Folk award winner and a multiple Maple Blues, Canadian Folk Music Awards (CFMA), and Lys Blues nominee. In 2018, he was named CFMA Contemporary Singer of the Year.

To reserve a seat, text Shikaze at 705-457-0943. Cost is $20 per person, with all proceeds to the artist.

She said if you aren’t familiar with Lute’s music, you can check out a video youtube.com/watch?v=XvpoVmx6iuo from a recent show in Burnstown, at the Neat Cafe.

“You are in for a treat. Hope to see you there,” Shikaze said.

Making seniors smile at home

By

Lisa Gervais

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December 3, 2019

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I’m lucky. I have a full-time job with benefits. I can go to the dentist every year to have my teeth cleaned and my mouth examined to make sure there’s no issues.

I haven’t always been this fortunate. There have been times I’ve worked but not had benefits. There was one stretch where I didn’t see a dentist for four years.

Across the County, that’s the reality for many low-income earners, especially seniors. Many have not been to a dentist in years, or have taken their dental problems to emergency departments.

In fact, in 2015 (the most recent stats), there were almost 61,000 hospital emergency visits for dental problems – at a cost to Ontario’s health care system of approximately $31 million.

According to provincial government research, two-thirds of low-income seniors do not have access to dental insurance.

In Haliburton County, the situation hasn’t been as alarming thanks to Volunteer Dental Outreach (VDO).

It was founded in 2010 to provide free, urgent dental care for low-income residents of Haliburton County.

However, it hasn’t reached every lowincome resident or senior. And, the services now available under the Ontario program include preventative care and treatment, such as fillings and extractions.

That’s why we welcome the Nov. 20 launch of The Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program (OSDCP).

Under it, Ontarians aged 65 and over, with an income of $19,300 or less, or couples with a combined annual income of $32,300 or less, and who do not have dental benefits, can qualify for care.

When it was first discussed in the spring, there was talk of Haliburton County patients having to travel out of the Highlands to receive care, with Port Hope, Whitby and Peterborough mentioned.

While we welcomed the government’s initiative at the time – as did the HaliburtonKawartha-Pine Ridge District Health Unit and VDO – they, and we, had to question the feasibility of low-income seniors travelling to those cities.

We knew many did not have their own vehicles. If they did, the cost of gas could be prohibitive. And, there was no public transportation. We knew few would be able to avail themselves of the service.

So, we were ecstatic with last weeks’ further news that the dental services will be accessed through public health units, community health centres and Aboriginal Health Access Centres across the province.

The VDO and the health unit further told The Highlander last week that they are planning to make the program accessible at the VDO, which is on Mountain Street in Haliburton.

It makes sense since the VDO already services the population this program is looking to target – and it would be a much more convenient location for locals.

However, the VDO does expect an influx of new patients when a workable arrangement is approved.

We’ll be anxious to see how that will look. In the meantime, we would urge lowincome seniors to look into whether or not they qualify and get their applications in.

People can apply through Ontario.ca/ SeniorsDental or at health unit offices.

The VDO said they hope people can start accessing the program by the end of the year or early 2020.

Highlands East faces $2.2 million in repairs

By

Lisa Gervais

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December 2, 2019

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Highlands East is grappling with a more than $2.2 million price tag in recommended repairs to the 36 buildings it owns.

Council went through reviews of all of its facilities Nov 26 provided by consultant WalterFedy. The reviews highlighted several as being in poor condition and recommended a total of $2,221,506 worth of fixes for 2020.

Mayor Dave Burton said council would strive to meet the needs of the municipality.

“We need to return to sustainability and can the public afford it. Do we need all these assets?” Burton said. “Do we keep the status quo and allow all our assets to deteriorate?”

Council voted to receive the reviews as information. Deputy Mayor Cec Ryall said it is a lot to handle and council would need more direction from staff.

“Nothing mentioned was minor or secondary, it’s all big stuff,” Ryall said. “The problem is it’s all big stuff and we don’t have the ability to handle all of it at once.”

Chief administrative officer Shannon Hunter said if the municipality decides to keep all of its assets, it would need to borrow money or raise taxes.

The priciest building to repair is the Highland Grove fire hall, with WalterFedy recommending $567,500 for 2019 and 2020, including fixes to the exhaust systems, septic system and roofing. Coun. Cam McKenzie said not all of the costs are necessary as health and safety issues.

Responding to the $150,720 in repairs recommended for the Highway 28 fire hall, he said it would not make sense to spend too much on the repairs before deciding its future.

“We’re going to decide where the fire halls are going before we start spending money on something that, two years later, might not be in the system,” McKenzie said. “I’m not saying it’s not going to be a fire hall but I think that big decision has got to be (made).”

“This makes it look like this building has actually been ignored and not kept up over the years,” Coun. Suzanne Partridge said about Station 2.

Burton responded that they have spent a “fair bit” on the fire hall itself but did not offer specifics before press time.

Another building at issue is the Cardiff pool, which WalterFedy identified as needing significant upgrades. The consultant said ideally, a replacement would get built for $2.5 million. But the consultant recognized the high cost and suggested a new change room and mechanical room structure for $600,000. It also recommended $309,800 in repairs for the whole facility in 2020.

McKenzie said he would like to see grant funding to help with the cost.

“Are we going to spend $300,000 on something that really needs to be replaced?” McKenzie said. “I want to see it open this summer. I think once it closes, it’s gone.”