Sweetening the pot for affordable housing

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February 22, 2020

JQ - Housing information session - 1-web — City of Kawartha Lakes human services manager Hope Lee addresses an audience about a new housing program in Haliburton Feb. 11. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

Housing developers and advocates flocked to an information session in Haliburton Feb. 11 aimed at highlighting incentives that will help fill the regional affordable housing gap.

The City of Kawartha Lakes and County of Haliburton housing services hosted the session to discuss the new annual Affordable Housing Target Program. The initiative will guide developers through a yearlong process to help them take advantage of all the government financial incentives available to develop affordably. More than 50 people attended.

Places for People vice president Faye Martin said the new process should attract more interest into previously undersubscribed incentives.

“There was very poor take-up and part of the problem was people didn’t know about it,” Martin said. “The really, really smart thing this time around is they got Elise (Karklins, affordable housing program coordinator) here to basically hold your hand, take you through it.”

The program will accept expressions of interest for several housing types, including new rental and home developments, secondary suites, and multi-unit rehabilitation. Packages will be provided to developers based on their projects and what incentives they seek. After being filled out, the packages will be reviewed by the coordinator and a technical team, before eventually being forwarded to councils for approval. The amount of funding released by municipalities will depend on how much interest there is, according to city human services manager Hope Lee.

It is all to help the City and the County achieve their new affordable housing targets, committed to in 2019. The City is aiming to create 2,000 new affordable units over 10 years while the County is aiming for 750.

“It’s not competitive,” Lee said. “We’re going to look at each expression of interest based on its own merits and how it helps us achieve those targets.”

The incentives include a variety of funding programs that can be provided as an up-front grant, Lee said. In general, the amount of money available to an applicant is greater based on how long a developer keeps the proposed unit(s) affordable.

Haliburton Community Housing Corporation president Glenn Scott complimented the presentation and what is being offered.

“It’s actually getting close to rubber on the road,” Scott said. “This is the way to do it, is to give us a process where there is some opportunity for money at the end.”

However, he added the biggest test of the program will be seeing exactly how much funding it can provide.

“I love what they’re doing but let’s really see how they can help us out,” Scott said.

Maple View Apartments administrator Kathy Rogers said there is some real potential in the program.

“It’s a great step on starting to get us all together,” Rogers said. “There’s definitely a lot of interest.”

The pre-submission process is planned for March, with expressions of interest meetings planned for April. More information is available by contacting Karklins at ekarklins@kawarthalakes.ca or 705-324-9870 extension 3105.

Haliburton native in CBC Searchlight

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Lisa Gervais

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February 21, 2020

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LG-CBC searchlight_Easy-Resize.com — Mackenzie Robinson

By Lisa Gervais

Haliburton native Mackenzie Robinson has made the top 100 of CBC Searchlight 2020, but needs voting help if he is to progress in the nationwide competition.

The contest invites musicians of any genre to submit an original song and compete for prizes courtesy of the Juno awards, the National Music Centre and CBC Music.

Robinson entered a song entitled I Know under the artist name Kashaga, a tribute to Lake Kashagawigamog, where he grew up.

During the last round, 50 artists made it through by popular vote and the other 50 advanced by internal judging from a team of CBC music producers. Robinson was one of them.

The contest proceeds to the top 10 finalists on Thursday, Feb. 27, and finally, the winner of Searchlight 2020 will be declared on Thursday, March 5.

“I can’t even explain how excited I am to have made the top 100 for CBC Searchlight 2020,” Robinson told The Highlander.

He said when he found out he was part of the hand-selected group, it “blew my mind. I never expected to move on to the next round, so this is huge for me. Even if I don’t make it to Top 10, I’m just happy I entered the competition.”

He said he’s doing his best to promote himself on social media to get as many people to vote for him as he can.

“This next step into Top 10 is a very short time period of five days, (voting ends Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. EST), so the pressure is on.”

Robinson said if he were to win the competition it would be a dream come true.

“Music is everything to me. It is my therapy, self expression, muse, escape, my best friend and my one true love.”

He started playing the drums at a very young age, largely inspired by early 2000’s Pop-Punk bands such as Blink 182, GOB, Billy Talent and others. He said his drumming transitioned into the world of Jazz and he is forever thankful he dove into that genre.

“It is so powerful and still such a heavy influence on the music I make and listen to today.”

He said that it was at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School that he found his love for Hip Hop through a collective called, Odd Future, which he said plays a huge role in inspiring the lyrical side of his music.

“When I began recording my own music, I labelled my self as a ‘Rapper’ but over the years I have found my voice in singing and I prefer the title of an ‘Artist.’ Although my music is mostly Hip-Hop based, I enjoy blending all of my favourite genres into one cohesive sound.”

He said the best way to follow his journey of music is through his Instagram, ‘Kxshaga’. He said all of his music content is on all platforms but he has the most attention from fans on Spotify. “There’s something nice about having a name that pays homage to the place that shaped who I am,” he added.
He said winning the competition would be the next step in making his passion become a career.

“I, like many other artists, doubt myself all of the time. Making the Top 100 has really shown me that what I’m doing is the right thing. If I win, then I will be more focused than ever to push this dream into reality and be successful in the music industry. I’m not looking for ‘fame’ or ‘clout’, but if my music can touch people and help get people through tough times, I will consider myself a success. The exposure from being in this competition will be a huge help in making this happen and I will be forever grateful if I make it to number one.”

To vote, go to cbc.ca/musicinteractives/searchlight

Builders storm council chambers over bylaw

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Lisa Gervais

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February 21, 2020

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JQ - Shoreline bylaw concern - 1-web — Citizens filled the County of Haliburton council chambers over concern about a new draft shoreline bylaw. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

Haliburton’s construction sector is raising alarm bells over a draft shoreline preservation bylaw. However, County councillors have assured them their concerns will be heard.

County council discussed the bylaw during a committee of the whole meeting Feb. 12, with its chambers packed with onlookers from the construction industry. Staff had gathered feedback and worked on the bylaw for several months, aiming to protect shoreline and lake health by restricting development within 30 metres.

Brown + Co contract manager Andrew Brown said the bylaw in its current form would severely hamper developments and puts new lakefront properties at a massive disadvantage to existing ones when it comes to lake views. He added although he understands people want less clear-cutting, he thinks existing bylaws can cover that, but are not enforced.

“The construction industry, Haliburton’s largest employer, is seriously worried about the delays, restrictions and extra fees,” Brown said. “Not to mention the amount of people forced to break the law because they can not afford the expense to see the lake, the reason they moved to Haliburton.”

Council did not make any decisions about the bylaw, voting to receive it for information and have staff propose a public consultation process. The bylaw itself impacts all lands within 30 metres of the high-water mark of a body of water. Within that area, unless it falls under an exemption or a permit is granted, it states nobody shall remove, destroy or injure natural vegetation.

It also calls for those spaces to be kept clean of litter and refuse, restricts any site alterations, restricts tree removal, as well as other limitations for noise and odour. It also specifies certain types of work would not require permits, including snow removal, installing a driveway or pathway, removing invasive species, clearing obstacles such as fallen trees and culvert cleaning.

The bylaw includes fees for application, permits and an extension fee, suggested at 50 per cent of the original permit. The draft states that permits will expire after 90 days if site alteration activities have not commenced.

The exact fee costs are not yet listed, but Coun. Patrick Kennedy questioned the extension fee.

“I almost feel that’s a cash grab,” he said.

Director of planning Charlsey White suggested fees be waived for the first year of the bylaw to help get compliance.

Councillors brought up other concerns, such as the enforcement challenges the bylaw could pose and the possible need for additional staff. They expressed the need for a good public consultation process.

“I would rather not have any rush to put something in place until we’re absolutely sure we’ve heard from everybody and understand the concerns,” Coun. Carol Moffatt said.

Haliburton County Home Builders Association vice-president Glenn Evans said the executive was pleased by the outcome of the meeting.

“The process seemed to be almost well underway and predetermined,” Evans said. “It was nice to understand there was more room for public input.”

He said the association is starting a task force to examine the bylaw. He added more should be done to properties which have already damaged natural shorelines and the task force will seek a middle ground between protecting the environment and economic interests.

If you build it

By

Lisa Gervais

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February 20, 2020

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If you build it

We applaud the City of Kawartha LakesCounty of Haliburton housing services for hosting an information session Feb. 11 in Haliburton.

The event attracted more than 50 people. There were housing advocates, which is great. But they are the converted. More importantly, housing developers attended. They’re the ones the city and County must convince to invest in affordable housing. And the only real way to entice them is to assure them that there is government money available, and that they can, in time, make some money off of the housing they build.

The hosts came to talk about the new annual Affordable Housing Target Program. This initiative will guide developers through a yearlong process to help them take advantage of all the government financial incentives available to develop affordable housing.

As is sometimes the case with government incentive programs, it takes awhile to get the word out. Builders and developers are so busy, well, building and developing, that they don’t always have the time to research this stuff.

So, having affordable housing program coordinator Elise Karklins on hand, to basically walk developers through the incentives, was good common sense.

The program will accept expressions of interest for several housing types, including new rental and home developments, secondary suites, rent supplements and multi-unit rehabilitation.

Packages will be provided to developers based on their projects and what incentives they seek. After being filled out, the packages will be reviewed by the coordinator and a technical team, before eventually being forwarded to councils for approval.

The amount of funding released by municipalities will depend on how much interest there is.

With the city setting a target of creating an additional 1,280 affordable housing units, and the County 750, over the next 10 years, this is a good first step.

The incentives include a variety of municipal sweeteners and funding programs, many of which are provided as an up-front grant. In general, the amount of incentives or funding available to an applicant is greater based on how long they keep the proposed unit(s) affordable.

Of course, the devil is in the details. How much funding will be provided?

Developers are reminded that the pre-submission process is planned for March, with expressions of interest meetings planned for April. (See related story in today’s edition for more information).

An April 25, 2019, Globe and Mail article outlined really well the National Housing Strategy’s (NHS) key federal funding initiatives. It talks about non-profit WoodGreen Community Services building a new 35-unit housing complex for seniors on Toronto’s Danforth Avenue.

It’s one of the slew of new projects taking advantage of billions of dollars in funding available through the NHS.

Launched in 2017, the $55-billion-plus NHS is the country’s first ever federal housing strategy. Its goals include reducing homelessness by half, removing about 530,000 families from housing need, renovating and modernizing about 300,000 existing homes, and building more than 125,000 new units over the next decade.

One of the key themes is bringing together different parties from public and private sectors, including private developers and non-profit organizations, to tackle this major undertaking.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is the government agency responsible for implementing the lion’s share of the NHS, using grants, loans and incentives.

Each of the federal funding initiatives have been designed to fund sustainable, affordable housing projects that would have otherwise been impossible using traditional financing models.

It’s a welcome program since we all know how desperately more affordable housing is needed here.

Fiesta to fill stomachs and hearts

By

Lisa Gervais

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February 20, 2020

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JQ - Camexicanus - 3_Easy-Resize.com — Camexicanus Mexican students perform in Haliburton.

If you can’t get to Mexico this winter, Camexicanus is offering County residents a short trip down south for an evening this Sunday, Feb. 23.

Dubbed February Fiesta, it’s a fundraiser for their March break volunteer humanitarian arts trip.

Founder Greg Sadlier and his wife Hannah Sadlier are taking four local Grade 11 and 12 students to Monterrey and the Yucatan, Mexico for a crosscultural arts exchange.

Camexicanus was officially formed in 2013 but its journey has been developing for years, ever since Greg went to Mexico in 2001 on a similar student exchange.

Sadlier said the Haliburton students will be running arts camps, working with charities, meeting Camexicanus Mexican students and their families and representing Canada and the Highlands on their trip.

He said it’s a mirror image of what Mexican students did when they came to Haliburton this past summer, “running day camp programs for kids especially in underreached areas that don’t have any programs.”

During the trip, they will be connecting with their Mexican students, staying in their homes with their families, and experiencing real Mexican life, he said.

Sadlier said a lot of organizing goes into the trip, including hockey bags of arts, craft and music supplies. In some cases, they purchase items in Mexico to help the economy there.

“It’s always a bit of a balancing game. If we can get it there, at relatively the same price or less expensive, I prefer to do that.” He added it is hard to predict the needs when in Canada. For example, they may arrive to find a family desperately needs a new microwave oven. “We just have to be prepared and be ready. if we’re doing a kids’ camp and we become aware of a need with a family, we need to be ready to jump in and fill those needs.”

He encouraged people to come out to the fundraiser as he believes their program is unique due to the “breadth and width” of their reach. He said Haliburton youth not only receive a cross-cultural exchange but stay on to form Camexicanus’ summer staff. They also run after-school programs and had almost 100 students in 2019 across the County.

“It’s sort of the ripple effect of cultural change that I think is very unique when you are working with youth and in an arts context,” he said.

The event is being held upstairs at the A.J. LaRue Arena this Sunday at 6 p.m. The Sadliers will be cooking an authentic Mexican feast, including tamales and enchiladas, and the kids will be putting on a show that will feature music, dancing and theatre. There’s also a silent auction. The cost is $25 for adults and $15 for students. Tickets are available online or by emailing info@camexicanus.ca

Dogs seized from Minden property

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Lisa Gervais

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February 20, 2020

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JQ - Minden dog feature - 2-web — One of the dogs allegedly on a Minden property, which came under scrutiny for animal welfare concerns. Photo submitted.

Neighbours and advocates are relieved after officials removed 11 hunting dogs from Minden properties during an animal welfare investigation.

Officials removed the dogs Feb. 13, due to the owner not complying with orders relating to standards of care, according to the Ministry of the Solicitor General. Fourteen dogs were initially chained to insulated dog houses on an uninhabited property, according to the property owner. The ministry said the dogs were brought to humane societies, but no information was available on the three dogs unaccounted for as of Feb. 18.

Shanna Dryburgh was one of the neighbours who originally reported the issue Jan. 22 due to concern over the dogs’ conditions. She said it’s bittersweet seeing the dogs removed.

“In the back of my mind, I didn’t want anything to be wrong,” Dryburgh said, adding she feels bad for the property owner. “But it’s a relief that there’s an acknowledgement. (Dogs) being left unattended in this community is not something hopefully, going forward, that will be tolerated.”

The property owner could not be reached for comment after his dogs’ removal. In an interview before the dogs were taken, he said his setup is common among hunters. He also said his dogs were in good health, and he attended the property twice a day.

Officials did not initially seize the dogs. An OPP press release Jan. 30 said animal welfare investigators were working with the property owner to improve property conditions.

Dryburgh described the public response as “overwhelming.” A video of the dogs went viral, attracting tens of thousands of shares and comments on Facebook. One online petition, calling for an investigation as to why the dogs were not initially removed, garnered 10,023 signatures.

She said she still has concerns about how the officials handled the investigation and believes they should have taken the dogs right away.

“It would have stopped all the public outcry,” she said, adding the owner could get the dogs back after fixing any issues with their habitat. “It’s better to err on the side of caution and just get them out of there.”

The Ministry of the Solicitor General said Feb. 11 a veterinarian was called to two Minden properties to aid the investigation. But the Jan. 30 OPP press release makes no mention of a vet. After being asked whether a vet was called when investigators first attended the site, the ministry said it could not comment as it is an ongoing investigation.

Advocate: outcry made a difference

Lynn Perrier is a long-time animal welfare advocate who started the petition. She said she feels the public outcry made a difference in how the ministry handled the case

“We had over 10,000 signatures in two days. There’s no way that any government can ignore that,” Perrier said.

The case came in a time of transition for animal welfare in the province. The Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act came into effect Jan. 1, putting enforcement in the hands of the province instead of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA).

Perrier said the new act has loopholes, as evidenced by this case. But she added the act is a good framework and the province will need more time to add more regulations for animal care.

“They really are totally inexperienced with this and I think we need to have patience,” Perrier said. “I have no doubt that eventually, we’re going to have an animal welfare system that is the best in Canada, but it’s going to take time.”

Laws come under scrutiny

The situation has put a new focus on the practice of tethering, or chaining dogs. It’s legal in Ontario, but another online petition, which cites this case, is calling for tethering to be banned. It has amassed more than 40,000 signatures.

In its code of practice for kennels, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CMVA) said tethering is not allowed as a method of confining a dog to a primary enclosure, nor as the only means of containment. It also recommends dogs be monitored while tethered, and tethers be five times the length of a dog.

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) does not have a position on tethering, according to resources management specialist Lauren Tonelli.

But the OFAH is working on a new code of conduct for hunting dogs. Tonelli said the code will provide best practice, including for the training and care of hunting dogs. Outdoor care will also be mentioned.

“Really that idea of a weather-appropriate shelter, making sure they do have somewhere warm and out of the elements and somewhere they can always access water,” Tonelli said.

She said the OFAH is aware of the Minden case but could not comment on it specifically. She also said concerns raised by a situation such as this are broader than hunting.

“If anyone ever sees a situation where they’re concerned about the treatment of any animal, they should be contacting either their local municipality or the OPP,” she said. “It’s not a hunting dog issue, it’s a dog owner issue.”

Minden bylaws are also coming under scrutiny. The municipality restricts rural properties to nine dogs, besides kennels. But Dryburgh said even nine is too many and plans to make a delegation to council.

“At nine dogs, there are sanitary issues, there are noise issues,” Dryburgh said. “It’s just a crazy number.”

Haliburtonian travels world to make documentary

By

Lisa Gervais

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February 19, 2020

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LG-Justin-web — Justin Van Lieshout at work with 519 Films on One Simple Shift. Submitted photo.

Landing in Helsinki, Finland at 4 a.m. – after a 10-hour flight – and then having to be at work from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. was one of the hardest work days Haliburton native Justin Van Lieshout, has ever had.

Van Lieshout is working on a documentary titled One Simple Shift for 519 Films out of Cambridge, ON.

The film is about educational reform, featuring three American schools that have adopted a different approach for high school students. One of the schools is essentially a travelling boarding school that has already taken Van Lieshout around the world. However, it isn’t all glamour, he said.

“The reality is that I work like mad. My job is hard to describe; I do any and everything that needs to be done, all over the world. From logistics, to camera work, to set design and location scouting.”

It all came about last summer.

“I got laid off from my last job because the production I was working on was not getting renewed for another season and so I was just living my miserable little life in the city super-unemployed,” Van Lieshout said with a chuckle during a recent interview while home for the holidays.

However, he was looking for work when he came upon 519 films. They were advertising for an intern, a posting that changed to international coordinator. By the time he got the job and started working, his title was field producer.

In addition to filming people from the three schools; they’ve also captured world leaders, including Richard Branson and the Fininish minister of education “and just some really cool people like that who can weigh in on what high school should be trying to produce,” he explained.

He added it was quite surreal making a cup of tea for Branson. Other interviewees may include Margaret Atwood, Michelle Obama, Jane Goodall and Ron Howard.

The first school is 3DE (Three Dimensional Education) in Atlanta. Van Lieshout explained, “it’s basically like having kids do co-op on steroids.” He said the school is partnered with Atlanta businesses. Kids basically have jobs. One student they’re filming is doing a co-op with KPMG, a business consulting firm. He’s working on a case study and if the work is good enough, KPMG will use it. “By the time you graduate, you know your strengths, weaknesses and interests better,” Van Lieshout said of the program. He said they’re predominantly a low-income school that still has to meet state benchmarks.

The second school is Avalon School in Minnesota. He said their focus is project-based learning with no classrooms other than a science lab. He described it as the most “hippy-dippy.” It’s also a step up on the socio-economic scale.

Students choose things they are passionate about and earn credits in traditional subjects. For example, someone interested in flowers can create artworks of flowers for art credits or study their biology for science. He said the role of teachers is making connections in the community so the kids have resources. He added there is no administration and every teacher is on the same level, making decisions as a collective. “It’s super cool. It’s in a warehouse. It does not look like a school in any sense,” Van Lieshout said.

The third school is THINK Global School based out of New York. It’s the travelling boarding school. “If you had all the money in the world to design an education system, this is what would come out,” Van Lieshout said.

He likes what he is learning, and says, “I would love to see small changes implemented in our local schools. The solution is as simple as asking students what they need, and giving teachers the power to give it to them.”

The job has taken him across the US, to Finland, England, Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Australia to date. He said the plan is to finish filming at the end of the spring or early summer. They’ll then go into post-production over the summer. It’s hoped the movie can premier next fall at Sundance or the Toronto International Film Festival.

He’s been talking to local filmmaker Tammy Rea and adds, “I think it would be super cool to bring it to the Haliburton International Film Festival.”

County presses province on Muskoka favouritism

By

Lisa Gervais

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February 18, 2020

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JQ - Muskoka -2-web — An aerial photo of a dam between Horseshoe Lake Road 1 and County Road 21. Submitted photo.

The County of Haliburton is pressuring the province on inequalities it sees in how watershed management is being handled.

Councillors discussed the issue Jan. 22. They voiced dissatisfaction with the province creating a new Muskoka Watershed Advisory Group (MWAG) and providing it with $5 million in 2018 to work on watershed management in that area. They have expressed further concern after learning MWAG input would help guide watershed management across the province.

Council met with various officials at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Conference, which ran Jan. 19-21. Coun. Brent Devolin said progress was made and the province heard from multiple municipalities on the issue.

“There is some recognition at the conference,” Devolin said. “This wasn’t the best and we may be engaged more productively as we go forward … They got the message loud and clear.”

Coun. Carol Moffatt outlined those concerns in a letter to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks. After attending a consultation session with the citizen-led MWAG in November, she said she was told part of the mandate would be to help create a “broader comprehensive approach to watershed management in Ontario.”

She said Haliburton County and its partners have already worked extensively on improving area watershed management over the past 10 years.

“It seems odd that we – and our many partners, have no knowledge of the ministry’s work on a broader, comprehensive approach,” Moffatt wrote. “We’d be most pleased to offer our knowledge.”

In a response, the ministry said protecting the Muskoka watershed would help it develop a more comprehensive approach for other areas of the province.

“The Muskoka Watershed Advisory Group will help support engagement efforts with local organizations, municipal representatives, Indigenous communities, and the broader community to identify priority projects that could form part of the Watershed Conservation and Management Initiative,” spokesperson Gary Wheeler told The Highlander in an email. “Our government will continue to put forward smart, sensible solutions.”

The response did not directly refer to or address the County’s concerns.

Moffatt’s letter also takes issue with the MWAG not consulting beyond the Muskoka watershed and makes mention of the $960,000 Haliburton is seeking for its own watershed work.

She said she had a brief conversation with Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks Jeff Yurek at the ROMA conference.

“He didn’t say no to anything,” Moffatt said, adding she expects further communication to come. “He seemed interested in the whole innovative model we’ve created.

“We did hear from some ministers; they believe the money for Muskoka was political in nature. So, we’ll just keep pushing,” she added.

The ministry did not address this point when asked for a response by The Highlander.

Red Hawks struggle with premature season end

By

Lisa Gervais

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February 18, 2020

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JQ - Red Hawks - 1-web — Red Hawks forward Lucas Haedicke (#96) battles in front of the net during a game against Holy Cross Feb. 5. See page 18 for story. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

The Red Hawks boys hockey team dropped what could be their penultimate game of the season 5-2 Feb. 5 as they grappled with the prospect of their playoffs getting cancelled.

The Haliburton Highlands Secondary school team could not overcome the Holy Cross Hurricanes, who came out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first period and never looked back. The loss game after two cancelled games for the Red Hawks, due to Trillium Lakelands District School Board ending school-day extracurriculars over concern for teacher supply during labour unrest. They were able to play their home game because it was scheduled at 4 p.m.

Coach Jason Morissette said losing out on the previous two games hurt the teams’ ability to compete.

“That hasn’t helped our momentum. We were on a pretty good roll there. We have still been practicing, but because we’re not getting those games in, that doesn’t get us ready for this game,” Morissette said The Red Hawks mustered a comeback, with Braedon Robinson and Reese Casey scoring in the first and second period, respectively, to tie the game 2-2.

But Holy Cross stormed back quickly, scoring two goals less than a minute apart to go to the second intermission up 4-2. Holy Cross would seal the game midway through the third period, going up 5-2 with 7:36 left to go. The Red Hawks would receive three late powerplays but could not muster any more offence.

“Our powerplay was not in-sync,” Morissette said. “They’re frustrated … Leaders want to lead, and they want to make a difference, so sometimes they try to do too much themselves.”

After the loss, the Red Hawks find themselves with a 4-5-1 record, good for seventh in the 13-team league. Morissette said they would qualify for playoffs, but they will not be able to play a road game unless circumstances with the school board or labour action change. They would need a top-3 finish to secure a home playoff round, which is no longer possible, with just one game remaining.

Morissette said breaking the news to the team about the chance of playoff cancellation was difficult.

“It’s difficult, the look on their faces,” he said. “You never know what’s going to happen. You have to stay optimistic and positive. That’s all you can do.”

He added the team still relishes the chance to play the strong 7-1 St. Peter’s Saints in Haliburton for their last game of the season, Feb. 19 at 4 p.m.

In an interview before their game against Holy Cross, defenceman Isaac Little said the team would take everything out of its final two regular-season games as it could.

“I’m pretty proud of what the team accomplished this year,” he said. “We all saw the team improve a lot from the start of the season.”

Schmale talks network improvements, taxes with local businesses

By

Lisa Gervais

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February 17, 2020

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JQ - Schmale talke - 1-web — Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce executive director Jennifer Locke introduces Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MP Jamie Schmale during a chamber connect event Feb. 11. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce members grilled Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MP Jamie Schmale for progress on topics ranging from housing to connectivity Feb. 11.

Schmale, who was re-elected in last fall’s election, fielded questions during a chamber breakfast held at Camp Medeba, addressing subjects on the minds of business owners.

When asked, he spoke at length about the issue of internet and cellular connectivity. Schmale has helped push for federal dollars to come to the $213 million Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) project to improve coverage in the area. The project has now been in the works for several months but there is no firm timeline for its completion.

“I know many of you in this area are going without,” Schmale said. “I know it isn’t great. The going forward is how do we stop this piecemeal improvement scale that seems to be happening in many areas, especially rural Canada.”

When asked how people could support and press for better internet infrastructure, Schmale said the County of Haliburton is working hard to push that message.

“The conversation needs to happen on a grassroots level. That’s something I’m advocating for on your behalf,” Schmale said. “I know everyone’s being patient but at some point, your patience wears out.”

Chamber executive director Jennifer Locke also raised issues the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has with the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA). She said the national chamber seeks a service delivery audit of the CRA to address communications problems and other issues.

Schmale said most of the calls his constituency office deals with are CRA complaints and he supports changing it.

“The tax system needs a review,” Schmale said. “If I had my way and I was king, you would have a flat tax, at least at a federal level, and make it fairly simple for you. I don’t think I’m going to get my wish.”

He added his party has had conversations about a large tax review, though those have not stretched on the other side of the aisle.

Dysart et al Mayor Andrea Roberts asked about federal help for the housing problem. She described her daughter posting a place for rent in the area and getting inundated with more than 100 requests including plenty of qualified, working people.

“The municipalities can’t take it (housing) on by themselves,” Roberts said, adding it is harmful to employers trying to attract candidates. “Housing becomes a stumbling block and they can’t find people to come to the area because that person can’t find accommodation.”

Schmale said all levels of government have a role to play. He further said the conditions need to improve to get private developers to build needed rental units.

“Nobody’s going to build rental units if they can’t make a profit. It’s just the way it is, and the government can’t do everything because there’s not enough money,” Schmale said. “We need to ensure the conditions are right … Otherwise, those on the lower end will continue to get squeezed out or live in terrible conditions.”