Fear not the answer to crime

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November 8, 2019

“What is the world coming to?”

Any time we cover a serious police story, at least one person will ask this question. The nature of the crime – or whether it is a crime at all – need not apply. This news gets people worried about what is happening in their communities and that is understandable.

But context is always vital. We must work to understand the context before having a knee-jerk response about the state of crime in a community. If we do not, our response may be lacking or outright incorrect.

These past two weeks, we have reported on more police news than usual. OPP arrested three people in a multijurisdictional drug ring. A body was found in a sunken truck. Some person(s) stole from the Gooderham fire hall and Parkside Laundry in Haliburton. These stories can be startling. They impact people and places we care about. They might make us afraid and leave us wanting to increase security. They could make us question our idyllic perceptions of the County of Haliburton.

In context, however, they can be less scary than they appear. The death of a person in the truck is tragic, but not criminal. A theft targeting a fire hall is terrible, but the damage was at least relatively minor and a stolen ATV was recovered. A drug-ring is concerning, but police are addressing it with some success getting stolen goods back.

Even the two reported homicides this past summer, though frightening, may not be indicative of a larger trend.

Crime is no stranger to Haliburton, which is not good, but also means it is not as unusual at it can seem. Police departments are not necessarily consistent in what information they release to the public, particularly if they lack staffing. There is plenty of crime that the public is not made aware of, which is worrisome, but may also make a week like this less alarming. We also tend not to hear about when cases get solved, which could bring some relief.

It is our job to provide that greater context and it is something we will work to do.
It is worth noting though crime rates have increased over the past four years nationally, Canada’s crime severity index was still 15 per cent lower in 2018 than it was a decade ago.

None of this is to say we should not heed reports of crime in the community. Victims should be helped. We should also look for ways to address thefts and drug crime, whether that be through law enforcement, security or government initiatives. We must also always strive to tackle the roots of crime, such as poverty.

But think critically and avoid being consumed by dour news. Be mindful of what you do not know before leaping to conclusions. It is all too easy to be fearful when this information reaches our ears, but reports of crime do not mean Haliburton has lost its way. They do not mean you are unsafe.

Thieves take ATV and candy from fire hall

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Lisa Gervais

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November 7, 2019

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JQ - Fire hall theft - 1 - web — District 3 fire chief Brian Horner stands next to a rescue ATV in the Gooderham fire hall. The ATV was stolen but later recovered by firefighters. Photo by Joseph Quigley.

Thieves stole a rescue ATV, Halloween candy, fundraiser meat and inflicted damage at the Gooderham Fire Station around Oct. 27.

Highlands East acting fire chief Chris Baughman confirmed someone entered the station Oct. 27 or early the next morning. They took several items, including a 2004 Arctic Cat ATV, $110 in Halloween candy and $200 worth of meat for fundraising barbecues. There were also minor scratches to a trailer, snowmobile and pumper.

Firefighters located and recovered the stolen ATV Nov. 3. But district fire chief Brian Horner said he questions why someone would target the hall.

“I understand people steal stuff, but a fire hall? That serves your community, that probably serves you?” Horner said. “It’s the community’s four-wheeler for helping them. I just don’t understand why they would take something like that from a fire hall.”

Horner said the ATV gets used to reach people in need out in the brush. He added firefighters got a tip about its location and contacted OPP before recovering it without altercation.

“Nice that we got it back and hopefully we can serve the community better,” Horner said.

Firefighter Michael Purdon said he was the first person into the hall after the theft.

“It’s pretty sad when you think, we use this equipment if somebody’s got a life-threatening (situation), or are out in the middle of nowhere, and we need to get to them,” Purdon said, adding the conversation about it was heated among firefighters. “The guys were pretty steamed about it.”

The perpetrators also broke the hall’s pop machine, rummaged through Horner’s office and damaged its door.

“Nobody likes to be broken into,” Horner said.

Firefighters hand out the Halloween candy to kids out of their trucks in the centre of Gooderham. The candy was replaced in time for the event.

“I sort of was more mad the Halloween candy for the kids was stolen, than the four-wheeler (ATV) because of insurance and everything,” Horner said.

Haliburton Highlands OPP is investigating the incident.

Elementary teachers support strike threat

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 5, 2019

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Members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) have given their central bargaining team a strike mandate, with 98 per cent voting in favour.

The ETFO announced the results Nov. 1, encompassing 83,000 members including teachers, occasional teachers and designated early childhood educators. In separate votes, teachers plus occupational teachers and education workers each gave 98 per cent support. The votes occurred in boards across the province in September and October, including for Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) in Lindsay Oct. 16.

ETFO TLDSB local teacher representative Karen Bratina said she is pleased by the results.

“A 98 per cent strike mandate should make this government stand up and listen,” Bratina said. “This mandate demonstrates solidarity among teachers across this province and proves that Ontario teachers are solidly behind ETFO.”

A local breakdown of central strike voting was not made available.

ETFO president Sam Hammond said at a Nov. 1 press conference members have concerns going unaddressed by the province in negotiations, including a lack of frontline supports for special needs students, class sizes, violence in elementary schools and possible program cuts.

“All we have received are evasive non-answers, so we’ve moved forward with the legal avenues,” Hammond said. “Our members are overwhelmingly behind their central bargaining team and expect, absolutely expect, the government to get serious at the bargaining table.”

The organization is not yet taking job action and Hammond did not provide any timelines for when such an action might occur. But the vote enables ETFO to possibly proceed with central strike action at a later date.

Minister of Education Stephen Lecce said in a Nov. 1 statement the government has been a “reasonable and constructive force at the bargaining table.”

“ETFO has taken another escalating step towards a strike which will disproportionately hurt our kids,” Lecce said. “I support a deal, not a strike. Our team remains unequivocal in our determination to land a deal with our labour partners as soon as possible to keep kids in our classroom.”

ETFO has asked for a “no board” report from the Minister of Labour after a conciliation meeting Nov. 4. The report is another step toward a strike, with the union able to enter one on the 17^th day after the report is released.

“It became apparent that the government and school board agencies were not interested in arriving at a fair settlement,” ETFO said in a press release.

Hammond has said the province asked ETFO to find $150 million in cuts in concessions in their collective agreement.

“ETFO will not consider funding cuts for elementary programs in the system,” Hammond said. “Funding to elementary classrooms and schools, elementary programs, needs to be and must be enhanced.”

Haliburton legion recognizes Netherlands liberation with tulips

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 4, 2019

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JQ - Remembrance Day tulips - 2-web — Left to right: Carolyn Langdon, Lynn Pitman and Winnie Kasepchuk plant a new tulip garden at the cenotaph Oct. 23.

The efforts of Canadians to liberate the Nazi-occupied Netherlands 75 years ago will be recognized with the blossoming of tulips in Haliburton next year.

The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 129 Haliburton is taking part in the Liberation75 celebration and planted a new tulip garden at the Haliburton cenotaph Oct. 23. The initiative from the National Capital Commission, the Canadian Tulip Festival and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands aims to have 1.1 million Liberation75 tulips blossom across Canada this spring, one for every Canadian who served during the Second World War.

Public relations officer Linda Heeps said it is good for a small community such as Haliburton to be recognized as part of a larger national effort.

“So, when they say where the bulb is planted, Haliburton is on that map,” Heeps said. “I just think it’s nice Haliburton does their part to respect what happened in the past and we’re part of the bigger picture.”

The tulip tradition began at the end of the Second World War after Canadian forces fought to liberate the Netherlands between 1944 and 1945. Princess Julianna gifted 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canadians for their role. The country has gifted Canada 20,000 tulips every year since then.

Dysart et al permitted the legion to plant a garden at the cenotaph, which features 75 tulip and 40 purple Grape Hyacinth bulbs. Heeps said she originally wanted to have the garden outside the legion, but there were fears they would be ruined by deer which frequent the area.

To prevent that by the cenotaph, Heeps said the garden will have repellent regularly applied.

“Hopefully, the deer will be kind enough to leave them alone,” she said.

A white stone was placed in front of the garden, with a ceremony planned for the spring when the flowers blossom.

But the tulips will grow beyond the legion’s garden project. The Liberation75 initiative is offering bulbs for purchase by private citizens as well.

Local Jim Frost has ordered the tulips to add to his own garden. He said it was good for any Canadian citizen to take advantage of.

“This was a wonderful thing,” Frost said. “The relationship between Canada and Holland is wonderful and I just think we should be involved in helping celebrate.”

Tulips are still available for sale at liberation75.ca at 15 bulbs for $15, which come directly from Holland. For every bag sold, $1 will go to the Royal Canadian Legion while the remainder will support the Canadian Tulip Festival.

Heeps said she plans for the new tulip garden to become a permanent fixture.

“I plan for that garden to be there forever,” Heeps said. “Once the bulbs are established, they’ll just keep growing.”

JDH students prove inspirational at variety show

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 4, 2019

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JQ - Variety show - 5-web — Annabelle Borgdorff sings “Umbrella” by Rihanna. Photo by Joseph Quigley

J. Douglas Hodgson Elementary School students put on a friendly display of talent at the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion with a 16-act variety show Oct. 24.

Dozens of students took the stage to sing, dance, act and even balance brooms in front of their families and other community members. The show was themed around friendship.

French immersion teacher Elizabeth Gordon said the school wanted to do another performance for the community after the success of its Honk Jr. musical in June.

“We wanted to give them another chance to shine on the stage and keep the high energy in the community,” Gordon said.

The acts came quickly throughout the hour-long show, featuring a range of both solo and group performances. Student Annabelle Borgdorff performed “Umbrella,” by Rihanna, complete with rain boots and an umbrella. She said she was nervous preparing but that changed once she got on stage.

“I am less nervous on stage in front of a whole bunch of people. So, I love performing, it just makes me really happy,” she said. “I love having people see what I can do.”

Freyja Neimann Rowe performed a dance routine alongside Ella Gervais and said it was a fun show to be part of.

“I like performing with my friends and being in front of a bunch of people,” Rowe said. The show finished with all of the acts taking to the stage for a big group dance.

Gordon said the students were eager to put on the show, displaying talents they practice outside of a school setting. That made the event easier to put on compared to a rehearsed musical.

“It just creates an excitement,” Gordon said. “I think doing some things through their schools helps them shine.

“We had an amazing audience turnout and the kids were high energy the whole time and performed the best I’ve ever seen them,” she added.

A declaration by any other name

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 4, 2019

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Is an emergency declaration by another name as impactful?

The answer appears to be “not quite,” based on some of the comments after county council opted not to declare a climate change emergency. Councillors said the timing was too soon, given their climate change plan is a way from completion. But the resolution they did pass fully recognizes climate change and its harms, as well as committing to address the issue.

Proving their ignorance, some deniers felt vindicated by the headline, not reading beyond it. Despite that, the resolution amounts to the same ongoing actions an emergency declaration would instigate. That’s fine as long as it’s not a sign of future hesitancy.

As a reporter, I do believe words matter and the county’s fearfulness here counts for something. It matters to both the deniers and the environmentalists. But the formality of a declaration now is not a big deal, considering the county already fully recognizes the issue and is working to address it. They will probably make the declaration
when they have a plan ready.

Declaring a climate change emergency would make no difference to what they are doing. Though the message would have been stronger, the declaration is unlikely to sway deniers. It amounts to little more than preaching to most of us who are already in the choir.

But what is cause for concern is the prevailing attitude of our leaders to take small steps, when the time for giant leaps is upon us.

There was no good reason not to declare an emergency. Climate change is undeniable and it’s a declaration hundreds of jurisdictions have already made. It would not have necessarily bound the municipality to any actions beyond what they are already doing. These declarations are important symbolic gestures but are not burdensome to places already committed to fighting climate change such as Haliburton.

Despite that, county council did a lot of hand-wringing about it. It is not unlike when Dysart et al council decided to delay banning Hydro One from using the toxic chemical Garlon for more than a year to give the company time to find alternatives.

But the municipality was well within its authority to implement the ban quickly and Hydro One is big enough to deal with that. The delay was unnecessary, as shown by how quickly Dysart council reinstated the ban, caving to pressure by cottagers.

Governments tend to change slowly. In most cases, it makes some sense. Checks and balances are important. The public should have the opportunity to give feedback, especially on big decisions.

But those important mechanisms are part of why governments have struggled so much with climate change. They were slow to fully recognize it, slow to start addressing it and are now slow in bringing in the radical changes needed. These changes and plans should have begun decades ago.

Major transformation takes time. But where climate change is concerned, we do not have much more time to give.

When it really counts, I hope our leaders are more willing to take bold stances in future.

Police charge three in drug ring investigation

By

Lisa Gervais

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November 1, 2019

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OPP-web — Police have arrested three people in connection with an ongoing investigation into a theft and drug ring. File photo.

Haliburton Highlands OPP has laid a total of 21 charges against three people as part of an ongoing investigation into a theft and drug ring.

In a Nov. 1 press release, Haliburton Highlands OPP said detectives with its community street crime unit are investigating suspects in a multi-jurisdictional theft and drug operation.

Police arrested and charged three locals in connection with the investigation so far.

“Since September 2019, police have been piecing together information regarding thefts and drugs connecting Haliburton County, Muskoka and Bancroft areas,” the press release said.

Police have also recovered items as part of the investigation, including skid steers, trailers, boats and snowmobiles.

The press release said the 38-year-old Sean Peter Martin of Minden Hills has been charged with two counts of possessing a prohibited weapon, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and three counts of possessing a controlled substance – two for codeine, one for cocaine.

The 42-year-old David Jonathan Mongrain of Dysart et al is charged with two counts of theft under $5,000, four counts of theft over $5,000, possessing property obtained by crime under $5,000, possessing property obtained by crime over $5,000 and possessing a controlled substance (cocaine).

The 28-year-old Shelby Lorraine Montgomery of Minden Hills was charged with two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon, possessing property obtained by crime over $5,000 and three counts of possessing a controlled substance – two for codeine, one for cocaine.

Police said the accused are scheduled to make separate first appearances at the Ontario Court of Justice in Lindsay.

Anyone with information about the thefts or suspects involved with the ring is asked to contact the Haliburton Highlands OPP detachment at (705)286-1431 or the provincial communication centre at (888)-310-1222. You can also contact Crime Stoppers at (800)-222-8477 or www.ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

Gooderham residents uncle survived tragedy

By

Lisa Gervais

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October 31, 2019

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LG-JIFF follow up .jpg WEB — Brendan Fletcher, left, plays Arthur Lambden in the film.

Gooderham’s Marilyn Rowe plans to be front and centre during Sunday’s screening of Haliburton International Film Festival’s Brotherhood. Her uncle, Arthur H. Lambden, was one of only four survivors of the 1926 canoe tragedy on Balsam Lake that claimed the lives of 11.

Lambden was one of the camp directors who set out with the boys from the Brotherhood of St. Andrew’s in Toronto in a war canoe destined for Coboconk. However, a freak storm came up and capsized the boat.

Rowe said Lambden, who passed away in 1989 at the age of 92, “hated to talk about” the events of that harrowing day and night but did, and “it was a family conversation all the time, we always reflect on this.”

The Highlands East resident said she did her own research at Trinity College in Galt, Ontario and attended an 80th anniversary commemorative mass in Kirkfield in 2006. She also has her uncle’s memoirs, which detail the event, including them all hanging on to the gunwales.

“He told me he went under [the water] three times. The third time he saw St. Peter at the gate. He said, ‘I told him I did not want to enter’.” Rowe said Lambden struggled to find the courage to fight and survived.

According to a story in the Toronto Star at the time, Lambden is quoted as saying, “The boys dropped off one by one as their strength failed them. They went to their death without a whimper and to the last unselfishly trying to help the other fellow.”

Rowe said her uncle’s faith got him through the ordeal and his faith helped him in the aftermath of the tragedy for the rest of his life.

Rowe described her uncle as a “phenomenal person … he was a marvelous person all through his life.” She added “he was very athletic, and a brilliant person, who had been invited to go to Cambridge.”

She said she wants to see the film as, “I am interested to see how people who were not involved in it have taken on that story.”

In addition to Brotherhood – which is also being shown Saturday with director Richard Bell in attendance as well as some cast members – the lineup has another seven films over the Nov. 1-3 weekend.

Celebrating community

HIFF spokeswoman Tammy Rea said, “Sometimes we don’t know what the theme of HIFF is until we are half-way through, but this year it was quite clear. Through these seven films we are celebrating community – our community – our connection to each other, whether we are family, neighbours, or sharing a lake. Here, we are a community where a firefighter, EMS paramedic, or police officer has a good chance of knowing the person they are helping.”

Rea said they love hosting HIFF because it is an intimate journey through seven films with 220 of their closest friends.

“This year, as our patrons will see, Canadian films have come of age and we are excited to be showing four. The first is a comedy for the whole family and the last is a drama about recluses who enjoy living in nature. Antigone is Canada’s entry to the Oscars for best foreign language film, and Saturday night is a powerful drama about a canoe accident on Balsam Lake in 1926 that a lot are really looking forward to.”

She said the community theme will be obvious on screen and also in their lobby with the Lions Club providing snacks for the event.

“Stories move us with their intimacies and vulnerabilities. They help us empathize. HIFF has been a wonderful weekend full of a wide array of emotions and this just may be why people line up and want to be part of it,” Rea said.

For more on this weekend’s HIFF, see Haliburton-movies.com

Walking the line between beauty and destruction

By

Lisa Gervais

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October 31, 2019

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LG-agnes jamieson artist 1.jpg WEB — Artist Julie Sperling stands with her Pangea artwork at the Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden.

A mosaic artist, who “moonlights” as a public servant with Environment and Climate Change Canada, has brought the latest exhibition to the Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden.

Julie Sperling’s “By Our Own Hands” is a commentary on the Anthropocene era, “where humans are the driving force now shaping the planet … not in a good way,” she said during an artist’s talk last Friday night.

Mosaic artists traditionally use stone, glass and ceramics in their work, but Sperling said she likes to forage for contemporary materials. They tie in well with her climate change-themed work.

“Anything is fair game for me … it could be my recycling bin, it could be the side of the street, it could be the lakeshore. That I find much more inspiring than going to the store and buying a tile or going to the store and buying a marble,” she said.

She incorporates her finds into her mosaics along with traditional materials. For example, one work features an upside-down whale skeleton made completely of plastic and a bit of a can of spam.

Her main piece, which looks like Pangea (pictured above) is made of pieces contributed from people around the world. She said the intent was to get people to share things of significance to them because she wanted to “talk about those relationships and social bonds to help us weather what’s coming for us.”

Because of the detail in each work, Sperling said people like to spend time with her mosaics. She said her superpower is that, “I can make you slow down and interact with it. I get to create things for you to explore on so many different levels.”

She added that because she knows people spend time with her work and that it covers important subjects, “I try to walk this line between beauty and destruction. And I try not to be to be too aggressive in my work. I don’t want to turn you off, I want to draw you into this calm looking piece until you really interact with it and you realize something is a little amiss, a little bit kind of unsettling. That’s the tension I try to create and where we can have some interesting conversations.”

Gallery curator Laurie Carmount said, “There’s just so much more going on with them … and I think people are really taken by them.”

More time to share the warmth as campaign extended

By

Lisa Gervais

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October 31, 2019

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LG-share the warmth 1 - horizontal.jpg WEB — Margee Shelly stands amidst winter clothing and apparel at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Minden.

Margee Shelly stands in St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Minden, surrounded by winter clothing. There are coats, boots, toques and mitts. There are also lined pants, snow pants and warm wooly sweaters.

She’d just as soon see the room empty, though.

The SIRCH program co-ordinator is in the middle of not just clothes, but the annual Share the Warmth campaign. An initiative of SIRCH Community Services, it helps families and seniors stay warm all winter by distributing free coats and winter outerwear.

Organizers announced last week that the collection period has been extended to Nov. 11. They’ve already had two giveaway days, last Thursday in Minden and this past Saturday in Haliburton.

“It’s been on and off,” Shelly told The Highlander on Oct. 24. “Quite a bit is going out the door, actually. There’s families picking up things for other families, for friends, or sisters or other kids so this is fabulous.”

She said that up to now, they haven’t received as many children’s coats and accessories as they’d like, but she’s also aware that local families often swap clothing.

However, she is putting out a call for more donated children’s clothing and boots. She added they’ll take anything, always looking for various sizes. They also want snow pants. But, “We will take anything that’s meant for winter.”

A woman strolls up with a bag full of items.“I’ve got two coats, nine socks and two mitts,” the woman says. “Thank you.” As Shelly writes the items in a ledger, she tells the woman to “take a coffee or hot chocolate if you want.”

Shelly says the reaction to the giveaway has been very positive.

She said two couples showed up at 9 a.m. with big families with children and grandchildren.

“The one particular couple, the gentleman who came in, he was over the moon, ‘oh my goodness, thank you so much’.”

Another woman strolls up and says, “I think a lot of people have a hard time coming,” due to stigma. She knew of a family in need so came to shop for them.

If you would like to contribute, bring clean, gently used coats and outerwear to Haliburton Foodland, Todd’s Independent, Algonquin Outfitters, or SIRCH (49 Maple Ave., second floor).

You can also drop off your items in Minden at Dollo’s Foodland, Easton’s ValuMart and St. Paul’s Anglican Church.

Items are being accepted until Nov. 11.

In addition, two more giveaway days will take place in November (dates and locations to be announced). For more information call SIRCH at 705-457-1742.