Planning and preparation for a 47-unit student residence in Haliburton’s Glebe Park is almost complete, with a member of Fleming College’s senior administration saying he expects to break ground on the project this fall.

Drew Van Parys, executive vice president of corporate services and marketing at Fleming, which operates the Haliburton School of Art + Design, said the $16 million build has been supported by the college’s board of governors and is pending provincial approval.

“We’re ready to go. Once we get the go-ahead to invest the funds, we’ll have a formal groundbreaking. We expect the approval will be straightforward and are hoping to hear back in the next 60 to 90 days,” Van Parys said. “In the meantime, there will be some activity on campus starting within the next month as we begin some of the staging work.”

The project has been in the works for years and was brought to the public in 2021, when college staff approached Dysart et al township about building on a 3.7-acre plot in the park. The project was supported by the municipality in March 2022, with Dysart donating the land.

Phase one will feature two, three-storey buildings, containing 47 units, Van Parys said. There will be one-bedroom and two-bedroom options, with each unit fitted with a bathroom and small kitchenette. Van Parys said some of the ground level suites will be accessible for people with disabilities.

Residences ready for 2025

Fleming is anticipating a one-year construction window, with occupancy January 2025.

“It’s great news for students, it’s great news for Fleming College, and it’s great news for Haliburton. While 47 beds doesn’t sound like much, it’s going to have a definite impact on the total inventory of spaces available in the County,” Van Parys said.

Dysart et al mayor Murray Fearrey agreed, saying this news was a “big win” for the community.

“Having these units here, it’ll create a lot of rental space in the community that was being taken up by students. It’s going to have a positive impact on housing in Haliburton, no question about it,” Fearrey said. “With this investment, Fleming College is going to be a long-term player in Haliburton, and I’m grateful for that.”

The mayor said he’d like to see the college supplement its arts programming with offerings in other areas, such as the trades. He said he’s talked to Fleming College staff, including new dean Xavier Massé, about expanding the school’s portfolio.

“I think you’re going to see a change. The arts are wonderful, and the college brings a lot of people to our community, but if we can have a mix that benefits our community… and opens more career opportunities for people, I think that would be a good thing,” Fearrey said.

Van Parys was non-committal when asked about specific programs, but noted Fleming is working on a revitalization strategy for the Haliburton campus, which he said includes the possibility of new programming. Once the new student residence is online, he said the campus would also be offering corporate retreats and arts-based conferences.

Phase 2 and 3 delayed

Van Parys said a second and third phase, which would bring two further buildings and 47 additional units, has been shelved.

“We’re not considering that at this time. We’ll see how this project goes, but that is not in our immediate planning window,” he said. “Hopefully, demand and growth will drive the need for that phase sooner rather than later.” Fleming president, Maureen Adamson, told Dysart council last year the three-phase development, totalling more than 90 units, was a major part of the institution’s longterm plans in Haliburton.

Fearrey said he wasn’t worried about Fleming backtracking on phases two and three.

“The cost of building has gone through the roof since they committed to this. There are projected costs the college had and I’m sure they had to look at it and figure out what to do,” Fearrey said. “The demand also needs to be there. So, build the first phase, see how it goes, and go from there. That’s a reasonable business approach.”

Walking through the hallway of the Wilberforce Red Cross Outpost, volunteer Linda Cameron can almost feel 101 years of history reverberating around the building’s interior walls.

A member of the Wilberforce Heritage Guild, Cameron and the rest of the small team have made it their mission in recent years to maintain and promote the historic site, which is located along Loop Road, a short walk from the hamlet’s downtown. The facility lays claim to a unique piece of provincial history, being the first designated Red Cross outpost in Ontario.

It was established in February 1922 following the efforts of Alfred Schofield, an inspector for the Children’s Aid Society. The situation was quite desperate at the time, Cameron said.

“This was a poor area, and the community was hit hard this one year – a mother died, and four or five children. It was devastating, so Schofield approached the Red Cross in Toronto to see what could be done to improve health care in the region. They agreed to send a nurse and some equipment on the provision the locals come up with a space, keep the nurses and look after them.”

That sparked the formation of the Monmouth Charitable Association. They first rented the building, which had served as a private residence since its construction in 1916, and furnished it. The first nurse, Josephine Jackson, arrived in February 1922.

Cameron said Jackson and the dozens of other nurses who worked in the area until the Red Cross suspended operations in 1959 maintained meticulous records, which helps paint a picture of what life was like for a primary health care worker in the first half of the century.

“When the girls first arrived, there was no running water, no electricity, very few running cars. They serviced an area of 20 sq. kilometres, so any time they went out and made a home visit, or had to bring someone back to the outpost, it was a long haul,” Cameron said. “They used snowshoes, travelled on horseback, dogsleds, and did an awful lot of walking. They did whatever it took.”

Journals kept by Jackson and others, such as Gertrude LeRoy Miller, means there’s record of cases dating back almost 100 years. Holding an invoice, Cameron said patients were usually charged for service. In 1932, following the birth of a child, the mother and baby spent 10 days at the outpost. The mother was charged $1.75 per day, with the baby charged 90 cents per day. The total bill for delivery was $26.50, which was paid in installments over six months by the father.

“We are so fortunate all this stuff was maintained. And it’s available for anybody to look through,” Cameron said.

On top of providing emergency care, the nurses also conducted routine school checkups. They also taught first aid, effective child care techniques, and Red Cross courses to locals.

The building

The outpost has seen a lot of work over the past 20 years, with the guild eager to ensure it’s in good enough condition to support visitors. The volunteer group assumed responsibility of the space in 1991, fought off plans to demolish it and restored it as a museum. The building was designated as a national historic site of Canada in 2003.

Off the main entrance, to the left, is the nurse’s office, which has been retrofitted to resemble what the space looked like in its heyday. There’s a vintage desk, bed, and various tools and items, many of which Cameron said have been donated to the guild over the years. On the right side of the building is a patient room, kitted with more historic memorabilia.

Down the hall is a display room, with timelines and photos recognizing every nurse on record who served the Wilberforce community. Among the many items showcased is a handmade quilt, made by the mother of the first baby born in the outpost. There are old surgical instruments, outdated equipment such as a violet ray generator that Cameron said was believed to cure issues such as dandruff, hair loss, and obesity but have since been debunked, and other things the guild is still working to identify.

The kitchen is to receive a facelift this year and will serve as a revolving display, Cameron said, featuring old cookbooks, aprons and oil lamps.

The three upstairs rooms will feature displays and timelines looking at the history of Wilberforce township, the various organizations that have existed over the years, and a commemoration of Dr. Jacob Neelands, credited as being one of the first dentists for introducing laughing gas during procedures to reduce pain.

A celebration

The guild is hosting a 101st anniversary celebration at the outpost Aug. 15. Locals are invited to take in a tour of the building, and enjoy complimentary hot dogs, corn roast and homemade cakes. Cameron said there will also be a draw, with the winner receiving a handmade quilt.

Jill Lee, whose mother, Sylvia Battersby, served as a nurse at the outpost, said the guild was looking for new members to help keep the historic site going. The group currently has 38 lifetime members, with around half of those active contributors. A lifetime membership costs $25.

“It’s our intent to acknowledge the women who worked here and the things they went through, how they survived, and how important they were to the community. Without them, there was no health care in Wilberforce,” Cameron said. “We do our best to commemorate this space and the women who utilized it. This space has a rich history, and the only way to maintain that is to keep the doors open.”

The outpost is currently open six days a week, Wednesday to Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The 101st anniversary celebration Aug. 15 will begin at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit redcrossoutpost.org.

Rotaract Haliburton Highlands hosted the 50th Highland Yard at the River Cone in Minden Aug. 6 with the bulk of funds going to Places for People. This year, more than 180 participants showed up to run/walk either the 2k, 5k or 10k.

The Highland Yard started in 1971 and has currently raised more than $200,000, with more than 5,000 participants.

P4P provides safe, affordable, and supportive housing for families and individuals at risk of homelessness in the HIghlands. All of the money raised at this year’s event goes towards supporting the community of Haliburton, with 90 per cent helping P4P in lowering mortgage and maintenance costs and purchasing additional properties. The remaining 10 per cent is for supporting Rotaract Haliburton Highlands in community service initiatives.

This year saw some talented runners and very close races. The overall top male ages 1-98 for the 2k walk/run was Taine Buckmaster with a time of 8:35. The overall top female ages 1-98 for the 2k walk/run was Angela Vahamaki with a time of 8:40. In the 5k run, the overall top male ages 1-98 was William Dowling with a time of 27:51, the top female for the 5k was Kelly Doyle with a time of 20:06. For the 10k run, the top overall male for this race was Duncan Andrews with a time of 35:40 and the top overall female was Emily Walter with a time of 44:41. Winners for each category were awarded a medal and a handcrafted mug.

For more information on the Highland Yard, Rotaract, and Places for People: highlandyard.ca/abouthighlandyard

The 17th annual Tour De Forest took place this past weekend, Aug. 5-6, with 25 artists at 12 studios.

Locations ranged all over Haliburton County, easily accessible via the map located on the Tour De Forest website.

This year, there were many new artists along with some veterans who have been participating in the tour for more than 15 years.

The Artbyhart Studio along Hwy. 21 showcased Barbara Hart, Heather Salzman and Lorne Hamilton. “Some of my paintings resemble ponds and lakes and I also have an art collection of ice huts and winter themes,” said Hart, who has been with the tour 11 years.

Glass Eagle Studios along Blairhampton Road, featured artwork by Tom Green, Fernando Diaz de Leon Rendon, James Goodliff and Donna Both. Goodliff said, “I focus on oil paintings mostly and my artwork is inspired by the area surrounding us (Haliburton County).” Goodliff has been with the tour 17 years.

At BGArtworks studio along Bethel Road, Benjamin Gerrooir said, “my art is inspired by colour and travelling. Whenever I travel anywhere, I take a ton of photos for reference. Recently, I’ve been very interested in the Arizona type of artwork.”

This was his first year with the tour and he talked about how he has been doing art for a very long time but has never shown it until now. A lot of his artwork is inspired by different landscapes out west, along with landscapes in and around the Highlands.

For more information on the 2023 Tour De Forest and all 25 artists: haliburtontourdeforest.com/

The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT) has announced that Rick Whitteker will be its new Partners in Conservation (PIC) coordinator.

Whitteker’s role will support private landowners who have joined the PIC program, and raise the program’s profile in hopes of recruiting more conservation partners, the HHLT said in a recent media release.

Whitteker has lived in Haliburton County since 1997, originally working for Haliburton Forest as an outdoor educator. He followed that with 15 years at Fleming College as a faculty and coordinator of the Outdoor and Adventure Education program.

Whitteker said, “for many years, I have enjoyed the outdoors recreationally and as a guide, interpreter, writer, and educator. The PIC coordinator position is a great opportunity to give back to nature by supporting private landowner conservation efforts. I am especially excited to be involved in HHLT’s local conservation effort called the Highlands Corridor.”

Shelley Hunt, chair of HHLT, added, “we’re delighted to have Rick fulfill this important role. His experience and enthusiasm for the Highlands Corridor project will help attract further partners in conservation.”

The position will be funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Schad Foundation.

The corridor covers approximately 100,000 hectares and connects three provincial parks in Ontario: Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands, just south of Minden, Kawartha Highlands in northern Peterborough County, and Silent Lake in Highlands East.

The Land Trust says biodiversity is rich in the corridor, with 40 species at risk, 25 provincially-significant species and 43 regionally-rare species. Wetland representation is high at 17.9 per cent, including 4,800 hectares of provinciallysignificant wetlands.

The HHLT is seeking protection of the unceded Crown land within the corridor (60,000 ha.) as a conservation reserve, with the goal of protecting species at risk, providing a natural wildlife corridor, protecting wetland habitats, increasing biodiversity, and strengthening climate change resiliency.

The Land Trust added the PIC program targets landowners committed to landscape conservation with properties that strategically bridge gaps between fragmented Crown land within the corridor. The program provides a property tax incentive for a 10-year term through enrollment in Ontario’s Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program, assisting landowners in developing management plans with objectives of enhancing environmental protection and wildlife habitat.

“The PIC program has been very successful with a current portfolio of 1,740 ha of private land supporting the conservation effort,” the Land Trust said.

For more information on the Land Trust and the PIC program, go to haliburtonlandtrust.ca or email info@ haliburtonlandtrust.ca.

It’s a new era at Miner’s Bay Lodge, the historic 55-acre vacation site that has been welcoming guests to Haliburton County for more than a century.

Boasting 28 cottages, 85 trailer sites, a primary lodge building and several other structures, such as a store and dining room, the business is home to between 300 and 500 people during the peak summer months.

General manager, Darren Powers, said the unique space has been a return destination for families for generations.

“A lot of our business here comes from repeat guests – that probably accounts for 85 per cent of our bookings. We had some guests in July who are on their sixth generation vacationing here. This is very much somewhere people come, keep coming back, and then their children come, and their children’s children come,” Powers said.

Such is the connection guests feel to the property, and the area, a group of 26 repeat vacationers came together to purchase the lodge in 2018 from Russ and Dorothy Wunker. While it’s been a difficult few years, particularly during the pandemic, Powers, who joined the operation in 2021, said business is now booming.

A big reason for that, he said, is a recent change that has opened Miner’s Bay Lodge up to the Highlands community. Starting this year, locals can swing by the dining room, located along Hwy. 35, for meals prepared by a new, five-star chef. Powers said he hosted 104 people for a free dinner in May to launch the service.

“We’re trying to branch out and build relationships. This is such a unique place, we want to introduce as many people as possible to the things we’re doing. There’s always lots going on at the lodge,” he said, noting the store, and kitchen, also offer delivery to nearby cottagers and homeowners.

The kitchen is open seven days a week from noon until 8:30 p.m.

Powers said Miner’s Bay Lodge is also opening itself for private bookings, such as weddings, birthday parties, youth groups, and couples’ retreats.

The most significant change though, Powers notes, is to the lodge’s season. Typically open for 10 weeks during the summer, the facility will be open for 40 weeks starting this year.

“We opened on Jan. 1 and had people here until March break. Then we kicked off the summer season over the May 24 long weekend, and have bookings right through until Thanksgiving,” Powers said. “I have a five-year plan for this place, and the first step was opening it up for longer. It’s too good a spot to sit empty.”

In the name of giving back, Powers kickstarted a ‘Make a Wish’ style program this year that provided free holidays to two families from the London area. He wants to do more of that in the future.

“They were free, no strings attached vacations for families who never would have had the chance to do something like this. The first was for a 16-year-old girl who has cancer and needs to get a bone marrow transplant, so we wanted to do something nice for her and her family,” Powers said.

“This is a very special place to me – I’ve been coming here every year since I was two months old. Now, I work here because I believe in what it stands for, and the smiles we help put on people’s faces. I want to share the spirit of Miner’s Bay Lodge with as many people as possible,” he added.

Anyone who knows a family in need is encouraged to contact Powers at 705-2862978. For more information on the resort, visit minersbaylodge.com.

Owner Wayne Hooks has confirmed the Ethel Curry Gallery will be closing its Haliburton doors Oct. 20.

Hooks said he sent a letter to artists July 26 announcing the decision.

He told them, and The Highlander, he is doing so with a “heavy heart and deep personal and professional disappointment” he can no longer, single-handedly, finance the day-to-day operations.

This decision is excruciatingly hard for me to have to make,” he added.

The gallery was created by Ethel Curry’s nephew, Peter Curry, and his wife Jody, along with Hooks. They all saw the wild beauty inherent in the Highlands. Jody Curry was involved until 2008 when Hooks took it over. It has been a Haliburton institution for 28 years.

Hooks said his resources are depleted and the gallery “is apparently out of customers. The reason for the lack of sales and the decline in customers are numerous, relatively understandable, and entirely beyond my control.”

During a chat Aug. 6 with blues playing from his computer, Hooks said, “there’s nothing in here anyone has to have. We’re selling lots of earrings and snowflakes but you have to sell those (he points to a large painting on a wall) to keep the doors open.

“I think the general doom and gloom that’s descended over the planet for various reasons plays a big part in it.”

He talks about the economy and interest rates. “As everyone’s aware, every time you go to the grocery store, whatever it was last week is up a buck, and so people are just not comfortable buying what we have to sell.”

He emphasized they are a privately-owned, privately-run gallery so do not get council grants such as the Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden, or Rails End Gallery in Haliburton.

Hooks said the books made the decision for him in the spring.

“We had a poorer than average year last year, and a poorer than average summer, and the summer is when I have to build up the bank account for the winter and it didn’t happen. So, starting in January, I was paying all the bills myself and about March, when you could see that this cloud was not going to be lifting any time soon, I realized I couldn’t go on.”

Bittersweet

The pending closure is bittersweet, Hooks conceded.

Over the years, they’ve represented and helped more than 250 artists, which Hooks said is significant. The gallery started out local but expanded to mostly Ontario artists, with a few others from across Canada.

“Young artists, established artists, older artists who’ve retired and are trying their hand at it. And I would say we’ve never had a better group, never had better art, in our whole history,” he said.

He is particularly proud of the gallery’s relationship with A.J. VanDrie, recalling, “one of the staff walked in with A.J. in the middle of the summer about 15 years ago. He was standing there with a painting and I said, ‘you’re in.’ He’s a good friend of mine. When he comes up, he paints on my deck. He’s painted me personal paintings. And we’ve sold over 250 and I know people who have 10 of his. And he is one that I’m pretty proud of.”

He added, “if it wasn’t for Brian Atyeo, that whole wall is Brian Atyeo, this gallery wouldn’t be here. He’s internationally known. He used to live outside of Haliburton, with his wife Peggy. Peggy worked here.”

He’ll miss the relationships with artists and chin-wagging with people dropping in. “That is irreplaceable. That I’m going to miss. It has been a wonderful voyage. I don’t regret a minute of it.”

Hooks said over the years, visitors have told him the Ethel Curry is a destination. “Many people mention one of the reasons they come to Haliburton is to come to the gallery.” The public has reacted with “universal disappointment and sadness,” he said.

Hooks added about half of the artists had replied to his letter, and all had been very understanding.

“The quote I use with the reply is usually, ‘well, as Dylan wrote, The Times They Are A-Changin’.”

A pair of Haliburton cottagers are ticked off with Dysart et al township after a mandatory septic inspection earlier this summer mistakenly flagged an issue with their system.

John and Lori Sexton own property along Spruce Lake and had their septic checked by town staffers in May. They were surprised when, following the inspection, they received a notice stating their system didn’t meet municipal standards. The supposed problem was a missing inlet baffle – a device that helps wastewater flow smoothly throughout the septic system.

The Sextons said they questioned the inspectors, who insisted they couldn’t locate the baffle, which typically extends into the top area of the tank. So, they arranged to have someone come in to fix it.

“A contractor came out – he had a camera with him, which he used to find the baffle right away,” Lori said, noting town staffers didn’t use a camera while carrying out the earlier inspection.

The Sextons were billed $170 for the visit. They feel Dysart should cover the “unnecessary” tab.

“We’re out a good chunk of money now because of a mistake, which doesn’t seem right. I don’t know why the township isn’t using a camera for these inspections so they can avoid situations like this,” Lori said. “We are really supportive of these inspections… we just feel it’s not a very good process if the township is making people pay for things that are already there.”

Bri Quinn, supervisor of Dysart’s sewage system maintenance program, described the Sexton’s case as an “oddball” situation. She said a standard flow test, carried out on every system, raised some red flags.

“The effluent wasn’t coming from the inlet opening on the end of the tank, it was coming from somewhere else,” she said, noting she got on the ground and peered her head through the tank opening to see if she could spot the baffle. “We couldn’t see anything, and at that point it wasn’t clear to us [a baffle was installed] and it wasn’t safe for us to try and repel down anymore.”

Quinn said last year, staffers would use their iPhones to take photos inside the tank, but noted the town is moving away from that practice after several phones were dropped and lost. She added the department was looking into purchasing cameras to be used for inspections.

After reporting the issue to her superior, chief building official, Karl Korpela, Quinn said she was confident the Sextons’ case was being handled by the book.

“We’re not repairmen… I’m not comfortable asking [summer students] to go out and basically plunge into a septic tank to find someone’s baffle. So, if it’s not clear to us at the time then it’s something we’re going to ask for proof of,” Quinn said.

Cottager wants more thorough inspections

Gunars Vestfals had his Drag Lake property inspected in June and was told his system required a pump out after the technician found what they believed to be approximately two feet of sludge at the bottom of the tank. This was news to Vestfals, who had his tank drained just a few months earlier. He said his system typically needs pumping every four or five years.

After a contractor came out it was determined the tank had around two inches of actual sludge.

He said he’s out around $315, after going ahead with the second pump out, and is calling on the township to be more thorough in its testing.

“Dysart’s program appears to focus on what they call ‘sludge’. When the depth measurement of it is a third of the tank, being two feet, they insist on a pump out. In reality, most of [that] is suspended sewage, still decomposing,” Vestfals said, pointing out what he perceives to be a key flaw in the township’s testing.

Quinn admitted, “there’s always areas of improvement.” She said staff usually meet every other week to discuss the program, complaints, and any potential changes.

Wilberforce Service Centre co-owner Todd Watling told Highlands East council Aug. 8, the now years-long closure of the IB+O trail to snowmobilers due to a failing bridge has had a significant impact on his and other businesses.

Watling said winter is always slow, as cottagers are not around as much, but snowmobiling traditionally supplements their income.

He said co-owner, Lindsay, has estimated they were down more than $140,000 last year, which is “almost crippling to our business.” He said the winter snowmobile conditions were good, so they can attribute it to the trail closure. “Our numbers should have been up, not down.” He said it was so bad, they considered closing last winter and embarking on renovations earlier.

Watling said they are hearing similar stories from other Wilberforce businesses, including the restaurant. “We just simply get bypassed. They choose their rides elsewhere, other trails, other towns, so it’s been significant.”

The businessman added that as a snowmobiler, he gets at least a dozen inquiries every week about what is happening with the failed bridge that forced Highlands East to close the section of trail. He said he does not have any answers for them. He told council some communication or timeline would be welcome.

Jon Cumming, president of the Paudash Trailblazers Snowmobile Club, also spoke to council. He noted his club has more than 1,500 members, comprising ratepayers. He is also on the board of directors for district two of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs.

“I want to impress upon council the importance of resolving the problem prior to this winter,” he said.

“Our purpose here today is to tell you about the impact this has had and to express the hope that we will see increased communication and transparency from Highlands East as this project unfolds.”

He noted the OFSC sells 100,000 trail permits annually, with the industry having an estimated economic impact of more than $3 billion in Ontario. He said snowmobilers use goods and services everywhere they go.

The closure of the bridge, and consequently the trail, means local riders cannot do loops and tourist are cut off from connecting trails.

“The loss of this bridge has created a break in our trail system affecting our club, Haliburton County Snowmobile Association and Buckhorn District Snowmobile Club,” he said. “Wilberforce is a hub, has services like restaurants, groceries, and fuel, and it’s been marooned.” He added the break makes it hard for them to groom the trail system. He noted it is affecting summer users too.

“This process has been ongoing for over two years and we still don’t have a really good sense that anything concrete is going to happen and time is ticking away.

“We are really concerned about the pace of which this project has proceeded and what appears to be large time gaps and occasional sidesteps to move this thing to completion.”

Cumming added with the trails committee being disbanded, it’s hard for people to find out what is going on. He said snowmobile clubs want to help but need information.

Mayor Dave Burton said Highlands East would be hosting a meeting Aug. 22 with user groups.

“We have some quotes, some prices on the bridge … we’ll just get together and we’ll have more answers, probably, for you then,” he said. Burton added his goal is to have the bridge in place by November at the latest.

Public works operations manager, Perry Kelly, added pricing had been submitted by two independent bridge supply companies and both prices had been broken out for comparison pricing. “I’m trying to get this bridge installed and opened up before the freeze up this fall,” he said.

Highlands East hired an engineer to assess the wooden bridge in April 2022. The firm, Greer Galloway, recommended the bridge be shut immediately due to structural issues. The inspectors said it was beyond saving. Councillors unanimously voted to close the bridge.

The province is one step closer to establishing a police services board for the County of Haliburton.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Solicitor General wrote County CAO Mike Rutter July 19. Rutter had submitted the proposal for a detachment board on behalf of the townships.

The spokesperson said all proposals had to go through a thorough review process but confirmed the Haliburton County OPP detachment board proposal had been approved by the Solicitor General to the next step in finalizing the board compositions. That will involve posting to the Ontario Regulatory Registry (ORR).

The ministry is working on drafting the regulation, expected to be available on the ORR for public comment in the summer or fall, the spokesperson said.

“Posting of the regulation is one of the last steps before the regulation can be finalized in advance of bringing the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 (CSPA) into force in early 2024,” the spokesperson added.

The suggested composition is a sevenperson board, with five councillors, one community representative and one provincial appointment.

On behalf of the Ministry of the Solicitor General, I would like to express my appreciation to all the communities involved in the proposal development process,” the spokesperson said.

“I acknowledge and value the significant efforts undertaken to create a proposal for a detachment board that addresses the unique needs of each community that receives OPP policing services in your detachment.”

The spokesperson added, “the ministry is planning to share more guidance as soon as possible on next steps, with the understanding that municipalities and First Nations require time to plan for the implementation of OPP detachment boards before the CSPA comes into force.”

The mayors used to meet with the Haliburton Highlands detachment commander as part of an informal Community Policing Advisory Committee (CPAC). However, following the CSPA in 2019, the province told municipalities they had until June 7, 2022 to apply for detachment boards.

It’s all part of the new community safety and well-being plan presented to County councillors at a Jan. 26, 2022 meeting.