Three months after being elected board chair of Watersheds Canada, Mike Thomas says he has big plans to expand the conservation agency’s reach in the Highlands and across the nation.

The Highlands East resident stepped into the role in December after five years of serving on the board. He stepped down as president of the Paudash Lake Association last fall, giving him the capacity needed to take on a larger role with the national charity.

Founded in 2002 as the Centre for Sustainable Watersheds – and rebranding in 2013 – Watersheds Canada focuses on protecting and restoring freshwater environments across the country, specializing in shoreline restoration and stewardship programs.

Thomas said the group has had a big presence in the County since 2014, when it partnered with the Canadian Wildlife Federation and the Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners’ Association (CHA) on the ‘Love Your Lake’ program. Since its inception, detailed land surveys have been conducted on 50 local lakes, offering property owners personalized reports and recommendations on how to maintain natural shorelines and protect against pollution and erosion.

“Through ‘Love Your Lake’ we’ve evaluated over 1,000 kilometres of shoreline… the goal was to re-naturalize 75 per cent to promote healthy waters and clean lakes,” Thomas said. “I think it’s been a major success story.”

Watersheds Canada’s executive director, Robert Pye, said, through the program, partners have assessed more than 50,000 individual properties on over 300 lakes nationwide, including in Ontario, Alberta and on the east coast.

Last year, the charity brought its inaugural national conference to Haliburton’s Pinestone Resort. Thomas said it was an overwhelming success, with more than 100 prominent scientists, environmentalists and water enthusiasts participating in hands-on workshops in the community.

Having a County resident in such a prominent position “is a big win for the community,” Thomas added. With experience running a lake association to go along with his many years volunteering with fish hatcheries in Haliburton and Bancroft – where he’s helped restock lake and brook trout locally – Thomas feels he brings a unique approach to the role.

“Organizations tend to work within their own tunnels, but I can draw from work with many organizations that help me to see the different things one does that could really benefit another. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I can bring people and groups together to benefit our wider community,” Thomas said.

He has three primary goals he hopes to achieve during his tenure: finding a sustainable way to fund Watersheds Canada’s operations, continue expanding into other areas of the country, and bolster its pool of learning resources.

“We have a budget of well over $1 million, but no real steady stream of income. We rely totally on individual and corporate donations and grants,” Thomas said. “We also want to be in all provinces and territories – right now we work in eight provinces… and we’re also trying to put ourselves in a position where we are a strong resource of information.

“We have a new library we’ve developed that will be rolled out shortly… where people can go and get scientific, quantified and credible information on a range of subjects that we know other conservation associations are dealing with,” he added.

“It will offer suggestions for planting native plants and trees on a shoreline, the exact types that are most fitting and where people can source them from.”

On its restoration efforts, Thomas said the group is focusing on its ‘Natural Edge’ program that focuses on rehabilitating shorelines and working on restoring old spawning beds for walleye and lake trout.

Asked how County residents can help Watersheds Canada, Thomas encouraged people to reach out if they have ideas for environmentally-based projects.

“We have ample capability to work with people at the grassroots level, particularly in Haliburton. We want to continue the relationship we’ve developed with people in the area here and give the lakes and rivers and streams every resource we can,” Thomas said.

Places for People’s (P4P) Nataly Mylan said her non-profit’s upcoming Sleeping in Cars fundraiser is all about enduring short-term pain for long-term gain.

The event returns to the Head Lake Park parking lot March 27, where Mylan expects around 50 people to rough it overnight in their vehicles. Now in its seventh year, Mylan said the fundraiser provides perspective to participants on how fortunate they are to have a roof over their heads.

“It’s uncomfortable, a little on the chilly side, but it’s all about making sure people have gratitude and don’t take the niceties we have in life for granted,” Mylan said. “When you’re stuck in your car and your legs are going to sleep, you’re going to be reminded about how comfortable and beautiful that bed is at home and how grateful you are to have it.”

After raising north of $40,000 last time out – the event’s best return yet – Mylan is aiming to hit $60,000 this year. As of March 11, they’d brought in $8,770.

Gaining momentum as a grassroots community effort, Mylan said Sleeping in Cars is gaining more traction in the County’s business community this year. Andria Cowan Molyneaux has confirmed her business, ACM Designs, will have a team slumbering outdoors again, with Matt Renda’s Boshkung Brewing also pitching in.

The Mill Pond Restaurant in Carnarvon is donating $1 from every coffee sold through March, with all proceeds going to P4P, while Haliburton Gold Group, RE/ MAX Professionals North and MyPortal Marketing have also donated to the cause.

Cowan Molyneaux said it’s an effort close to her heart. She’s been participating for three years, after finding out that one of her employees spent time living in their car.

“Sleeping in Cars raises critical funds and awareness while shining a light on a reality that often goes unseen in our community – housing insecurity,” Cowan Molyneaux said. “While Haliburton County is known for its beautiful lakes and strong sense of community, access to safe, appropriate and affordable housing remains a serious challenge for many young families and working professionals. Too often, homelessness is hidden through temporary solutions like couch surfing or sleeping in vehicles.

“Housing insecurity isn’t just an affordability issue; it’s a supply issue… the ripple effects touch everyone,” she added.

Mylan said P4P is doing its part to address that shortfall in affordable housing. It currently owns 21 units in the County and has plans to add 15 more next year, once Habitat for Humanity completes its 35-unit build overlooking Grass Lake.

With P4P a partner in that project, Mylan said the project is on schedule to break ground in 2027. She said building permits should be finalized by this fall. The nonprofit has said it will likely take millions of dollars to purchase the 15 units once construction is wrapped.

“We are moving forward on this with lightning speed… I think now more than ever we’re beginning to realize the scope of the housing problem in our area. We’re also discovering that, unless we as a community are the ones to step up and take on the challenge, that nobody else is going to do this for us,” Mylan said. “We want our community to thrive, to be resilient, and the way to do that is by making sure there is space for everyone to live affordably.”

To donate, search ‘sleeping in cars 2026’ on www.zeffy.com

Alex Labelle built a four-foot birch bark canoe last week while fielding questions from students at J. Douglas Hodgson Elementary School.

Some of the queries included how much bear fat he uses in waterproofing his crafts; if he has ever sunk a canoe; and how old he is.

Trillium Lakelands District School Board’s Indigenous student success team and Indigenous guides at JDH and Stuart Baker elementary school brought the 20-year-old in last week.

Labelle built the canoe in the JDH foyer using traditional practices.

He is a Métis canoe builder of Algonquin ancestry from Mattawa. He learned the craft from his grandfather, Marcel Labelle, and shares his knowledge with others through presentations and in-house construction of canoes.

While working on the canoe last week, Labelle told The Highlander he mixes the bear fat with spruce gum as a sealant. He added, “the bear in our culture is also a strong, protective spirit, so we’re protected on the water.”

Labelle said his grandparents taught him not just about canoes, but about the outdoors and living off the land, including trapping, hunting and fishing. “You learn from the older generation.”

Labelle said his grandparents were his daycare, after school, and on weekends, so he has been trailing them since he was a toddler.

“That’s why I enjoy the process of building canoes. It’s a sense of peace; just slows everything down, and requires patience. You’re working with natural materials. They are not going to be perfect. Just taking your time is a big lesson.”

He has been going into schools since he was 14. He thinks kids relate to him because of his age.

“The big thing is connection. I hope – if people are separated by beliefs, or anything that causes them not to be friends – that seeing that connection is important. Because connection is what brings this canoe together.

“I hope they take away that you need to slow down in life. Bad things happen when you speed through. Sometime it’s okay to take a step back and realize how far you’ve come.”

JDH Grade 5 teacher Erin McKnight-Sisco said Alex’s visit was part of a joint learning series. Every month or so, they have hosted an Indigenous guest with a different background or ancestry.

She said the theme is “what does it mean to be a good ancestor?” She hoped Labelle’s visit would connect students with nature. She said there were also learnings in science, technology, engineering, math and social studies.

Sherry Telford of the Indigenous program added, “canoeing is a passion for many in Haliburton County, so there’s a natural interest in how canoes have been traditionally built in this area. If we look carefully in the forests, every material in the canoe can be found near us.

“As we observed and asked Alex questions, we learned about Indigenous culture and understandings, in this case Algonquin and Métis, and about the gifts that each material in the canoe provides in order for the canoe to function. We learned about respectful harvesting, so there is always enough for others and for future generations. We witnessed perseverance, problem-solving and patience. To me, that’s amazing learning.”