It’s a frosty morning as genealogist Adele Espina climbs out of her pick-up truck on one of the internal roads at Evergreen Cemetery in Haliburton.

She knows exactly where she is going thanks to cemetery records.

She stops at one gravesite, marked only with a small Canadian flag she had placed there the day before. No gravestone. But that is something Espina is working to rectify.

Her research has unearthed that the man buried beneath her feet is Harry Adams, who served with the 109th Battalion in the First World War. Adams was born in 1864 in England, but moved to Canada. He enlisted at the age of 50, giving a false birth year, and died in 1948 at the ripe old age of 84.

He is buried in a McKnight family plot, since his last wife was a McKnight. For some reason, perhaps financial, there was never a marker of any sort erected.

Espina has found out quite a lot about Adams, partially through Ancestry.com, including that he married three times. She later opens a folder over a hot drink at Castle Antiques in Haliburton and reveals gems such as service records, death certificate, and photos of Adams with his regiment taken outside the Dysart et al municipal office and elsewhere.

She has submitted the necessary paperwork to the Last Post Fund, a national non-profit organization that provides grave markers for veterans. Espina said it might take a couple of years before Adams gets his.

‘Who more to be remembered than our veterans’

The genealogist estimates there are approximately 50 veterans requiring grave markers across Haliburton County. She’s on a quest to get them all one.

“There’s plenty of soldiers or veterans who are buried here and do have military markers…and a lot of family markers that veterans are attached to, and then there are veterans who, for whatever reason, slipped through the cracks and have no monuments whatsoever,” Espina says while standing at Adams’ grave.

Espina said part of her niche in the Haliburton Highlands Genealogy Group is cemeteries. She has access to burial maps. She jokes there is a name for that: taphophile; a person who loves cemeteries, gravestones, and funerary art and history.

“Well, I don’t think any of us want to be forgotten … and who more to be remembered than our veterans,” she says of her journey.

For each vet she researches, she builds a tree on Ancestry.com and gathers all the information she can. She’s also now using the recently-released Haliburton Highlands Digital Archives of newspapers. “I’ve just been vacuuming up any details that I can find and it’s been helpful.”

Her dad was in the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Second World War, seconded to the U.K.’s Royal Air Force, just 19 when he went on his first bombing mission.

Her maternal grandfather had been with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the First World War, but never got to France, as he came down with the Spanish flu, but recovered, and worked in a hospital. Library and Archives Canada have records of him, right down to his sickness temperatures. Her daughter went to Royal Military College, serving as a combat systems engineer in the Navy before going to medical school.

Espina’s interest began when she worked for the Minden Museum, on a sesquicentennial project, looking into military personnel records. She came up with over 500 people in Haliburton County who were born in the Highlands and served, or lived there and served. She did an exhibit at the cultural centre in 2009. “I plastered the walls of the Welch room … with all their attestation papers and the exhibit was really well received. That’s what got me going on the people who had served.”

She talks about a vet who had a military grave marker until 1991, but it’s gone now. “So, I can get him another one.” All she has to do is prove the person is dead, buried in that particular cemetery, and that they served in the military.

She added, “this is something concrete that I can do. I think the reward for me will be the day that those markers are put up.”

The new detachment commander for the Haliburton Highlands OPP said she is committed to holding more town halls in the County in future – despite a disappointing turnout for an event Oct. 29 in Minden Hills.

People said they only found out about it after seeing a post on the County website that day. OPP said they had advertised the event on X (formerly Twitter) on Oct. 10. Minden Hills Coun. Tammy McKelvey suggested it would have been better to have advertised in local newspapers.

Staff Sgt. Deb McClure said it was a learning opportunity for them, and they would review marketing in future.

“I think these community outreaches are very important, and it gives me an opportunity to hear from you and vice versa. Collectively, we are a team in this community,” she told a sparse crowd.

She said she planned to hold similar events in future in all four Haliburton County municipalities. She would not commit to how frequently the town halls would be held or when the next one will be.

McClure said the town halls are about education, safety and conversation. There were officers talking about traffic and road safety, being safe on the water, preventing property crime, school safety, and the Mobile Crisis Response Team.

She added, “we’re working hard to increase our presence in schools, and build stronger relationships with youth; to make our roads and neighbourhoods safer places. We know that real progress does not happen in isolation. It happens through partnerships. It isn’t just about hearing from you, but about working with all of you. We need you to be the eyes and ears in our community. When you see something, please say something. When you have concerns, share them with us. Your insights help us respond more effectively to keep the community safe together.”

Audience participant Krystal Shannon said police follow-up on investigations is a problem.

She talked about a recent incident in Gooderham involving some “sketchy” people who appeared to have stolen items in a vehicle and were canvassing a property. She said police were called, and did come, but the complainants were never interviewed and OPP never contacted them afterwards.

McClure said while arrests were made in connection with the incident, Shannon’s point about follow up was “fair” and “valid.” She noted police often cannot tell community members much during investigations.

The chief was asked about a concern about the number of cruisers during a shift in Haliburton County and a perception there are not enough.

She said, “they’re the same concerns across the province. There is never enough. Unfortunately, it comes with a cost and we do what we can with our resources as best as we can based on so many factors.”

She noted they always have back-up across the region, and those officers may not be as visible to the general public as they use unmarked cars and wear civilian clothing.

Officer Isaac Austin spoke to property crime, saying it is “a huge issue in this community because it is so relatable.” He said everybody had come to the cottage to find a broken window, a stolen piece of equipment, or siphoned or stolen gas. However, he said the community street crime unit is very active in the Highlands.

He had some prevention tips, such as writing down VIN numbers, or putting your driver’s licence number on property, so it can be identified and returned. He told people to keep shed and garage doors locked, and have security cameras.

Minden Hills coun. Pam Sayne asked, “what is driving crime here? Addictions, poverty, crime syndicates? I think we have to get to that in order to turn things around.”

This is a banner year for the Haliburton Legion.

This week, flags commemorating 24 of the community’s military veterans were hung in the downtown – part of an effort to bring more awareness to and honour the sacrifices many have made defending their country.

The project was spearheaded by legion president Mike Waller, who started looking into getting banners made last fall.

“I’m surprised it’s taken Haliburton so long to do this,” Waller said. “I think it’s important that we honour the people who came before us, show respect for what they had to do. If they didn’t give what they did, we wouldn’t be here today.”

Waller said he approached Dysart et al township and the Haliburton BIA earlier this year and was given the green light to proceed. There are 12 banners, with a service member honoured on either side. The bulk are men and women who served during the First and Second World Wars, with some from the more-recent excursions in Afghanistan.

The banners state the veteran’s name, which war they participated in, the year they were born and the year they passed. Waller noted only one of those included is still living.

This is the second display to debut in Haliburton County recently after Irondale Church had banners made up for its ‘Service, Courage and Sacrifice’ series in 2023. The church honoured 40 people associated with the hamlet who served Canada in various aspects of war.

Waller said he wanted to bring something similar to Haliburton after hearing about the Irondale display and seeing new ones released in Bancroft and Apsley. He said there was an effort about eight years ago to bring banners to Haliburton, but it didn’t get off the ground.

Each side of a banner costs $150, which is covered by the families of those featured. Waller said he opened nominations in the spring, with all those that applied making the cut.

He said Gerald Sharp, who installed the pieces, and Dysart et al coun. Pat Casey, who assisted with research, were key contributors to the campaign.

Casey has three family members featured, his grandparents Earl Casey, Holly Sisson and Sylvia Sisson. He told The Highlander that he believes more needs to be done to remember those who paved the way for future generations.

“I think Remembrance Day activities have started to wane over the years… I thought this was a great way to commemorate the bravery our forefathers had in putting their lives on the line for freedom,” Casey said. “The freedoms we have today didn’t come by chance. These people had to work and sacrifice for it.”

Casey and Barry Hart will be at the Haliburton Legion Nov. 10 and Hal High Nov. 11 to tell tales about their grandfathers, who were both tail gunners during the Second World War. Presentations at the legion are open to the public, running at 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.

Waller said he’s hoping to grow the banner collection, saying anyone with a military background can be included.

“As long as they were in the service, that’s all that matters,” Waller said. “Next year, I’m hoping to get them up in mid-October, that way they can be up for a month and people can really take notice.”

Anyone interested can contact Waller at 705-854-9237.

Minden Hills council, at its Oct. 30 meeting, was asked to work with Paws at Killara Station and Snowflake Meadows for dog control services in the township.

Owner of Paws at Killara Station, Susan Peel, made the pitch. She noted they provide a similar service to the Township of Algonquin Highlands.

“Minden Hills faces a growing challenge in managing stray, lost, and abandoned dogs. With the township’s population increasing, so too are reports of animals found wandering, neglected, or surrendered,” Peel said.

She added that now the burden of care falls almost entirely on volunteers and rescues without formal municipal support. In 2024, Snowflake Meadows spent more than $107,000 on veterinary care for more than 200 animals across Ontario, including about 60 from Minden Hills, she added.

Peel said their proposal would provide the township with “a clear, low-cost, and sustainable solution.”

Essentially, Paws would serve as the official pound intake, working to reunite lost dogs with owners through social media and microchip scanning. Snowflake Meadows would provide spay and neuter, veterinary care, and adoption services for unclaimed or surrendered dogs. Peel said both are insured, reducing the township’s liability and administration would be minimized, as the rescues would operate a lost and found dog portal which the township could link to.

She asked council to approve service agreements, educate the community about the process for reporting and handling lost and stray dogs, and provide bylaw support when needed.

Peel said at the moment, there is no clear reporting process for residents or staff; the OPP and vets redirect cases inconsistently; volunteers and rescues are covering the costs; and the township carries risk and responsibility without a structured solution.

Peel estimated a maximum annual budget of $25,000, basing that on $300 per month to Paws, and $380 per unclaimed dog for Snowflake.

“Many Ontario municipalities already rely on pound–rescue partnerships rather than operating their own facilities,” she said.

Deputy mayor Lisa Schell said it’s been 10 years since Peel came to council with a similar pitch in 2015 and the problem has only gotten worse. Coun. Pam Sayne said she and Coun. Shirley Johannessen met with Paws and Snowflake Meadows as it was an “ongoing and growing problem. We need to get something going.”

Coun. Ivan Ingram said it was a great idea, but felt the township needed to reintroduce dog tags. Peel said that could work with lifetime licensing and mandatory microchipping in the township’s dog bylaw.

Mayor Bob Carter said he’d like to know the status of the township’s existing bylaw before proceeding. He wanted clarity on the nature of the role between the municipality and Paws and Snowflake and how that looks in other townships.

Council has asked for a staff report and will discuss the pitch further then.

Point in Time executive director Marg Cox welcomed Ontario’s associate minister of mental health and addictions, Vijay Thanigasalam, for a tour of the Haliburton Youth Wellness Hub Oct. 23, saying the space has served as a refuge for hundreds of struggling teenagers since its opening in 2021.

The facility, operated by Point in Time, was one of 10 youth hubs funded through a provincial pilot four years ago. Since then, demand has spiked – Cox shared how the centre, located on Dysart Avenue, has gone from seeing 139 youth in 2020-21 to 168 in 2024-25. Service visits have climbed from 440 to 879, with enrollment in skills and wellbeing activities quadrupling, from 593 to 2,292.

“We were one of the first out of the gate and have been operating with only one minor cost of living increase. We know what inflation has been doing… we’re really interested in sustaining the model of youth hubs and being able to stabilize the operation of existing hubs,” Cox said.

The hub offers mental health, substance use and general supports to youth aged 12 to 25, Cox said.

After recently purchasing a four-acre property on County Road 21 in Haliburton, Cox said the organization is trying to gather support for a new building. She asked Thanigasalam if the Ontario government would support the project.

“We’re seeing double the number of youths from when we started – and we know there’s lots more that would like to utilize the hub, but we don’t have any other space,” Cox said. “We’re trying to create a community hub in Haliburton. We want to provide integrated services for infants right up to the age of 25.”

Thanigasalam was non-committal at the meeting but acknowledged there is money available to support program expansion for mental health and addictions services.

Pam Weiss, a former board member at the youth hub, said the facility – open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday – has been lifesaving for some local youth – including their own child.

“I have a gender-diverse child who has been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, bipolar, borderline personality, ADHD, and OCD. We started with Point in Time when they were eight years old and they’re 25 now,” Weiss said. “In April, they will turn 26 and age out of the youth hub, which has been like a second home these past four years.”

Weiss said her child utilized the space for employment services, counselling, to see the nurse practitioner, and to learn how to cook. It was one of the only places in the community they felt comfortable socializing, Weiss added.

“Without the hub, I’m not sure what we would have done… there would be a lot of kids that would have been lost, including mine,” Weiss said.

Cox said the current plan is to sever the new four-acre property, a process she expects will take about a year. She’s hired an architect and surveyor to assist with design and will soon be commissioning a traffic brief.

“All of those will help us determine what it is we want to build and where. Then we’ll be reaching out to the province, foundations and the community to raise the money to build the thing,” Cox said.

Thanigasalam declined an in-person interview following the visit, while his office did not respond to follow-up questions as of press time.

The lead up to Remembrance Day is always a time of reflection for Haliburton’s Rob McCaig, who has compiled a running history of his family’s extensive involvement in the Second World War – including a mystery that remains unsolved today.

His parents, Keith and Nina McCaig, were each involved in the effort – the former an airframe mechanic and tail gunner with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the latter a cook with the Women’s Royal Naval Service.

Four uncles also enlisted – Clifford, the eldest, was the first to join in 1940, signing up for the army and later becoming a member of the special forces team ‘The Devil’s Brigade’. Wally, Keith’s twin, and Arnold joined the air force in October 1941, while Norman joined the army in 1942.

“The McCaigs were a big family, eight boys and one daughter – they had a farm in St. Louis de Gonzague, Quebec,” McCaig said. “Half of them went overseas to fight and the rest stayed back to run the farm… they had a lot of adventures, the McCaig boys.”

Clifford was 23 when he enlisted, Arnold was 22, while Keith, Wally and Norman were 19. Nina was a teenager, too, though the furthest she traveled was Halifax, where she was stationed on the HMS Cornwallis until 1946.

All but one of the McCaigs made it home following the war – sadly, Arnold never returned from what McCaig described as a top-secret mission to Albania on June 28, 1944. The details of that operation remain shrouded in mystery, he said.

An eight-man crew left a British Royal Air Force airbase in Brindisi, Italy in a Handley Page Halifax bomber shortly before midnight. They were carrying out an unknown mission 10 miles north of Lake Ohridsko in Albania when their plane was shot down by enemy forces. Albania, though considered partisan in the war effort, was largely occupied by German forces.

“The interesting thing is, the Halifax usually carried a seven-man crew, but this time they had eight people. I have all the letters that were sent to my grandparents and mom, who was first married to my Uncle Arnold in September 1942. She then married my dad six years later,” Rob said. “The extra crew member was someone from the National Liberation Army of Yugoslavia.”

Military records state five members of the crew bailed from the plane before it crashed. Albanian forces stated there was no sign of Arnold during the bailout, though he could have been one of the first to jump. There were three bodies found at the crash site.

Rob said initial letters home in early July said Arnold was missing in action. A second letter arrived later in the month, saying Arnold had been found alive and was temporarily safe, but that his whereabouts could not be disclosed. The letter also advised that until further information is received, Arnold would remain classified as missing.

On Dec. 28, a third letter was received stating the other crew members who made it back reported seeing three bodies at the crash site – though the military has never confirmed that Arnold was one of them.

“Arnold is still unaccounted for and any further information of his whereabouts will be forwarded,” the letter stated.

McCaig said key details from the mission – when the plane started taking fire, how many times it was hit, and the order of men bailing from the plane – were included in Arnold’s personal file.

“How did he write up and submit this report if he died in that crash?” McCaig ponders. “I believe Arnold did die, but we have no idea when, where or how. There’s no documented proof whatsoever.”

Another letter was received in May 1945, saying Arnold was presumed dead. Seven years later, in 1952, the McCaigs received a final letter generally confirming Arnold’s death but said “due to circumstances outside British control” it wasn’t possible to send search teams into Albania to locate his grave.

Arnold was an air gunner warrant office class 1 with the 148 squadron who, as of June 27, 1944 was confirmed to have flown in over 50 missions.

McCaig said the ordeal hit his mother, Nina, hard. The McCaigs took her in after she left the Navy. Years later, once confirmation of Arnold’s death came through, romance blossomed between Nina and Keith. They were married in 1948.

A year later, Nina received a letter addressed to her but written in Italian. Rob said she took the note to a translator, who burst into tears and tore the letter to pieces.

“My mom never knew the contents of that letter throughout the remaining years of her life,” McCaig said. “Every Remembrance Day was really tough on her. She wanted to go overseas to look for Arnold.

“They were absolutely in love. They wrote over 100 letters back and forth to one another. He wrote her the day before his final mission,” he added.

McCaig hasn’t given up hope of finding out what happened to his uncle – efforts are ongoing today to locate downed Halifax bombers that have been lost or buried over time. A trip to Albania, to try and source some answers himself, is on his bucket list.

So too is a trip to Malta – an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea. There, Arnold’s name is inscribed on a memorial to all those who served in the RAF and RCAF but didn’t make it home.

With this year marking the 80th anniversary of the war’s conclusion, McCaig feels it’s more important than ever to keep these sorts of stories alive.

“There isn’t a family that the war didn’t impact, but the McCaigs had a lot of involvement. It’s important to recognize the sacrifices – they were all so young when they enlisted, and they didn’t make a ton of money. The average soldier made $850 a year, if you were an officer or special services, you were lucky to get $2,000.

“My family enlisted because they believed in our country. Unfortunately, in the case of my Uncle Arnold, that belief cost him his life,” McCaig said.

Of the approximate 1.6 million Canadians who served in the Second World War, 44,090 died, according to online service files through Library and Archives Canada. Lest we forget.