AH to fix one of County’s seven wonders

February 19, 2026

Algonquin Highlands council has instructed staff to do everything it can to ensure a portion of the Hawk Lake Log Chute is rebuilt this year.

At a Feb. 5 meeting, Chris Card, the township’s manager of parks, recreation and trails, provided a list of options to council for the restoration, which has been in the works for several years. Engineering firm Tulloch assessed the structure last November – splitting the project into three sections.

The first section, closest to the dam, was said to be in fair condition with approximately 50 per cent requiring repair or replacement. Section two is “nonexistent,” Card said, with a majority of the structure broken and washed away, requiring a 100 per cent replacement, with section three in poor condition, requiring 80 per cent repair.

“For the most part, any portions that are salvageable are on the floor of the chute and in the foundational structure of the chute,” Card said. “It’s the wall sections that are most rotted, which is common when you see wood that constantly goes from being dry to wet. The portions that are always wet tend to last longer.”

The estimated cost to repair section one is $67,000, replacement of section two is pegged at $155,000, with repairs to section three coming in at $104,000. Card noted a full replacement of the log chute would set the township back $550,000. The township has reserves specifically for chute repairs totalling $276,574.

Mayor Liz Danielsen said, “I would love to see the first section rebuilt. We’ve got the money in reserves to do that, so it wouldn’t create any challenges to the budget.”

She was concerned that Parks Canada has plans to move the dam on Hawk Lake, which could necessitate the relocation of the log chute. Card said the federal agency has been non-committal on a timeline for the project, stating it could happen sometime in the next 15 years.

Repairing the first section would extend the structure’s lifespan five-to-10 years, Card said. A full replacement carries a 12-15 year lifespan.

“Could we build a structure that lasts 50 years? The first thing [the engineers] said is building the foundation out of steel and everything else out of wood… is a possibility.”

Card said it was unlikely a full replacement could be completed this year. Even if everything went right with planning and design, he said it would be late fall before work could begin on the first section. To speed up the process, council agreed to single source the project – meaning it wouldn’t need to go through the municipality’s usual tender process, instead choosing one company to lead the project. Card said he’s in talks with the company that completed the most recent repairs to the log chute.

Danielsen felt this was an important project – both for Algonquin Highlands’ heritage and tourism in the County.

“I feel very strongly about the log chute. It is an important cultural asset and we don’t have an awful lot of them,” she said. “It’s unique, it’s been named one of the seven wonders of Haliburton County. People love the log chute. If we’ve got the ability and funds to repair even the first section, we should do it. If we have to fundraise in the future [for the other sections] I’m sure we can do that too.”

Deputy mayor Jennifer Dailloux felt it was important that council find a way to balance longevity and authenticity in any rebuild.

“We could put money into a 70-year structure, but it would not look authentic to what was there 100 years ago at all,” Dailloux said. “People can spot a fake a million miles away. If it’s full of steel with some wood cladding, people are going to think ‘oh, well this isn’t it at all’. That’s not what we’re after.”

Card said the idea of repairing the first section is to buy the township time to plan a replacement. “It’s not about keeping section one in perpetuity, it’s to get us through to the point we replace the entire log chute.”

Gymnastics club vaulting into Haliburton

Mike Baker

February 19, 2026

Highlands resident Kathy Judson was fed up hearing about people having to leave the County to get their kids into professional gymnastics programming, so she’s stepping up to do something about it.

The mom of two has been working since the fall on a business plan for Haliburton Gymnastics. So far, she’s secured $100,000 in funding from the Haliburton County Development Corporation (HCDC), gotten sponsorship commitments from several local businesses, received non-profit status and, most recently, found a home base on Industrial Park Road.

“We’re at the very initial stages of this. It’s one of those things that will be a community project. It cannot just be me; it’s going to take a lot of people pitching in to bring this to fruition,” Judson told The Highlander.

“I’ve been taking my kids out of town for several years now for sport, so this is something I’ve always been dreaming up [the idea] and hoping someone else would take on,” she added, noting the nearest dedicated gymnastics clubs are in Bancroft, Bracebridge and Peterborough.

The response has been “amazing” since she went public with the idea in early January, with tons of encouragement from excited families. Several businesses have offered support, too, Judson said – with Haliburton Electric sponsoring $10,000 worth of labour and materials and Paradigm Electric pitching in $1,000 cash and $4,000 of in-kind work to help retrofit the building. A half dozen other businesses have also committed support, Judson said.

With approximately 8,000 sq. ft. of space, Judson said there’s lots of room to bring a pro-level gymnastics club to life. She’s looking to install a spring floor and have beams, bars, trampolines and vault. She’s also hoping to install a rock-climbing wall.

Core programming will be aimed towards kids aged three to 14, but Judson also plans to offer adult programming and activities geared towards seniors.

“We can offer yoga classes, fitness classes – so this won’t just be a gymnastics club. It will be a space the whole community can use,” she said. “The bread and butter of any gymnastics program is recreational programming, but we do anticipate having a competitive team in the future.”

There will be job opportunities for youth too, via junior coaching roles. Judson will also be looking for a head coach with experience she can lean on to help build the program.

This won’t be a first-time entrepreneurial endeavour for Judson – she has operated gyms in Ottawa and Amherstberg, while also establishing a women’s soccer league in the County in 2022. She has 22 years’ experience as a coach and fitness instructor.

With the business being a non-profit, her goal isn’t to get rich. Instead, she wants to plug what she sees as a major gap in the community and help keep Haliburton residents in the area.

“People living here have to drive at least an hour to get to a good, competitive gym. The idea is to keep our families here, spending money here,” she said. “So, not only will this give our kids something to do, keeping them off screens, but it will also help the local economy.”

If all goes to plan, she envisions a soft opening in late summer. She’s well on her way with fundraising, bringing in just over $28,000 of her $100,000 goal as of Feb. 12.

“My plans for the next few months will be crowdfunding in any way that I can – we’re making incredible progress already and the encouragement I’ve been getting from the community has really helped to drive this,” Judson said. “We’re well on our way to turning this dream into reality.”

Anyone interested in donating can contact haliburtongymnastics@gmail.com.

Volunteer-led Pajama Project gives gift of comfort

Lisa Gervais

February 19, 2026

Joy Webster, of the Great South Lake Pajama Project, made a delegation to a recent County of Haliburton meeting.

She told councillors it was a communitybased initiative that began in 2023.

“My family has been part of this community for over 30 years. After our cottage burned down, we had to rebuild, working with local contractors and learning more about the challenges faced by residents in the area, especially after the Minden ER closed,” she said.

“What struck us most was the number of people in need – both elderly and young – and the challenges faced by those on ODSP (the Ontario Disability Support Program). That experience inspired us to start something meaningful to give back.”

Webster noted they are not a registered charity and do not provide funding, programming, or direct services. Their sole focus is the collection and distribution of new pajamas, in all sizes, for the most vulnerable residents in the County.

“We work quietly and respectfully with front-line organizations that already support individuals and families experiencing instability, crisis, or transition. We do not work directly with individuals, and we do not duplicate existing services.”

Webster said new pajamas have been provided through organizations connected with: child protection and foster-care placements; emergency and transitional housing; women’s and family-violence support services; community food banks and family support centres; emergency services, youth and families in need; and people with accessibility challenges.

“The need in our community is real. According to local health data, about 13 per cent of households in Haliburton County are considered low income, and nearly 40 per cent of renters spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing, a key indicator of housing stress. There are also over 3,300 households waiting for community housing in the region.”

Webster said hundreds of pairs of pajamas had been collected and distributed reflecting the generosity of the community and the need.

“Pajamas may seem like a small thing, but for someone facing upheaval, they represent comfort, dignity, and care—often at moments of transition or crisis.”

Nicholls gets taste of big time curling

Mike Baker

February 19, 2026

After years of success dominating high school, university and junior-level curling in Ontario, Haliburton’s Owen Nicholls said it was a defining moment for him competing alongside professional players at the 2026 Ontario Tankard last month.

The provincial men’s curling championship was held in Elmira Jan. 5-11 and while Nicholls, playing with his 202526 junior team, ultimately fell short in the 12-team competition, the experience has left him hungry for more.

As his team’s third – the primary strategist who delivers the fifth and sixth stones – Nicholls said he felt pressure heading into the event. Flanked by teammates Tyler MacTavish (skip), Nathan Kim (second) and Nate Thomas (lead), the quartet were the youngest squad to ever qualify for the Tankard, earning their spot by playing their way through open qualifiers in late 2025.

At the event, Nicholls came face-to-face with a major name in Canadian curling – Scott Howard. The son of Canadian Curling Hall of Famer, Glenn Howard, Scott won the 2012 Brier and 2012 World Men’s Curling Championship as an alternate on his father’s team.

“As a junior curler in Ontario, you look up to guys like the Howards. They’ve been to the Brier, seen it all and done it all. So, it’s pretty cool to be not only face-to-face with him, but actually on the ice and competing against him,” Nicholls said.

Facing Howard’s team in the C-Event semi-finals, Nicholls was on the wrong end of a 14-7 result, ending their tournament.

“At the halfway mark of the game, we were up 7-3. We had them rattled, but their experience got the best of us in the second half,” Nicholls said. “It was such a cool experience playing in that arena. It was packed, fans everywhere – it felt exactly like a national event.”

The competition was won by Jayden King and his team out of Tillsonburg, who will now compete at the 2026 Brier, being held in St. John’s, Newfoundland Feb. 27 to March 8.

This is Nicholls’ first time competing on the men’s pro circuit, with the Tankard his third tour event of the season. They won a Tankard qualifier in Simcoe Dec. 14 and, before that, played in the U25 Junior Grand Slam of Curling in Edmonton. Along the way, he’s duked it out with Joel Retornaz, a pro player from Italy, and Team Kim, the South Korean national squad.

Dreaming big

After mixing it with some of the sport’s biggest names this year, and fairing well, Nicholls said the experience has heightened his desire to, one day, turn pro.

“I’ve been thinking about my future in curling a lot – I had this moment at the Tankard where it kind of hit me that I was at the event to qualify for the Brier. It had never really set in before,” Nicholls said. “To be able to do that at such a young age, I had this moment of realization where it’s like ‘yes, I am a contender in this sport’.

“I could definitely see myself going pro, hopefully playing in the Brier. It’s going to take a few more years of hard work, but this year was definitely an opening of the door for me,” he added.

It was heartbreak for Nicholls and his Carleton teammates at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) provincial championships, played Feb. 6-8, claiming silver at the event. The team had hoped to repeat as champions after winning gold in 2025.

There’s still plenty for the young curler to play for, with the Ontario U20 Curling Championships taking place in Waterloo Feb. 25 to March 1. He also competing in mixed doubles at the university level, with teammate Maya Sharpe.

Hal High embarking on taste of Italy

Mike Baker

February 19, 2026

Hal High teacher Darla Searle says most of her students have heard the idiom ‘when in Rome,’ but now she’s giving some the opportunity to experience it.

Partnering again with EF Education Tours, Searle has organized a 10-day tour of Italy in April 2027.

Up to 50 students will have the chance to take in the wonders of Venice, Florence, Assisi, Capri and Rome on a trip Searle described as “the ultimate vacation.” It follows previous excursions she’s organized for students to Costa Rica in 2023 and England, France, Switzerland and Germany in 2025.

“Europe seems to be an extremely appealing market,” Searle said. “We’re going to be spending a few days in each city, so the kids will be able to really immerse themselves in the history and the culture and truly experience what life is like in Italy.”

The group will fly into Milan, where they will meet their EF tour director – from there, it will be on to Venice. Students will spend two nights in the floating city, built on a dense network of 118 small islands within the Venetian Lagoon. Guides will lead a walking tour in the morning, with glassblowing demonstration and trip to Burano, famed for lacemaking, also on the agenda.

Days four and five will be spent in Florence – considered the birthplace of the Italian language, opera and the Renaissance, where works of art like Michelangelo’s statue of David and Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus still reside today.

Following that, there will be sightseeing in Assisi, home to the Basilica of St. Francis, and a trip to Pompeii – once home to a thriving Roman Empire community before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

“I’m a history buff, so Pompeii is going to be a big thing for me. Just to be able to see it,” Searle said, noting the excavated site offers a snapshot in time of how the Romans lived. “It was buried under 20 feet of volcanic ash… which preserved and protected it from deterioration over the years. Now, you can see the ruins of family villas, ancient temples, mosaics, roads and bathhouses.”

After seeing Pompeii, the group will travel across the Bay of Naples to the Isle of Capri before moving on to Rome. In the Italian capital, students will enjoy tours of the famed Colosseum and Roman Forum, panoramic views from Capitoline Hill and a visit to St. Peter’s Basilica.

Aside from the culture and history, Searle, who teaches hospitality and tourism at Hal High, said she’s most excited about the cuisine.

“I’m such a foodie… on one of the days we’ll be doing a food walking tour, getting to try all the Italian staples. I’m not going to want to come back after tasting the food there,” she said.

EF representatives will be at the school Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. to provide more details on the trip. Searle said registering for that will score a $200 reduction on the booking price, which she expects to be between $4,500 and $5,000. That covers airfare, hotels, buses, day trips and morning and evening meals.

After seeing how previous trips have helped broaden students’ horizons, Searle said traveling at such a young age is worth its weight in gold.

“Some of our kids have never been on a plane before. I never got to travel when I was a kid and, knowing what I do now, my life would be totally different if I had the chance to do something like this when I was a teenager,” Searle said. “Traveling changes perspectives. To many, Haliburton County is this huge thing. But our community isn’t even 200 years old – on this trip, we’ll be seeing places literally thousands of years in the making. There’s a whole other world outside of home.”

Red Hawks soar to volleyball titles

Mike Baker

February 19, 2026

Not for the first time in their athletic careers, the Hal High Red Hawks senior girls’ volleyball team tasted success on home court in Haliburton Feb. 12, winning a Kawartha championship.

After a dominant regular season where they dropped only one of 14 games, the girls powered through the competition during playoffs last week, securing their spot at the Central Ontario Secondary Schools Association (COSSA) regional finals, being held in Quinte Feb. 26.

The Red Hawks bested Norwood threesets-to-one in the semi-finals before dispatching Campbellford in the final 3-1. That game was marked by an impressive come-from-behind win in the final set to earn the victory.

Coach Janice Scheffee said the result was the culmination of years of hard work, with most members of the senior team playing together since their first year of high school.

“Most of these girls have played volleyball their entire [student] career, only one player on the team started last season,” Scheffee said. “The girls’ program has been successful for many years and continues to be competitive in the Kawartha league. This group of players found success two years ago as a junior team, when they won both Kawartha and COSSA titles. Being back together again, the team wants to experience the same success as before.”

Scheffee said the squad has been on a winning streak since early January, finishing their last two league tournaments undefeated – getting the better of schools with a much larger player pool to choose from.

With COSSA just a week away, Scheffee said the team’s goal is to play in the championship game.

The coach said the success enjoyed this season was a collective effort, with all 10 players contributing at different points of the year. The winning team includes Alivia Brown, Lilly Casey, Lara Gallant, Veronica Heasman, Jordyn Hurd, Delilah Kaytar, Addyson Parish, Hailey Smith, Kaitlyn VanderWieer and Madelyn Walker.

“Volleyball is a true team game, with serving the only individual skill. Everything else requires your teammates and that is how this team plays. Everyone does their job to make the team better,” Scheffee said.

“Coach Michelle Backus and myself were particularly impressed with our team’s ability [last] week to rally after losing a set in each match. Having had so much success this season, it was great to see that they could pull together as a team and make adjustments to come back stronger,” she added.

With the junior team also tasting Kawartha gold, winning its tournament in Campbellford Feb. 12, Scheffee said HHSS is becoming a true force in the sport.

“Volleyball continues to grow in our community. More students are coming in with a higher level of skill than before. We are fortunate to have a strong group of volleyball coaches in both the boys and girls programs who continue to raise the level of play for our teams,” Scheffee said.

Huskies prepare for final stretch as playoffs loom

Mike Baker

February 19, 2026

With four games left in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) regular season, Haliburton County Huskies coach Jordan Bailey said he’s more concerned about getting his team to peak performance levels than plotting their potential playoff path.

After a gruelling run of five games in eight days from Feb. 10-17, where the Huskies won two, lost two and tied one, Bailey said his focus is on getting the most out of upcoming tilts, starting with the Lindsay Muskies on Feb. 20.

The hometown team remains fifth in the East Conference, one point back of the Newmarket Hurricanes in the coveted fourth place that would give the Huskies home ice advantage in the post-season. With only a few games to go, it’s a lock that the Huskies will face either the Hurricanes, Pickering Panthers or Wellington Dukes in the opening round.

“Right now, we just need to make sure we’re playing good hockey leading into playoffs. No matter who we play, they’re all good hockey teams. So, we’re never really looking at it thinking about who would be the better matchup,” Bailey said. “It’s going to be a good series against any of those teams no matter who we draw, so we have to be prepared to give 100 per cent and leave everything on the ice.”

The team began its run with a 4-3 defeat to the Newmarket Hurricanes Feb. 10, before rebounding with a resounding 4-1 win over the second-placed Stouffville Spirit Feb. 12.

Isaac Larmand got the Huskies going with a pair of goals in the second period, with Harrison O’Connor adding a third early in the final frame. Stouffville threatened a comeback, notching on the powerplay a couple minutes after O’Connor’s tally, but Ryan Fairbairn made sure of the result with a late empty-netter.

Bailey said knocking off one of the OJHL’s top teams was a big statement with playoffs around the corner.

“It was very good for us to experience that – we had a full lineup, everyone was healthy and we were able to show that we can compete with any team in our conference,” Bailey said. “There’s not a team that we can’t go toe-to-toe with when we bring our A-game, which was important for our guys to see.”

Overcoming adversity

While Bailey hoped the Stouffville result would serve as a springboard to better things, a flu bug floored several Huskies stars in games against the Dukes Feb. 14, Panthers Feb. 16 and North York Rangers Feb. 17.

Despite racing out to a 4-0 lead against Wellington on home ice on Valentine’s Day, the Huskies had a tough third period, giving up four straight goals to send the game to overtime. Neither team could find the go-ahead tally, leaving Bailey to rue a missed opportunity.

“It was a great lesson – being up so much, your best bet is always to keep playing your game. We don’t need to give teams momentum in moments like that. But we took a bad penalty, then a bounce goes against us and all of a sudden the opposition can smell something,” Bailey said. “We have to do a better job of managing those high and low moments, stay even keel as much as possible and stick to our game plan.”

Several players tried to play through their sickness against Pickering on Family Day, but it was a rough showing for the home team who were pummeled by the Panthers 7-2.

“We didn’t have our best effort… just one we have to learn from as best we can and move forward,” Bailey said.

Against North York, the Huskies rostered three young affiliate players, forwards Joe Szarka and Paul Couvillon and goaltender Aaron Neal, who backed up Owen Edwards. The team played short, with 11 forwards in the lineup.

Bailey said it wasn’t the Huskies best performance, but he was pleased to come away with a 4-3 win. Goals were scored by Carson Durnin, Easton Poe, Ryan Gosse and Carter Petrie.

With the final Battle of Hwy. 35 of the regular season coming Friday, on the road in Lindsay, Bailey said he expects it to be a tough game with both teams jostling for playoff position.

“They’re battling for the eighth seed, so I know they’re going to come out firing. We’ve trying to get home ice advantage too, so we’re going to give it everything we’ve got,” he said.

The Huskies host the Markham Royals in Minden Feb. 21. Puck drop is 4 p.m.

Under 18 continue playoffs

Submitted

February 19, 2026

The Highland Storm U18 A&W Haliburton team hit the ice in Omemee against the Kawartha Coyotes Feb. 15 for game two of their round-robin playoff showdown.

After a hard-fought 2-1 win against the Sturgeon Lake Thunder White team earlier in the week, the group was certain they could maintain the high-energy, disciplined play they started their playoff run with, if they continued to work together as a team.

They knew that coming into the playoffs with a substantially shorter bench than the regular season would be no easy feat, but they were up for the challenge.

Within the first minute of play, Gideon Borgdorff opened the scoring, letting the Coyotes know we came with a job to do. Kawartha reminded us they weren’t going to make it easy by tying the game half-way through the first. Thirteen seconds later, Eric Mueller took a pass from Logan Reid to score his first of the game, putting the Storm back in the lead. Before the end of the first period, Mueller broke away and scored his second on a power play, followed by team captain, Austin Latanville, on a pass from Jaxen Casey, reinforcing this team’s drive to want to get that “W”. Highland Storm ended the period at 4-1, knowing there was still lots of game left to be played.

Kawartha battled back in the second, scoring a few minutes in, making it 4-2. The Storm’s defence was challenged, but some smart plays by Ethan DeCarlo and some big saves by goalie, Landyn Simms, helped the Storm keep their lead. Despite all their efforts, Kawartha was able to slip one past Simms to shorten the lead to 4-3. The Storm wasn’t done though. Taylor Mulock’s heads-up play and passing helped to generate several scoring opportunities. Before it was over, DeCarlo found Borgdorff’s stick again, helping him score his second goal of the game, on another power play, increasing the lead to 5-3. A huge backcheck from Ethan Rowe before the end of the second period helped to eliminate another scoring chance for Kawartha.

The Storm came into the third period knowing they needed to keep out of the box if they were going to maintain their lead. Luke Taylor skated hard to get into position, but Kawartha’s defence wasn’t giving anything up. Brady Hamilton’s drive to the net with the puck drew a penalty for Kawartha and ignited another spark for the Storm team to not let up. Layne Robinson helped along the boards with his give-and-go playmaking abilities, getting the puck into position for lots of scoring chances for the Storm to challenge Kawartha’s goalie during the final period. The defensive duo of Reid and Mason Latanville worked together to eliminate as many scoring chances as possible, giving Simms and his team the win.

The team will play their first home playoff game Feb. 24 at 8:30 p.m. in Minden

Participation is power in local politics

Mike Baker

February 19, 2026

When it comes to generating interest in municipal elections, political activist Dave Meslin has proven all it really takes is effective marketing and communication.

Four years from launching the Grey Highlands Municipal League, a grassroots volunteer organization designed to boost numbers during the township’s 2022 election – which he achieved with record results – Meslin will be in Haliburton County next week to explain how he helped double the number of candidates seeking nomination.

“Leading up to all provincial and federal elections, party associations or electoral district associations go out and scout, recruit and nominate a candidate. That’s built into the system at those two levels… but there’s absolutely nobody doing that at the municipal level,” Meslin said.

After years of activism in Toronto, where he successfully lobbied Queens Park to allow municipalities to use ranked ballots, achieved in London in 2018 before premier Doug Ford outlawed them again in 2020; and founding initiatives like City Idol, a 2016 contest aiming to find 100 candidates for election in the GTA (they found 70), Meslin turned his attention to rural politics before the 2022 election.

Now based in Eugenia, a hamlet in Grey Highlands, Meslin was perturbed by the municipality’s poor showing in the 2018 election, where there were 12 people vying for seven positions.

“I put together the equivalent of an electoral district association, and we actively recruited members from the community to run. It was very successful. While there were a record number of acclamations across Ontario in 2022 (553), including more than 30 full councils, we almost doubled the number of candidates in our community (23 compared to 12),” Meslin said.

The key, he said, was promotion. Meslin’s team delivered coloured sheets containing information about the election process and details on each candidate to every household in Grey Highlands. They hosted public sessions over the summer leading up to the fall election.

While he and his team took on that work themselves, Meslin contends it should be the responsibility of municipal staff.

“Clerks will put a black and white ad in the paper telling people the nomination process will begin May 1, but there’s no information on what that means. It’s not promoted as a job opportunity people can apply for,” Meslin said. “I believe municipalities should be doing a much better job promoting councillor positions, what they pay, how people can apply.”

To fund this, Meslin believes townships should dedicate a portion of its annual budget towards election costs each year – and make it so that the current council has no say on what to do with those funds.

Generating interest

Asked about record-low turnout four years ago, averaged at 26.59 per cent across the County’s four townships, Meslin said it begins with education.

“Politics feels very distant for most people. So we need to create a culture of participation, where people are aware of what a council does. At the federal and provincial level, people have parties they can attach themselves to – and that’s why, I think, turnout is higher for those elections. People who don’t typically pay attention to local news won’t have any idea who is running in municipal elections, so it makes it hard for them to want to participate,” Meslin said.

“It’s a big leap for most people to go from zero civil literacy to voting or going one step further and putting their name on the ballot. That’s not going to happen in one step, but you might be able to encourage people to attend a meeting. Then, at that meeting, you can break everything down,” he added.

Meslin said anyone considering a run for local office should be preparing now – getting their policies in place, finding a campaign team and getting promotional materials such as a website, signs and pamphlets ready to go as soon as nominations open. “If you want to win and make a difference, you can’t wait until May or June to get started.”

He noted municipal politics plays a key role in everyone’s life today.

“Municipalities have had so much downloaded to them over the past 30-40 years… people aren’t just voting for stop signs and where to drop off their garbage anymore. Municipalities now help form health policies, they run daycares, operate old age homes and some do their own policing. All really important things that impact people every day,” Meslin said.

Coming to Haliburton Feb. 25, as part of a joint event hosted by the Telling Our Stories Speaker Series and Haliburton Highlands Healthy Democracy Project at the HHOA fish hatchery at 6712 Gelert Rd., Meslin said he’ll explain why public participation is power when it comes to local elections.

“If you care about how your community feels, how it operates, how neighbours treat each other, then getting involved in municipal politics is the best way to influence and shape your town,” he said.

Cuba flight crisis hits Highlanders’ vacation plans

Lisa Gervais

February 12, 2026

Haliburton County travel agent Machenzie Vasey was on maternity leave when COVID-19 disrupted international travel, so says the decision by major Canadian airlines to cancel all holidays to Cuba this week has been the craziest thing she has experienced in the industry.

The Highlander spoke with Vasey shortly after she had gotten off of a plane for a three-week holiday in Florida with family.

While her husband took the kids to the pool, she began to check her messages; knowing that the cancellations would impact County clients currently in Cuba, or planning to go over the next six weeks.

Canada’s major airlines have all suspended service to Cuba, with Air Transat announcing Monday evening it was joining Air Canada and WestJet in cancelling all flights, as the Caribbean island’s major airport warns it will run out of jet fuel. All three airlines said they had plans to bring travellers home to Canada.

Vasey, a home-based independent consultant with Air Transat, said she checked her emails and it was “insane.”

Vasey said that between now and midApril, she had eight couples booked to travel to Cuba, “but will not now, obviously.

One family was flying from Calgary to Toronto to catch a connector. She said they had already been disrupted by a hurricane in Jamaica.

“I have a couple of clients who are stuck right now and have to get on one of the repatriation flights that are coming to Cuba. I get the emails when the flights are coming. The clients also get the emails. And, then, basically you have to get on that flight when the email comes.”

County travel agent says situation on Caribbean island ‘a mess’

Vasey said with internet scarce in Cuba, some clients don’t have cell phones on, so she is emailing them. “They knew what was kind of going on before they left last week and I said if you can get onto internet, check your emails daily, keep in touch with your representative at the hotel, just see what’s going on because this is a daily evolving situation.”

She wasn’t completely floored by the news, saying she had been following the situation in Cuba for years. Last year, she had a large family group sign a waiver in the event something went awry with their travel plans due to shortages.

She termed this week’s news “a big deal’ for the Canadian travel industry in winter.

“It is a mess. It is definitely a struggle right now. However, it’s easier with all airlines following suit now and straight up cancelling the packages. Most are cancelled until early May and some hotels are closed to next November.”

She said she felt sorry for Cubans, and the impact on the county’s economy. “It’s sad, such a beautiful county and all the people there are so friendly.”

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