The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT) has a new executive director.

The not-for-profit charitable organization said last week that Dave Newnham starts July 6.

Chair Todd Hall, on behalf of the board of directors, said, “Dave brings a strong commitment to Haliburton County, where he has lived intermittently since the late 1980s.”

Hall added Newnham has extensive leadership experience from his previous roles as vice president, camping and outdoor education with the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario and president and executive director of the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation.

Earlier in his career, Newnham worked at Kinark for several years as a supervisor and also at YMCA Camp Wanakita.

“Through all of his roles, Dave’s approach has been characterized by the development of strong new partnerships and community support, the creation of successful nonprofit fundraising strategies, the inspiration of strong staff and volunteer teams, and the connection of Ontarians with nature,” Hall said.

He added Newnham was “comfortable in the boardroom and in the bush. Dave brings a wealth of experience to HHLT at an important moment. A proven and dynamic leader, Dave has long demonstrated both a commitment to the natural world, and a great talent in connecting people – especially children – to its wonder.”

As the land trust embarks on an ambitious phase of growth and service to the Haliburton community, Hall said he can’t wait to work with Newnham to maximize its positive impact. “As a full-time resident of Algonquin Highlands, Dave’s familiarity with the County ensures he can hit the ground running.”

Newnham said he was delighted to step into the executive director position with the land trust.

“It’s an inspiring opportunity to bring together my deep commitment to environmental stewardship, my background in leading not-for-profit organizations looking to make a real impact, and my love for the incredible natural diversity and the great sense of community here in the Haliburton Highlands.

“I look forward to meeting with our dedicated volunteers, supporters and members of the community to build on our success over the last two decades and work together to deepen our legacy of protected lands and waters for generations to come.”

HHLT is a not-for-profit charitable organization focused on the conservation of the natural heritage of Haliburton County, currently owning and managing seven nature reserves, comprising more than 1,500 acres, of ecologically-diverse lands and waters. Two of the properties have well developed trail systems that are free and open to the public for hiking and nature appreciation.

HHLT is presently working with other partners, including the Ontario Conservation Accelerator, to conserve more ecologicallysensitive land in the County with a 2026-27 goal of doubling land holdings, opening more public trails, and increasing the number of its partners in conservation.

HHLT’s board of directors and committees are made up of volunteers.

Hall said, “we welcome your support. Please consider joining our Friends of HHLT group, volunteering on a committee or at an event, becoming an HHLT property monitor and/or making a financial contribution. Help protect the land and water you love.”

For more information, contact: admin@ haliburtonlandtrust.ca

Municipal election races are starting to heat up in the Highlands.

As a result, the public will have choices when it comes to mayor of three of the four townships.

Incumbent Minden Hills mayor Bob Carter has filed his nomination papers. He will try to maintain his seat while three others: current councillor-at-large Tammy McKelvey, current coun. Pam Sayne, and Minden businessman Pat Kitcheman try to replace him.

Incumbent deputy-mayor Lisa Schell now has opposition, with Ivan Ingram switching to council’s second in command, from Ward 1.

The councillor-at-large job will see a race between incumbent Bob Sisson and former coun. Ron Nesbitt.

Ward one is represented by two councillors, and sitting member Shirley Johannessen is running again. She is being challenged by Dan Garbutt.

Ward 2 has a new contender in Brad Griffin squaring off against Stephen Hertel, who has unsuccessfully run in the past. And Ward 3 currently has one contender: Jeff Hancock from Irondale.

Dysart et al has a mayor’s race, with current coun. Pat Casey seeking the top job, opposed by Greg Bishop and Andrew Nowell.

Walt McKechnie is so far the only contender for deputy mayor. Ward 1 sees Danny Roberts so far squaring off against Rob McCaig; Mike Waller is the only candidate as of now for Ward 2; Tammy Donaldson gets a run for her money in Ward 3 with Geoff Webber and Marianne Schlottke seeking that seat; Carm Sawyer is so far alone for Ward 4; and ward five sees a challenge for Barry Boice from Kirby Bagg. Nancy Wood-Roberts is not running.

In Highlands East, it’s so far a two-person race for mayor with incumbent Dave Burton being challenged by Steven Kauffeldt.

There are no races yet in the other wards. Bill Easton has filed for Ward 1; Angela Lewis for Ward 2; Cecil Ryall for Ward 3 and Ruth Strong for Ward 4. Cam McKenzie is not seeking re-election.

In Algonquin Highlands, it’s a slow start to the election. So far, only incumbent mayor Liz Danielsen and Ward 2 coun. Lisa Barry have filed. Deputy major Jennifer Dailloux is not running. Results are as of noon June 24. The last day to file a nomination is Friday, Aug. 21, by 2 p.m.

By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

For longtime Haliburton cottager Andrew Dunsmore, making a pitstop on a lengthy road trip is a part of the journey. But when he decided to take a break and stretch his legs during a trip out west, it turned into a mind-bending brush with home.

While on an RV trip from Calgary to Vancouver with his friend Robert Barnes in May, the pair decided to take a break at Three Valley Gap Lake Chateau and Ghost Town, just outside of Revelstoke, B.C. The guys were just finishing up their walking tour of the historic, open-air museum when they came across a small collection of vintage vehicles, including fire trucks.

Dunsmore told The Highlander that he had walked right past the first truck on display without taking a second look. But Barnes, who had visited Dunsmore’s family cottage many times, noticed a familiar word on the faded paint.

“Dysart,” Dunsmore recalled his friend saying. “Isn’t Dysart where Haliburton is?”

The Toronto resident turned back to the truck and went in for a closer look.

“I looked at it, and I was just dumbfounded,” Dunsmore said with a chuckle. “I was like, ‘yes, absolutely. There can only be one Dysart.’ And we went around and looked at the front of the truck, and there we could see the words Haliburton, which confirmed it. It absolutely blew my mind. You just don’t expect to see anything to do with Haliburton in the middle of B.C.”

Dunsmore said the discovery brought a wave of nostalgia over him and explained that while his family has lived all over Canada, Haliburton has always been their anchor. It’s a place his mother still calls home.

“It didn’t matter if we lived in Toronto or Montreal or wherever, we would always come back to the cottage for the summer. So it is sort of a second home for me,” he said. “I know lots of local people just from having had summer jobs at the Pinestone and different places over the years.”

While the truck’s existence out west might surprise many ex-pats; its history is no secret to former Haliburton fire chief Miles Maughan, as he was the one who decommissioned the vehicle.

Purchased by Dysart et al in 1972, the truck served as a front-line pumper for about two decades before being retired in 1992. Maughan, who drove and operated the engine for 15 years, explained what happened to the truck after retiring it from calls.

“It was still operating, so a fellow in the County bought it because he thought he was going to set up a mobile washing centre with it,” Maughan explained. “But he got a full-time job and didn’t have time, so it kind of sat around for a couple of years there.”

From there, the man sold the vehicle to a collector out west who operated a tow truck company. The B.C. collector brought a truck across the country to Ontario, picked up the retired Dysart pumper, and towed it all the way back to the province, Maughan explained.

Then, museum owner George Bell acquired the truck through some good old-fashioned bartering.

“I had a buddy back east, who got it out here,” Bell told The Highlander. “I had some storage, he stored some stuff here, and then he threw the fire truck at me.”

The 1972 pumper represented a specific era of firefighting technology with one feature that modern trucks no longer use, such as the quick-attack hose reel.

“In the picture you can see, they had a hose reel on them at that time,” Maughan noted. “You could grab one of them hose reels, pull it out, and spray a fire down within minutes.”

Today, the climate and natural elements have taken a toll on the old truck.

“The footwell, like where you would put your foot to hoist yourself up into the truck, it was nothing but rust,” Dunsmore said.

Bell echoed Dunsmore’s observations, noting that the mountain moisture has had its way with the former workhorse.

“Especially out here, we’re in quite a moist area, so things deteriorate,” Bell noted. The truck still features the original hoses it retired with.

“It’s so good to get it right from the fire department because you get all the goodies,” he said.

As for Dunsmore, he said that he was just thrilled to share the somewhat bizarre discovery with the County and to sort of surprise his mother when she opens the newspaper.

Youth Unlimited Haliburton Highlands is trying to bridge the gap for low-income families wanting to enroll their children in hockey, launching a new grassroots club in Haliburton village.

The Haliburton Warriors Hockey Club will start playing this fall. Founder Leanne Young, who runs the Bridge Youth Centre in town with her husband, Kyle, said the team will feature boys from Grades 4-6 in its first year.

After putting her 10-year-old son through Highland Storm hockey for the past four seasons, Young said the cost and unrelenting schedule were taking a toll on her family. After talking to other moms throughout the season and connecting with hockey enthusiasts at public skates through the winter, she felt there was enough demand to support another program.

“We probably spent $4,000-5,000 this year on hockey for our one son, which is a lot of money. It also felt like driving became our entire lives. We were on the road three days a week at least,” Young said. “Now, my youngest son is getting to the point where he wants to start hockey and there’s no way we have the money or time to have two kids playing.

“With gas prices going up, it was costing us $20 to get to Gooderham and back. Then you have food to pay for, because games are always around dinner or lunch time,” she added.

She believes in the benefits of organized hockey – teaching kids about teamwork, respect and discipline. That will form the basis of the Warriors program, she said.

“I think if you teach boys how to be men of integrity, how to work together and be committed to something, then that definitely helps their future development,” Young said. “Since my son started playing, he’s speaking up more in class, he’s become a leader, confident and calm in tough situations. We’ve seen a big change in him.

“I see other boys needing that kind of positive influence. Kids have told me they want to play hockey but can’t afford it. We want to change that.”

The program will run for 16 weeks beginning Oct. 16. Sessions will run from 4 to 6 p.m. at A.J. LaRue Arena in Haliburton. The cost is $220 per person, with 24 spots available.

Volunteer Kelly Short will serve as lead coach with locals Steve Belanger, Graham Borgdorff and Paul Adams assisting. There will also be a couple of older teenagers from the Bridge helping out.

Short said the first half of the weekly meets will focus on skill development, with the second half on games and scrimmages. He coached with the Highland Storm for two years after moving to the Highlands in 2018 but found the travel to games to be too much.

He’s been volunteering with the Bridge Youth Centre for about a year, helping out with pancake breakfasts. He said he was happy to help on the hockey side after Young approached him earlier this year.

Short feels this new program is an ideal way for parents to introduce their children to hockey.

“Hockey is such a great team sport. It brings camaraderie, teaches many aspects of life they need to learn like hard work and respect,” Short said.

Young said the hope is to expand the program to other age groups, and girls, in the future.

Anyone interested in registering can do so by contacting Young at leanne@ youthunlimitedkaw.com.