County adds advanced care paramedics

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August 27, 2026

The Haliburton County Paramedic Service has introduced advanced care paramedics into front-line operations, in what it says represents an important step in the evolution of health care for residents and visitors across the Highlands.

The County of Haliburton said Aug. 18 that following council approval, the service (HCPS) has now deployed its first front-line advanced care paramedic (ACP).

The program is expected to expand over time, while simultaneously, primary care paramedics (PCP) continue to keep up with “rigorous” education requirements for “a dynamic and expanding” scope of practice, the County said.

Warden Dave Burton said he was pleased to see health services expand to offer more for residents of the region.

“We are fortunate to have dedicated professionals serving on the front lines everyday, making the Haliburton Highlands an exceptional place to live and visit.”

Every ambulance in Haliburton County is staffed by “highly-trained” PCPs, who provide “exceptional” care for the community, the County said.

It added the introduction of ACPs will complement the team and provide early interventions for patients experiencing the most complex, or time-critical, medical emergencies. Some common examples of these include: electrical cardioversion, intubation, and the administration of advanced medications to control things such as extreme pain or seizures.

For residents and visitors, this means an additional layer of advanced clinical care is now available within Haliburton County, the County said.

The first person to serve on a frontline ambulance as an ACP in Haliburton County is Shawn Foster, a paramedic with more than 10 years of front-line experience.

The County said, “Foster’s achievement reflects both his personal commitment to professional development and HCPS’ ongoing investment in providing exceptional emergency care to the community.”

Chief Michael Slatter of the HCPS said last week’s announcement “reflects our commitment to continually advancing the care we provide to our community.

“Our primary care paramedics already deliver exceptional care and are recognized for the progressive scope they practice under. Introducing advanced care paramedics builds on that strong foundation, ensuring our teams have even more clinical support available when caring for patients with the most complex medical needs.

“We appreciate the support of both County council and our residents and visitors as we continue strengthening emergency health care for Haliburton County.”

The County added that the addition of ACPs “represents another milestone in HCPS’ ongoing commitment to delivering evidence-informed, patient-centred health care while continuing to build health care equity to meet the evolving needs of the community.”

Wellness clinics coming to County

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Lisa Gervais

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August 27, 2026

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The County of Haliburton’s Seniors Active Living Centre (SALC) program, Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS), and Haliburton County Community Paramedics (HCPS) have announced a series of free wellness clinics across the Highlands.

The partners described them as “friendly, drop-in events” that will bring healthcarerelated community support agencies together in accessible settings, making it easier for residents to find useful information, services, and connections, in one convenient place.

They are designed for older adults, but open to residents of all ages.

The County said on Aug. 18 that the clinics will offer a one stop shop approach.

“These are wellness clinics, and not medical clinics. A primary care provider will not be on site. Residents do not need a family doctor to attend, and no appointment is required,” the County said.

It added that support for caregiver respite on site will be available with a personal support worker attending. Free local event transportation will also be available for community members who book in advance. Call 705-286-1333 x.243 to inquire/book in advance. Light refreshments and snacks will be available on-site.

The County said that by removing the need for appointments, and connecting multiple partners in familiar community spaces, the clinics aim to reduce barriers for residents who may benefit from timely information, referrals, screenings, education or connection to local supports.

On-site services could include: blood pressure checks; flu vaccinations; pointof-care glucose testing; inhaler education; connection to community supports; and medication reviews. Services may vary by location.

County warden Dave Burton said they were excited to welcome residents to the free events and to work together with partners to support community well-being. He added it is “about meeting people where they are, and making it easier to access the information and supports that can help them stay well and connected.”

Jack Hutchison, president and CEO of HHHS, said they’re grateful for the opportunity to partner with the County and bring care as close to home as possible. “Through our team in community support and outpatient services, HHHS is committed to reducing the inequities of access to care while being a model of excellence in rural health,” he said.

Dysart’s new development eyes 119 residential units

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August 27, 2026

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By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Dysart et al council is moving forward with its planned residential and community development on County Road 21, after endorsing a preferred concept and vision for the municipal lands.

Consultants from The Biglieri Group presented two updated layout options during a regular council meeting Tuesday (Aug. 25). Both concepts, 3A and 3B, addressed municipal requests, such as swapping locations of a planned long-term care facility and a multi-use recreational facility.

Staff recommended going with concept 3A, a single-road layout designed to maximize housing density and cost efficiency. According to a staff report, the concept would allow for a minimum of 119 residential units, while utilizing a single primary road layout crossing an environmental buffer, which planners noted provides “the biggest bang for your buck” in terms of infrastructure efficiency.

Council focused on whether to include a highway commercial block at the front of the planned subdivision. Consultants cautioned that adding commercial space at the property’s entrance complicates stormwater management.

“If the highway commercial block were to go in this area as requested… it essentially takes over the best location for a subdivision storm pond,” Biglieri Group’s Evan Sugden told council.

The project lead went on to note that a commercial zone would require multiple stormwater management solutions rather than a single unified solution.

“We felt it was better and more efficient for the municipality to keep a bigger multi-use block, a simpler stormwater management solution, and a cheaper stormwater management solution,” Sugden said.

Biglieri Group’s civil engineer, Jamie Dick, also recommended a single centralized pond.

“Ideally, one is the way to go here if it can function, work, and give the land the way you guys would like it to,” he told council.

Addressing the project’s priorities, coun. Nancy Wood-Roberts voiced a preference for housing over commercial space.

Council endorsed concept 3A. The Biglieri Group will move forward with preparing and submitting the required Planning Act applications.

Almost a wrap on arts foundation raffle

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Mike Baker

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August 27, 2026

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With nine days to go in the Haliburton Highlands Arts Centre Foundation’s (HHACF) ‘big online summer raffle’, the group’s president, Michael Clipperton, said all funds raised will help progress plans to bring a new performing arts facility to the area.

Launched in June, the raffle is HHACF’s first-ever fundraiser, Clipperton said. There are five price points for people to choose from – they can purchase one ticket for $10, five for $20, 15 for $40, 50 for $75, or 100 for $100.

It’s being run online through Rafflebox, with $1,950 raised as of press time on Wednesday (Aug. 26). Clipperton said the host site will take eight-to-nine per cent of the total winnings, with the rest of the pot to be split between HHACF and the winner.

“We’re hoping to net about $1,000. This is our first attempt at a fundraising venture, and we’re pleased with how it’s gone so far,” Clipperton said.

It’s been four years since HHACF presented results from a feasibility study that suggested the Highlands community could sustain a “world-class” operation consisting of a 400-seat auditorium, rehearsal hall, backstage facilities, front of house lobby with concessions, office space for theatre management, and music studios.

The project was initially pegged at $48 million, though the foundation said in 2025 it had scaled back elements of the project to bring anticipated costs down to $30-35 million. In 2024, Dysart et al sold a 14-acre parcel on the corner of Wonderland Road and County Road 21 to HHACF for $1 to serve as the home of the future build.

Clipperton said the group has invested more than $200,000 so far commissioning various reports. Environmental impact and traffic studies have been completed, with expensive archeological and hydrogeological analyses up next.

After running a community survey over the summer, garnering 60 responses, Clipperton feels he and the rest of the HHACF board have a mandate from potential users of the site.

“We heard that people are in support of the project, they are hopeful it will happen, but they have concerns – particularly about the cost of rentals and how we’ll make that sustainable,” Clipperton said.

He said one of the most interesting things coming out of the survey is that 80 per cent of the respondents admitted they leave Haliburton County for much of their entertainment, with Toronto and Casino Rama popular destinations.

While still working with Dysart et al and the County on the file, Clipperton reaffirmed HHACF wants to have shovels in the ground by 2030.

“We’re hopeful, but this is going to be a long and drawn-out process. Our consultants who did the initial feasibility study were involved in the construction of the art centre in St. Catharines and that was a 20-year process,” Clipperton said.

“We’re hoping to get up to 50 per cent of the project costs covered by provincial and federal grants, but we’d still need to raise our portion. At that $30-35 million number, this would be the largest infrastructure project in the history of Haliburton County for the last 50 years,” he added.

Tickets can be purchased online at rafflebox.ca/raffle/hhacf.

The Hip: cottage country anthems

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August 27, 2026

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By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Many Canadians can remember exactly where they were on Aug. 20, 2016. A decade later, after The Tragically Hip walked off the stage for the last time in Kingston, Ont., Gord Downie’s voice can still be heard across the vast lakes of Haliburton County.

“In a lot of people’s minds, they’re Canada’s greatest band,” Haliburton’s MooseFM host Rick Lowes said.

On Aug. 20, MooseFM joined dozens of radio stations to mark the 10th anniversary of the band’s final show. The station dedicated a three-hour block to playing nothing but The Hip.

For Lowes, dedicating a massive chunk of afternoon airtime to the iconic Ontario rockers wasn’t a complex programming decision; it was simply common sense.

“Certainly, a lot of our listeners listen to The Hip… it just seemed like the logical move,” Lowes explained.

With the age-old debate about what is the country’s greatest band, the host points to the bond between The Hip and small-town audiences, especially in cottage country.

“The Hip have a special place in Canada’s heart, I think, because they made it huge in Canada, but they really didn’t pursue any kind of career outside of the country,” Lowes said. “So many of their songs are so relatable to every Canadian.”

The Hip’s legacy isn’t just felt across local airwaves; it’s alive on stages across the Highlands. For father-son duo VanHillert, The Hip represents pure Canadian rock, and a shared interest that spans generations.

The father reflected on seeing the band before they were a household name, during a summer gig at Wasaga Beach in July 1986.

“They were nobody,” Chris Hillert told The Highlander before a gig at Minden’s Boshkung Social.

“They played at the Dardanella, and downstairs was this little schlocky pool hall. The first impression was [Gord] had a piece of plywood that he used to stand on, stomping his feet around like Stompin’ Tom [Connors]. He kind of reminded me of Jim Morrison. That kind of stuck with me. If you were to define that sound, that Canadian rock sound, that’s The Hip.”

For Owen Hillert, drummer in VanHillert, the connection to the Kingston band was formed during that final night a decade ago. Nearly twelve million people tuned in to watch the final concert that was aired on the CBC.

“It was kind of sombre,” Chris said. “We all knew what was going on. We really absorbed it.”

Owen was just eight years old at the time.

“I watched that whole thing, and that’s what really got me into them. Now we play a bunch of their songs,” Owen said.

For local performers, Hip tracks aren’t just covers; they’re cottage country anthems. When VanHillert rips into songs like “Blow At High Dough,” the reaction in the room is instant.

“They pay attention more to The Hip than anything,” Owen said. “It’s a universal ring bell for their minds to just focus on.”

“Whenever we play it, it’s the biggest response of the night,” his father added. “I don’t know, it’s just a universal language up here.”

Downie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in December 2015. He died on Oct. 17, 2017, at the age of 53.

Paving path for education

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Mike Baker

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August 27, 2026

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The Wilberforce FUNraising Group’s Barb Schofield said she’s a big believer in the annual education bursary volunteers award to a local youth set to pursue a postsecondary degree or diploma.

On Sunday (Aug. 23), the FUNraisers announced Marisol Hall was the recipient of this year’s $500 award, which she will put towards costs of the honours arts and English literature program she’s starting at Trent University in September.

The group has distributed $4,000 to local students since launching the bursary in 2017.

The money can be used to offset moving costs, go towards tuition, or to purchase expensive items such as course books and specialist computer programs.

Rocking the dock for food

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Lisa Gervais

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August 27, 2026

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Bob Lake’s Rock the Dock fundraiser celebrated its fifth year this summer – raising another $6,310 for the Minden Community Food Centre – bringing the overall total to just shy of $25,000.

Pamela England, a member of the Bob Lake Association (BLA), said “while we fell just a little short of our record-breaking fourth year, we were absolutely thrilled with the results, especially given the weather.

The enthusiasm and generosity of everyone who came out made the day a huge success.”

England said the raffle, introduced in 2024, continues to be a huge hit and an important part of the fundraiser.

She also thanked business supporters.

Food centre manager, Tracey Gilbert, said they “could not be more grateful for the partnership and ongoing support we have received from the Bob Lake Association and everyone who comes together each year to make Rock the Dock such a success.”

She added funds help them provide food and support to individuals and families in the community who need it most.

Season winding down with school around the corner

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August 27, 2026

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With a crispness creeping into the late August evening air and dusk arriving earlier each night, the milder weather is giving these young soccer players a second wind, allowing them to train harder and play longer during demanding drills and fast-paced matches.

Buzz about the returning school year is growing, leaving these summer teammates mindful that their weeks together on the pitch are nearly at an end.

Come autumn, many of these same players will face off across the field in different school colours for local tournaments. While cross-town rivalries are sure to kick in, competing against familiar friends always brings a lively dynamic of friendly banter, mutual respect, and inspiring sportsmanship.

What a difference

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Mike Baker

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August 26, 2026

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The race is officially on in Haliburton County, with 57 political hopefuls vying for 23 council positions in Algonquin Highlands, Dysart et al, Highlands East and Minden Hills.

Nomination deadlines for municipal council candidates passed on Friday (Aug. 21). It’s a much different picture from four years ago, when exactly half of all available positions in the Highlands were filled by acclamation – meaning only one person registered for the seat.

After seeing 12 acclamations across the four townships in 2022, we have just one this election cycle. Karla MacKay will serve as the Ward 1 representative in Algonquin Highlands, replacing two-term councillor Julia Shortreed who didn’t seek re-election. There are contests for every other position, including five people vying to become mayor in Highlands East and four in Minden Hills.

Beginning this week, TheHighlander will be publishing a series of Q&As with council hopefuls. We asked them about their qualifications, the biggest issue in their township – and how they’d go about tackling it, and their overarching vision for the community.

Our hope was, by presenting vague and open-ended questions, we’d get a wide range of responses. That should, in theory, give readers the opportunity to decide for themselves which candidates fit their values and vision best.

I feel like there’s a nice spread of candidates this time around. We have the older, more experienced heads looking to give back to their community, but there’s also a good number of working professionals who have stepped up to the plate. Ballots include those who were born and raised in the Highlands, as well as recent imports, full-time residents and seasonal.

Having read most of the answers, folks seem much more engaged and aligned on the key issues facing County townships over the next four years.

That’s important, because these next councils are going to have to hit the ground running once they’re sworn in. The affordability and governance review, prepared for the County by consultants the Eastern Ontario Regional Network, is arguably the biggest, most significant file in this community’s history. Essentially, our next councils will decide whether or not to amalgamate Haliburton County.

Four options have been presented: maintain the status quo; have the County take on the bulk of municipal services and maintain the lower-tiers to handle bylaws and recreation; maintain the upper-tier County and merge Dysart et al with Highlands East, and Minden Hills with Algonquin Highlands; or a full single-tier amalgamation.

Each township also has its own challenges maintaining infrastructure, retaining staff, and keeping on top of major files such as the short-term rental and shoreline preservation bylaws.

Make no mistake about it, the 2026-30 term could be the most pivotal in this County’s history. We know all townships are struggling financially; change is desperately needed.

So, while it’s a positive that we have a strong number of candidates, it’s imperative voters get it right when hitting the polls in October. Our councils need analytical minds, the best of the best around the table to crunch the numbers and do a deep dive on everything presented by EORN, while also doing more of their own homework, too. We’ll only get one crack of the whip to get this right.

There are other options for you to learn more about each nominee. The Haliburton Highlands Healthy Democracy Project has organized all-candidates meetings in all four townships, happening in September and October.

Average voter turnout in 2022 was a pathetic 26.59 per cent. That number must increase this time around. Social media pages I regularly frequent have been filled with complaints about rising costs, service reductions, lack of recreational events and opportunities, and more. Just know, if you don’t vote, you do have to forfeit your ‘right to complain’ badge.

So, get on it. Do some research, folks – election day is just 60 days away.

‘Reacher’ to make appearance in Minden

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Lisa Gervais

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August 20, 2026

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The Minden Whitewater Preserve will be one of the locations used for filming season five of Reacher on Amazon Prime.

The season – production title Honcho – will adapt Lee Child’s 20th novel, Make Me, and is expected to premiere in late 2027 or 2028.

The preserve announced earlier this month the campground and trails would be closed Aug. 24-30 for filming.

The Township of Minden Hills said on Monday (Aug. 17) that JRS5 TV Productions Ltd. said they plan to film exterior scenes for Honcho at Harrington Park and Whitewater Ontario with crews on site starting Aug. 20 to potentially as late as Sept. 4. The township said temporary lane occupancy and intermittent traffic control may occur on Horseshoe Lake Road.

Preserve director, Dave Gillespie, said the film production company has rented the private property site, owned by Whitewater Ontario. The Township of Minden Hills has also given permits to close Harrington Park and the lower trail by the footbridge. Gillespie said there would be large trucks, heavy equipment, 100-150 people, and security on site.

The show stars Alan Ritchson as main character, Jack Reacher. Gillespie told The Highlander they were contacted by a scout, looking for locations to match the script.

Season five to air in late 2027 or early 2028

That scout “identified the Minden Whitewater Preserve as a possible site that had clean water and access on the shore of the river and had a community that could fit in their scale of operation.”

He said when the scout came for a preliminary site meeting, “his eyes popped open.”

Gillespie said the preserve has a lot of pluses: “providing great access, trails on both sides of the river, and the volume is managed by the Trent Severn Waterway, which allows the film crew to have some degree of expectation for what the flow is like that time of year, or that particular day.” Gillespie added the preserve’s neighbours “seem to be understanding. The community is supportive.”

Potential for future films

It’s not the first time the preserve has had a television audience. It served as the official canoe and kayak slalom venue for the 2015 Toronto Pan-American Games.

Gillespie noted when Roger Parsons identified the site back in the 1960s, they raised money to purchase it and renovate with money from a movie shoot. In the last 15 years, there have been Toyota commercials, other TV shows, and a Hallmark Christmas movie.

“We’ve gone from hosting the PanAmerican Games to national championships and some local, smaller, events. In recent years, we’ve been hosting weddings, and birthday parties, because people can rent the property and we are happy to be part of the community in that way,” he added. Gillespie said they’d also become a training site for rescue agencies.

He said the rental fees from the show are a significant boost to their river rehabilitation fund, and for other site projects.

“We’re looking to do things to enhance the river experience for all users, including anglers, painters, and photographers… trying to think big picture … how to do things that will support a broader community.”

Being featured in Reacher is definitely a step up, Gillespie said. “We’re very excited.”

As for economic impact, Gillespie added that while film crews tend to bring their own mini-villages, there have been, and will be, some accommodation rentals, dining out and shopping.

County manager of tourism, Angelica Ingram, said they’re also pleased with the opportunity to showcase “the distinctive landscapes and visitor experiences found throughout the Haliburton Highlands.”

She said the County’s tourism team has been working with preserve staff to support production planning and help address logistical needs where possible.

“We continue to see strong potential for future film activity in the region and have created a dedicated webpage to help production companies access key information and answers to common questions.”