Haliburton County’s iconic Highland Yard fundraising race is looking for a new home.

Places for People (P4P) announced last week it is relinquishing the charitable event.

With the help of past board member, and avid runner, Jack Russel, P4P took over the Highland Yard in 2012, going on to raise more than $200,000 for the housing charity.

However, COVID delivered a punch, forcing organizers to go to virtual events for three years. Rotaract had a crack at organizing the 2023 race, but found it to be a lot of work for little return.

P4P spokesperson, Susan Tromanhauser, said, “unfortunately, as happens, people get older and the usual support of the race for P4P has changed.”

She added, “the current board does not really see the link between running and housing and to be honest, we don’t have the capacity to do what we do and organize a running event.”

In recent years, P4P has focused on its Sleeping in Cars fundraiser, with the next one slated for March 21 at Head Lake Park’s welcome centre.

“So, the bottom line is, Places for People is looking for a new home for the Highland Yard. We don’t want to just end it as it is a Haliburton County tradition for 50-plus years and we are sure there must be some organization that could benefit from taking it on,” Tromanhauser said.

She added they have a lot of swag and other items they would be willing to pass on to a new organizer.

Russel is synonymous with the Highland Yard.

He recalls how it started with two Camp Onondaga staff challenging themselves to run from the camp to the Rockcliffe in 1971; a distance of 7.4 km. It became a community event in 1976. There have been numerous sponsors over the years until it landed with P4P.

Jack Russel: ‘I hope we can find a new home for it’

Lamenting no race in 2024, and P4P stepping away for 2025, Russel told The Highlander this week, “it is sad to see that a race of this nature is not being offered. There are a lot of people who always look forward to it and some of them would plan their holidays around it if they were at the cottage or on the lake when the race was offered.”

He’s been wracking his brain about who could take it over. “Who would be a good candidate? A sporting club… a sports store? I’m just not sure.”

He said it takes a lot of volunteers on race day. “And I think it takes a good cause. Places for People was a good cause and people got behind that and supported that and could raise money for that easily.

“Someone might be interested in taking it on, or someone might be interested in all the stuff P4P has acquired from running the race over the years.

“It’s always sad to see things not continued that are good traditions and good events and are healthy events for people. For the community to wrap itself around this as an engaging activity, it was wonderful for families to do this, and families enjoyed running the Highland Yard.

“I hope we can find a new home for it. I hope Places for People can find a new home for it… a good group that’s willing to take this on and use all the equipment that was purchased over the years. There must be 100 traffic cones.”

If anyone is interested, contact Tromanhauser at susan.tromanhauser@gmail.com.

It was always tradition for a bagpiper to send off the Highland Yard runners.

County of Haliburton CAO Gary Dyke said he was working with the heads of Algonquin Highlands, Dysart et al, Highlands East and Minden Hills, to “reinvigorate” the service delivery review in 2025.

The consultant’s report was delivered to County council in November, 2020. There has been some movement – such as hiring an economic development and tourism manager, and joint purchasing – however much of what Strategy Corp. recommended has not come about.

Dyke told councillors Dec. 11 senior staff had been modifying the recommendations “because I think there were reasons why it (the process) did bog down. I think we can resurrect it.” However, he said there would be no impact on budgets until 2026 at the earliest.

He committed to, “diving back into, and having a solid relook, at how we deliver services and where we can find both efficiencies and cost savings at the same time.”

Commenting on Coun. Bob Carter discussing affordability for Highlanders, Dyke added, “that’s definitely something we’re working towards.” Carter said he thought there could be efficiencies when it comes to things such as having five roads’ departments in the Highlands.

Coun. Liz Danielsen said, “I agree there could probably be some savings there, but it needs to be worked on, and we need to agree as a council. There’re not just five roads’ departments, there’s five planning departments, there’s five building departments, there’s so many areas where we could, if we were willing to, simplify things, to streamline things into reduced costs. That’s going to take some time. I would just urge all members of council to really think about the benefits of looking again at our opportunities and service delivery elsewhere.”

‘Everybody’s backyard is going to get changed’

Coun. Cec Ryall told his colleagues, “you’ve got to buy into the fact that everybody’s backyard is going to get changed, and if you’re not prepared to let that happen, then there’s the budget. Suck it up.”

Coun. Lisa Schell said she had been sitting at the council table for several years, “and when we first started talking about service delivery review and the ‘A’ word (amalgamation), many members of council at that time weren’t interested in actually getting there. It’s changed around the table as we’ve seen some of the savings that can be made within the departments. I think it’s time that we really, really take a hard look at what that would possibly look like in another term of council. Because some term of council is either going to have to do it or say ‘no, this isn’t going to work’. And I think we’ve made strides in the last two terms of council to realize that it actually makes sense.”

Coun. Walt McKechnie said he is all for saving money “but show me a County where amalgamation has happened and you’re saving money? I want us to work together, whether it’s roads, any of our departments together, to save money.”

Coun. Jennifer Dailloux agreed but added, “I’m still in favour of seeing if we could do it better here in Haliburton. I still wonder if there is a model that could work for us, could work for our four municipalities, and could save us all money. I’m in favour of the idea in principle.”

Danielsen said when they first started talking about amalgamation, she had concerns, but her thinking has shifted. While “still not there” when it comes to amalgamation, she said, “I believe now that the best direction for us to take is to look at the service delivery review that we’ve had done, see where we can have some successes, and savings, because I do believe there’s room for that without us getting all worried about amalgamation.”

Carter added, “we have a little over 20,000 residents in Haliburton County and we have 24 elected officials. And if we take this body (County council), it’s 32 elected officials. We spend an awful lot of time on administration, for an awful lot of money, and having all of these meetings and discussions between the various councils. There has to be a penny or two to be saved at that point. I’m just looking at working together.”

He said the County made a good budget decision in hiring an in-house mechanic rather than going to an outsider. He questioned the need for a council chamber for Minden Hills when the County one is just up the road. “Is there a reason why Minden and the County couldn’t share a council chamber since there’s only two meetings per month? There are an awful lot of places where we can look at things differently, reimagine things…”

If Minden Hills had to replace all of its assets, they’d be worth nearly $307 million, consultants Watson & Associate Economists Ltd. told council Jan. 9.

In a report to last week’s council meeting, they said transportation assets are the biggest ticket items, at $205 million. That includes more than 270 kilometres of roads; 14 vehicle bridges, three footbridges, and one structural culvert.

That’s followed by facilities at nearly $47 million, and includes 26 structures (excluding water and wastewater), such as the municipal office, public works facilities, the arena, fire hall and others.

Next up is wastewater assets of $28.4 million; and water assets of more than $18 million. That includes water and wastewater mains, water and wastewater treatment plants.

Fleet and equipment come in at $8 million, with 35 vehicles, trailers, playground equipment etc.

CAO Cynthia Fletcher said having an updated asset management plan is “a major milestone” for the township.

“We have been without an up-to- date asset management plan for quite some time. This brings us into compliance for our requirements for 2024 and allows us to go after some available funding,” she said.

Director of finance, Wendelin Lonergan, added there is still work to be done to be compliant for July 1, 2025. She said the asset management plan would be a living document, “going forward in conjunction with budgeting, not just something that sits on a shelf. It will help with grant funding in the future to highlight where any deficiencies may be in our assets in the township.”

Peter Simcisko presented on behalf of Watson and Associate, also providing an assessment of what kind of shape the assets are in.

He said asphalt roads are good, while gravel and surface treatment are fair. Structures are rated as poor for local bridges, but fair for collector bridges, footbridges and culvert.

Water, wastewater, facilities, fleet and equipment are all in fair shape.

Simcisko said that indicates “while the assets are still certainly operational and generally able to meet functional requirements, they are on average reaching the point where replacement or rehabilitation may be needed.”

As a result, he suggested the township spend an average of $7.3 million a year over the next 10 years on assets, with the largest chunk being $5.2 million for roads. He noted that is a preliminary estimate and does not reflect proposed levels of service. They’ll be working with staff on priorities over the next number of months.

“Ultimately, asset management planning at a very high level comes down to this need to balance a desired or proposed level of service with the costs of both achieving and then maintaining that level of service,” Simcisko said. The final asset management plan will be presented to council in June 2025.

Lonergan said a lot of the data is only up to 2021 and there have been investments since then that will be captured in the final report, so the “numbers might look scary at first blush, but this is normal across most municipalities in the province. If we are able to obtain some good grant dollars going forward these numbers will come down quite significantly.”

Coun. Pam Sayne said “this does open us up now for grants to get a lot of these things done and I greatly appreciate that we’ve gotten this far.”

“This is a work in progress that will be continuing,” Lonergan said.

Highlands Opera Studio (HOS) is embarking on a “daring” new year-long project through 2025 – with lead Valerie Kuinka, inviting the Haliburton County community along for the ride.

‘Let’s Make an Opera’ is a grass-rootslevel production designed to encourage participation in local theatre, Kuinka said. One of four professional mentors involved, the long-time HOS co-artistic director says the goal is to take three-to-four stories based on life, or experiences, in Haliburton County and spin them into a series of short operatic features.

The project is supported through a $97,400 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).

“We want to encourage people who are not familiar with opera to dispel the preconceptions and take a chance to try something new,” Kuinka said. “All opera is, is stories supported by music and theatre. So, we are bringing the entire process of creating an opera front and centre to people in Haliburton County.”

The first step, Kuinka said, is finding good source material. She’s spent the past month gathering stories from the public – everything from historically significant events from the Highlands’ past to cute and quirky quips from a memorable weekend at the cottage.

“The idea is the stories will all come from, or feature in some way, Haliburton County. It can be a personal story, or just a random anecdote from life. But it must be told by someone that lives here, and has an experience born here,” Kuinka said.

Kuinka’s daughter – professional soprano, singer and songwriter, Lauren Margison, is also involved. So, too, composer Danika Lorén and percussionist Michael Murphy. Between them, the quartet have decades of experience performing professionally and know what it takes to put together an impactful show.

Kuinka said she hopes people will come forward to fill a selection of roles – both on-stage and behind the scenes.

Workshops will begin in April, focusing on setting the selected stories to a musical background. Kuinka said each piece will be 15 to 30 minutes long and will boast its own dedicated team.

“We need wordsmiths, musicians, performers, artists to assist with props, people with stage direction experience, set designers,” Kuinka said, noting no training is required for most behind-the-scenes roles. To be involved in a performance, she added, “you must be able to sing in tune.”

Regular meetings will be held virtually through spring and summer, with a second workshop scheduled for August – with all components coming together for a series of rehearsals.

Kuinka said the idea is to create a heartwarming production for the community, from the community. After spending years supporting and training aspiring musicians through the Highlands Opera Community School and ‘Pay What You Can’ singing programs, Kuinka said she sees this as another way of giving back – and allowing people the chance to peek behind the curtain.

“This is about the people of Haliburton County owning their story. Opera does not have to be professional singers in a big theatre with a full orchestra in a major city. In fact, it’s much more exciting creatively working with smaller operas – this is what we would like to share at home in Haliburton,” she said.

Final performances will take place in November at a to-be-determined location.

Anyone wishing to participate can contact Kuinka at valerie@highlandsoperastudio. com.

Fundraising concert

Celebrating its 19th season this summer, HOS is hosting a fundraising concert at Jane Mallett Theatre in downtown Toronto Feb. 9.

The bill features internationally renowned soprano Christine Goerke, mezzo-soprano Simon Genga, tenor Scott Rumble, Samuel Chan and Margison in solos and ensembles from opera, musical, theatre and jazz, accompanied on piano by Timothy Cheung and Vladimir Soloviev.

Kuinka noted reduced holiday pricing for the summer season has been extended until Jan. 31. This year’s features include: Richard Margison Masterclass July 29; From Opera to Broadway July 31; Why Choose Opera Aug. 5; Pop Goes the Opera! Aug. 7; Casual Song Soirée Aug. 12; Orfeo Ed Euridice Aug. 14; Music on the Water Aug. 16; Homecoming: HOS Alumni in Concert Aug. 18; and The Merry Widow Aug. 21-25.

Tickets are available through the HOS website.

After a 2024 season that saw so many highs, including a top five show finish at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, 16-year-old equestrian Tavia Harris says she’s determined to keep progressing as one of the province’s top up-and-coming jumpers.

The Minden resident wrapped up her second season on the amateur Trillium Horse Series circuit last year, where she stood out as a top performer in the central east zone.

Riding twice a month in jumping events between April and August, Harris recorded a top seven finish in regional competition alongside her horse Carpincho, a 19-year-old thoroughbred mare. That qualified her for the Trillium Championships, hosted by the Trillium Hunter Jumper Association, which took place in Ottawa in early September.

After another impressive showing there, where Harris competed against equestrians of all ages – some with more than a decade’s worth of riding experience – she was invited to participate in the prestigious Provincial Cup. While she fell short of a podium finish, Harris’ love for the sport, and connection with her “best friend” Carpincho – or Camero as she’s known outside of competition – earned the pair a place at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, held in Toronto in November.

It was a surreal moment for Harris as she got to see things from the other side of the fence, having attended the fair annually for as long as she can remember.

“As far as last year went, I think it was better than I ever could have hoped for,” Harris told The Highlander in a recent interview. “It’s been hard, and a lot of work… but getting to the fair made it all worth it.”

While her appearance in the city was for showing, rather than jumping, Harris said it ignited a fire deep within her. She and Carpincho placed fifth in the in-hand and under-saddle class – a “remarkable achievement for a girl who had never really showed before,” said mom, Elizabeth Foote.

Later that month, Harris was named co-recipient of the Cassie Bonnar Junior Equestrian of the Year award by the Ontario Equestrian Foundation.

It was the pinnacle of a four-year journey for Harris and her mare, after the pair were first introduced in November 2020. Then 12, Harris had spent years trying to convince her mom to buy her a horse. After relenting, Foote spent months researching for a perfect fit – only for the pair to stumble upon Carpincho, owned by a breeder in Madoc. This was at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their connection was instant, Foote said, with Harris making sure to spend time with her new best friend every day. They found a stable in Highlands East to house her.

“Tav was so committed – it was a difficult relationship at first… Camero had some issues to work through, but that kid sat on a bucket in a field every single day. She showed up over and over and over again,” Foote said. “Over time they developed a real trust and before long they were inseparable.”

It was months before Harris climbed on Carpincho’s back for the first time. Almost completely self-taught via videos on YouTube and guides found online – with only a couple entry-level lessons, Harris had to learn through trial and error as she figured out how to adapt and maneuver her body while in full flight.

An avid hockey player for much of her youth, Harris gave up the sport and almost all her other extra-curriculars so she could dedicate as much time as possible to perfecting her new craft.

“That wasn’t too hard – actually, it wasn’t hard at all,” Harris said. “After creating this incredible bond, I knew [jumping] was all I really wanted to do. The fact we get to spend all this time alone, growing together… it means so much to me.”

After jumping two-foot-six-inch hurdles the past two years, Harris said she’s planning to go up to three-feet in 2025. She’ll do so by once again learning the ropes herself, opting against professional coaching. For her, part of the fun is connecting with her horse and going through new experiences together.

“It almost feels like we’re one now whenever I’m riding… but I’m still trying to figure out what the circuit is and how to progress. I just look at all my mistakes from previous rides and try to make sure not to repeat them,” Harris said. “I do want to go to the championships again. I’d like to win.

“After performing so well and exceeding anything I thought I’d do these past two years, I just want to see how far I can go, how far Camero can take me,” Harris concluded.