The Abbey Retreat Centre (ARC) launched its 4th annual Haliburton Highlands Challenge June 25, with the event running from July 1-Sept. 30.

The retreat centre was full of participants, who will be taking to the water, hiking trails, bike paths, or staying active at home.

Since its establishment in 2017, ARC has remained dedicated to providing cancer retreats for free, acknowledging the financial burden individuals and families battling cancer already face. ARC has served more than 322 people affected by cancer through its programming. By December, ARC is set to host four more in-person retreats and three more online programs, serving another 70 people facing cancer. They had to close their doors due to COVID and transitioned to creating online programs. They have also offered space to the local HHHS cancer support and grief groups, as well as providing a gathering place for families, who are looking for a time of relaxation in the midst of a cancer journey.

During the official launch for the challenge, Bob Stiles, who did a retreat in 2019, said he has set a goal of lifting 80,000 pounds. His wife, Arlene Stiles, supported Bob during his retreat and has joined ARC as a program coordinator. “The retreat reminded me that I am a whole person, I have lots of things to me other than cancer and a support person,” said Stiles.

The challenge hopes to raise $80,000, which would move 50 people off of the waitlist into a four-day retreat.

To learn more about ARC, and ways to donate, or join a team go to: haliburtonhighlandschallenge.ca.

Working to bring the main street back to life is what Amy Joanu, owner of Beauty Basics, wants for downtown Minden.

“It will take a collaborative effort by business owners and people, but that is what I am all about,” she said.

When she opened her doors on Bobcaygen Street in May, she had already set the wheels in motion by talking with, and listening to, people and business owners in downtown Minden.

“I would like to see Minden thrive, attracting people to the downtown to enjoy the ambience of what the town has to offer, is what I would like to see,” stated Joanu, “collaborating with other businesses in town to make that happen by creating events such as sidewalk sales, being open later, other special events and ways to bring people back into town.”

She hopes that businesses can get together and approach the township with different ideas and ways to spruce up the downtown core.

“We have a beautiful town, with the river right in the downtown area, there are so many things we could do to give it a bit of a facelift, if you will, to entice people of all ages to enjoy what is here.”

Joanu is in the business of beauty and wellness and firmly believes everyone deserves to feel beautiful, and that they matter. Providing services and products that people want in the community is what Joanu strives for.

The new location of Beauty Basics, on main street, has so much more space and Joanu and her team are exploring ways in which to use it.

“We have three other businesses that use our space at the moment, Wild Haven offers such things as reiki, among others, while CNR Lash comes in as well as a massage therapist. “These are only a few ways that we are using the space at the moment:” said Joanu. “Our doors are open as a hub for anyone who would like to use the space to provide wellness services.” Rural Beauty is also part of the hub offering cosmetic injectables, micro-needling, wellness injections and more.

“We want to provide a fun, vibrant place within our own walls, as well as outside in the downtown area. A safe space for everyone wherever you are in life.”

Joanu went on to say that collaboration is the key, as well as listening. “I listen to people’s ideas and I then I can pass the information on, a shared vision for Minden downtown. I believe in supporting the local businesses and doing things to bring downtown alive again.”

A member of the Marcus Beach community, Antonia Giglio is looking forward to July at the cottage, and sharing her book, The Scent of Lilacs, with readers.

Copies of her book are at Masters Book Store in Haliburton, and the independent book store has offered Giglio two booksigning events: July 25 and Aug. 12, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Giglio said she self-published the work of fiction on Sept. 27, 2002. She describes it as a psychological thriller.

In an interview, the full-time Oakville resident said she and husband of nearly 53 years, Joe, found the shores of Lake Kashagawigamog about the time her children were starting their own families.

She joked that in the summer, there isn’t much time to write as the cottage fills with hungry children and grandchildren, cooking and trips to the grocery store, but there is sometimes time to read.

While living in Mississauga, her two sons finished university and “magically” turned into men, married, and had children. As they moved on, so did she and Joe. In 2010, they built a home in Oakville, where they could be in a village atmosphere, close to town.

At about the same time, she decided to pull back from their family business and find other avenues of interest. One was volunteering with the May Court Club of Oakville and the other, honing her creative writing skills.

“In a class exercise, we were asked to pick out three random prompts. Mine were: you loathe the man you married; you receive a small package; and you meet someone from your past. I was intrigued by the plot and character possibilities and let my passion for writing take over.”

She said she spent many years researching, writing, and editing, “to make the story shine.” To bring the novel to a conclusion, she self-published with the Canadian company, FriesenPress.

Her protagonist is Marla, a redhead with a fragile psyche, who realizes her husband is not the man she thought he was.

“Add a narcissistic mother with the voice of a diva, an overprotective cop father, long-kept secrets, and you whip up a recipe for drama – one that involves deception, crime, and possible murder. Marla must find the strength and resilience to regain her freedom,” Giglio says of the plot.

She added The Scent of Lilacs is a humaninterest story within a complicated family structure that explores how and why some people can easily manipulate others.

She said it also begs some questions, such as, “do you really know your partner?” and, “are the choices you make ones you can live with?”

The author added it’s never too late to follow your passion, whether writing, or another hobby.

“Find the passion that’s always been inside you and just… get started, one step at a time. Someone suggested dropping the words “I can’t” and inserting “How can I?” That kind of positive thinking makes all the difference.”

The Scent of Lilacs is available online at FriesenPress, Amazon, Indigo and all the major e-Book platforms, as well as limited copies at Masters.

Algonquin Highlands staff and council gathered June 27 for the official opening ceremony of the new operations centre at the Maple Lake waste disposal site.

“As a million-dollar project, we are celebrating the completion of its first phase, which will improve the efficiency of operations at the site,” said communication coordinator, Chad Ingram.

Public works supervisor Adam Thorn and environmental manager Melissa Murray were joined by mayor Liz Danielsen, deputy mayor Jennifer Dailloux and councillors Lisa Barry and Julia Shortreed for a ribboncutting. Coun. Sabrina Richards was absent.

Danielsen said, “it’s a really exciting day for the municipality. This project has been a long time in the planning. It is really an exciting project, working so much better for everybody, so much more organized and costeffective.”

She thanked Thorn and Murray for the work they’d done, the contractor, and Cambium.

Murray said it’s been up and running for a couple of weeks and they’ve had “excellent” feedback from the public. “Not a negative comment, which is fabulous. I’ve had people make a point of pulling me aside to say how fabulous this is. Long-time residents who’ve been here and this has been the best change that they’ve seen.”

She said they’d gone from about half to three-quarters-ofa-hectare to about two hectares, giving them a lot more useable space. After working on an active landfill, they now have permanent bins, and can use the landfill as it was intended.

They have room for 10, 40-yard bins and potentially two more. The site is split into two parts now, household waste and recycling, and non-household, as well as space for things such as tires and metal. On the other side are chargeable materials, such as construction waste, brush and leaves, shingles, concrete, mattresses, furniture, fridges etc.

“And the long-term plan is that area will all be scaled materials. Right now, we assess based on volume but in the future, they will be based on weight and there will be a scale in place. So, people can scale in, go through the loop, go through this area, or exit the site.”

Murray added they still have all of their existing diversion programs, such as electronics, batteries, propane cylinders and a well-used reuse centre.

Murray said the contract was worth nearly $900,000 and they would get weigh scales this year.

“It’s a very popular site.”

A new report released June 21 by the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit sheds light on what the health unit is calling significant health risks posed by climate change in the area.

The Climate Change Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment report emphasizes climate change is not just an environmental issue but also the “biggest global health threat of the 21st century.

The report presents a comprehensive analysis of the current and future impacts of climate change on the health of residents in the area. It identifies populations more likely to be impacted and recommends adapting to reduce health risks.

According to the report, climate change can worsen existing health conditions and introduce new health threats.

Climate hazards identified in the report include extreme temperatures, extreme weather, poor air quality, vector-borne diseases, safe food and water, and solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

“This report shows that climate change is not a distant problem but a pressing local public health issue that requires immediate attention,” said Sue Shikaze, health promoter with the HKPR District Health Unit.

“We must act now to protect the health and well-being of our residents, especially those at greatest risk.”

Shikaze added there is a strong need for collaboration to adapt and be more resilient to climate change.

The report calls for action from multiple sectors, including health care, environmental agencies, community organizations, and policymakers. Key findings from the report include:

Temperature: Projections indicate a significant increase in hot days by 2050, leading to heat-related illnesses and mental health impacts, particularly affecting older adults, people with chronic illnesses, and those with limited income.

• Extreme weather: Flooding, power outages, severe storms, wildfires, and droughts are expected weather hazards, resulting in injuries, mental health impacts, and disruptions to health care services.

• Vector-borne diseases: Longer warm seasons contribute to the spread of insects carrying diseases, such as black-legged ticks (Lyme disease) and mosquitoes (West Nile virus). Outdoor workers, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems are at higher risk.

• Safe food and water: Increased temperature and precipitation pose threats to the safety and availability of drinking and recreational water, as well as food security. People on low income are particularly affected.

• Air quality: Rising temperatures contribute to higher concentrations of air pollutants, worsening allergies, and respiratory illnesses, and increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Traffic-related air pollution zones affect a significant portion of the population, including schools and long-term care facilities.

Shikaze said, “many programs of the HKPR District Health Unit address the health risks posed by climate change, including public education, collaborative initiatives, and advocacy for policy changes.

“The next phase of this work is the development of a climate change adaptation action plan that will provide a detailed roadmap for implementing adaptive measures to ensure the future health and well-being of the community.”

The report can be found at hkpr.on.ca/ ClimateChange.

During an AGM, met with “deep displeasure” by critics, HHHS acting CEO Veronica Nelson committed to town hall meetings, a continued quest for a CT scan machine, and better planning for the County’s future health care.

It was also revealed at the June 22 online meeting that the Corporation had a $3.3 million deficit at the end of the fiscal year ending March 31, partly due to paying agency nurses to work at Minden and Haliburton hospitals.

Near the end of the meeting, prior to a 20-minute question and answer period, Nelson said, “I recognize the last few weeks and months have been challenging for this community. I understand there are still many questions regarding the consolidation of the Minden emergency department.”

She went on to say her priority is hearing from the public, and working with the community and health service partners, to provide quality care to patients.

Nelson announced she’ll be hosting the first of four town halls June 29 in Minden. “This town hall will be an opportunity for us to share information, to hear from you, and discuss how we plan to continue providing high quality patient care for our community today and into the future,” she said via Zoom.

Head of the finance committee, Irene O’Dell, said, “HHHS finished a very challenging year of operations with a $4.2 million deficit compared to a minor surplus position for the prior year… with that, our net debt at the year-end was close is $3.3 M for the year ending March 31, 2023.”

Acting chief of staff, Dr. Norm Bottum, said he will be replaced by Dr. Anna Costia July 1. However, he said, “it’s our sincere hope the board is able to find a permanent chief of staff in the new year. With all the ups and downs over the last few years, it’s increasingly apparent that a permanent chief of staff will be an important role to help support the board during this time.”

He said challenges include nearly nonexistent home care services, pressures on long-term care, a loss of personal support workers and family physicians. He said many people in the community do not have a primary care provider “and there are no good prospects at present to help with this.

“Our system is stressed, and for many in our community, it is failing.”

He said the key is to attract staff who live, work and play in the region as outside agency employees are temporary and unsustainable. He hopes the situation can improve over the next two to three years. Dr. Bottum added that getting a CT scan machine will help.

Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation has committed to raising the money for a CT scanner if the Ministry of Health approves one. In her report, executive director Melanie Klodt Wong said, “it was yet another challenging year with the uncertainty of the pandemic impact, impactful world events and economic concerns, but despite all of this, the foundation was successful in raising more funds than expected through generous donations from individuals, foundations, corporations, community associations, and service clubs.” She said they were able to transfer $336,000 for capital equipment.

At the meeting, David O’Brien (chair), Diana McNiven, Irene Odell, Mark Bell, John Herald and Kurtis Bishop were elected as directors.

The Save the Minden ER group issued a press release condemning the AGM.

“Once again, HHHS has chosen to silence the community and evade their responsibility to the people of Minden,” spokesman Patrick Porzuczek said.

“The lack of transparency and meaningful community involvement demonstrated during the meeting continues to raise serious questions about the board’s commitment to serving the best interests of the entire community it claims to represent.”