The years-long battle between property developer Paul Wilson and members of the Friends of Grass Lake (FGL) over a proposed build off Peninsula Road in Haliburton has concluded. An agreement to reduce the number of residential units was ratified by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) this week.

Wilson and FGL representatives appeared before the OLT Nov. 25, presenting terms of a settlement the two parties have been working on since the summer.

A three-week hearing was set to begin Monday. Originally, the project was to feature 88 units across four lots on the lake’s western shore. Each lot would have housed multi-storey apartment and condo buildings, with one unit – the one closest to Peninsula Road and County Road 21 – to feature a commercial component.

Speaking to The Highlander following the hearing, Wilson said the new agreement is to develop 38 units. The northernmost parcel will feature a 35-unit apartment-style building, with the capability for commercial use, while the other three lots have been redesigned for single-family homes.

“I’m happy this is over, and the project isn’t in limbo anymore,” Wilson said.

He said he decided to reduce the number of units after speaking with builders in the area who felt it would be difficult to make money with the original 88-unit design.

“The answer I got from them is that this just isn’t the time to do this [build]. Prices are too high for materials. They wouldn’t be able to make any money. They said even if I gave them the lot for nothing, they still wouldn’t make any money,” Wilson said.

Only one of the four proposed condominiums would have been large enough to be economically-viable, Wilson said. Already five years in, the property developer decided he didn’t want to wait. He said the next step is for Dysart et al township to process severance applications for the four lots, which he expects to happen in early spring. Wilson then plans to list the properties.

After initially agreeing to donate one of the four lots to non-profit Places for People, to create 15 new affordable rentals in the village, Wilson said he still plans to work with the organization.

“With the one lot now being for 35 units, that is beyond the financial scope for P4P to do this by themselves. I’m trying to work with them and other groups to collectively develop that property,” Wilson said. “They will be part of it – I made a commitment to help P4P and I want to honour that.”

Fay Martin, P4P vice president, said discussions have taken place between the local non-profit and Peterborough’s Habitat for Humanity branch, where she’s also a board member.

“The County is in Habitat’s catchment but it’s hard for them to do their thing up here without a solid base in the community,” Martin said, feeling there’s potential for a joint Habitat/P4P venture on the Grass Lake lands.

“Paul Wilson’s project is a marvellous opportunity for figuring out the complications of how best to structure that partnership,” Martin added.

“The discussions are underway… from several angles.

Affordable housing still likely

“I’m confident the wait will be worth it. We’re piloting a really exciting partnership model here and I will be delighted when the outside world looks at what we accomplish and say, as they did with the community bond raise, ‘wow, who’d have thought a little community like that could do something that creative?’” Martin said.

Wilson has also initiated a planting plan to re-naturalize currently cleared areas within the 30-metre buffer from Grass Lake and a man-made pond on the property. That work has already begun, said Wilson, who has hired Greenwerx Garden Design to lead the project.

It was also agreed that there will be no pedestrian path installed on Peninsula Road, no fence constructed at or near the high water mark, while Wilson will also contribute $5,000 towards water quality sampling and analysis on Grass Lake. He said there would be no further dredging or removal of native aquatic vegetation in the land below the high water mark.

There’s also an agreement with Haliburton Veterinary Services to address any potential effects the new development’s water supply may have on the business.

With Dysart and Haliburton County councils already signing off on official plan and zoning bylaw amendments, and the OLT hearing in the rearview mirror, Wilson said he can finally see light at the end of the tunnel.

“I want to get out of this… my objective is to wrap this up in the next three or four years,” he said.

Friends group reacts

Carolyn Langdon, Lynda Williams, Catherine Swift, and Don Ross have been behind the FGL movement since August 2021. In a release to the media this week, they said they were satisfied with the settlement.

“We are pleased that we have been able to reach this agreement with Harburn Holdings. This significant reduction in residential units, from 88 to [38], will help to preserve the wetland environment to a much greater degree than the original proposal would have allowed,” Ross said.

Swift said, going forward, the Friends group intends to “closely monitor” work in the area to ensure compliance with Dysart and County regulations and the settlement agreement.

They also plan to assess the water quality of Grass Lake over the next five years.

“Any development on this site will not be positive for Grass Lake, so it is important we establish a water quality testing regime… before, during and after development,” Swift said.

Langdon said she will continue to lobby for more native vegetation along the shoreline to further protect the lake. As far as Wilson is concerned, Monday’s settlement drew a line under the situation. “We negotiated in good faith – nobody gets everything they want in a settlement. I gave up 50 residential units, but I know some [FGL members] still aren’t happy… at the end of the day, you shake hands and we go on with life,” Wilson said.

It’s been four weeks since the Service Ontario location in Haliburton closed and Joey Wu, spokesperson for the ministry of public and business service delivery (MPBSD), said there’s no timeline for a permanent hub to be reopened, if at all.

The space at 50 York St. remains vacant after the service provider running the facility tendered their resignation last month. It was open daily during the week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, providing a space for people to renew their license plates, accessible parking permits, and get their driver’s licenses and health cards.

Wu said the ministry has extended a new pilot program to Haliburton, bringing a mobile Service Ontario station to the community on select dates. It will be in the A.J. LaRue Arena parking lot, at 728 Mountain St., on Dec. 4 and 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This is the eighth community to join the pilot, Wu confirmed, after MacTier, Burk’s Falls, Apsley, Denbigh, Whitney, Powassan, and Moose Deer Point First Nation. The mobile centre has been in operation since February.

“The centre is part of a program aimed at offering residents convenient, local, in-person access to the government services they rely on,” Wu said. “Mobile service delivery provides an effective and efficient service delivery alternative that ensures customer service excellence and community presence.”

People can also access driver and vehicle records, register to be an organ and tissue donor, apply for hunting and fishing licenses, and have documents authorized by a commissioner of oaths.

The unit is wheelchair accessible and has a lower-level counter installed for people who need it. A sign language interpreter is available upon request. Wu advised people book appointments online (ontario.ca/ locations/serviceontario/aj-larue-communitycentre-haliburton) or over the phone (416325-3408).

He said walk-ins are available but limited due to high demand for booked services.

Wu confirmed the mobile unit has a presence in Haliburton in November.

He did not directly respond to questions asking whether the ministry was actively investigating opening another permanent location in Haliburton, instead sharing, “as always, Service Ontario will continue to monitor the effectiveness of service delivery in the community.”

There have been no enhancements or increase in hours at Service Ontario in Minden, located at 12698 Hwy. 35.

Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott indicated she’d like to see a permanent site re-established in the village, but noted the mobile unit is a good compromise until then.

“The mobile Service Ontario model has proven effective and has been well-received in similar communities. We are confident it will adapt seamlessly to meet the specific needs of our residents until a more permanent solution can be found,” Scott said.

County entrepreneur Sandi McElwain has endured a lot during her 25 years in business, but said the ongoing Canada Post strike is crippling her during what’s supposed to be the busy season.

Through her company Why Not Collect It, McElwain sells vintage items and collectibles online. She had a storefront in Haliburton village, at 199 Highland St., from 2013 to 2018, but has been selling virtually on Ebay for the past six years.

Business has been good, she said – steadily climbing year-over-year to the point she now processes approximately 400 orders each month. Or at least she was – McElwain said her business has come to a complete standstill since Canada Post delivery workers went on strike Nov. 15.

With about 95 per cent of her clientele based in the U.S., McElwain said the Crown corporation is her only option for sending items south of the border. Most couriers charge expensive brokerage fees for international shipping, McElwain says, with that cost often more than the items people are buying.

“I’m 100 per cent stopped right now – I haven’t earned any money for more than two weeks. I can’t afford Christmas now. I have no idea how I’m going to pay my bills… I have no options at this point. I feel like I’ve had my livelihood taken away from me,” McElwain said.

In an update Nov. 26, Canada Post said talks over a new deal had “ground to a halt.” The company is considering its options after seeing little movement in negotiations on several key issues.

Company spokesperson Lisa Liu said the strike, now in its 14th day, is hurting Canadians.

“Canada Post now enters the busy Black Friday online shopping week effectively shut down… we are down nearly 10 million parcels since the strike began, which will only increase as it continues,” Liu said. “The impacts continue to be felt across the country, hitting small businesses, charities and remote communities the most.”

More than 55,000 postal workers nationwide are still striking. Doug Ford, representing Canadian Union of Postal Workers in Haliburton County, said picketers remain united, digging in as they fight for improved pay, parity, and job security.

Workers have been without a contract since Dec. 31, 2023. Canada Post’s latest offer included annual wage increases amounting to 11.5 per cent over the next four years, while also including protections for defined benefit and pension plans for current employees.

Ford said the contract wanted to create a two-tiered pay scale for employees, which the union is against. He also wants to hear more about Canada Post’s plans to transition to a seven-day delivery system, which the company says it needs to do to compete with companies like Amazon.

Haliburton BIA president Brandon Nimigon said he’s heard some businesses are struggling through the strike – commercial operations that rely on Canada Post for products are impacted, so too companies looking to advertise ahead of Black Friday and the holidays.

“I know some businesses got flyers printed, paid for this big promo and now they’re not going out. It’s the worst time for this to happen, because a lot of businesses rely on the flyers to bring people in over the holidays,” Nimigon said.

He’s seen some issues at his firm Century 21 Granite Realty Group – traditionally, the company mails out cheques paying for services, and for getting things like deposits where they need to be. Nimigon said his company has transitioned to online payments, which has been a big headache.

With an online database of about 6,000 items, McElwain hopes to be back selling soon. It’s more than just her business at stake – she stays home to care for her elderly father and autistic daughter every day. If the strike stretches much longer, she says she’ll be forced to go out and look for another job.

“I don’t really have a backup plan. I keep thinking ‘tomorrow is going to be the day’. I feel completely caught in the middle – sitting by, watching my savings drain away,” she said.

Even if the strike were to end soon, McElwain is worried she’s lost some customers for good. She’s had eight orders that have already been posted cancelled over the past 10 days, another 12 items stuck in transit, and 48 more at home waiting to be shipped.

“Even if they get back up and running tomorrow, it’s going to take weeks to get things going again, to get through the backlog. My stuff isn’t making it to the U.S. for Christmas, so I’m screwed either way,” she said.

Elementary school teacher Krista Patterson routinely embraces one key principle she feels helps her connect with students on a deeper level, improving results inside several County classrooms.

The Grade 1-2 teacher at Stuart Baker Elementary School was recently presented with an Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) achievement award, recognizing outstanding, exemplary and unique contributions to students and the wider school community. She was one of two TLDSB staff to receive the award this year.

The honour was for Patterson’s work at Cardiff Elementary School, where she taught from 2016 until September – most recently in the Kindergarten class.

“I’m a pretty positive person, so I try to bring that to my teaching. I’m always approaching everything from a strength-based lens, so looking at what the students can do rather than what they can’t do. Over time, you get better at helping the child do their best,” Patterson said.

Creating an environment where students are treated firmly and fairly, with equity always top of mind, has been the difference for Patterson. She’s realized, too, that to truly reach all students takes a variety of learning mediums and methods. Patterson said she’s constantly thinking about ways to keep her classes exciting and engaging.

She taught students with a wide-range of abilities – most were at regular grade level, while others were non-verbal or on the autism spectrum, requiring a different approach.

“Lesson planning often looks like ‘OK, other students may be able to access or show their learning, but what about those who don’t use words? You have visual learners, auditory learners, kinesthetic learners. So, I make sure I have a piece of everything…to try to incorporate pictures, songs and movement into things.

“Not everybody can learn from sitting and listening,” Patterson said.

When dealing with behaviour, the teacher has found success implementing a reward system encouraging kids to stay on the straight and narrow. Setting clear expectations, being consistent, and having an instructional routine has helped curb issues before they become a major problem.

One of Patterson’s strengths – and why she was singled out for the award – is what she does outside of the classroom. TLDSB trustee Esther Childs, at an Oct. 22 meeting, said.

Patterson was nominated by a parent in the Cardiff community for going above and beyond with students.

Asked what that entails, Patterson said she routinely connects families with supports in the community, such as Point in Time and Five Counties children’s services. She’s been involved with various collection efforts, gathering winter clothes for children in need.

The teacher has also donated books to families and made arrangements with food banks in the area to ensure there’s always food at students’ homes.

Patterson is also a prolific learner, routinely registering in professional development courses to improve her teaching methods.

She completed a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) workshop so she could better support a student living with the disability. She’s also taken several special needs-based classes.

Born and raised in Haliburton County, Patterson said she feels proud to be making a difference in her community every day.

“It feels nice to know my families have felt supported, because that’s always one of my main goals. This has been a very humbling experience, knowing this award happened because someone who has trusted me with their child thinks I helped, it means so much,” Patterson said.

Sarah Patrick recalls the headlines “looming ominously” on the front pages of The Globe and Mail in September and October of 2007.

They included, ‘Born into the abusive grip of a cult’; ‘light sessions and school’s dark past’ and ‘apology for hurt and pain’.

In her book, Binding Shame: Life in a Cult of Obedience, the Algonquin Highlands resident says she could not believe her eyes at the time. She was intensely panicked as she read the articles, in which students she had once taught at Grenville Christian College, near Brockville, related “horrors” of abuse they’d experienced at the school where she’d lived, taught, and before that, been a student for four years.

Fast forward to November 2023, and former students of Grenville Christian College won a class-action lawsuite against the college for physical, psychological and sexual abuse.

Patrick started writing about her experiences at the Community of Jesusi-nspired institution when The Globe broke the stories. She said it began with her recounting her boarding school antics. Then, she wrote about the ‘light sessions’ at Grenville. Patrick describes those in her book as, “where an individual’s faults were publicly and humiliatingly exposed, eliciting a forced confession and change of behaviour.”

She had professor at Metropolitan Toronto University, and author, Sarah Henstra read the work. She said Henstra advised her, “there’s a real story here” but she needed to dig a little deeper.

“But it was incredibly difficult to write about it,” Patrick says. “ My biggest driver for wanting to write was to try to bring these two sides of me together; the person who’d been abused by them, and then the person who became part of the abusive system.”

She said writing the book has been a type of therapy.

Patrick said she was raised in “the tough love” era, and felt Grenville staff were paid to do a job. “At the time, I hated it, but never would have thought it was abuse.” It is only now, as an adult, she concedes there were “aspects of that discipline that were really bad… I can acknowledge that as abuse; public shaming, ostracization, beatings, light sessions…”

She said she was never sexually abused or beaten.

Later becoming a teacher, Patrick recalls she was at times “angry” because her students had freedoms she did not as a pupil, “so I took it out on them.”

Asked about the worst thing she ever did, Patrick said she outed a gay student to the headmaster. “I was worried about getting in trouble for not exposing it… that I would be corrected and disciplined myself, and that kid was disciplined heavily for it.”

However, she said she had been brainwashed from the time she was a student, despite having rebelled and left the college at times.

Nonetheless, she views the book as an apology to former students she may have hurt.

“I can’t please everybody. It’s not going to be enough. I had to write it for me and let the chips fall where they may. I really wanted to bring these two parts of myself together. I was hoping the book would solve that problem and it hasn’t because they are two divergent sides of me and I’m understanding them more and I’m starting to accept it’s OK that it’s not completely reconciled with me.”

Asked about her relationship with God today, Patrick said it’s taken a long time but she has started as a new Christian with a Baptist church – not that she ever blamed God.

“I put my faith in people and not in God and that’s how it went sideways. People are so fallible. I’m not a bad person… things have happened to me… I didn’t cause this to happen and I didn’t deserve it and nobody deserves abuse or perceived abuse.”

Patrick adds living in the Highlands has been healing for her, as “there is a peace here I hadn’t experienced in my life.”

The book is available at Amazon and Master’s Book Store in Haliburton.