Rev. Canon Joan Cavanaugh-Clark met Andrew Hodson in 2017. At the time, Hodson was with the Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR), as its only crisis worker.

It was before the establishment of the Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) in 2021, but laid the groundwork for the MCRT, which saw its first-ever OPP full-time, permanent County appointment in February of last year.

Cavanaugh-Clark recalled how Hodson, now on leave from the CMHA HKPR, and an OPP officer came to St. Paul’s Anglican Church one day. The policeman had been driving down a side road between Minden and Kinmount and saw a woman huddled around a campfire, with only a tarp for shelter and a stainless steel bowl (apparently for boiling water and cooking). “And, that’s all she had. She really had some mental health issues,” Cavanaugh-Clark recalled in a recent interview.

Apparently, the woman had a van she used to live in, but it had been towed away. So, Hodson and the OPP officer came to the church to see if they could assist the homeless woman.

“Genuine need,” Cavanaugh-Clark said of the crisis. She said Hodson and the officer had their hands somewhat tied as the woman owned the land she was living on. She was not a squatter. The church offered to try to get the woman’s van back, but the OPP officer advised against it, as the woman now had no driver’s license or insurance.

However, the church could get the woman’s belongings from the van. They did that as well as purchase a tent and cot for her to sleep in temporarily. They also bought a cooler. Three times a week, church volunteers would visit to ensure the woman had food and water to go along with the shelter.

OPP Const. Joel Imbeau is now the police-lead on the MCRT – in conjunction with CMHA HKPR. He said he calls upon Cavanaugh-Clark from time to time, though both say it is a last resort as the church has limited financial resources. However, Cavanaugh-Clark said it is within their mandate to help. One thing they will do is secure temporary housing at a local motel when needed.

“I trust Joel and the CMHA worker. I trust their judgement. Joel can call me. The relationship is really kind of unique,” Cavanaugh-Clark said.

Community paramedicine program

Chris Parish heads up the community paramedicine program for Haliburton County, and also has a relationship with the MCRT team, and Imbeau in particular.

Parish and his paramedics are often the MCRT’s first call after police have responded to an incident and received consent from a client. The paramedics work hand-in-hand with Haliburton Highlands Health Services’ Geriatric Assessment and Intervention Network (GAIN). Every Tuesday, Parish meets with the GAIN team “to talk about our mutual people.

“We go in and assess a patient. We’re the medical piece,” he said. But they do more than that. A team of two always goes in. While one assesses the patient’s health, the other can do a mental health check by, for example, seeing what the person has in the refrigerator. “Is there food? Is it rotten? I don’t know what it is when wives die. Men tend to live on chocolate milk. So, then, they complain about diarrhea,” Parish says.

Community paramedics are also looking out for the safety of the patient. They may make a referral to an occupational therapist. Perhaps the person needs grab bars. They are also assessing cognitive health. Parish said prior to Imbeau and the MCRT team taking shape, “the mental health piece kind of fell to us because there was nothing else. But honestly, we aren’t that well-trained in mental health.”

He said since Imbeau was appointed last February, “it’s just been a huge weight off our shoulders because we were doing it, but it was like, ‘are we doing everything? Should we do more? Should we do less?’ And now, we have experts (Joel and the CMHA worker) we can refer to.”

Behind the scenes, there are a lot of phone calls between MCRT partners. “What’s funny is, it all comes together at the same time. And this is Haliburton County… because Haliburton County is small town, I will get phone calls and Joel will get phone calls and neighbours will call us.”

He provides an example of someone being discharged from hospital but people being worried they won’t be able to cope at home. Folks call Parish or Imbeau to ensure someone checks in on that person.

Parish added due to the small-town nature, or perhaps the personalities of workers, they seem to be able to get consent.

Just as the MCRT wants to stop people from repeatedly calling OPP, the paramedicine program aims to keep people out of hospital. “It reduces the chance of you going back to the ER 30 per cent in the first four months, then goes down a little bit, and comes back up,” Parish said. It also reduces the time spent in hospital.

Just as the MCRT wants to stop people from repeatedly calling OPP, the paramedicine program aims to keep people out of hospital. “It reduces the chance of you going back to the ER 30 per cent in the first four months, then goes down a little bit, and comes back up,” Parish said. It also reduces the time spent in hospital.

Just as the MCRT wants to stop people from repeatedly calling OPP, the paramedicine program aims to keep people out of hospital. “It reduces the chance of you going back to the ER 30 per cent in the first four months, then goes down a little bit, and comes back up,” Parish said. It also reduces the time spent in hospital.

“Due to limited resources, it is beneficial for the client when we work together with our community partners, including the OPP, to provide the best outcomes for our seniors,” Nelson said.

Another stop Imbeau makes during the course of his work is local food and heat banks.

Judy MacDuff of 4Cs in Haliburton said she had worked with Imbeau and Parish in the past. She recalled them asking about getting food for a client who was struggling with mental health issues.

“Joel came up and packed her a box of food and took it down and then he came back a second time for her.” Although the woman had yet to register as a food bank client, MacDuff said she couldn’t say ‘no’ to the request.

Speaking to the MCRT, MacDuff said, “I think that’s a big help.”

More complex cases

Other partners Imbeau has called on include the Youth Wellness Hub operated by Point in Time in Haliburton; The YWCA shelter in Minden; A Place Called Home in Lindsay; the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto; Fourcast Addiction Services, and the list goes on and on.

Other partners Imbeau has called on include the Youth Wellness Hub operated by Point in Time in Haliburton; The YWCA shelter in Minden; A Place Called Home in Lindsay; the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto; Fourcast Addiction Services, and the list goes on and a wellness check, only to find a client who had extreme mental health issues combined with a urinary tract infection. The person lived alone, recently had their landline cut, had no means of transportation and no family. The response required paramedics, food banks, and CMHA.

“I am blessed we live in Haliburton County. I couldn’t imagine doing this job in downtown Hamilton. I don’t know how you’d do it. I don’t know how you’d support someone. I don’t know how you’d get that individuality. Get that individual “I am blessed we live in Haliburton County. I couldn’t imagine doing this job in downtown Hamilton. I don’t know how you’d do it. I don’t know how you’d support someone. I don’t know how you’d get that individuality. Get that individual to attend. Get the local partnerships. Down there (Hamilton), you don’t have time for that.” Imbeau said.

“We have a very good relationship with community partners. We also have the ability to use CMHA. which has tons of resources and facilities if clients suffer from mental illness or addiction.

The Ontario Living Wage Network (OLWN) released its latest report Nov. 18, indicating people in their ‘east’ region, which includes Haliburton County, would need to make $21.65 an hour to make ends meet.

The report comes on the heels of a May study by the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPR), which put the Highlands’ figure at $20.60 an hour as of 2023.

With minimum wage in the province climbing to $17.20 an hour Oct. 1, both documents point to a living wage gap in our region.

The report’s author is the OLWN’s Anne Coleman. She said while inflation had “calmed” in the past year, this year’s rates have still increased by an average of 3.4 per cent.

She said it’s “mainly due to rising costs for rent in our province. Inflation of food costs may have calmed but still remain high relative to earlier years.”

SIRCH Community Services executive director Gena Robertson runs one of the only Ontario Living Wage Networkcertified organizations in the Highlands, ensuring people are paid a living wage.

“If you look at the social determinants of health, which is what we try and do in most of our programs, and also the broader picture of what is poverty, or what helps with poverty reduction, employment is a big one,” Robertson said.

She added, “employment of any kind is good, but if you work all day and still can’t pay the bills, that’s not great. And we see that every day.”

According to the OLWN, the GTA continues to have the highest living wage rate at $26 an hour, up from $25.05. The lowest, at $19.50, up from $18.85, is The London-Elgin-Oxford region.

“There is still no place in Ontario where you could work (minimum wage) full-time and cover all your expenses,” Coleman said.

She added the organization’s mandate is to sign up certified living wage employers across Ontario. For certification, employees must make at least a local living wage, and many see a raise as a result.

The living wage calculation includes a modest basket of goods and services that are used to determine the annual expenses required by a household. The basic necessities included in the basket of goods accounts for a large portion of the annual expenses. The costs of food and shelter are two of the biggest expenses in the living wage calculation. These costs increased by over 18 per cent compared to general inflation of 13.4 per cent between 2018 and 2022. Higher fuel prices are another contributor.

The OLWN uses single adults, single parents, and families of four. They calculated a family of four spends $12,541 on food annually in the east region, with $6,022 for a single parent, and $4,288 for a single person.

Shelter costs were pegged at $22,539 for a family of four; $20,055 for a single parent, and $17,223 for a person living on their own.

They also incorporated the cost of clothing and footwear, transportation, medical, life and critical illness costs, cell and internet, child care, and other expenses. They noted there are government transfers that also impact living wages.

Robertson said she would encourage employers to seek certification; while recognizing it is not always easy for small businesses or non-profits. She would not want increased wages to lead to layoffs.

In May, the HKPR District Health Unit released its 2023 Nutritious Food Basket Report.

The report highlights the struggles faced by low-income families in the City of Kawartha Lakes, County of Haliburton, and Northumberland County to pay for necessities because incomes and social assistance rates are not keeping up with rising costs.

In the report, HKPR compares incomes and expenses of several household scenarios to show how much money would be left over for families and individuals after paying for housing and food. In some cases, those expenses alone exceed income, with not enough money left to pay for other basic needs.

This report found that 12.9 per cent of households in Haliburton County are considered low income and struggled to pay for rent, bills, and healthy food.

There’s a new fluffy addition to the Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation (HHHSF) family – and executive director, Melanie Klodt Wong, says it’s one of the cutest arrivals yet.

Each year in the lead up to the holidays, the Foundation releases a stuffed animal for sale to the community, with proceeds topping up the annual ‘Believe in the Magic of Giving’ festive fundraiser. A tradition since 1998, the animals have brought in more than $165,000.

Not to be confused with a hedgehog – this year’s stuffy is an as-yet unnamed porcupine. Klodt Wong said an annual naming contest among HHHS staff will wrap up this week.

“We have lots of fun internally – staff throw out names and then whichever name is picked, that person receives a stuffed toy to take home,” Klodt Wong said. “We’ll be announcing the name next week.”

The animal will go on sale Nov. 29. The cost is $25.

Klodt Wong said they make for great stocking stuffers – so too do 50/50 lottery tickets, with sales for the usual big year-end draw already going well. The pot is currently sitting at almost $2,400 with an entire month to go – the deadline to buy is Dec. 30. Last year’s winner walked away with over $11,000, Klodt Wong said.

There are two early bird draws – Nov. 22 and Dec. 15, with winners getting $500. Tickets can be purchased online at hhhsf5050.ca.

Despite recently completing the monthslong ‘Here for You in the Highlands’ campaign to upgrade diagnostic imaging at the Haliburton hospital, an effort that brought in $6.225 million, Klodt Wong said the Christmas push will assist with more day-today things.

“‘Here for You’ was about getting specific equipment we needed to boost services at HHHS and move us forward. We needed CT, we needed these major changes and upgrades in diagnostics, but that’s only part of what we do. We’ve got community support services, long-term care, and hospital services that constantly require support. We can’t lose sight of that,” she said.

The Foundation typically receives a laundry list of ‘wants’ from hospital staff – this year, they will be focusing on specialist equipment for the emergency department in Haliburton, refurbishing rooms at Hyland Crest and Highland Wood long-term care homes and supporting Meals on Wheels and patient transportation.

During the last fiscal year, the Foundation subsidized 4,435 meals to seniors in the community and partially funded approximately 39,000 kilometres worth of trips for patients attending medical and mental health appointments outside of the County.

Klodt Wong said the Foundation is hoping to eclipse last year’s ‘Believe in the Magic of Giving’ total of $250,000.

“We know we need quite a bit to cover some of the equipment we need for the ER. Even basic, smaller things can run $15,000 to $30,000. So, we need to raise a lot more than that,” she said.

With the ‘Here for You in the Highlands’ campaign wrapped, Klodt Wong said all purchases have been made – a new x-ray will arrive in the ER in early 2025, mammography services should be online by the end of January, while a new ultrasound machine was delivered Nov. 18.

It’s been four decades of “utter chaos” at the helm of one of the County’s busiest construction firms, but Gary Burtch told The Highlander recently he wouldn’t have it any other way.

G.J. Burtch Construction Enterprises recently celebrated its 40th anniversary in the community. Whether managing highend custom cottage builds, fixing decks, or replacing a long-time customer’s door, Burtch said he’s approached every job the same way, embracing his “nothing is too much, or impossible” mantra.

“Respect is always top of mind – any time we’re doing a job for someone, it doesn’t matter if it’s a year-long multi-million-dollar project or a quick afternoon fix, people receive high-quality service with a smile,” Burtch said.

It’s the first thing he learned from his mentor, Grant Rae, when Burtch arrived in the County in 1977. An import from Long Branch, a neighbourhood in Etobicoke, he connected with Rae after dropping out of university and moving north. Rae, who had a hardware store in town, introduced Burtch to John Beachli, who took him on as a labourer.

Burtch started “at the end of a shovel” while working with Beachli, learning from various tradespeople in the area. Within a few years, Burtch had gotten to the point where Rae thought he was better off going on his own – so he did.

“I was 30 when I started the company – Grant basically told me ‘it’s time’. I was scared out of my mind, I had a wife and a three-year-old son and here I was giving up a stable job to start fresh,” Burtch said.

Rae helped him – offering a stable supply of jobs while Burtch got on his feet. He expanded quickly, earning his carpenters license in 1984. By the late 80s, the operation had grown to about 14 employees. It was tough going – Burtch sacrificed a lot to get his business off the ground, but looking back on the fruits of his labour, he says it was all worth it.

Today, the company is a turnkey home builder – managing projects from beginning to end. Burtch’s crew typically deals with framing new builds and dealing with all woodworking detail, hiring in specialists elsewhere. He regularly partners with many other County-based tradespeople – including on a custom chalet-style home Burtch built in 2023. The team was recently recognized by the Ontario Home Builders Association for a best-in-province custom 3,000 sq. ft. home completed south of Minden.

“The perfect way to celebrate 40 years – that is such a prestigious award. To beat out other bigger builders from the big cities is really meaningful. It shows me what I’ve been preaching for decades, that we have incredible talent here in Haliburton County,” Burtch said.

He’s done his best to spread that expertise across the province – Burtch was instrumental in updating guidelines in the Ontario Building Code for SG-7, improving safety practices for guardrail installations for housing and small buildings.

He served on Ontario’s Building Code Commission for 17 years, was on the board of directors for the Ontario Home Builders Association for 30 years, and was one of the founding members of the Haliburton County Home Builder Association when it launched in 1991. Burtch has also taught carpentry at Haliburton School of Art + Design.

Reflecting on some of the major jobs he’s been involved in, Burtch recalls constructing the Dysart fire hall some 30 years ago, and working alongside fellow contractor Shane Sisson to rebuild Sir Sam’s Inn following a fire in 1994. He remembers spending an entire summer cutting down trees and fixing roofs after a tornado touched down near Kennisis Lake in the late 90s.

That was a particularly challenging time – Burtch needed to be in constant contact with his office to find out where he was heading next, but cell phone service was non-existent in the County.

“I had to keep driving from the job site to Kennisis Lake Marina so I could use the pay phone to see where I was headed next. I’d do that multiple times a day,” Burtch said.

He’s seen a lot of change.

“My first cottage was 800 sq. ft. and built on piers. Indoor plumbing was an option back then, so was insulation. Now, we’re building 3,000 sq. ft. plus mega homes fitted with interior automation. We did one place recently where the owner can control everything in his property from his home office – that’s much, much different from when I started,” Burtch said.

While he doesn’t ever see himself completely retiring, Burtch has started to scale back. He sold the business to his son, Andrew, last December though retains a position as a director. He still gets to the office at 6:30 a.m. most days.

“It’s been one hell of a ride – my success is because of my employees. I’ve had lots who have worked with me for 15, 25, 35 years. We went through three recessions together, two of them brutal, but we always found a way to make it work. I’ve always felt we were a close-knit family,” Burtch said.

“The greatest joy I have is that I’m able to pass this on to my son. The company started at my kitchen table, transferred down to my basement, and now we’re on Mallard Road with 1,200 sq. ft. of office space and the biggest woodworking shop in the County,” Burtch said.