Poking fun at locals and cottagers on Canoe

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February 28, 2025

Jen Mykolyshyn had a framing job for Scott Walling at The Space gallery in Haliburton – but ended up doing a month-long artist in residence that will culminate with a show March 1.

She recalls having a conversation with Walling about the art she likes to make, but her apprehension about sharing it.

“Through discussion, this became an opportunity,” she said of the residency. At the time, she wasn’t making a lot of art at home, but when she was, it was in isolation.

While somewhat out of her comfort zone, she was excited at the prospect of making art in the gallery space, with people wandering in and out.

Enter gallery owner and former Haliburton School of Art + Design employee, Walling.

“I have always had an affinity for helping other artists follow through a process or get a different perspective. And I had the space and I didn’t have anything planned. Jen came in and started talking to me about some of her ideas and I went, ‘oh, I can make this a thing’.” The artist residency concept was birthed, with Mykolyshyn being the first.

She set up shop at the beginning of the month.

From Walling’s perspective, he said he has helped to “bring her back out of trying to hone things in too much. Getting too small with things. Just go big. She has a little reminder in there that says ‘don’t censor yourself.’ When it got hidden, she said, ‘oh yeah, I have to bring it back out again’.”

Mykolyshyn added it’s been nice to have someone with experience, who is “really good at coming in and offering an alternative, when I get stunted in some way. He’ll ask, ‘have you considered this or tried that?’ and it’s very respectful of what I’m trying to accomplish. It’s not coming out of left field or anything. It’s incredibly helpful. As a person who gets stuck a lot, it’s really nice to have those nudges. It really accelerates things. If I didn’t have that, I would probably be moving at a snail’s pace.”

She has also enjoyed interacting with the public, including other artists. “It’s lovely to speak with other creatives and hear their feedback, but also learn about what they’re doing; just a really good opportunity for connection.”

Asked to describe the art she has been working on, Mykolyshyn said it is collage with a twist.

“I’ve always been into figure art, figurative distraction, erotic material. When I was younger, I really liked heavy metal magazines and images of women with swords, dragons, unicorns. Fantasy. Recently, I got my hands on some vintage adult magazines.

“I also fish. I hunt. I used to be an environmental technician. Somehow these two things seem to be merging; creating these creatures, removing the sex, and becoming creatures or deities.

“As a kid, I spent a lot of time in my room alone being creative. I would cut up my toys and Frankenstein them back together with glue. I’m kind of doing that now. It’s fun. It’s joy.”

As for a first-ever solo art exhibition, she added, “it is weird for me but I’m excited about it when I think in terms of exposure and sharing and conversation and connection.”

The exhibit:

Dream of Something Wild closing reception March 1, 6-8 p.m. (artist talk 7 p.m.) at The Space gallery, 173 Highland St. Unit B (underneath Redmans Records). It is an 18+ event due to some of the art content.

Electric and unforgettable concert experience

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February 28, 2025

At just 14 years of age, Kip Kelly is excited about participating in this weekend’s Winter Folk Camp.

The Grade 8 student started taking music classes when he was three years old, and continued to play piano with Lauren McInnes until he was 11. He then switched to playing electric guitar and has been taking lessons with Nick Russell for three years. He’s sung with Beth Kipping’s youth ensemble too.

Kelly, along with mom of four, Anna Morgan, have been selected by the Haliburton County Folk Society to attend the event for free.

Kelly reckons he will be the youngest in attendance, something he is used to at musical events in the County.

His goal is to “get better at guitar playing and improvising …maybe to get into songwriting.” He is also intrigued at the prospect of learning from some new teachers.

Morgan’s been involved in music since the age of 10. She plays guitar and piano and sings. She is taking piano lessons and would like to teach one day herself.

“I’m excited,” she said of being selected. “I’ve heard there’s some really good musicians that show up, so hopefully we get to learn some new skills.”

Being new to the folk genre, she’d like to add to her knowledge. She’s also keen to boost her songwriting experience. “I’ve been writing a lot of my own stuff so it will be really nice to get some tips and tricks on how to do it faster and better,” she said.

The popular music event, now in its 14th year, sold out in four days after registration opened.

Eighty people will gather on the shores of Koshlong Lake at YMCA Camp Wanakita Feb. 28 – March 3 of music workshops, concerts, song circles, and jam sessions.

The camp generally attracts people from across southern Ontario, but 17 locals will be on-hand. It’s presented by the folk society, which hires music instructors and performers. This year’s roster includes Coco Love Alcorn, Cara Luft of The Small Have you seen it yet? Glories, Rob Lutes, Caroline Brooks of The Good Lovelies, Katherine Wheatley, and Thom Lambert.

Lambert is the second local musician to teach at the camp, after Russell in 20232024.

“Their participation is testament to the state of performing arts in the Haliburton Highlands that boasts a rich community and tradition of presenting and performing music,” the folk society’s Barrie Martin said.

Local music fans can experience camp by attending one of the evening concerts. On March 1, Luft, Wheatley and Lambert will perform. Lutes, Brooks and Love Alcorn will grace the stage March 2.

“There is something incredible that happens at these concerts. The camp participants are well into their camp experience – high on music, so to speak, and when evening concert-goers arrive to listen, they are joining a very engaged audience. The results are electric; it will be an unforgettable concert experience,” Martin said.

More information and a limited number of tickets are available at haliburtonfolk.com

Scott claims sweeping victory for seventh term in HKLB

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February 28, 2025

Laurie Scott scored another landslide victory for the Progressive Conservatives in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock (HKLB) in the Feb. 27 provincial election, receiving 51.9 per cent of the riding’s vote to earn a seventh term in office.

The local race was one of the first to be declared by CBC, with Scott holding a commanding lead over rivals Alison Bennie of the Ontario Liberal Party and NDP Barbara Doyle, who finished a distant second and third.

Scott’s margin of victory was 14,818 votes according to Elections Ontario, with all polls reported as of 10:58 p.m. She earned 26,506 total votes, with Bennie coming second with 11,688 (22.91 per cent); Doyle third with 6,993 (13.7 per cent) and Haliburton’s Tom Regina, standing for the Greens, finishing fourth with 2,602 votes (5.1 per cent).

Among fringe candidates, Jacquie Barker (New Blue Party) scored 1,223 votes; Brian Kerr (Ontario Party) 926 votes; Gene Balfour (Independent) 426 votes; Zachary Tisdale (Libertarian) 385 votes; and Bill Denby (Freedom Party) 278 votes.

Voter turnout in the riding was pegged at 48.91 per cent, up marginally from 48.14 per cent in 2022, with 51,027 of 104,325 registered electors casting a ballot.

Celebrating with supporters in Lindsay on Thursday night, Scott said she was proud to once again be chosen to represent the area at Queen’s Park.

“Always very happy to apply for the job and get the results. I love representing my riding,” Scott said, noting she prioritized spending her time knocking on doors and chatting with people face-to-face across the region over attending debates organized by YourTV, Minden Matters, and the Lindsay and District Chamber of Commerce.

SUB: County issues

With basic living costs spiralling in recent years, and the threat of tariffs and counter tariffs with the U.S. looming – likely making things worse – Scott was asked what she would do to make life more affordable for people in Haliburton County, long recognized as one of the poorest regions in Ontario.

“The provincial government has given lots of tax cuts to low-income earners and made different increases to things like ODSP… we cut and give back what we can, like the 10 cents per litre in the gas tax,” she said.

In 2022, the province temporarily reduced the gas tax rate by 5.7 cents per litre, and the diesel tax rate by 5.3 cents per litre. The move was extended to June 30 of this year last October. Since July 2023, people living on ODSP have had their rates increased 11 per cent.

After touting a major focus on affordable housing development in the County following her 2022 election win, Scott claims she followed through on that promise after a Jan. 28 announcement that Minden will receive $2.4 million to bolster the local rental supply.

That build will be headed up by the Kawartha Lakes Haliburton Housing Corporation, Scott said, though she offered no timelines for when the money will be paid out or when shovels will hit the ground.

With Haliburton Highlands Health Services recently unveiling plans for a 98-unit $49 million expansion to Hyland Crest long-term care home in Minden, Scott indicated she was supportive of the proposal

“I like to see the progression – it would mean more beds. I’ve been talking with [HHHS CEO] Veronica Nelson, the ministry is involved to look at that whole bigger picture of evolution of LTC in the County… we’ve been looking at that for a while,” Scott said, noting she’s also had recent discussions with Extendicare over their future build in the County.

The province announced a $41 million investment with the for-profit care provider in February 2022 for a new 128-bed facility.

“They’ve chosen to build Peterborough first. They tell me Haliburton is next… I think they want to be assured of staffing. There’s a lot of issues they’re looking at,” she said. “Not exactly a date [for start-up], but very soon. It’s still in the future; their plan is to build there.”

In January, Extendicare told The Highlander it has yet to determine a location for the new facility.

Scott said she expected the Eastern Ontario Regional Network Cell Gap project to wrap this year, improving cell service for all County residents, while saying she’s been working with representatives from Bell to bolster broadband services across the region.

SUB: Other candidates respond

Liberal candidate Bennie said she is “the happiest loser in Ontario” after coming in a surprise second-place in HKLB.

“I really am speechless… I said if I got over 1,000 votes that I’d be happy,” Bennie said. “One of the reasons I ran was because I didn’t want to see the party go downhill to nothing in this riding. I spoke to a lot of people and provided a different choice – I’m not your standard, polished person. I’m more ‘let’s get together and work this out’, bit of an underdog, and I think that resonated with people.”

Doyle, a repeat runner for the NDPs after finishing second in 2022, was a distant third. Speaking to The Highlander an hour before polls closed, she said she had a good feeling after a month on the campaign trail.

“The day-to-day affordability was really what people were talking about… things felt different than 2022. So many people told me they’re voting NDP for the first time ever,” Doyle said.

County resident Regina, representing the Greens, took home a lesser split of the vote this time around, down from seven per cent in 2022, but finished in fourth place – ahead of New Blue candidate Jacquie Brown.

Speaking after results were confirmed, he said it was a “forgone conclusion” Scott would reclaim her seat though was surprised by a strong Liberal performance.

In what was his second Ontario election, Regina said he was unsure if he would run again in future.

“I can’t look much past tomorrow, let alone three or four years down the road,” he said.

Have your say

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February 26, 2025

There’s a lot to unpack in today’s Highlander regarding plans and operations at Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS).

Notably, the organization is looking to consolidate its long-term care services to Minden, essentially shuttering the 30-bed Highland Wood in Haliburton in favour of a bolstered unit at Hyland Crest.

It’s something we’ve heard murmurs about for months, but now it’s been confirmed, with hospital president and CEO Veronica Nelson saying the plan is to submit a proposal for a 92-bed addition in Minden by the end of March.

The project, earmarked at around $49 million, has to be ratified by the Ministry of Long-Term Care. Though Nelson’s hopeful of a five-year turnaround, this is far from a done deal. The results of this week’s provincial election will play a major part, no doubt.

It’s interesting that the word “consolidation” was used by Nelson to describe the move, especially given the sensitivities that remain following the closure of the Minden ER 18 months ago.

One wonders if this was the organization’s plan all along – to establish Haliburton as the primary emergency site, and Minden as the main care home for seniors.

The previous hospital administration claimed staffing shortages were what drove them to the decision to close Minden’s ER. The overarching message was the community would be better served by one fully staffed and operational ER than clinging to two facilities that, according to HHHS officials, were constantly in danger of temporary closure.

According to Nelson, HHHS has hired 142 new staff over the past 18 months – including 32 nurses, 22 PSWs and four ER doctors (three full-time and one part-time). She says wait times for patients were stable at two-and-a-half hours for much of last year.

By the numbers, it appears the decision has had positive results. Being careful not to compare the two situations, Nelson indicated similar factors were at play when deciding upon this LTC merger. Comments like, “having two small homes is not sustainable,” and “we’re looking at consolidation and expansion,” is sure to give some a case of déjà vu.

A community forum has been scheduled for March 5 in Minden, where Nelson said she wants to hear how locals feel about the proposal. It was indicated the session has been planned specifically so staff can adjust the LTC application if something worthwhile were to be raised.

It will be interesting to hear how the Haliburton community feels about potentially losing one of its long-term care facilities. Granted, the effect is nowhere close to the same as losing an emergency department, but we wager it will create a certain level of concern and angst, nonetheless.

After inheriting a circa $4 million deficit when she joined as interim CEO in summer 2023, Nelson has made great strides reducing that number over the past 18 months. As of Sept. 30, HHHS’ debt had shrunk to $700,000. We’re hearing it could be gone completely by the end of this fiscal year on March 31.

If the staffing and money situation surrounding the LTC sites follows a similar path to what we’re being told is happening with emergency services, then perhaps this is positive news.

One thing we do know is that Nelson and her team seem to have learned from the mistakes of their predecessors. It’s encouraging they’re bringing this news to the community and offering opportunities to provide feedback before the application is submitted.

This is your chance to be heard, County residents. The session is happening in person March 5 at the Minden Health Hub, with virtual access at hhhs.ca/master-planning.

It’s up to you to decide our future

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February 26, 2025

Amidst record-low voter turnout province-wide June 2, 2022, PC Laurie Scott recorded another sweeping victory in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock, garnering 52.8 per cent of the local vote (25,656 total votes). It handed her a sixth term in office.

Barbara Doyle, representing the NDP, finished a distant second, with 15.8 per cent (7,677 votes). She is running again.

Liberal Don McBey came third with 13.6 per cent (6,606 votes). He’s been replaced as a candidate by Cannington businessperson Alison Bennie.

The others, Ontario Party, Greens, New Blue Party and Libertarian, had a combined 17.9 per cent (8,697 votes).

In total, 48,636 ballots were cast in HKLB – down from 57,143 in 2018. That was a voter turnout of less than 50 per cent for the first time in more than 25 years.

We could play the what if game. What if the other 50 per cent had voted? Would Scott still have won by a landslide?

What if the riding’s votes had not been so split? What if there was just an NDP candidate, or just a Liberal candidate?

With advance polls getting underway today – and it’s true: there isn’t one in Minden – and the full ballot Feb. 27, what can we extrapolate?

We don’t think voter turnout numbers are going to improve … in the dead of winter … with many snowbirds and travellers out of the province. What if we get another dump of snow on polling day?

Why do people not vote? Many say they are not interested in politics. I’m not buying it. Are you telling me you are not interested when you don’t have a family doctor? Do you not have an opinion about a tunnel under the 401 that would cost billions? Conversely, do you not have a thought about the Liberals, NDP and Greens promising to double ODSP? Committed platforms run the gamut. Does your kid go to college or university? The Liberals would scrap interest on OSAP loans and raise the threshold for repayment to $50,000. The Greens are promising an extra $1,500 per-student funding. Maybe your kid will get that EA now. But I guess you don’t care.

Too busy? Are you serious? I’m not buying that excuse either.

Locally, with nine candidates, there is going to be some vote splitting that will likely benefit the incumbent.

On that night in June 2022 when Scott got the nod from voters, she said while door-knocking, she heard people liked what the Ford government had been doing, citing investments in infrastructure, broadband, highways, transit, long-term care, hospitals, and new schools.

In Haliburton County, Scott said the province would be working with senior administration at Haliburton Highlands Health Services to ensure the hospitals’ needs were met. The Minden ER was subsequently closed, though Scott said that was entirely a HHHS decision.

She spoke of more money for high-speed broadband by 2025 – a project that has seen delays at the Eastern Ontario Regional Network level.

She discussed continued investment in jobs training and post-secondary education for fields most in-need, such as nursing, PSWs and skilled trades. Yet, our area remains lacking.

Another of Scott’s big focuses was to work with municipalities across the Highlands to address the region’s housing needs. There has been little progress to date.

However, there have been other initiatives, such as a planned extension to the privately-owned Extendicare Haliburton. And, $2.4 million to put towards an affordable housing project in Minden. Of course, the latter is taxpayers’ money.

It is now up to voters to decide whether or not she has done enough to earn a seventh term.

We’re not telling you who to vote for. But we are telling you to vote.

Election hopefuls debate business platforms

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February 20, 2025

A Feb. 19 candidates debate in Lindsay was an all-business affair, with six of the nine provincial hopefuls in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock (HKLB) discussing plans to bolster the economy.

Gene Balfour (Independent), Jacquie Barker (New Blue), Alison Bennie (Liberal), Barbara Doyle (NDP), Bill Denby (Freedom), and Tom Regina (Green) shared their platforms and answered questions posed by the public.

The event was hosted by the Lindsay District Chamber of Commerce and Lindsay Downtown BIA, with approximately 150 people attending.

Asked about protecting small businesses should U.S. president Donald Trump push forward with 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian imports, Regina said the Greens will create a ‘Protect Ontario’ fund to assist those “disproportionately impacted.

“Creating a tariff taskforce working across party and jurisdictional lines to negotiate with the U.S.,” Regina said. “We have to create an investment tax credit to unlock business investments here, develop a ‘buy Ontario’ strategy and implement public procurement supports.”

Doyle said the NDP’s would also provide “structured assistance” to some industries, though felt the tariffs present an opportunity for Canada to become more self-sufficient.

“In our riding, we have room for growth. We can go after new industries – there are lots of people facing layoffs in the U.S… they’re looking for somewhere to go. Why not here? We can go after manufacturing and bring business to our area,” Doyle said.

Balfour, a long-time advocate for less government oversight, said tariffs will provide entrepreneurs the opportunity to reimagine their business models; Bennie said she was in favour of a “coordinated response” to fight back, feeling Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie can “stand up to Trump.”

Denby and Barker believe the best response is finding a way to appease Trump to avoid tariffs being implemented.

When asked what their parties would do to drive more business to Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County, Doyle said investing in housing and public transportation, to make the area more attractive to large-scale industry and manufacturers, was a top priority.

Bennie said the Liberals would cut taxes for small businesses, freeing up capital to expand; Regina noted the Greens would target “the $2 trillion clean economy” – for renewable energy technology, electric vehicles and low-carbon solutions aimed at combating climate change – taking advantage of the province’s natural resources and geography to become a global leader; with Denby also calling for more local manufacturing.

Barker said the New Blues would reduce the provincial sales tax from 13 to 10 per cent, with a long-term goal of scrapping it. She also wants to eliminate the provincial carbon tax, which she feels is to blame for some Ontario-based industries relocating elsewhere.

“It targets large manufacturing sectors like auto plants, steel mills, cement makers, chemical plants, and oil refineries. These companies are required to pay compliance incentives to the government, and it will cost them over $2 billion by 2030, so guess where our industries are going, to [other countries that] don’t charge,” Barker said.

All candidates other than Barker, who said the New Blues don’t have a policy addressing it, supported removing provincial barriers for free trade.

Quizzed on finding ways to improve childcare options and affordability for parents who want to return to work, Balfour and Denby said they would find efficiencies in “non-essential” government sectors to fund more local centres.

“We need to downsize government, do an internal audit at Queen’s Park. I bet we can save billions that would totally fund a childcare program for people,” Denby said.

Regina said the Greens would increase wages for childcare workers, making the job more attractive to ensure facilities are adequately staffed; Doyle said the NDP would support the federal government’s plan for $10-a-day daycare; while Barker said offering tax breaks and other supports would enable people to stay home and care for their children longer.

Commenting on the dismal voter turnout in 2022, Regina said all parties and prospective politicians play a key role in getting more people engaged in politics.

“We’ve got a bunch of grandmas and grandpas up here on stage, talking to a bunch of grandmas and grandpas in the audience… we don’t have enough voices at the table,” Regina said. “We need to think differently, find ways to get people on board… this is time for electoral reform… it’s not right that 18 per cent of the voters can give 60 per cent of seats to a party that will have 100 per cent of legislative power.”

HHSS locked down following knife incident

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February 20, 2025

A 14-year-old Haliburton Highlands Secondary School (HHSS) student was arrested in Haliburton village Feb. 14 and is facing multiple weapons-related charges after what police say was an incident involving a knife on school premises.

Officers responded to a 9-1-1 call from the school at approximately 9:15 a.m. after learning a student was in possession of a blade.

“This is a step that is taken to ensure the safety of the school community while police work to resolve the situation,” he said.

A source, speaking anonymously, told The Highlander the accused stole a knife from a classroom and brandished it towards other students before leaving the property.

Police confirmed the youth was located along Highland Street, a short distance from the downtown, where they were apprehended by officers. The knife was recovered at the time of the arrest.

The student has been charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, assault with a weapon, and theft under $5,000. Adams said no injuries were reported to police.

The lockdown was lifted by approximately 10:30 a.m.

Adams said the accused will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Minden at a later date to answer to the charges. The student’s identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Anyone with further information on the incident is asked to call 705-286-1431, or contact Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

OPP chief addresses County drug crisis

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February 20, 2025

After another major drug trafficking investigation led to four more arrests in Haliburton village Feb. 4, Haliburton Highlands OPP interim detachment commander, Mike Cavanagh, said police are investing significant time and resources targeting the illegal narcotics supply in the County.

Approximately 25 officers from the detachment, the Haliburton Highlands and Kawartha Lakes OPP Community Street Crime Unit, and OPP Tactics and Rescue Unit, searched a pair of properties on Highland Street and Pine Avenue earlier this month, confiscating weapons and approximately $50,000 worth of drugs.

Cst. Rob Adams confirmed police seized a CZ P10 nine-millimetre handgun; Mossberg 715T semi-automatic rifle; HK USP .177 handgun; 194 rounds of ammunition; 409.2 grams of cocaine; 369 hydromorphone pills; 152.6 grams of hash; 5.115 litres of GHB; 500 milligrams of anabolic steroids; 55.6 grams of illicit cannabis; 57 packages of 3,000 milligram illicit cannabis gummies; a cocaine brick press; scales, packaging and vacuum sealer; and $3,355 in cash.

“There were all kinds of products seized – for GHB, that’s the most I’ve ever seen in one place in my whole career,” Cavanagh said. Four people were arrested, with two charged. Shawn Harding, 37, of Haliburton was charged with: three counts of possession of a schedule one substance for the purpose of trafficking; two counts of careless storage of a prohibited or restricted firearm; two counts of unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm; two counts of knowledge of unauthorized possession of a firearm; possession of loaded prohibited or restricted firearm; possession of a firearm knowing serial number has been tampered with; possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000; and two counts of possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling.

Second major drug bust of the year

Amy Harman, a 43-year-old Algonquin Highlands resident, was charged with possession of a schedule one substance. Cavanagh confirmed she has since been released, but Harding remains in custody.

The charges have not been proven in court. This was the second major bust of the year, following a raid on a multi-unit property on George Street Jan. 21. Multiple firearms, ammunition, knives and drugs were seized following that investigation, which led to the arrest of 41-year-old Dysart resident Brian Reid. Police confirmed Reid remains in custody awaiting a court hearing. His charges have not been proven in court.

On the rise

Despite seeing a spike in drug-related charges last year – 17 in 2024, up from five in 2023 – and eight already this year, Cavanagh insists police aren’t doing too much differently.

“These things are very cyclical – some years we have a lot of cases, sometimes we don’t. It mostly depends on the quality of information we’re receiving,” the chief said. “Each [drug] investigation is a 10-out-of-10 in terms of importance and priority… drug use is a plight in communities.

“We all see the visible signs of addiction – but the invisible signs are the suffering people go through, that families have to endure… these issues have multiple layers, it’s social, health, judicial all wrapped into one,” Cavanagh added.

He said investigatons, “could range from one day to over a year in length. Drug investigations often are not going off physical evidence. It’s going off belief. Officers have to corroborate everything – they have to go to a judge to get orders and follow a very strict process.”

He said the average time spent per drug-related investigation is 80.5 hours, compared to 3.5 hours for standard criminal code calls.

Process in place

Cavanagh said drug investigations routinely require assistance from several officers.

“They’re very resource-heavy… it’s not like in the movies, where you have a couple of officers parked in a car on a stake out. We can’t always have people at one site monitoring, we don’t have the manpower for that,” he said. “Sometimes, we’re completely reliant on what we hear from the community.”

That was the case with the January arrest, where police corroborated with County non-profit Places for People (P4P), which owns the George Street building, and at least one civilian.

Cavanagh said the public plays a major role in helping to rid the community of illegal activity, though noted services like Crimestoppers, which allows for anonymous reporting of suspected crimes, “aren’t utilized to their full potential in this area.”

While recognizing police are never going to completely eradicate illicit drug supply in the Highlands, Cavanagh said they will continue chipping away.

“Elimination is never a focus – that’s extremely difficult, almost impossible when the supply chain exists… often, these people are part of a wider scheme, so we don’t get rid of the problem, we just disrupt it,” he said. “We haven’t seen or noticed any [positive] results come through yet… these people are connected, it’s likely others [take their place]… and users will migrate to purchase what they want and need elsewhere.

“But it’s important for us to address the drug issue in our community. We will keep investigating… we don’t do this to ruin lives, like some of those who end up on the wrong side think – it’s to save lives,” Cavanagh said.

County council votes itself a pay rise

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February 20, 2025