Campbells to expand business footprint

April 3, 2025

Dysart et al council has supported a draft plan from the Campbell family, owners of Curry Chevrolet Buick GMC in Haliburton, to create five new commercial lots on just over seven acres of land between Mallard Road and County Road 21.

Addressing council March 25, Dysart planner Kris Orsan said the proposal features lots between one and two acres, totalling 7.4 acres, and would be serviced by a private road currently made up of driveways accessing the property from Mallard Road and CR21 by Todd’s Independent Grocer.

The property is zoned highway commercial, which Orsan said supports things like restaurants, banks and clinics.

“The property is surrounded by a mix of industrial, commercial and residential uses. The proposed development aligns with the character of the surrounding area and serves as a suitable transition between the industrial park to the north and the residential areas to the south and west.

“Its design and scale will… support economic growth and community integration. The development will also enhance the overall functionality of the area by providing a buffer between differing uses, promoting a cohesive and wellplanned urban environment,” Orsan wrote in his report.

He noted the application was prepared by Bishop Geyer Surveying and included a draft plan of subdivision, functional servicing report, stormwater management and construction mitigation plans, hydrogeological service study, and environmental impact study. All reports were peer-reviewed by Michalski Nielsen Associates on behalf of the township in June 2024.

While the hydrogeological servicing study confirmed there are enough groundwater resources to adequately meet the needs of the development, Orsan said the municipality will require proof of potable water at the site. He said they may also mandate a more thorough examination to ensure any development won’t impact water quality or access for neighbouring properties.

Haliburton County mapping identified four wetlands in the vicinity, with two located within 120 metres of the subject property, though Orsan noted none are recognized as provincially significant. He added, “the development is not anticipated to have a negative impact to the features.”

The environmental impact study identified potential habitats for three endangered bat and bird species. Orsan said the owners will be responsible for complying with provincial and federal environmental regulations, while noting the report recommends vegetation clearing be done between May 1 and Sept. 30 to prevent harm to animals using trees for roosting.

Next steps

Orsan said the project will now go to the County for draft plan of subdivision and condominium – there’s no residential aspect, with the latter covering an application to create a recognized private road. Pending County approval, it will come back to Dysart to develop a subdivision agreement.

Tony Usher, representing the Campbells, said this plan has been in the works for several years. He noted the 7.4 acre parcel was severed from the Curry Motors property prior to 2019, which is when he was retained.

Usher said the proposal includes a two per cent allocation of land to the township for a park, or cash payment of two per cent of the land’s value pre-development.

There was some discussion among council over the need to install a walking path – as requested by the former Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge district health unit (HKPR). Some members felt that was unnecessary given no other business in the vicinity has a footpath.

Clerk Mallory Bishop recommended council mandate footpaths for new businesses on that side of town.

“The intent is to develop out into that area. Pathways will be needed for walking. Council has bought land out in that area… this is something to consider for the future of this town,” Bishop said. “Pedestrians will be able to navigate the area better with a designated footpath, which is important… especially if something like a clinic were to go in.”

Usher said the Campbells are happy to include walking paths in their proposal.

In a follow-up with The Highlander, Usher said, if approved, it will likely be several months before the lots are severed and development can proceed. He noted the Campbells may retain one lot but intend to sell the rest. There are no immediate plans for how or when they will be developed.

The Campbells declined an interview.

Crown Land meeting tabled

Lisa Gervais

April 3, 2025

Only minutes into a County council meeting March 26 – to discuss the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust’s plans to pitch the Milburn Kendrick area of interest (MKAI) as a conservation reserve – and the meeting was cancelled due to a medical emergency.

The County said the meeting would be postponed to a later date.

However, much of what was to come was already part of the public record as it was on last week’s agenda.

The HHLT is telling landowners its pitch to the province is years away – and won’t come about without provincially-led public consultation.

HHLT board member Sheila Ziman noted in a slide presentation that the MKAI is 100 per cent Crown land, not private, and represents approximately two per cent of all lands and waters in Haliburton County.

“Protection of the MKAI as a conservation reserve is our only proposal,” her powerpoint reads. The Land Trust has been talking about a larger area of land known as the Highlands Corridor.

Members of the newly-formed Citizens for Crown land Protection (CCLP) were in the audience at the Lloyd Watson Community Centre in Wilberforce for the meeting. That group held a packed open house at the Haliburton Legion March 23. They are opposed to the designation.

Ziman said the Land Trust excluded an operating aggregate pit from the boundary, so it can continue. Further, she said there are no mining claims in the MKAI. Conservation reserves do not allow logging, mining or aggregates.

However, “there are several snowmobile trails, ATV trails, and hunt camps in this area. The objective of a conservation reserve designation is to provide opportunities for hunting, and motorized vehicle use is permitted. This is precisely why HHLT is proposing a conservation reserve designation rather than a provincial park, where hunting and motorized vehicle use are not allowed,” she said.

She stressed they were only at the pre-planning stage, and the formal government process for designating the area as a conservation reserve has not even started.

Ziman said the Land Trust simply nominated the area, and it is up to the government to accept, and recommend a reserve. “Once that announcement is made, the formal process … will begin.” She said that triggers public consultation and the Land Trust supports an open and transparent public consultation process.

“The Land Trust does not write the management plan. The government prepares the plan and invites the public to review and comment on the plan. The government administers the plan. The Land Trust has no administrative authority. There is also a process to amend the plan if changes are required.”

Addressing public concerns about use, she emphasized hunting, fishing, and trapping, ATVs, snowmobiles and creating new trails are allowed on Crown Land and in conservation reserves.

“There is evidence that things have not changed since Clear Lake was regulated as a conservation reserve in 1997,” she said.

Land Trust proposal to be discussed at later date

She also offered an emphatic ‘no’ that HHLT plans to control private land, purchase Crown land, control access to Crown land and conservation reserves, close trails, write management plans for Crown land and conservation reserves, and turn the Highlands Corridor into a park.

“We encourage everyone to participate in the public consultation process led by the Ontario government to ensure your voices are heard,” Ziman said.

Petition and Facebook group

During its public meeting, the CCLP, and its spokesman, John Davidson, outlined their position.

They said public land “must remain vested in our provincial and local governments and not be directed by any special interest group. This proposal is an attempt to redesignate huge blocks of public land from general use Crown land to conservation reserve.” Ziman said it is two per cent of County land, and the government would oversee it.

The CCLP said, “it’s no accident many endangered and rare species are found throughout this area. It is the result of sound sustainable management by MNRF, MECP, and local municipalities and they should continue to do so.”

The group went on to claim, “despite what the Land Trust is telling us, such a redesignation would take control completely away from MNRF and the municipalities of Minden Hills and Highlands East, placing it in the hands of the conservation reserve manager, who would have extraordinary powers under the Ontario Parks and Conservation Reserves Act. This would not be in the best interests of the local population, the economy, or the general public.”

The County of Haliburton’s planner, Elizabeth Purcell, and its CAO, Gary Dyke, reiterated in a written report, the Land Trust is the proponent for the designation but once the ministry has passed designation, the HHLT, “will generally be removed from the rest of the process” with the MECP then driving the project. The MECP creates a management plan. That triggers at least two opportunities for public consultation.

They said an example is the recent creation of the Monarch Point Conservation Reserve in Prince Edward County.

Krystle Shannon’s written delegation said the CCLP had 2,674 signatures on a petition against, as well as 384 members on Facebook.

She said, “existing protections are not only sufficient but well-enforced and the introduction of a conservation reserve would add unnecessary constraints at the expense of Haliburton County’s economy and community vitality.”

In a letter to the meeting, Steve Galea, news editor of Ontario Out of Doors magazine said he had looked into landowners’ claims. After discussions with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, and the HHLT, “I was reassured that none of the concerns raised by the (initial) Facebook post were accurate,” he said.

The Ontario Trails Protection Alliance has written a letter of support to the HHLT, and the Land Trust recently received Conservation Excellence Certification, one of six in Canada, from the Centre for Land Conservation.

Snails, invasives the talk of U-Links event

Mike Baker

April 3, 2025

Four years into a volunteer-led program removing invasive Chinese mystery snails from County lakes and Paul MacInnes, chair of the Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners’ Association (CHA), said almost 1.4 million critters have been evicted to date.

Speaking at U-Links celebration of research event March 29, which took place virtually due to the weekend ice storm, MacInnes said the effort is going strong. Launching in 2021 with 235 volunteers, he said 425 people were active on 41 County lakes last summer.

He expects that number to grow again this year. For participants, it’s not as simple as turning up with a can-do attitude, there’s training involved on how to properly handle and dispose of the snails.

MacInnes said the snails have been a major problem on lakes through the Trent Severn Waterway system for decades.

“They’re not like normal snails, which lay eggs that are eaten by fish. These snails are born in their shell, so it makes them very resistant to being eaten. Females can give birth to up to 100 juveniles a year.

“They are a threat to lake and human health because they force out native species, they’re a vector for parasites, cause swimmer’s itch and reduce recreational pleasure on lakes,” MacInnes said.

Last summer, he said one group on South Lake collected over 80,000 snails in a single day. The species originated in eastern Asia, landing in North America in the late 1800s. The snails were introduced to the Great Lakes around 1931.

Given how entrenched the snails are in our lakes’ ecosystems, MacInnes said full eradication isn’t realistic. The program’s effectiveness differs from lake-to-lake.

“It depends very much on the make-up of the lake and how many volunteers are involved. On some lakes, we have made significant progress. The goal is to keep the snails under control to a point where people can go swimming.

“For lakes I’ve visited, it’s much better with this control than on lakes where there’s no volunteers collecting. On those lakes, it’s basically impossible to go for a swim now,” MacInnes said.

More monitoring

Dr. Pedro Antunes, an invasive species and climate change biologist teaching at Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie, provided a high-level overview of plant-based and insect invasives at the event.

He said there’s a correlation between climate change and the onset of some invasive species. Antunes noted the average temperature in Canada is 1.1 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels. In some northern areas, the change is closer to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“With this changing temperature, plant communities are changing,” he said, noting other contaminants like microplastics, pesticides, heavy metals, and intensive agriculture can lead to more nitrogen filtering into the ground, which he says is a negative.

Antunes said Ontario is a hot spot for invasive species in Canada, hosting the highest number of invasive plants in the country. He attributed this to overseas shipping, estimating 64 per cent of containers entering Canada come via the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence corridor.

“Most of the invasive plants come from the agricultural and horticultural sector, things like ornamental plants… we have a very good grasp of where these plants are coming from and where we need to keep vigilant,” he said, plugging a guidebook published in 2013 that identifies 14 plants and 11 insects and pathogens that are most concerning.

He and his team developed that list using data to see “what species are moving the needle more than others and then target these species for control.” Antunes said the goal is to get to a point where, through continuous tracking, scientists will be able to detect new invasive species before they spread. He said this has been done in the U.S. with some forms of algae.

“We just need better monitoring,” he said.

Community plays ‘big role’

Kayleigh Mooney, an ecological restoration student at Trent University, said community members can play a significant role in aquatic science. Speaking at the event, she shared how, when surveying Gilchrist Bay north of Peterborough, she watched a lakefront resident pulling what she thought was starry stonewort, an invasive macroalgae, from the water. After going to speak with the resident, Mooney said it was a native plant she was removing.

“By pulling them out, she was removing the buffer that could lead to more of the starry stonewort coming in,” she said, highlighting the importance of people knowing the difference between a native and non-native before springing into action.

Mooney said people who frequent a lake more often than visiting scientists can be key to understanding how invasive species adapt to and change their surroundings.

“There’s more to the story than just the species itself. The wider community and ecosystem it’s a part of is important too,” she said. “Folks have the opportunity to intimately understand and observe these relational interactions in a way researchers could never capture. We get one side of the story, but there’s a role that could be filled by the community to capture the other side. One that shows the full extent of what’s truly happening within our lakes.”

Game a chance to operate your own brewery

Lisa Gervais

April 3, 2025

Boshkung Social and Haliburton Highlands Brewing are two craft breweries featured in a new board game called BrewHouse.

Creator, Doug Salloum, a retired brewer, and his wife, Ruth-Ann MacKinnon, were in the County last week to unveil the game.

Now retired, Salloum said brewing was the most fun job he ever had, and he had a lot of jobs.

“After I retired, I decided to share the brewing experience with others … by designing BrewHouse, a board game for people who like craft beer,” he said.

“The game is realistic without being too technical. It is easy to set up and to play. You don’t need to know anything about brewing to play, but along the way you will learn a lot about running a brewery.”

In the game, each player starts with a game board representing the basic brewing processes found in any brewery. Players also start with some capital, called beer bucks.

Players first choose a brewery card. These cards represent partner breweries from around Ontario who helped make the game happen. When a player chooses a brewery card, they “are” that brewery for the game. They also acquire a player advantage specific to that brewery.

Players then choose which beers they want to brew, from the pack of 50 different beer cards. The beer cards provide recipes for classic beer styles. They also have beer trivia (on which players may be tested during the game).

Players spend their beer bucks to purchase the brewing inputs they need (malt, hops and yeast) and move their beer, represented by keg-shaped markers, through each stage of the brewing process. Once the beer is in the tap room, players can sell it for more beer bucks.

How many beer bucks are earned when selling the beer depends on the style of beer and the quality of beer produced, as in any craft brewery.

Salloum said players earn brew master credits along the way by meeting sales milestones, by having a great range of beers in their tap room, by making money, and by strategically investing their profits.

A wild-card element is that players must select a card from the ‘things happen’ deck after every turn and respond accordingly.

The winner is the player with the most brew master credits at the end of the game.

Braden Labonte turned the imagined brewery into a game with a German biergarten colour palette, keg-shaped markers, beer bucks, and breweryappropriate ‘things happen’ cards.

Salloum said friends, family, and former colleagues, game-tested and suggested tweaks and rules changes along the way.

Then came digital-age marketing challenges. Salloum said social media and other sites “promised a lot and cost a lot, but ultimately failed to deliver.”

So, he fell back on real relationships, with real people.

Now that he has the finished product in hand, after 3.5 years of work, Salloum said he’d never seen anything like it, and said he felt “a combination of pride and relief. Happy and relieved, because it does look great.”

MacKinnon added, “one of my favourite features of the game is players have the option to put their ‘profits’ into social or environmental investments, such as hosting a music festival or installing a carbon-capture system.

“This is a fun new game and we are really thrilled it will be available in cottage country this year,” she added

BrewHouse is available from partner breweries across Ontario (including Boshkung and Haliburton Highlands) and from a Shopify site (in late March or early April).

Boshkung launches feeding frenzy at ASES

Mike Baker

April 3, 2025

While he now spends much of his workday surrounded by food, Boshkung Brewing owner Mathew Renda remembers what it was like as a kid struggling to get by on an empty stomach.

The Minden entrepreneur launched a new breakfast program at Archie Stouffer Elementary School (ASES) recently, providing a free hot meal for between 50 and 75 young students.

Renda, his wife Deborah Banks and several Boshkung staffers, who volunteered their time, pitched up at the school March 21, serving bacon, scrambled eggs, muffins, yogurt and fruit salad to those most in-need. He said the food was prepped in the kitchen at Boshkung Social.

“What a morning – we were in there for about 8 a.m. and were serving kids until about 9:15. Just seeing the kids be so excited, they all came in and had little breakfast coupons the school has had made. The smiles and joy on their faces, it was awesome,” Renda said.

The program will run weekly, every Friday morning, adding to the ‘healthy snack bin’ program the school currently provides.

ASES principal Mike Gervais said ASES has had other food programs in the past, supported by Food for Kids Haliburton, President’s Choice Power Full Kids, and local donors, though noted this new offering is hitting a specific need.

“This initiative targets students who would benefit most from a healthy meal… the goal is to provide nutritious options that fuel students for the day ahead,” Gervais said. “The school recognized some students could benefit from a proper breakfast, especially those who may be skipping the meal.

“On the first day, the program saw a noticeable increase in attendance from the students it was designed to support,” Gervais added, noting studies show children who regularly eat a balanced breakfast perform better academically, are more alert in class, and exhibit improved problemsolving skills.”

Renda said he regularly used his school’s breakfast program when he was a student in Durham Region. With the cost-of-living crisis impacting many County families, Renda said he felt a calling to give back to the community.

The idea came about after a conversation Renda had with one of his workers at the Social, who has a child enrolled at ASES and felt an enhanced breakfast program would do a lot of good.

“So, we jumped right in – we do a lot with our food banks and other organizations, but nothing that directly helps and impacts students. As someone who has been there – my dad was a shift worker with Toronto Transit, my mom stayed home, so we didn’t have a ton of money. Now that I’m in a position to step up, it’s something I want and need to do,” Renda said.

There are dishes lined up throughout April, with French toast, waffles, and pancakes on the menu.

Renda plans to run the program as long as he’s in business in the County and hopes to expand in future. “If we can progressively build this program so that we’re feeding 100 kids, that would be awesome. I want to feed as many mouths as I can.”

For feeding up to 75 kids, he estimated it will cost around $5,000 to run the rest of this school year and about $11,000 for a full year.

Soul-folk songstress coming to County

Lisa Gervais

April 3, 2025

The Haliburton County Folk Society says the audience can expect a powerful voice with compelling storytelling, humour, and a tight five-piece band, when Celeigh Cardinal comes to town April 19.

Juno award winner, David Francey, describes Cardinal as “stellar. Riveting. Real. A writer of rare depth and honesty and in the voice a powerful beauty. I felt the songs and I felt lucky to bear witness. A true light.”

The HCFS said it was thrilled to present the 2020 JUNO award winner for Indigenous Artist of the Year. Cardinal’s recent studio album, Boundless Possibilities has garnered two Canadian 2025 Folk Music award nominations— for English Songwriter of the Year and Indigenous Songwriter of the Year, and she received two 2025 JUNO nominations for Adult Contemporary Album of the Year and Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year.

The Folk Society’s artistic director, Sue Shikaze, said, “Celeigh’s live performance is like a warm embrace, wrapping you in with her smooth, powerful voice and engaging presence. This is a show you won’t want to miss.”

Cardinal’s music reflects her roots.

She says, “growing up in northern Alberta, I was one of two native families in the church and the school that I went to. My father’s family was part of the ‘Sixties Scoop,’ so we didn’t grow up connected to our Indigenous culture at all. My whole life, I felt like I was struggling with my identity and the many expectations that were put on me, so it took a long time for me to feel like I had a voice.”

The Folk Society said the concert offers something for everyone – a seamless blend of soul, folk, funk, and rock that showcases the standout talents of her band and Cardinal’s impressive vocal chops in equal measure, and like never before. The concert is happening on the Easter weekend with folks encouraged to make it a family affair. Children 18 and under can attend at no charge

The local opener for the show will be Jamie McGowan. Originally from the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond, Scotland, McGowan effortlessly settled into life in the Haliburton Highlands. The combination of beautiful scenery, nature, and his Scottish roots gives his music a unique take on traditional Scottish Celtic music, the Folk Society said.

Tickets, and more information, are available at haliburtonfolk.com. To find out more about Cardinal, visit celeighcardinal.com. The performance will take place at the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion in Haliburton.

The show is presented by the Haliburton County Folk Society, a part of the Haliburton County Community Cooperative. For more information about the Coop see haliburtoncooperative. on.ca.

U13 Cheryl Smith Re/Max

Submitted

April 3, 2025

The Highland Storm Cheryl Smith Re/ Max U13 hockey team wrapped up an unforgettable season, marked by resilience, determination, and plenty of thrilling moments on the ice.

With a roster of skilled and passionate players, including Grayson Park, Rowen Johnson, Chase Kerr, Corbin Elliot, Linus Gervais, Jaxon Hurd, Bently Bull, Kelson Bagshaw, James Gooley, Rowan Little, Marshall Heasman, Connor Iles, Nash Wilson, Austin Cunningham, and Liam Milburn, the Storm made their presence known across the province.

Their remarkable journey included two intense tournaments resulting in two hard-fought finals. The team’s determination paid off as they captured the B Championship title in their home tournament, adding a well-earned trophy to their season’s accomplishments.

But the crowning achievement may have come in the Victoria Durham final, where the Highland Storm went head-to-head with Ontario’s number one ranked Tier 2 team. The series was a showcase of grit and perseverance. After a heartbreaking overtime loss in Game 1, the Storm bounced back in spectacular fashion, securing a win on their opponent’s home ice in Game 2. Game 3 proved to be another nail-biter, with the Highland Storm battling fiercely and holding their rivals without an even-strength goal — a testament to their relentless defense and stellar goaltending. Although they fell short in the final game, the Storm’s incredible effort and sportsmanship left a lasting impression.

Each player contributed to a season defined by growth, teamwork, and unforgettable memories. Coaches Chris Kerr, Jesse Johnson, Shawn Walker, Joe Boice and Tyler Martin were very proud of the team all year long as was manager Brad Park. Congratulations to the Highland Storm U13s on an extraordinary season. The future of Storm hockey is undoubtedly bright.

U15 LL Pepper Mill Steak and Pasta House

Submitted

April 3, 2025

As the final whistle blew on the 2024-2025 season, the U15 The Pepper Mill Steak & Pasta House team capped off an impressive journey; one filled with remarkable achievements, hard-fought battles, and unforgettable moments. From the opening puck drop, to the last game of the season, this team showed heart, dedication, and a never-give-up attitude that made every game exciting.

The season started with a few bumps and bruises, as the team adjusted to new lineups and worked on building chemistry. Despite the early challenges, Tom, Graham and Jaime (the coaching staff) instilled a strong work ethic, and soon enough, the team found its rhythm.

The players quickly developed a bond that carried them through tough games, with every win feeling earned and every loss serving as a valuable lesson. There were standout performances all season long.

Cambell McCracken finished the season with the team lead in goals and assists, proving to be a force at both ends of the ice, earning accolades for his relentless work.

Other notable performances came from Ty Hughes, Duncan Evans Fockler and Gideon Borgdorff, who all played pivotal roles in key victories and showed the depth of talent this team has.

But it wasn’t just individual performances that carried the team to success—it was the unity and teamwork. From the first line to the fourth, everyone contributed. Whether it was the defensemen clearing the crease or the forwards cycling the puck with precision, every player understood their role, and it showed on the ice. The team’s power play improved throughout the season, with timely goals coming from the most unexpected places.

The experience gained from the season, U13 Cheryl Smith Re/Max the growth of the players, and the resilience shown during every match have set the stage for even greater things next year. We’d like to extend a huge thank you to the fans, families, and supporters who cheered on the team throughout the season.

Huskies on brink of eliminating Canadiens

Lisa Gervais

April 3, 2025

t’s been a week of adversity for Haliburton County Husky players – enduring the aftermath of the ice storm. But the squad overcame all of that to take a 3-2 series lead in OJHL second round action. They could eliminate the Toronto Junior Canadiens when the teams clash in Haliburton tonight (April 3).

The storm forced the Huskies to cancel their March 29 game at home. It was rescheduled to March 30, but the S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena remained shuttered.

The Huskies had to travel to the Canadiens’ barn instead March 31. They were not back at home again until April 1, playing their first game ever at the A.J. LaRue Arena in Haliburton.

Coach Ryan Ramsay said Tuesday’s tilt in Haliburton was a good game. “We played well. Obviously, it was a great start. We had a little bit of a lapse in the second, but we played well enough to win. Good on the boys.”

The Huskies recorded a 5-2 win, but it was a closer affair with two empty netters to seal the deal.

Ramsay: ‘team with character’

The Huskies scored early: Luke Hampel, from Deandres De Jesus and Chase Lefebvre just 1:38 in. Then, Nathan Poole potted one at 6:46, from Tai York and Nolan Ling.

The Canadiens got one back, at 15:43. Ty Petrou gave the Huskies a 3-1 lead, at 14 minutes, from Cameron Hankai and Alex Bradshaw.

The Canadiens made it a 3-2 game at 9:43 of the third, but Petrou and Isaac Larmand found the empty net.

Ramsay is happy with the likes of Petrou and Poole, saying the team leaders “continue to elevate their game when needed. They’re leaders and they’re great hockey players.”

He added goalie Tyler Hodges has been “great” in the playoffs.

Ramsay talked about how the majority of his players – whether billets or at hockey house – were without power, connectivity, and running water for 48 hours. He said five to seven players were sitting cold and in the dark at homes without generators.

Yet, they boarded a bus to Toronto March 31 when they hadn’t slept or eaten much, or been able to focus well.

“It just shows the character of kids we have this year compared to other years. These guys want to win and they’re really close. Other years, we’ve had good teams but questioned how bad they wanted to win. This group, they’re dialed in and they really want to win as a group. It shows,” Ramsay said.

They beat the Canadiens 3-0 this past Monday, on goals by Larmand, Poole, and Petrou; with Hodges recoding the 29-save shutout.

The team lost 3-1 March 26, with Petrou the lone goal scorer.

Up 3-2 in the series, Ramsay said they have put themselves in a good position to eliminate a good hockey team at home.

“You can’t get ahead of yourself, but I would rather be up 3-2, than down 3-2.

“You hope to get some bounces and some luck. Once you’re this far in the season, every team is good. You need some bounces; you need some luck and you need some guys to have a game. I think our focus is the same thing. You know they are going to come out fighting for their lives because they are, so it’s just that…match that intensity and just be ready to play.”

Next game: Thursday, April 3 at 7 p.m. at Haliburton.

Celebrating the liquid amber in the Highlands

Lisa Gervais

April 3, 2025

The County of Haliburton is celebrating all things maple this coming weekend. The County of Haliburton has put together the following list.

Colour of Wood

Hosted by: Wendy & Rick Wood

Rick and Wendy started making Maple syrup on their 25 acres of managed forest in 2015 with 90 taps on buckets. They now have almost 1,000 taps on pipeline. It all flows downhill to their sugar house. Just sap, gravity, lots of firewood and the help of Mother Nature. Their syrup is known for its unique label and wonderful taste. They are located at 1255 Peterson Rd. Minden Hills, 249-993-0134, colourofwood@ gmail.com

Wintergreen Maple Products

People are invited to tour the bush on self-guided tours. Phone ahead to book an appointment. 705-286-3202.

Esson Creek Maple

Tours of the sugarbush can be booked all year, and during syrup season will end with a “sugar on snow” experience. The tour includes the forest, the minerals, and the entire syrup-making process

Yours Outdoors Maple Magic

Ready to make maple memories with your loved ones? Then this experience is for you. Maple Magic is geared towards families, kids of all ages and anyone who has a sweet tooth. During this two-hour experience, you’ll hear the ins and outs of maple syrup production, follow the impressive journey from sap to syrup, check out a real sugar shack, and eat a pancake meal.

Dominion Hotel

Special maple entrees and drinks made with local maple syrup will be added to the menu on April 5 and 6. try a maple glazed salmon, sugar maple pulled pork sandwich with maple BBQ sauce, sugar shack poutine with pulled pork and maple BBQ sauce… as well as try a beverage like a maple hot chocolate.

Hook, Line & Sinker

Special maple entrees and drinks, made with local maple syrup will be added to the menu on April 5 and 6. Try the maple dusted wings or the maple mustard salmon bowl… finished off with assorted mini maple cake… and if you’re thirsty, try the maple Bourbon fizz cocktail.

Abbey Gardens

Special maple menu items and treats, made with local maple syrup will be added to the menu on April 5 and 6. Try the ham and Swiss sandwich with a maple mustard sauce… finished off with assorted butter tarts, maple cookies and cupcakes.

1...676869...481 Page 68 of 481