Brad Lodge had a copy of Colin & Justin’s Sub-Zero Reno before the Paramount+ show began airing Jan. 31. But he didn’t watch it. Until a recent binge viewing.

Brad Lodge Construction is the contractor featured in the show along with the Scottish designers.

“I didn’t want to see myself on camera. I was over it,” Lodge said this week. “Then I watched it, and Colin and Justin said nothing but good things about me. I ended up watching the whole thing the other night and thought ‘this is actually pretty cool’.”

While not one to talk himself up, and admitting the whole process was very different for him, he concedes, it left him with a good feeling and he was getting a lot of nice comments while out and about in the County.

He’s known Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan for a couple of years now, and done little jobs here and there for them. “We always kind of talked about what we were going to do… and it finally actually happened… so we made it work,” he said.

Lodge and his 14-member crew worked with McAllister and Ryan on a winter renovation on Drag Lake. The series is currently streaming on Paramount+.

Lodge, who grew up in West Guilford, and lives in Carnarvon, said the exposure is priceless.

“It’s great for people to know who we are. I grew up here. I know a lot of people. We are busy but can always plan for the future. And it’s just good for people to recognize my whole team’s hard work, not just mine.”

A film crew from Manitoba was on-site at times through the renovation, while Lodge and his team had GoPro cameras.

No strangers to winter remodels, he said the biggest challenge may have been the road leading to the cottage. “We did crash many times and get a lot of vehicles stuck and just couldn’t do things the way we did,” he said.

Some crazy moments were not captured on camera, he added. For example, they pumped water from the lake and hand mixed about 1,000 bags of concrete. An excavator slid down a massive hill, spinning circles “which could have been catastrophic.”

Another challenge for Lodge is he is used to controlling a build. He didn’t have that same control with this one.

“For a build in the winter that went that fast… there were so many people we had to deal with every single day; that was definitely one of the most stressful times I’ve had in a long time.”

As for being followed by a camera crew, he said it was nerve-wracking at first, and it didn’t help that his crew was trying to get him to laugh when he was being interviewed. However, he came around.

“It’s like at a wedding, you talk on the mic and you’re nervous and the next thing you know, you don’t want to let go of the mic.”

He adds words such as interesting, and weird to describe the experience. “We had a lot of fun, that’s for sure.” He also admits to showing frustration on camera.

But in the end, he said he and his crew come across just like they are in real life. “Being ourselves… nervous, but genuine in ourselves.”

Minden Hills mayor Bob Carter believes high construction costs and overprotection of tenants is why there’s been so little uptake in adding secondary housing units to properties in Haliburton County over the past couple of years.

In May 2022, premier Doug Ford unveiled the More Homes Built Faster Act (Bill 23), legislation allowing more than one liveable space on properties serviced by municipal water and sewer.

Algonquin Highlands, Dysart et al, and Minden Hills went one step further, each making amendments to their zoning bylaws to allow accessory units, including tiny homes, on rural properties. There are some caveats, notably that applicants must prove they have the necessary septic capacity to accommodate additional residences.

The new rules do not apply to shoreline properties. While Highlands East didn’t incorporate any new measures, junior planner Kim Roberts said things like basement apartments, granny suites and tiny homes have been allowed in certain areas since 2018, with nine applications between then and 2022.

Over the past two-and-a-half years, there have been 11 applications for additional dwelling units (ADU) in the County – three each in Algonquin Highlands, Dysart, and Minden Hills, and two in Highlands East,

Homeowners fearful of renting

“Lots of people think the world is going to change as soon as new rules are brought in… but people are still apprehensive about renting out part of their home, because of issues they may have heard about and protections in the Landlord and Tenants Act,” Carter said. “Taking on this kind of development is quite expensive, there can be insurance issues… it’s a difficult thing to do.”

Amanda Dougherty, Minden Hills planner, said additional units have been allowed within properties on municipal services since 2006. New regulations expanding those permissions to rural properties came into effect in February 2024.

The township’s chief building official, Eric Guay, said one additional dwelling permit was issued in 2023 and two in 2024. “We haven’t seen a surge of applications,” Guay said.

Jeff Iles, director of planning in Dysart et al, expressed disappointment at the lack of uptake, with the township hoping new rules would create much-needed housing.

New regulations were finalized in Dysart in March 2024, allowing secondary units on most non-waterfront properties facing onto a publicly maintained road. Units can be constructed above a garage, as a basement apartment, or as a separate dwelling. The maximum floor area of the new unit can be 75 per cent of the main dwelling.

Iles said Dysart has also eliminated the minimum floor area requirement for new developments, paving the way for tiny homes on rural and rural-residential lots.

There was one tiny home and two ADU applications last year.

“A lot of effort has gone into the policy changes to building more housing, starting at the provincial level and trickling down to each local government. I think we all expected and hoped for more uptake,” Iles said.

Mayor Murray Fearrey also blamed the high cost of construction materials. He said he’d heard horror stories from some homeowners, feeling the province needs to adapt the Landlord and Tenants Act.

“It’s very hard to evict people if they decide they’re not going to leave. They can stop paying rent and just be horrible tenants, but hide behind certain rules in the act. There’s nothing the owners can do, other than try to take it to tribunal, which also costs money,” Fearrey said. “Until we get some of that stuff fixed, I don’t think this is going to take off the way it should.”

In 2023, The Highlander spoke to Haliburton resident Ian Macnab, who received special permission to construct a secondary house on his Mountain Street property for his elderly mother-in-law. He said the option was very cost-effective, with the unit costing $130,000 and utilities around $200 per month.

“It would have cost us thousands of dollars each month to find somewhere else for her to live… I think this kind of arrangement is a great way for families to look after their seniors with a minimal ongoing cost burden,” he said.

Algonquin Highlands mayor Liz Danielsen feels the townships need to do a better job of getting the word out.

“I don’t know if there’s anything we can really do to make it easier. People have a lot of options now,” she said.

“I think we’re still in the recovery phase [after the pandemic]. People are being careful with their money. Though, being able to put up a second unit on an existing property, rather than developing on a new one, makes adding housing more cost-effective than it used to be.”

Carter said there’s no way County townships can afford incentives to encourage more applications. “We have no money locally to support this… the province famously downloads all sorts of things to us. I think this is something that, if the province wanted, they could come up with some funding programs. But again, there will still be some challenges around it beyond just money,” Carter said.

Other avenues

Danielsen, deputy warden at the County level, said discussions are continuing at the upper-tier on communal servicing – potentially paving the way for clustered multi-unit tiny home developments.

Representatives from Frontenac County addressed County council last September, saying it hoped to bring 10 new subdivisions kitted with centralized water and sewer systems online in the Kingston-area by 2033. The subdivisions will create more than 200 units.

Frontenac’s director of planning, Joe Gallivan, said at the time “if it fits well with us, I think it can fit well with you too.”

Carter, who also sits on County council, said there are issues around cost and liability. To offset those, the County is investigating creating a municipal services corporation to handle things like billing and maintenance.

“We are working on setting something up. It’s not going to happen overnight, but hopefully it will at least give us the administrative function so that if we do get a meaningful project come forward, we will be ready to go,” Carter said.

Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott feels premier Doug Ford had no choice but to call a provincial election 15 months early, given U.S. president Donald Trump’s repeated threats to implement tariffs on Canadian imports.

Seeking a seventh term in office, Scott said it’s important Ontarians use their voice – and vote – to select who they want to lead the province through what she expects will be a tumultuous four years.

“The premier has been very strong in his fight to protect Ontario jobs. He’s certainly seen as the guy that will fight to protect Ontario’s economy, to engage with the president and his team,” Scott said. “Trump’s election really shifted everything. We’re looking for the public to give us a strong mandate for four years, which hits the same timelines Trump will be in office for.”

An election was legislated to take place by June 4, 2026. Ford officially declared on Jan. 29 that a new vote will take place Feb. 27.

Addressing media Jan. 24, the premier said due to instability in Ottawa following prime minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation (he will remain in office until the Liberals select a new leader March 9) that it was more important than ever for an Ontario government to stand strong.

“You need a loud voice at the table,” Ford said. “The choice that people are going to have for the next 30 days will affect every aspect of their lives, and the kids’ lives, and their grandchildrens’ lives for the next 20 to 30 years.”

Thus far, the only other approved candidate in the HKLB riding is Tom Regina, who will stand for the Green Party.

HKLB Liberal Association president Judi Forbes, who ran in the 2022 election, said there was no candidate as of press time. She said the party has committed to reopening the Minden ER if elected and will focus on attracting and retaining family physicians in small communities.

Forbes said the Liberals also want to re-establish a carbon program that focuses on polluters and protect the Greenbelt. She condemned Ford for calling an early election – saying it will “unnecessarily” cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

“Doug Ford already has a majority government, that means he already has a mandate until the fall,” Forbes said.

She also took Scott to task for her perceived absence during the closure of the Minden ER in 2023.

Scott reiterated her stance that the decision was made by the previous Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) leadership, not the province.

“It was not anything anyone wanted nor expected… I was just as frustrated that [HHHS] could have prepared and communicated things better and had a plan in place. It was a big blow,” Scott said. “That hospital was the closest one to me, too. So, I completely understand and wholeheartedly sympathize with people.”

Scott feels recent improvements to the Haliburton hospital – including a new CAT scan and a pending mammography unit, and soon-to-be installed ER x-ray, as well as the hiring of three new ER doctors and multiple nurses – shows the province is committed to improving health care in the County.

The equipment and their installation, which cost millions, were largely paid for via community donations, with the HHHS Foundation announcing late last year it had raised $6.225 million to cover the upgrades.

Regina, who scored 3,695 votes (7.55 per cent) in the 2022 election, refused to accept Trump’s recent inauguration as reason enough to send Ontarians back to the polls early – saying that is more of a federal concern.

“The Ontario premier’s support will be required, but the Americans will not consider him to be a spokesperson for Canada. Dealing with the U.S. is a federal government responsibility,” Regina said.

He slammed Ford for “wasteful” initiatives, noting the decision to liberalize alcohol sales will set the province back approximately $1.4 billion by 2030, per a Financial Accountability Office report released Jan. 27. Speeding up the timeline added $612 million to the bottom line, the report states.

Regina also criticized the decision to provide $200 tax rebates to all Ontarians, for an expected bill of $3.2 billion. Ford said the money is to help offset the cost of the federal carbon tax and high interest rates.

The NDP party has yet to announce a candidate, with neither the provincial party or local association responding to questions by press time. Barbara Doyle stood in 2022, finishing second with 15 per cent of the vote. Lindsay-based Zack Tisdale will represent the Libertarian Party, while Gene Balfour, who stood for the Libertarians in the previous two provincial elections, will run as an independent.

Eighteen months on from the launch of Haliburton County’s community mobile outreach (CMO) program and coun. Jennifer Dailloux feels the initiative is making a huge difference in the lives of some of the area’s most vulnerable people.

Launched in June 2023, the program is designed to connect people with a wide range of issues with services and supports both within the County and beyond. Led by staffer Sue Tiffin, the County’s community safety and well-being plan coordinator, it has assisted hundreds of people to date.

Dailloux discussed the program’s merits at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference in Toronto Jan. 19. She was part of a four-person panel looking at ways small communities can tackle issues surrounding mental health episodes and addictions.

“We were invited to speak because Haliburton County is one of the only regions with a dedicated person working on community safety and wellbeing,” Dailloux said. “The work goes much further than just addictions and mental health – Sue has created a network of people and organizations to assist those who are struggling with many aspects of their life.”

There are 12 services regularly partnering on the initiative, Tiffin said. Some of include: City of Kawartha Lakes outreach services and life stabilization supports; the County’s paramedicine program; the John Howard Society; Haliburton Highlands Health Services; Heat Bank Haliburton County; Peterborough AIDS Resource Network; and Dufferin Community Health Centre.

Over time, as word spread, more have come on board – the Canadian Mental Health Association, City of Kawartha Lakes Housing and Homelessness services, Community Legal Clinic of Simcoe, Haliburton and Kawartha Lakes; Minden Community Food Centre; Fleming Crew, Point in Time; the the Connections Committee of Haliburton County and YWCA.

Once a week, or more, CMO members meet in various locations throughout the County to provide easily accessible, low-barrier supports. Issues range from housing, mental health, addiction and harm reduction, food supports, education and employment, and community paramedicine.

“Crucially, this method increases the chances of successful cross-referrals. All service providers know each other. Instead of having to fill out a form and telling a vulnerable person they’ll have to wait weeks for a response, they’re introducing them directly, leading to much faster solutions and supports,” Dailloux said.

To reach more people, CMO members attend the Minden courthouse the one day a month it’s in session, offering help to anyone that asks.

“Sometimes it’s not enough to simply start a service or program. Sometimes you have to literally bring it to people, so it’s in their face,” Dailloux said. “We still haven’t reached everyone, and we haven’t provided all the services we want to provide, but the ability to network amongst ourselves, evolve, and be agile as a group is something really unique.

“We’ve learned being flexible is good. Taking the risk to try and develop a model that really responds to our local situation is proving to be a successful way forward for us,” Dailloux added. “It’s almost like going back to how society used to be, where it’s all person-to-person, really supporting people.”

Tiffin said the response, thus far, has been positive.

“People who regularly access community outreach services appreciate the team being there, and tell us they look forward to it,” she said.

Now that the ball is rolling, Dailloux said the momentum is building. More organizations are reaching out and wanting to jump on board.

“Places are starting to think it’s a good idea to send a field officer 150 kilometres north for the day to make important connections. This initiative just keeps going from strength to strength,” Dailloux said.

To learn more, contact Tiffin at stiffin@ haliburtoncounty.ca.

ROMA rundown

Algonquin Highlands mayor and County deputy warden Liz Danielsen said she enjoyed speaking to representatives from Renfrew County about the unique way its EMS department operates.

“They work directly with their hospital, they’ve got mental health programs they work with – it’s so far and above what a typical EMS operation is,” Danielsen said. “I’m excited about the fact we’re going to have a new EMS chief and hopefully we can look to see if there’s improvements we can make.”

It was announced earlier this month that Michael Slatter is replacing Tim Waite as head of the department.

Minden Hills mayor Bob Carter said he discussed housing and health care with several provincial ministers, while continuing to advocate for public transportation. He said other municipalities with active programs were struggling to fund buses once provincial grants dried up.

He said there’s been no advancement on efforts to establish a bus service between Haliburton and Minden due to higher-than expected costs.

Dysart deputy mayor Walt McKechnie said he attended seminars focused on housing. He came away believing governments of all levels have to do more to encourage development.

“We need to lighten up our legislation and get the ball moving, get shovels in the ground as quickly as possible,” McKechnie said. “There’s no reason projects should be tied up for years just to get approval.”

A former police chief for South Simcoe is the new chair of the fledgling Haliburton County Police Detachment Board.

Andrew Fletcher was elected at the inaugural meeting in November.

A community representative, along with Andy Chvedukas, he joins provincial appointee Andrew Hodgson, Algonquin Highlands mayor Liz Danielsen, Dysart et al deputy mayor Walt McKechnie, Highlands East mayor Dave Burton, and Minden Hills mayor Bob Carter on the board.

It was created as part of the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019, which came into effect April 1, 2024. The legislation has replaced the Police Services Act, to focus on addressing community safety; enhancing police oversight; modernizing policing, and establishing consistent mandated training requirements.

Fletcher said he started as a cadet in Halton Region and worked his way up to deputy chief during 31 years there. Looking for a top role, he joined South Simcoe for seven years before retiring two-and-a-half years ago.

The Bob Lake full-time resident saw an ad in the paper looking for board community representatives. His family has had a cottage on the lake for 15 years, coming weekends and summers. He got to know people in the community, and a handle on what was going on.

“I said I was going to be retired, was going to be quiet, and then a few people started calling me, saying, ‘have you considered this? This is right up your alley. What do you think’?”

He elaborates that when he first called quits to his working life, the best advice he received was to not do anything for the first year.

“Don’t commit… take your time. I did that. But I’m typically a person who likes to be busy and doing things. I started getting involved in the curling club and the food bank. When this came up, I debated; am I really a community representative? Do I know enough about the community? Have I been here long enough? I felt I had a pretty good grasp on some of the things going on, but I was really looking to bring that organizational experience.”

Fletcher was involved in subcommittees writing the new Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019. He said he cares deeply about crime prevention and the Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan.

“I am passionate about the fact that policing is more than just enforcement. I hate the words ‘law enforcers’ because our new generation of policing is about engaging with the community; looking at the well-being of the community; inspiring young people to get involved in policing; and giving youth guidance when they need that through youth diversion. It’s not all about putting people in jail.”

He brings valuable policing experience to the board.

“Not just as a chief of police but an understanding of CSWB, and what the role of the board is. For the last 17 years, I sat on the other side of the table (as chief and deputy chief) and listened to boards and how they engage with commanders and chiefs.”

He added it is also about better connecting the OPP to the community via the board.

“People are already talking to me. They see me at the curling club and say, ‘I see you’re the board chair, what about this, and what about that’?”

As for his views on the board’s role, Fletcher added, “we’re the people to ask the questions. When we are engaging with the commander and he brings reports, for example, that theft of gas is up 100 per cent, we can say ‘what about that? What are you doing about that?

“When we start seeing the mental health statistics, we can ask, ‘what more can we be doing’? The commander, many times, has already thought about it, but it’s about bringing whatever the priorities of the board are to their (OPP) attention.”

He said OPP billing is always topical but the board can request a breakdown of costs. “Not to hold their (OPP) feet to the fire, but just that accountability piece and saying ‘okay, let us ask those questions that the public might be asking’.”

He noted the board does evaluate commanders. “It gives us a chance to say to him or her, ‘this is what’s important to us’ – and many times we are aligned. They’ve already addressed it, but, if not… our job is to make sure there’s a broad spectrum of strategies.”

At the end of the day, he said he is just trying to make a difference.

“Let’s make sure the community is getting the best bang for their buck, and if not, let’s change that, introduce something different, or have a conversation to see if we can drive it in that direction.”

Minden Hills council, on Jan. 16, directed staff to put out an expression of interest for potential partners to help redevelop the Lochlin Community Centre site. They also committed $50,000 towards the project.

The future of the centre – which has been shuttered since COVID – was again up for debate as part of budget talks.

“In its mothballed state, the condition of the building has deteriorated and requires significant investment,” chief building official, Eric Guay, said in a written report.

An advisory committee has been meeting to help determine next steps with three options: a new $900,000 plus tax hall; renovating the existing building, at an estimated cost of $585,000 plus taxes; or relocating the existing building for $1,050,000 to $1.15 million plus tax.

CAO Cynthia Fletcher said there is another option.

“Maybe there’s an opportunity to seek a partner, or partners, to do something bigger on the site.” She added, “my strong recommendation would be anything that we do has to include a community gathering space” since the centre had been a hub prior to the pandemic.

Coun. Pam Sayne agreed they need to keep the community centre component and was intrigued by potential partnerships. “What if we put a couple of housing units there?” she asked. “I like the idea of doing something more there.”

Mayor Bob Carter suggested day care. “If there was some space… they could pay full market rent… I’m just using that as an example of a partnership. But it will take time.”

Coun. Ivan Ingram asked about moving the old fire hall in downtown Minden to Lochlin.

Deputy mayor Lisa Schell said the Lochlin hall issue has been going on for years. “I think this council has to make a decision and make something happen one way or another.”

Coun. Tammy McKelvey agreed, “it is time to make a decision, put some money in the budget for at least a commitment to do something. We have a building that is growing mould. The previous council talked about it. We’ve talked about it enough. Just put our money where our mouth is or say we’re not going to do it. I love the partnership idea by the way.”

Fletcher suggested putting out an expression of interest, including asking potential partners how quickly they could make something happen. Ingram suggested the $50,000 and council voted in favour.

In-house lawn care

Council also voted in favour of in-house lawn care at cemeteries, versus hiring a contractor.

Director of community services, Candace McGuigan, said it was possible with the hiring of two additional summer parks students. McGuigan pointed out they went outside the municipality due to staff shortages last year. Cemeteries are open May 1 to Nov. 30 with clean-up beginning in April.

McGuigan added they could also do Lutterworth yard, and the Minden water and wastewater treatment plants, rather than having OCWA do the plants. She said no additional equipment is required. The overall cost would be just over $27,000, compared to $56,000 for contracting out.

Council opted for in-house.