Rotary Club of Haliburton member Ursula Devolin stands at the Skyline Park scenic overlook and points to the right towards the home she grew up in. A Beachli then, she said the family would drive up most autumns and pose for a family photo at the lookout.

Coming up a couple of years ago, when proposing Skyline Park as the club’s next big capital project, she said, “I just felt sad and that we can do so much better than this. It used to be so nice. The day I came up was dreary, there was garbage littered about, the stone barbecues were broken. I thought ‘it needs some love and care’.”

She said if people look at museum photos, or anybody’s old photos, you could see down to the high school, “so we just want to open it back up.”

They are doing far more than that, with the club undertaking an ambitious $300,000 to $400,000 improvement plan over the next three to four years.

The park is owned by the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) and designated a rest stop on the provincial highway. It was dedicated by Leslie M. Frost on June 20, 1958. The MTO maintains the park through a contract with a local company, but, “there has been little or no capital improvement during the past 65 years,” Rotary says.

Fundraising and community support needed

“The Rotary Club believes it needs repairs and a refresh so the community and tourists can continue to enjoy the park and the spectacular view.”

They have struck a Rotary Skyline Park project committee. It’s taken about two years to get an agreement with MTO to do the work. They consulted a local landscape company for a concept plan. The first phase involved removing dead and diseased trees, and concrete repairs to the existing viewing platform. On Oct. 7, four members were working to remove trees and brush in front of the platform, although all Rotarians are volunteering their time. If weather permits, they will begin grading this fall.

Other jobs include: extending the viewing lookout, creating a new upper viewing platform for people with mobility issues, building two new picnic pavilions with concrete pads and covered roofs, building year-round accessible washrooms to replace the seasonal toilets, providing new benches and picnic tables, improving paths using recycled asphalt, drawing parking lines and creating designated bus parking, installing display boards highlighting the community’s history and current attractions, improving safety, fencing and signs, and removing old stone BBQs.

Devolin and committee spokesperson Chuck Wheeler said the work will be done in stages as funds become available.

Wheeler said, “fundraising and community support will be an important part of this project. Though the club has funds allocated for a portion of the work, they will launch community fundraisers for specific phases for the capital improvement project.

“The club will also accept gifts of materials for the park.”

The club thanked the Haliburton County Development Corporation for funding; and Dysart et al and Haliburton County tourism for support.

In recent years, the Rotary Club of Haliburton has been involved in developments in Head Lake Park, and the band shelter, donations for new playground equipment, the skateboard park, welcome centre and more. The club is celebrating its 80th year.

Dysart et al resident Michael Butz said he wasn’t shocked when, late last month, he found an excavator sinking into the ground at a future cell tower site at Minnicock Lake Road, saying the area is a natural wetland.

Butz, his wife Susan, and neighbours of Minnicock Lake and Glamorgan roads have opposed the tower for more than two years. It was the first location in Dysart et al selected as part of the Eastern Ontario Regional Network’s (EORN) Cell Gap Project, which aims to bridge cellular dead zones in rural areas and improve connectivity for 99 per cent of residents in the region.

Telecommunications giant Rogers is partnering with EORN on the project, responsible for sourcing tower sites and overseeing construction.

Butz said there weren’t any Rogers representatives on-site the last week in September, when issues arose. He contends workers from Quebec-based Qualnet Wireless Services first arrived about six weeks ago. Butz watched as they prepped the site, clearing trees and digging deep holes for the tower’s anchors.

While observing Sept. 27, Butz said he found workers “panicked, not sure what to do” after an excavator started to sink. “It got stuck pretty good, the water was up into the cab at one point,” Butz said. “Then the engine caught fire when they were trying to get it out. It was quite the scene.”

He contacted the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP), who sent someone to investigate Oct. 2. MECP spokesperson Gary Wheeler said officials concluded there was no spill of contaminants that would pose a risk to the natural environment or human health.

Butz contends water has been rushing to the surface any time workers dig, which he feels proves the area is a natural wetland – something he’s been preaching for years.

“It’s clear for anyone to see – there’s a spring that comes through there. The wetland is actually identified on the Haliburton County GIS map. There are bullrushes on that site too, indicating it’s a wetland,” Butz said, noting he asked Dysart council to insist on Rogers completing an environmental assessment when the application was tabled. Butz claims that didn’t happen.

Dysart mayor Murray Fearrey, who wasn’t on council when the project was approved, said the township’s hands are tied.

“We really don’t have any say. People think council can just snap their fingers and say ‘no’ and defeat this. We have to have a reason, and the reason has to contravene the federal regulations. That’s what we’re guided by,” Fearrey said.

Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is the sole approval authority for cell tower applications nationwide. Wheeler noted federal infrastructure undertakings relating to cell towers are exempt from municipal and provincial legislation, including The Planning Act, site plan control and zoning bylaws, the Ontario Building Code, The Species At-Risk Act, and provincial conservation authority legislation.

He said MECP had been in touch with ISED to relay public concern and submit observations from the Oct. 2 visit.

Aftermath

The excavator was saved, Butz confirmed, with a local firm called in to assist with its removal. He said crews laid down logs and stone so they could get something in to remove the machine and then buried it all.

Fearrey noted there’s nothing within the township’s records indicating the area is a provincial environmental protection zone, or wetland. Prod:

Elizabeth Purcell, the County’s director of planning, noted the GIS mapping does show wetland along Minnicock Lake Road – though not in the direct vicinity of the tower site. The tower will be located on Lot 24, Con 1, while the main wetland is located on Lot 26, Con 1, Purcell said. She said there is a smaller wetland feature in the southwestern area of Lot 24, but based on materials Rogers submitted to Dysart, it’s far enough away from where the tower will be built.

Jeff Iles, Dysart’s director of planning, noted in a 2022 report a “small stream” was located about 20 metres from the site, but that it appeared dry during parts of the year. He also noted the property was screened for species-at-risk, with nothing found.

Karl Korpela, who heads up Dysart’s bylaw department, said he reviewed whether the township’s site alteration bylaw may apply but since the property is not waterfront, and there’s no mapped environmental protection zone, there’s nothing the municipality can do.

While he remains staunchly opposed to the build, Butz said he knows the horse has already bolted.

“There is no resolution for me and I know that. This was the wrong place to put the tower all along. I still think the spot on Telephone Bay Road would be better – it’s higher and it serves an area that has no cell service. We have two bars here already,” Butz said.

Nilani Logeswaran, Rogers spokesperson, said construction will continue with completion expected in December.

Riding the chairlift towards the newlyopened tower at Sir Sam’s Ski/Ride, owner Doug Wilkinson shares the back story of how the viewing platform has come about.

His mother, Evelyn, passed away in early 2022 and, “this was something I wanted to build in her honour,” Wilkinson shares. He notes Evelyn, or Ev, are the same initials as Eagle View. The Wilkinson family rebranded the event centre at the bottom of the hill as the Eagle View Wedding and Event Venue when they bought it.

“It will be nice to finally put her to rest,” Wilkinson says of the opening of the tower, which was first announced in summer 2022.

It’s been 2.5 years in the making, with inevitable delays, especially coming out of COVID when contractors and materials were in high demand. However, the tower will be open Friday, Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m; then, all weekend (Saturday and Sunday) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., as well as the chairlift. It’s $5 to climb.

Wilkinson said, “the main thing is just really to show off the view of the area. We like to say we think we’ve got the best view in Ontario and we’ve just made it a heck of a lot better by being up top.”

The owner estimates they have spent about $450,000 to date on the 60-foot tower and viewing platform and will spend more when they put composite decking on in future.

In addition to fall leaf viewing, he added, “we expect people will use it for different things – hopefully fall colours as part of hiking and biking, and then if we can get some weddings up top that would be a lot of fun. We have had a couple of requests from people to go up and do proposals. It’s a beautiful place to do it. And we can rent it out to corporates, who can put 50 people up top if they want to do a sunny, afternoon meeting.”

Wilkinson added it will benefit the Highlands, not just Sir Sam’s.

“The tower is an asset for the region and tourism, another reason for Haliburton County to be a destination, versus people driving up Hwy. 35 and heading to Algonquin Park.”

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) has said it has no problem with Dysart et al’s bylaw prohibiting deer feeding in Haliburton village.

Responding to claims by Highlands businessman Phil Primavera, who owns Haliburton Feed and Seed on Mallard Road, that the legislation contravened the Ontario Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, MNRF spokesperson, Mike Fenn, gave the township the green light this week.

“Currently, there are no regulations under the Act that ban feeding wildlife… municipalities can create bylaws related to public safety, which can be affected by human-wildlife conflicts,” Fenn said. “Regulations can be made about feeding wildlife, including baiting for hunting.

“Baiting for hunting is allowed in some cases, but it’s not mandatory. Municipal bylaws that ban feeding or baiting wildlife do not conflict with provincial rules,” Fenn added, noting many other municipalities have implemented similar legislation.

Dysart introduced its bylaw in June 2023, initially outlawing deer feeding in Ward 1 between May 1 and Sept. 30, though an update last November made it a blanket ban – meaning no deer to be fed at any time.

Hailey Cole, a bylaw officer with the township, said four tickets have been issued so far this year, with violators fined $150 – though at least two tickets, issued to Primavera, were dropped.

Council implemented the new rules after hearing from Haliburton residents, Mike and Debra Landry, who said an increased presence of deer in the downtown area has led to more accidents on Haliburton’s roads – estimating around 100 collisions between animals and vehicles annually.

Others complained about deer destroying their personal gardens, while Country Rose owner, Shelley Stiles, told council deer have destroyed thousands of dollars of stock in recent years.

Primavera said he’s not dissuaded by the MNRF response. Since an initial story published in the Oct. 3 Highlander, he estimated around 150 people had visited his business to discuss the bylaw and sign his petition, calling for the legislation to be repealed. The petition now has more than 570 signatures.

“I’m still going to bring the petition to council – I think there’s a difference between [what MNRF] allows and what is constitutional,” he said.

Primavera feeds deer at his Mallard Road business – often fruits and vegetables past their prime. He said he’ll dump a pile beside his building and watch as deer emerge from the forest for a snack. This week, it was a batch of around 200 apples, which were gone within a day.

If he didn’t feed the deer, Primavera said he’d have been forced to take the apples to the landfill – creating unnecessary waste.

“They’re already complaining about the massive amount of garbage that’s going into the ground… I’d much rather let the wildlife have it,” he said.

Dysart mayor Murray Fearrey felt the MNRF response drew a line under the issue, reiterating council has no appetite to repeal or amend the bylaw.

Trillium Lakelands District School Board students are testing at, or above, the provincial average in four of eight core study areas at both the elementary and secondary level.

Every fall, the Education Quality and Assessment Office (EQAO) releases annual results for testing completed during the previous school year, providing a snapshot of how Highlands’ students are doing compared to youth from other regions. The results are for the whole board, not County schools.

Students in Grades 3 and 6 are quizzed on their reading, writing and mathematics abilities, while Grade 9 students are tested in math only. Students in Grade 10 are assessed via the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT).

The County’s earliest learners are performing well, said superintendent Jay MacJanet, who looks after programming for Kindergarten to Grade 8. He noted Grade 3 students all tested over the provincial average in 2023/24, with 76 per cent reading at a Level 3 or 4 standard. This improved one per cent from the 2022/23 school year and is up six per cent from 2021/22. Provincially, 71 per cent of students are reading at an acceptable level.

The board’s Grade 3 writing results dipped one per cent from 2022/23, with 67 per cent of students at Level 3 and 4, though that was still ahead of the provincial average of 64 per cent. There were major strides in math testing, with 69 per cent of TLDSB students meeting expectations – a four per cent rise from last year, and 13 per cent increase from two years ago. The provincial average is 61 per cent.

There’s some literacy work to do at the Grade 6 level at TLDSB – 81 per cent of students are at or above the provincial average for reading, a two per cent drop from 2022/23 and down three per cent from 2021/22. The provincial average is 82 per cent.

On the writing side, 79 per cent are at a Level 3 or 4 standard – exactly in line with the provincial average. There was improvement in math too – 49 per cent of TLDSB students are where they need to be, up two per cent from last year and nine per cent from two years ago.

MacJanet said the introduction of classroom coaches in 2023 was a big reason for the improvements at local elementary schools. One of the benefits, he said, is coaches can support students in one-on-one instruction or small group settings to ensure they’re understanding assignments.

All elementary schools within TLDSB have daily access to a teaching and learning coach, while HHSS had a full-time coach to support Grade 9 students in 2023/24.

“These coaches work closely with administrators and classroom teachers on school specific goals… and work in classrooms to support capacity building, which in turn supports the student’s success,” MacJanet said.

Students are performing below the provincial average at TLDSB’s seven high schools. Around 47 per cent of students are at Level 3 or 4, down three per cent from last year and seven per cent under the provincial average.

The board reported 84 per cent of students passed the OSSLT, just one per cent off the provincial average. Particularly impressive, notes superintendent Kim Williams, is that 96 per cent of students enrolled in academic classes passed the literacy test – a nice bump over the provincial average of 90 per cent.

She said classroom coaches had a positive impact on applied-level students, with 67 per cent passing the literacy test – 11 per cent more than the provincial average.

“Coaches add an extra layer of support to help build content knowledge, gather and analyze data, and use that information to improve teaching and learning,” Williams said. “We believe these coaches had an impact on student achievement, as well as with teacher confidence.”

Haliburton Highlands OPP are investigating after a homophobic insult was found inscribed on the Head Lake Park gazebo last week.

Sgt. Paul McDonald told The Highlander police followed up on a complaint late last week. The OPP has been working with Dysart et al township to obtain video footage from the park, in the hopes of identifying the culprit.

“We unfortunately do not have a timeframe of when this mischief occurred. Haliburton OPP does not have any further leads on this investigation,” McDonald said.

Highlands resident Matthew Saade said he was participating in an early morning Tai Chi class Oct. 2 when another participant noticed someone had vandalized the gazebo with permanent marker. The letters ‘A+H’ were written within a love heart – usually a sign of two people being in a relationship, with the letters representing names.

The word “faggot” – a derogatory term for gay people – was written beside the love heart.

“The message specifically targeted the LGBTQ+ community, underscoring the persistent presence of homophobia and hate in our community,” said Saade, who is gay.

He feels the incident highlights the importance of visible symbols like Pride flags, saying there should be more education and promotion of the LGBTQ+ community in Haliburton County.

“These are not mere gestures, but powerful statements of solidarity and equality. They stand for inclusion and human dignity, and it is crucial that our elected officials lead by example, demonstrating that hate has no place here,” Saade said.

Minden Hills routinely flies the rainbow flag during Pride Month in June and again for Minden Pride festivities in August, but Algonquin Highlands, Dysart et al, and Highlands East have yet to follow suit.

Minden Pride co-chair Chris Hewson said he was “deeply saddened” when he heard about the vandalism.

“Head Lake Park is meant to be a place where everyone – regardless of who they love or how they identify – should feel welcome, safe, and respected,” Hewson said. “Acts of hate like this remind us that the work of building a truly inclusive community is far from over.”

Hewson added, “Minden Pride stands firm in our commitment to fostering love, understanding, and unity. We encourage our neighbours to join us in rejecting hate and building a future where all people are free to live authentically and without fear.”

Dysart’s programs and events manager, Andrea Mueller, confirmed the township’s parks staff removed the graffiti Oct. 8.

McDonald encouraged anyone with information to contact police, saying all tips will be investigated. Call Haliburton Highlands OPP at 1-888-310-1122, Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or submit online at khcrimestoppers.com

Participants in this year’s Haliburton Highlands Challenge (HHC) removed musical notes, with first names written on them, from the walls and windows of Brooksong Retreat and Cancer Support Centre Oct. 6; and walked to the front of the centre’s downstairs room to place them in a binder.

The names represented people on Brooksong’s waiting list for a four-day cancer retreat. Those folks are now no longer on the list as the fifth annual HHC has raised more than $107,000 to fund their free attendance at a future retreat, similar to one Jenny Hill did in August.

Hill told people gathered for the challenge celebration Sunday, “that experience was absolutely transformative.” She said she was diagnosed with esophageal cancer about 18 months ago. She was in the process of early retirement to join the family business, “and that’s when our lives went upside down.”

She and her partner were “so shocked and stunned and unable to process,” they told nobody. “There we were at home, shocked, unable to seek out support because we were unable to process it ourselves.” During that phase, her massage therapist told her about Brooksong. She signed up for a retreat, with anxiety and apprehension. She feared she would not be able to talk about cancer and it would be uncomfortable.

Upon arrival, though, she said she had, “never encountered an experience that permitted so much space, so much respect, with facilitators that were attuned, responsive, working with us with metaphors, which is ultimately what enabled me to start to regain my voice; to be able to come to terms and acknowledge that, ‘okay, you do have cancer, you have a battle ahead of you, but you are not your cancer, you are far more than your cancer’.”

Executive director Barb Smith-Morrison said 17 teams, and more than 60 people, took part in this year’s challenge. She added there were more than 500 donors from Canada and the U.S. They exceeded their goal of $100,000, raising $107,160.45.

She said there are 240 people on their waitlist and, “this is why we got moving…” She said they can now move 43 people off of the list.

Jennifer Ramsdale is a board member, registered massage therapist for retreats, and now in active treatment for cancer. She attended the first-ever retreat at Brooksong, and another this past August.

She said of the first retreat, she and her husband “benefitted amazingly from being able to step out of our life and have a bit of time, and to have people who were in the same sorts of situations, who were able to listen and hold space for us, and really for each other.”

This summer’s retreat again gave her “a little bit of time, and space, to try to process what (her returned cancer) means, and what that is like in my story now.”

Find out more about Brooksong at brooksong.ca.