Sandy MacDonald has always believed it takes a village to raise a child and, for the past four years, she’s put that into practice at Wilberforce Elementary School.

Secretary at the rural school, MacDonald was recognized with a Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) director’s award in April for her role bringing several beneficial programs to life.

TLDSB’s Wes Hahn credited her for helping launch hot breakfast and lunch programs for students, developing partnerships with various community groups to bolster extracurricular offerings and putting together recurring events, such as free barbecues and health and wellness fairs.

“Sandy has a remarkable ability to identify emerging needs within the school community and take initiative to address them in meaningful and lasting ways,” Hahn said. “Her efforts have had a direct and lasting impact on students and families.”

Nominated for the award by principal Mike Gervais, MacDonald said it was a huge surprise.

She joined the school in 2022 following stints working in Peterborough, Bracebridge and Port Sydney. While she’s always tried to expand social programs at her previous schools, MacDonald said the community response in Wilberforce has been particularly special.

“I’ve always tried to get the community more involved everywhere I’ve been, but in Wilberforce especially it seems like people actually want to be a part of the school and have a positive impact on kids. It’s a beautiful community,” she said.

Partnerships have been struck with the local legions, Wilberforce FUNraisers, the Wilberforce Walkers, Breakfast Clubs of Canada and several businesses, including Shoppers Drug Mart, Todd’s Independent Grocer, Rexall and Timber Mart.

Individual residents also regularly chip in. Angelo and Brandi Bortolazzo, organizers of the Benoir Lake Radar Run, have been longtime supporters of the schools’ nutrition programs and, on May 25, put on a free BBQ for students and families that attended the spring health fair in Wilberforce.

Speaking to other donations she’s seen recently, the Bortolazzos donated a washing machine and dryer to Cardiff Elementary School, for the kindergarten class; a lady bought a pair of flip-flops for every student at Cardiff elementary; while a recent import from Toronto made a financial contribution after learning about all the good things the schools do.

“He was shocked, he said it’s like a private school with all the things we have going on and the meals we provide to our kids,” MacDonald said.

She noted 35 of 49 students in Wilberforce utilize the lunch program, with everyone benefitting from the breakfast programs. Other initiatives include weekly pickleball at The Lloyd Watson Centre and crochet and knitting classes provided by a local volunteer.

“I just start thinking of ideas when I’m sitting at my desk. What can we do to enrich these kids’ lives, make things better or more fun for them,” MacDonald said. “There are a lot of families who struggle in our community, so when I hear those stories, I do some research, talk to some people and, usually, we find a way to help.”

Preparing for her retirement this month, MacDonald said she’ll miss the day-to-day of life at the school but has no intention of completely walking away. She plans to volunteer and wants to expand her hot breakfast and lunch programs to other schools in the County.

Speaking to the award, she feels it should be shared with the wider community.

“This isn’t just a one person effort. It’s everybody. It takes an entire community to pull this together. There are so many people who deserve recognition,” she said.

CanoeFM was recognized at the recent National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA) awards, with Lorne VanSinclair winning for his show, Backbeat Radio, in the blues or similar music category.

The NCRA announced the winners of its 2026 Community Radio Awards in Broadcast and Online awards in May.

“These awards are a way to highlight the incredible work everyone has done and give it the recognition they deserve,” station manager, Roxanne Casey, said.

Casey said years ago, VanSinclair reached out to CanoeFM with an idea for a blues program — and the station proudly gave him the opportunity to bring his passion to local listeners.

“Backbeat has since grown from a community radio show in Haliburton County to an internationally-heard program airing on approximately 30 stations and online platforms across Canada, the U.S., Germany, and beyond,” Casey said.

VanSinclair said as a child, the family’s TV never worked, so he constantly listened to radio.

“But it was rock and roll, which is a combination of blues and country and gospel and pop. It was all mixed in there at the time, and I just became more fascinated with the music that went into it.”

He began buying vinyl. He found music from the 30s, 40s and 50s, “just had a special character about it; that was much more creative; nobody had ever done this before.” He also loved the production value; being able to hear individual instruments.

VanSinclair said the hard part for him was explaining to award judges what he does because, “it’s not exactly a blues show.” He refers to it as “vintage popular music,” while acknowledging it’s blues-based.

“Basically, all popular music comes from the blues, and I play a lot of really good blues stuff, but also Eddie Arnold, country, pop music. I play everything mostly from the 20s to the 60s, and that’s kind of hard to explain.” He loves that community radio allows him to play what he wants and not have to stick to a formula.

He’s asked what goes into putting a show out. “I go through my digital collection and pick out music I want to play. The hardest part is deciding what order to play it in, because when you’re playing something that’s widely varied like that, it has to sound good together. It always has to sound like one continuous piece of music, even though it could be recorded 100 years apart by totally different artists.”

He also finds bands playing vintage music as, “even though I’m doing a show on 50s music, I didn’t want to do a show just about dead people. I always invite current musicians who are playing music in that same style.”

The host added the award is a feather in the cap for CanoeFM. “It is just a fabulous station, so it’s good to see them getting a bit of notice themselves. They’re always called the little station that could. They really punch above their weight.”

When asked if his mission is to keep music alive he said, “very much … because a lot of the music I play is really obscure. I’d much rather be playing to a very young audience who is hearing all his stuff for the first time and saying, ‘whoa, what the heck was that? I didn’t know that was around’.”

And he intends to keep on doing the show, “for as long as I’m able.”

Casey couldn’t be happier, saying, “Lorne’s story reflects the heart of Canoe FM — a community station where passionate volunteers and experienced broadcasters can share their talents, preserve musical history, and connect listeners locally and around the world.” You can hear Backbeat every Sunday morning at 10 a.m.

By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

After close to four decades, nearly 25,000 guests, and countless memories shared inside one of Haliburton County’s iconic architectural landmarks, Don and Jessie Pflug have closed the doors of the Stouffer Mill Bed & Breakfast.

For 37 years, the Pflugs welcomed 24,968 guests at their unique residence in Algonquin Highlands. And if it wasn’t for Father Time, the couple would have likely continued along with hosting visitors from afar. Don will celebrate his 89th birthday on July 29, the exact same day the couple is scheduled to pack up and move to Minden.

“Age and the property is a lot of work,” Don explained when asked when he knew it was time. “We don’t have any employees, we do it all ourselves, and I keep the road open in the winter, and I look after it in the summer and everything. And Jess is a little younger than me, but, you know, she has the brunt of the bed and breakfast because she’s doing breakfast every day.”

The building itself was a local wonder in the Highlands. It is a dodecagon, a symmetrical, 12-sided structure that was built 50 years ago by original owner Elgin Stouffer.

“He built it out of his head,” Don recalled. “There are no plans. I didn’t get any plans with it.”

Each wall contains a heavy steel rod, leaving the entire upper floor suspended from above. The foundation is just as sturdy, featuring a massive central tank in a full basement with a poured concrete floor thick enough that the owners used to seamlessly drive their car in a full circle around it.

“So the house is not going anywhere,”

Don said with a laugh. Don and Jessie’s venture into the B&B business started by accident, essentially. In 1989, the couple was working in real estate when the housing market suddenly tanked. Left with few options, they took a leap of faith on the unique property, which sat on 136 acres of forest featuring five kilometres of trails, which Don had carved out.

The idea for the business came simply on a quiet morning overlooking Halls Lake.

“We came up one morning and looked out at the lake, and it was absolutely beautiful,” Jessie said. “Don said to me, ‘You know, Jessie, we should be sharing this.’ And I said, ‘well, why don’t we start a bed and breakfast?’ We said, ‘okay, let’s do it.’ That was the amount of thought we put into it.”

For nearly 40 years of operation, the three-bedroom B&B generated staggering statistics with 37 years in business and 25 consecutive years of visits from a single group of friends.

When Stouffer Mill first opened, the internet as we know it did not exist. The Pflugs built their reputation through physical guidebooks, local word-of-mouth, and expensive radio advertisements. Their breakthrough came via a snail-mail invitation from a new website called BB Canada. Don and Jessie signed up immediately.

Decades later, that adaptability saved them during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the hospitality industry took a massive hit, Don researched hospitalgrade disinfectants, bought a fine-particle paint sprayer, and carefully sanitized every railing and surface. They divided their dining spaces into three isolated areas, turning their rural property into a muchneeded refuge for isolated city dwellers.

“People from the city, if you were in a condo, you had to get away,” Jessie recalled. “They could come here, walk the trails, and just breathe. It gave Don and me a purpose through COVID.”

As for saying goodbye, the announcement of the closure was met with tears, hugs, and an outpouring of messages on social media from around the world. Over the decades, the mill hosted everything from standard road-trippers to international weddings, including a memorable winter wedding on New Year’s Eve and a ceremony where a bride’s parents flew in directly from Shanghai.

So what’s next? The 12-sided house is transitioning into a private residence, and Don and Jessie are downsizing to Minden to stay close to their church and friends. They have zero plans to slow down. Don is already eyeing a return to the curling rink, and both intend to find new volunteer roles.

“I just like to thank them all for finding us and adding to the quality of our life,” Jessie said of the nearly 25,000 past guests. “It was always like opening a Christmas present when a guest came to the door. We cherish every one of them.”

The County of Haliburton handed out its first-ever accessibility awards during a ceremony before a May 27 council meeting.

Coun. Jennifer Dailloux, on behalf of council’s joint accessibility advisory committee, said, “today marks an important milestone for our County as we recognize the people, businesses and organizations within Haliburton County whose actions help make our community more inclusive, welcoming and accessible for all.”

She added, “accessibility is about more than removing barriers. It is about creating spaces, services and opportunities where everyone can participate fully and with dignity. These awards shine a light on leadership, compassion and commitment that helps move us forward together.”

Community member Curtis Eastmure was awarded for his work in helping to get hand railings installed at the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion. Dailloux said a representative of Aging Together as Community approached Eastmure about the need and he took quick action to get it fulfilled.

Sir Sam’s Ski/Ride won in the business category. Dailloux discussed a number of initiatives they have undertaken that makes the hill accessible for everyone, including seniors, and people with physical and intellectual disabilities. Some examples include barrier-free washrooms, a wheelchair ramp, seniors’ rates, and the CADS (Canadian Adaptive Snowsports) program. The program provides support for persons who have physical or intellectual disabilities.

The other recipients were the Haliburton Legion’s Mike and Cheryl Waller. The legion recently installed a lift, ramp, handsfree entrance doors, accessible washrooms and parking. Dailloux called them “champions of access.”

She said all of the winners had made a “meaningful difference” to our community.

The Cardiff food bank has been renamed in honour of one of its longest-tenured volunteers, outgoing Highlands East coun. Cam McKenzie.

The space will be known as ‘Cam’s Cupboard’ in recognition of the decade McKenzie spent working there. He joined the food bank, operated by Central Food Network (CFN), in 2015 when it was operating out of the basement of the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

Through his 10 years with CFN, McKenzie helped transition the food bank to its current location at the back of the Cardiff Post Office at 2778 Monck Rd., planned volunteer work schedules, arranged bulk food pick-ups and community drop offs and oversaw community shopping days.

He stepped down from his volunteer role last spring after going through some serious health scares. That’s the reason the three-term councillor has also decided to call it quits with Highlands East, confirming on June 15 that he won’t be seeking re-election.

Asked for some of his standout memories from volunteering with CFN, McKenzie said it’s the connections he’s made that he holds close. One story about assisting a family with three growing boys always stands out.

“We helped a lot of people over the years, but this family I especially remember. We used to get a good deal on apples from a local producer, so I told the mom to grab a grocery bag and fill it halfway full with apples for her boys. They couldn’t believe it,”

McKenzie said. “They left the food bank that day so excited because each of the boys would have an apple for their lunch every day that week. That’s the kind of thing this is all about.” McKenzie said he found out CFN was planning something earlier this year. He was supposed to attend a gathering at the Cardiff food bank a few months ago but had to cancel last-minute following a difficult morning health-wise. CFN’s Tina Jackson had arranged for McKenzie’s two children to be there for a surprise unveiling of the new sign, which is hanging by the main entrance.

“I felt bad about missing that one,” McKenzie said. “It does make you feel good, being recognized like this. I don’t think it’s necessary. I’ve had a lot of help over the years and there’s a great team in place now… the food bank is established, where it really wasn’t when I got involved.”

Jackson paid homage to McKenzie at CFN’s annual general meeting, held virtually May 28. She said he “gave so much of himself” to the Cardiff food bank, establishing a reputation that will live on long into the future.

“His compassion, stewardship and empathy for neighbours have created a legacy that will endure,” Jackson said.

An unveiling ceremony for the sign will be held June 30 at the food bank.

Three terms and out

McKenzie was first elected in 2014 as the Ward 1 representative for Bicroft. He was re-elected for a second term in 2018 and acclaimed in 2022.

At 78 years of age, McKenzie said he was following the advice of one of his Hollywood heroes, Clint Eastwood, who in the 1971 classic Dirty Harry said, “a man’s got to know his limitations.”

McKenzie added, “I’ve enjoyed my 12 years on council, but my health is telling me no more.” The outgoing official believes it’s an interesting time to get involved in municipal politics, with the County spearheading a project looking for ways for the four lower-tier townships to work more closely together.

“The new affordability and feasibility review is maybe the most important thing I’ve been involved in as a councillor. The decisions made on that file will impact people for generations,” McKenzie said.

By Adam Frisk Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

As Bookapalooza returns for its annual celebration, literary talent is taking over the County, showcasing the local arts scene alongside major international bestsellers.

The festival is hitting its stride with a soldout exhibit hall on Saturday at the Minden Community Centre and a headlining lineup featuring bestselling authors Bianca Marais and Marissa Stapley.

For Douglas Tindal, a Countybased author and arts council member, Bookapalooza is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the literary community that operates quietly behind the scenes.

“When someone moves to Haliburton, one of the first things you see is the incredible range of musical talent. It’s everywhere. Then you see either the visual arts or the performing arts,” Tindal told The Highlander. “You don’t as readily see the literary arts. Bookapalooza is an event that tries to give the literary arts centre stage.”

Stapley, one of Bookapalooza’s headliners, brings literary starpower to the festival with a personal connection to the County. As the first Canadian author selected for Reese Witherspoon’s book club with her novel Lucky, Stapley fulfilled a dream of buying a cottage in Haliburton thanks to the success of the book.

“My reaction was just like… it did feel like winning the lottery,” Stapley told The Highlander in a recent interview. “It’s so rare. I’m still the only Canadian who’s been a Reese’s pick. It’s such an honour, honestly.”

The success of Lucky didn’t just stop there. Next month, an adaptation of Lucky premieres on Apple TV, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, of The Queen’s Gambit, as the protagonist. When asked about letting Hollywood take the reins of her creation, Stapley said it was like taking a leap of faith.

“Lauren Neustadter, who’s a producer at Hello Sunshine, really describes it well. She calls it a trust fall, and you have to do that,” the author explained. “I think a great adaptation uses a piece of book [intellectual property] as a companion. I think it’s less interesting to me to watch something come to life on screen that is word-for-word and scene-for-scene exactly the same as the book, because the mediums are so different.”

Stapley began her writing career in her mid-teens with her father working at a small-town newspaper as a reporter. At just 16 years old, she began covering assignments and writing columns for him when he took a vacation, .

Stapley said her journalism background saved her “from fear of the blank page.

“That deadline-driven environment… there was so much that I learned about writing and really just actually being a productive writer from journalism,” she said.

Joining Stapley on stage is her close friend Marais, who wrote the buzzworthy book Hum If You Don’t Know the Words, a historical novel set against South Africa’s 1976 Soweto riots.

While the afternoon author Q&A and evening dinner are ticketed, admission to the main Bookapalooza exhibit hall is free to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to speak with about 40 local writers representing everything from memoirs and young adult fiction to historical drama.

Stapley offered some parting advice for local writers who may be grinding through their first or second manuscripts, and that is it’s a marathon, not a race.

“Never give up. My mom always used to say, ‘you’re the fastest overnight success. It only took a decade,’” Stapley said. “I feel that no writing is ever wasted. It’s so important to find the joy in writing, even through the disappointments, and the rejections, and the struggle to find time.”

As for Saturday’s Bookapalooza, Tindal’s message to anyone who might be on the fence about attending is simple.

“It’s one day a year. And if you miss it, you’ve missed it. So you don’t want to take that chance, do you?”

By Adam Frisk
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

While a recent string of wet weather has been well-received, Haliburton County’s fire services are standing together with a single message: the wildland fire risk is high across the region.

The long stretch of dry weather has left the forest floor across all four townships vulnerable, leaving municipalities to raise the fire danger level to “high.” Both Highlands East and Algonquin Highlands issued a statement on social media and their websites, warning of the fire threat.

“Please note that the fire rating within the Township of Algonquin Highlands has been moved to high. Daytime burning is prohibited this time of year,” the municipality said in the statement. “If you are burning at nighttime, please take extra caution and ensure your fire is fully extinguished.”

The four townships use roadside signage to indicate municipal burn allowances throughout the year, but not the daily environmental fire hazard ratings that are posted on their websites.

Conditions dryer in southeast of County

“It’s the burn levels. It’s not the fire danger rating,” explained County fire co-ordinator Michael French, who speaks as a unified voice for all four local departments. “It’s your burn opportunities.”

The County is operating under a uniform “yellow” condition, which permits open air burning strictly between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. No daytime burning is allowed anywhere in the County between April 1 and Oct. 31, and grass fires are entirely prohibited.

According to data from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) and the Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES), the recent storms brought heavy rain to portions of the County while other areas saw less, leaving the forest floor to dry out at
different rates.

Provincial officials rely on the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index, a system maintained by Natural Resources Canada, to map the risk. Currently, the County’s fine fuel moisture code, which measures the dryness of forest debris, remains in the low to moderate range.

However, the Build Up Index (BUI), which calculates the moisture buried in the forest floor, tells a different story.
“The BUI is primarily in the moderate range across the area, with higher values in the southeast portion of Sector E01, Haliburton’s primary area of fire responsibility,” Evan Lizotte, information officer with the AFFES, explained to The Highlander.

While township fire chiefs have the authority to declare municipal fire bans within their borders, a worsening dry spell could trigger a broader provincial response. AFFES said that should conditions get to a point where any open air fire poses a threat, or if active wildland
fires begin stretching provincial response systems thin, the MNR can step in with a blanket Restricted Fire Zone (RFZ).

“They are implemented by the MNR when conditions are so hazardous that an open-air fire of any kind, no matter how well tended, could represent a real threat to the surrounding area by escaping or spreading out of control,” Lizotte said.

“RFZs are also implemented when there are increased fires on the landscape that may impact our response capacity, and any new fire starts would put pressure on our response system managing existingwildland fires.

Fire bans are imposed by a local municipality within municipal boundaries. An RFZ and a fire ban can be in place at the same time.”

The good news is that for now, provincial officials said the current conditions are well within normal expectations for early
June.

“Periods of dry and wet weather are a normal part of our climate,” Lizotte said, noting that while weather systems can occasionally cause longer dry stretches, “the current conditions in early June are not out of the ordinary compared to the past few years.”

The County fire co-ordinator noted that residents and visitors have been following the rules and that fire calls have not been driven by carelessness.

“We have had a lot of significant bushfires over the last little while, but none are the cause of human error. They’re all natural fires,” French said.

“The majority of them are power lines, but there’s been no fires that have been caused by human error, or people burning outside
the rules, which is nice to see.”

He said that because residents and cottagers are following the rules, local fire chiefs chose to hold off on escalating the County into a “red” condition, a total fire ban, last week.

“We did have the opportunity to put a fire ban on last week,” French said. “We chose not to because we didn’t want to penalize the people when they were following the rules. We had no issues.

Hal High’s Aurora Wesley received “the biggest honour of her life” last week, becoming the first person from the County to win the prestigious Terry Fox Humanitarian Award. The Grade 12 student was one of 15 youth from across Canada recognized, earning a $30,000 scholarship after years of community service, leadership, academic excellence and involvement in sport across the Highlands.

Established in 1982, the award is presented annually to students who embody Terry Fox’s spirit at the grassroots level in their home
community. It’s open to anyone aged 17 to 25.

Wesley said she learned about the award last fall from Brett Caputo, guidance teacher at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School. She was
one of 3,899 applicants.

“It’s kind of a niche award – you have to tick so many boxes, having humanitarian experience along with athletics, some kind of work
background and academics. But you also need to have gone through some kind of hardship in your life, something you’ve had to overcome, like Terry did,” Wesley said.

In her application, submitted in November, Wesley talked about how, when she was in Grade 4, she ran a ‘wig out’ fundraiser at J.D. Hodgson Elementary School that raised $1,000 for cancer research. She said the event was inspired by her godmother, who died from cancer earlier that year.

“I cut all my hair off and inspired four or five other students to do the same,” Wesley said. “We had a huge school assembly… it was
pretty exciting for an 11-year-old to feel like they are part of something bigger.”

Service above self resonates

As a pre-teen, Wesley was also involved in 4-H programming, inspired by her years of growing up on a farm. Once in high school, she joined the Interact club – a branch of Rotary for younger people. She helped with more than a dozen food and toy drives and also assisted with fundraising efforts for Hal High’s sister school – Mahatma Gandhi Sishu Siksha Sadan School in northern India.
The Interact club’s mantra of ‘service above self’ really resonated with her.

“That’s how I’ve wanted to live my life for as long as I can remember. Joining enabled me to work with a team of like minded people to tackle projects at the community, national and international level,” Wesley said.

She was also part of the group who helped bring the outdoor classroom at Hal High to life in 2024.

On the athletic side, she played field hockey and basketball and was part of the school’s wrestling and track and field teams. Away from school, she held jobs at Kawartha Dairy, Heather Lodge and Camp Wanakita.

Last fall, a sudden change at home saw Wesley’s household go from two incomes to one, which made it difficult for the family to make ends meet.

“We had to turn to the community for help and I’m really grateful for having such a supportive community in Haliburton County that we were able to get help from the local food banks,” Wesley said. “It was kind of a full circle moment for me because I received one of the gifts that I helped bring in for the teen gift drive at Christmas.

“I was passionate about helping before, but kind of felt like somebody on the outside looking in. Now, having gone through that experience, I can really relate more. I connect with others differently and approach service differently… with a level of empathy and understanding that I didn’t have before,” she added.

Surreal moment

Wesley was completing her kinesiology homework one evening in April when she received a call from Vancouver. It was Kirsten Fox, the eldest niece of Terry Fox.

“I was in shock, just started crying right away,” Wesley said, noting she met Fox in Ottawa last week. She spent two days with fellow award recipients, forming connections with some of the country’s top up-and-coming leaders.

There was also a visit to Parliament Hill, where Wesley got to watch Question Period and meet with local MP Jamie Schmale and speaker of the House of Commons, MP Francis Scarpaleggia. There was also a brief interaction with prime minister Mark Carney.

“We didn’t get to talk to him, but he walked by us and called us a ‘well-behaved bunch’.”

Wesley will be attending Western University in London in the fall, taking business administration with a focus in finance for the first two years and then transitioning to an honours business administration (HBA) at Ivey Business School. She’s thinking about going to law school after completing her undergrad, eying a career in health care policy development or hospital management.

Hal High principal Jennifer Mills said Wesley is a credit to the school and deserving of the accolade.

“Aurora is a truly exceptional individual who leads with both heart and purpose… she consistently steps outside her comfort zone to help and make the experiences for others better,” Mills said. “It has been a privilege to watch her grow in confidence at HHSS, realizing her own power to make a difference.”

Wesley said she hopes her win can help inspire future generations of students in the Highlands.

“It’s amazing when a person from a small town wins such a big award,” Wesley said.