An automated phone survey has been doing the rounds in Haliburton for the past week, asking people questions about current Dysart et al council members and potential future candidates – with one of those singled out distancing himself from making another run for public office.

Mayor Murray Fearrey confirmed in a Jan. 26 interview he will not seek re-election this fall, instead calling time on a political career that has spanned almost five decades.

“If I told you there’s unfinished business and I was going to run again, you’d kill yourself laughing,” Fearrey told The Highlander. “Look, I’m 84 years old… I’ve had a good run, but I can definitively say I won’t [seek re-election].”

Fearrey was one of four elected officials mentioned in the survey, alongside deputy mayor Walt McKechnie, Ward 1 coun. Pat Casey and Ward 5 coun. Barry Boice. The question was a general one, asking people what they thought about each of them and the job they’ve done since being elected in October 2022.

Haliburton resident Sean Pennylegion said he learned about the survey from Barrie Martin, a fellow volunteer with the Haliburton Highlands Democracy Project, at a Jan. 15 Telling Our Stories Speaker Series event. Pennylegion ignored three automated calls the night before but picked up and stuck with it when they called back Jan. 16.

“It started with federal, asking people to pick the most favourable person out of, I think, five options – Jamie [Schmale, current MP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes] was mentioned, as was Nell [Thomas, the Liberal candidate in the April 2025 federal election]… then there were questions about provincial politics and municipal,” Pennylegion said.

“It was interesting though that it only asked about Dysart et al, and only four names were mentioned from the current council… it seemed pretty targeted,” he added.

Pennylegion wondered if the survey was focusing on incumbents in leadership positions and those considering a run for higher office. He said this was the first time he had ever received a robocall for municipal politics.

Robocall wants to know Dysart favourites

McKechnie said he heard about the survey last week. He told The Highlander that, while he hasn’t made a final decision he’s leaning towards running again in October’s election, though is unsure in what capacity.

“It’s still a long ways away, but the way my mind feels right now I definitely feel like I’d like to contribute,” the deputy mayor said.

Coming up to the end of his first term on Dysart council Boice indicated he wants to run again, though hasn’t decided for what role.

“At the very least I think I would run again for my ward,” Boice said. Asked for his thoughts on the robocall, he added, “it’d be interesting to know where it came from.”

Online records via YellowPages indicate the phone number used in at least two calls is operated by Iristel Inc., a Markham-based telecommunications company. The landline is located in the Ottawa-Hull region. Efforts to reach Iristel were unsuccessful as of press time. Casey could also not be reached for comment.

Dysart’s three other elected officials not mentioned in the survey – Ward 2 coun. Nancy Wood-Roberts, Ward 3 coun. Tammy Donaldson and Ward 4 coun. Carm Sawyer – weighed in, with Donaldson and Sawyer confirming they intend to seek re-election in their wards, while Wood-Roberts is unsure.

“I got the call and so started asking around to see if others had heard about it – I’d love to know what it’s all about,” Donaldson said. Sawyer said he, too, received a call. “The first time I got it, I hung up on it. Then it comes through again and again, so I answered and went all the way through… it was interesting the local questions were strictly Dysart but only mentioned half [of the current council]. I don’t know who got it started, if it’s some special interest group, or what the deal is.”

Wood-Roberts was the only councillor to say she had not heard about the survey.

Soliciting candidates

Pennylegion said the last question in the survey named two prominent community members not currently serving on council – Andrew Hodgson and Greg Bishop.

“It just asked how I would view them in terms of a political run – it didn’t mention whether they were thinking about municipal, provincial or federal. It was just looking for my reaction to the names,” Pennylegion said.

While Hodgson, a local realtor with Century21, has a history in provincial politics – he was executive director of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario from 2002 to 2004 and chief of staff to the leader of the official opposition from 2004 to 2006 – he told The Highlander he has no aspirations to run in any capacity.

“I’m not running for anything – I have no plans to seek election in Dysart. I like the group we currently have. I like the additions of Pat, Barry and Carm this term, I think they’re trying their best,” said Hodgson, who says he hadn’t heard of the survey before The Highlander reached out to him.

It was the same for Bishop, who expressed surprise at his name coming up. While he said he’s always wanted to get involved in local politics, his busy career as a civil engineer and Ontario Land Surveyor prevented him from making a run. Recently retired, he said he’s undecided on running this fall.

Haliburton Highlands OPP say they want to crack down on people reoffending in the community when already facing charges, or having been convicted of a crime.

In their action plan for 2026-2029, discussed at the police detachment board meeting Jan. 21, board chair Andrew Fletcher said Staff Sgt. Deb McClure wants her members to focus on offender management.

“We’ve heard a lot of that around the province, about the arrest and bail provisions and the catch-and-release scenarios, but actually focusing on some proactive engagement where we’re looking at those judicial conditions people have on them and going after them as far as spending some time and some effort and some energy on ensuring compliance.”

Fletcher said it means increased checks and working with probation and parole. He also said they can track it statistically. “So, for example, if we know we have 10 offenders out on release and when we do our compliance checks, we have 70 per cent of them at home when they are supposed to be.”

McClure added each detachment is getting an officer specifically assigned to the program who will work with partners, such as probation, parole, and Crown attorneys.

Fletcher said, “if we actually check on the individuals, and make sure they’re home when they’re supposed to be home with curfew hours; and make sure they’re complying with their bail conditions; hopefully the word gets out amongst the offenders in the community that we’re going to be doing that, that will hopefully drive that compliance. Not with all offenders, but some offenders just continue to reoffend. If we can make sure they are not reoffending it keeps our community safe.”

The three pillars of the plan are crime; roadways, waterways and trails; and community well-being.

Actionables under the crime category also include: training and mentorship so police can better tackle trends impacting our community. They also want to do a better job of letting the public know what those trends are. With property crime, they want better coordination and more timely response. They also want to crack down on opioid use in the Highlands.

McClure said the plan outlines “commitments, actions, and desired outcomes” over the next four years.

The detachment commander said they had a “comprehensive” consultation process with “key stakeholders” such as board members, did a public survey, and held a town hall (which was sparsely attended).

“This action plan has been thoughtfully developed to address the evolving needs of our communities and to ensure the delivery of an effective, responsive, and high-quality police service for all who live in and visit Haliburton County,” McClure said.

Fletcher added, “we are confident that this plan will address the current and emerging concerns identified through consultation with the communities we represent. We believe this plan strikes a suitable balance of addressing crime and preventing victimization, while ensuring resources focus on road, trail and waterway safety, along with expanding on our commitment of engagement and partnerships that enhance community well-being.

Roads, waterways, trails

When it comes to roads, lakes and trails, OPP are committed to a number of actions. For example, they want more local expertise in specialized traffic enforcement. They want to continue to focus on impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding and aggressive driving, as well as lack of seatbelt use; and educating the public better. Further, they want to be out on all terrain vehicles and motorized snow vehicles trails year-round and waterways in summer.

As for well-being, they want to interact more with youth, including structured and unstructured programming; spread the word about OPP and auxiliary jobs locally; and better help with mental health issues, substance abuse and addictions, persons with disabilities, homeless, and working to reduce gender-based violence and hate-motivated crime.

During the meeting, board member Bob Carter’s question about impaired driving was answered by McClure.

She said one-quarter of all charges in 2025 were by drug alone, or a combination of drugs and alcohol, while 75 per cent were alcohol impairment.

Carter said, “I think that’s something that should be tracked over time. Not really certain what we do with it. May be of interest, may show that there’s some changing social demographics going on.”

Fletcher agreed saying the need for drug recognition experts would have staffing implications for local OPP. McClure said she recently met with staff from Haliburton hospital about drug-related protocols. The plan is on the agenda of the police services board meeting for Jan. 21, 2026.

While Algonquin Highlands council appeared to support calls from the public to allow families to utilize the new gazebo at St. Stephen’s Cemetery as a gathering space for funeral ceremonies, they have deferred making a final decision pending further talks with local funeral directors and the Bereavement Authority of Ontario.

Township staffer Sarah Hutson brought a policy to a Jan. 15 council meeting, outlining how the structure can be used by the public. One of the key recommendations was to not allow caskets to be placed under the gazebo for a ceremony prior to burial in the recently-opened green burial section.

“The intention for the gazebo was to create a quiet, respectful space within the cemetery for reflection and contemplation, an area that any member of the community… may visit and appreciate,” Hutson wrote in her report.

“The development of this policy is important to limit the potential risks associated with the gazebo’s use, including safety concerns, liability considerations, and conflicts that may arise from unregulated activities.”

Under the policy, caskets carrying human remains would be required to be moved directly from a hearse to the burial site – with no allowance for it to be placed temporarily within the gazebo for any ceremony.

Terry Moore, president of the Haliburton Highlands Green Burial Society – which purchased and donated the gazebo to the township last year, said he wanted to see the policy altered to allow families to hold services in the gazebo.

He noted how, in March 2025, his family utilized the space for a private service before his wife, Shirley, was buried there.

“There were 13 members of our immediate family present… everyone took a seat on the benches and took turns sharing a short personal story about a memorable encounter with Shirley. It lasted maybe 30 minutes, after that the pallbearers moved the casket to the grave site for burial,” Moore said. “I can’t tell you how meaningful that opportunity was for my family and we would like to see the same thing extended to other families.”

He said utilizing the gazebo was the only way his 97-year-old mother could say a proper goodbye, noting she would not have been able to deliver her message at the gravesite.

Hutson said safety was one of the primary concerns, noting cemetery staff are the ones responsible for moving the coffin to the gravesite, assuming all risk during the process. Transporting coffins from site-to-site, especially during the winter months, carries extra risk, she noted.

Moore suggested families could seek approval from township staff before using the gazebo. Coun. Sabrina Richards, mayor Liz Danielsen and deputy mayor Jennifer Dailloux appeared supportive of the request, though called on staff to consult with local funeral directors – who, Hutson noted, are responsible for leading internments.

Moore also took issue with the policy stipulating the township reserves the right to limit the number of attendees at gatherings, though Hutson noted that would only be enforced during harsh winter weather, when space is at a premium.

Council discussed whether all taxpayers should be allowed to utilize the gazebo for services – not just those observing a green burial. Richards noted, since the gazebo is now a municipal asset, the township should not discriminate on who can use it.

CAO Angie Bird pointed out that, since the gazebo can be utilized by anyone at any time and, currently, cannot be booked for services, there’s potential for conflicts.

“It could happen where somebody is using the gazebo at the time somebody else wants to use it for a burial – it’s not likely, but it could happen… in that situation, it wouldn’t be up to the township to say, ‘you have to leave’,” Bird said.

The policy was deferred pending further discussions with stakeholders.

At the meeting, it was also noted the Friends of St. Stephen’s was donating $1,929.65 to the township to go towards the future purchase of a columbarium at the cemetery. The money was leftover funds the group had after turning over ownership of the church building to the township last year.

Navigating the “labyrinth” of provincial government grants for infrastructure in growing rural communities was just one topic a Haliburton County representative to the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference raised with the Ontario government.

Minden mayor Bob Carter said the topic was part of an official delegation to the Ministry of Rural Affairs during the Jan. 18-20 conference in Toronto. He said they want the ministry to understand the problems small, rural communities are experiencing with population growth, for example, and the need to upgrade older water and sewer systems.

“There are often many grants and/or loans available from the government, but not in one place, but many different ministries.” Carter said it was a “labyrinth” finding out what’s available and how to get at it. He said they asked for help in finding the right grants and getting their applications across the finish line.

“All ministries don’t always play well with others. It is more of a challenge than it sounds. We had a successful delegation and hopefully they can help us in the future.”

Carter said ROMA is a good conference for Highlands’ townships, when compared to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, which caters to urban centres.

Coun. Ivan Ingram said he found other municipalities were facing the exact same problems as Minden Hils, and “a lot comes to funding from the provincial government.”

Carter added, “one of the things that is starting to get attention is amalgamation. I talked to a lot of people, where they had 700 or 1,000 people in the whole community. Even our neighbour, Hastings, has 14 townships, that vary from Belleville to very small communities.”

He said another topic was homelessness. “There was an eight per cent increase year over year in the homelessness situation,” which he believes could be underreported. He said his hope is that communities try various strategies and strike something that works.

Coun. Pam Sayne sits on the board of ROMA and said they had 2,000 people representing more than 300 of Ontario’s 444 municipalities at the conference. She said it’s all about making connections for your community and region, which can put a town such as Minden Hills on the province’s map, and have it grant-ready.

She said one of her goals is to have Haliburton County become even more of a centre for excellence in arts and culture.

She said other key ROMA policies include working towards a new provincialmunicipal fiscal framework, which she said is 100 years old and “not working, especially with all the downloads such as OPP and housing etc.

“The rural communities need bigger changes in addressing the infrastructure challenges. We can’t just keep paying. When you look at our population compared to the roads, we’re taking care of, we cannot continue to do that on the backs of taxpayers in our small communities.”

She said they have long lobbied for better access to healthcare and better broadband.

Carter said the OPP billing formula remains a thorn in municipalities’ sides, with costs having gone up 11 per cent this year with no sign of decreases in future. He added there is huge variation of per household costs for policing across the province. He said policing costs are growing, but questions whether some of the mental health work done by police should be done by, or at least funded by, the Ministry of Health.

He added the rising cost “is not something that is going to go away easily.”