Doubling up on goodness at Rising Thymes

September 18, 2025

by Susan Tromanhauser

It all started with being homesick for a vegetable.

Unable to find vegetables specific to her Japanese upbringing, Yuki Renel grew her own. The abundant garden thrived into a small business. Her best customer recognized Renel’s interest in healthy foods, and her work ethic, and offered her a job at her health food store, soon followed by an opportunity to buy the business. Rising Thymes in Minden was created.

But the story doesn’t end there. After gaining confidence in her business skills, and recognizing the needs of the community, Renel expanded her business and Rising Thymes has opened its second location in Haliburton.

Previously, many customers in Haliburton and in the eastern parts of the County traveled to Lindsay or Peterborough to meet their diet or lifestyle needs. Rising Thymes is able to do so in Haliburton at their County Road 21 location. The second outlet allows Renel to take advantage of bulk buying, keeping costs down and enabling Rising Thymes to compete with online sales. Renel’s customers want fresh, healthy food, preferring Canadian products and wanting to spend their money locally.

To ensure freshness, many products at Rising Thymes have a very short shelf life. This was a conundrum for Renel because many of those same products have a minimum order size – too large for one store alone. By splitting the order between the Minden and Haliburton stores, Renel can make available fresh products at a reasonable price. Another strategy Renel uses to keep prices low is taking larger bulk items and repackaging them into customers’ preferred sizes.

Renel explains “everybody’s health needs are different” and she offers products to meet individual wants and needs. Rising Thymes in both locations provides products which are gluten-free, sugar-free or have sugar substitutes, as well as a variety of supplements. Customers in search of specific ingredients to make their own yogurt or sourdough bread, or even soaps, will find what they need. Rising Thymes provides refrigerated displays to ensure the freshest, healthiest ingredients.

Patrons are not just concerned with their own health, but also the health of the environment, cautious about what goes into lakes and septic systems. Renel responded to this concern with eco-friendly detergents and soaps, sold in refillable bottles. If a customer seeks something new to Rising Thymes, Renel becomes a detective, researching the unknown item to learn about its health benefits and locating a source.

Not only can patrons get products they are looking for, but they can also get free advice. Many customers look to Renel for guidance to improve their own gardens. The Minden location offers gardening workshops in the spring. Renel’s Japanese roots also come in handy for tips in Asian cooking.

The big attraction at Rising Thymes is still the fresh vegetables grown in Renel’s own garden. However, gardening is not just another task on the businesswoman’s long to-do list. Renel views gardening as her ideal way to de-stress and relax when away from her growing Rising Thymes.

Penalty trouble at Showcase

Mike Baker

September 18, 2025

The Haliburton County Huskies put together another solid win on home ice Sept. 13, defeating the North York Rangers 5-2, before a tough showing at the annual Jr. A Governor’s Showcase saw the young team drop back-to-back games.

New head coach Jordan Bailey said he was encouraged by the team’s start to the season, which also included a tight 4-3 win over the Cobourg Cougars on opening day Sept. 6, but was disappointed by the poor showing in the leaguewide tournament in Niagara Falls.

The Huskies were soundly beaten 4-0 by the Leamington Flyers Sept. 15, the first day of the Showcase, and followed up with a 5-2 losing effort against the Milton Menace Sept. 16.

That left the team languishing in eighth place in the East Conference, with four points from the opening four games. Bailey felt it was too early to make any real determinations on how his side stacks up against the rest of the league, with the season still in its infancy.

“It’s hard to say how [we compare], it’s only been four games for us, the most any team has played is five or six and, looking throughout the league, there’s a lot of very young teams right now,” Bailey said, noting the Huskies still have seven max-age roster spots open. The team will likely be a major player when Ontario Hockey League clubs start making roster cuts over the next few weeks.

Huskies 5-2 North York

The 470 fans in attendance at S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena Saturday were treated to an offensive clinic, as the Huskies pummelled the Rangers through three periods – outshooting the visitors 61 to 23.

After a frustrating opening frame, where North York netminder Nicolas Morvan made 20 saves, the Huskies burst into action in the second.

Daniel Vasic got things started with a powerplay marker at 7:21, assisted by Ivan Mentiukov and Jacob Smith, before goals from Chase Del Colombo, Christian Giancola and Carter Petrie made sure of the result. Harrison O’Connor added some gloss to the scoreline in the third, adding another on the man advantage late on, to send the fans home happy. Defenseman Ronen MacFarlane was a standout, recording three assists.

“I thought we played very well – we stuck to our game plan and executed it well, throwing a lot of pucks on net, our rotations in the offensive zone were very good, very physical. It was a strong performance,” Bailey said.

Discipline costs team

Heading into the Governor’s Showcase, Bailey said the message to his young squad was to take advantage of the opportunity to play in front of a packed arena at the 2,170-capacity Gale Centre and not get overwhelmed or deviate from team plans and systems.

Bailey lamented issues with discipline, which he believes was the main contributor to Monday’s 4-0 defeat against Leamington. The Huskies took eight penalties in the game – including three in the opening period and a checking from behind major in the third – with the head coach feeling that lack of control cost them.

“Penalties kind of killed us there – when you’re spending almost a full period in the box, it’s hard to establish any kind of rhythm. Guys are sitting for long periods of time and when they did get back out there, there was no flow to the game for us,” Bailey said. “Coming out of that, I told them that it’s going to be very hard for us to win hockey games taking that many penalties.”

The blue and white gave up one powerplay goal in the opening period and another midway through the third, with the Flyers tallying two more goals late-on.

It was more of the same against Milton on Tuesday. There wasn’t much five-on-five action in an opening period that treated fans to four goals – three of them on the powerplay – as the two sides evened each other out.

At 2-2 heading into the second, Bailey felt his team had a good shot at a bounce-back win, but more penalty trouble – three minors in the second and two in the third, hurt them again. The Menace tallied off three straight powerplay goals in the second to make sure of the win.

“We’ll be talking about this with our players, but we’ve got to stay out of the box. Constantly playing a man down against top-tier teams like Milton is never going to go well for you,” Bailey said.

The Huskies are back in action Sept. 19 for a road game against reigning league champions the Trenton Golden Hawks. They follow-up with a home tilt against the St. Michael’s Buzzers in Minden Sept. 20. Puck drop is 4 p.m.

Enhanced hike fest

Lisa Gervais

September 18, 2025

Thanks to a FedDev grant, organizers of this year’s Hike Haliburton say they are offering an “enhanced” festival for 2025.

Tourism manager Angelica Ingram said, “we’re excited because we have a lot of hikes this year, a lot of different kinds of hikes than we’ve had in previous years, and a lot of musical themes tied in to the festival.”

She added they have two Indigenous events they’re enthusiastic about, that are “a new offering for Hike Haliburton.”

On Friday, Sept. 19, from 7-9 p.m. at Haliburton Forest, Jared Bigcanoe is hosting a campfire. Bigcanoe is a Coldwater Ojibwe artist, entrepreneur, and healer. He is also a skilled rapper and poet. He will share Indigenous stories, songs, drumming, and demonstrations.

On Saturday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Bigcanoe will join the Forest’s Tegan Legge on the Chessel’s Pond Trail to discover forest-sacred medicines and how they are used for healing.

Ingram said the two offerings are a means of “seeing the Highlands and the festival through an Indigenous lens.”

The tourism manager added they have another new hike featuring the Haliburton County Folk Society at Abbey Gardens. On Friday, Sept. 19, from 3-5 p.m. Folk on Foot hikers will encounter four local singer/ songwriters who sing in, and for, nature.

Ingram said the FedDev funding also allowed them to change their registration system and update their website. She said in the past, people would reserve spots for hikes and not show up, which was frustrating for hikers and hike leaders.

The new system makes registrants more accountable for attendance. She added there are still spaces for many hikes.

“We’re just really excited. The weather forecast looks great. I think it’s going to be a good year. Lots of family-friendly ones, challenging ones, lots at the Frost Centre, it’s neat going back there.”

Established in 2003, the Hike Haliburton Festival is Canada’s largest hiking festival.

Colourfest

Colourfest coincides with Hike Haliburton this year, being held Sept. 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Head Lake Park.

Andrea Mueller, manager of programs and events for Dysart et al, said new this year is The Haliburton Curling Club bringing outdoor curling to the park.

“It’s pretty cool; it’s a big curling sheet with inflatable edges they’ll put on the lawn. It simulates curling. Someone can be at one end and take a rock and actually try to get it in the house at the other end.

“It’s great because it gives people a chance to try an activity that may be of interest to them but also to help promote registrations,” Mueller said.

She said it is a way for the curling club to get more involved in the community as well.

They’ve also invited The Critters of Wooley Wonderland Farm.

“They’re bringing a variety of animals; most of them are going to be miniature versions or babies of farm-type animals. It’s kind of exciting, and people can go in and pet them or sit with them. And we’ve purposefully asked for the grass to be left longer in the one area so they can munch away and take care of the grass for us.”

Getting public into politics

Mike Baker

September 11, 2025

Sean Pennylegion doesn’t want to see history repeat itself during next year’s municipal elections in Haliburton County, so he’s helped launch a new movement meant to drum up political interest ahead of the Oct. 26, 2026 vote.

The Haliburton Highlands Healthy Democracy Project (HHHDP) is a homegrown initiative that Pennylegion says will educate people about the importance of civic engagement.

Lower-tier elections in Algonquin Highlands, Dysart et al, Highlands East and Minden Hills broke records for all the wrong reasons in 2022 – setting new benchmarks for acclamations and voter turnout.

Dysart et al saw 31.47 per cent of its population cast a ballot – the highest among the County’s four townships. Algonquin Highlands was next at 28.9 per cent, with Minden Hills at 24.76 per cent, and Highlands East at 21.26 per cent. Countywide, the average turnout was 26.59 per cent.

Twelve politicians were given seats on council after running unopposed, including the mayor and deputy in both Dysart and Minden Hills and eight councillors – three in Highlands East, two each in Algonquin Highlands and Dysart, and one in Minden Hills.

“We need to somehow do something to motivate people to become more involved,” Pennylegion said. “That last election is, by far, the least amount of participation I’ve seen at the local level. Which is a shame, because our closest contact with government is municipal.

“When you look out your window, most of what you see and the services we have are controlled by the municipality. People don’t understand what kind of effect they can have on their future, on how their town is run just by speaking up or registering a vote,” he added.

Joining Pennylegion on HHHDP’s steering committee are Jessica Slade, Lauren Hunter, Barrie Martin and former Algonquin Highlands mayor and coun. Carol Moffatt.

The initiative is being run in partnership with the Haliburton County Community Cooperative and is supported by the Haliburton County Development Corporation and Telling Our Stories Speaker Series, which has contributed $5,000 to program development.

Teaching people how system works

Learn, meet and mingle

The group’s first step has been to organize a four-part ‘Voices and Votes’ series that Pennylegion says will inform people about the ins and outs of municipal governance.

The first session ‘partnership in action: community and council’ is being held Sept. 16, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Haliburton Legion. There, Slade, who works as a civics consultant, will talk folks through how they can contribute to community development by working alongside local government.

“It will include some success stories that have happened, things that regular people have done, working alongside council, in each of our four municipalities,” Pennylegion said.

The second talk will feature former MPs Barry Devolin (Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock) and Maryam Monsef (Peterborough-Kawartha) discussing why people should get involved by running for office, supporting a political campaign, or being an informed community member. It will take place Oct. 7 at the Lloyd Watson Community Centre in Wilberforce.

The final two events will take place in spring 2026 and will focus on what it’s like to run for office and serve as a municipal representative, featuring stories from past politicians. There will also be details about what a successful campaign looks like – for a candidate, supporter or voter.

We all play a role

After serving 16 years on Algonquin Highlands council from 2006-2022, one term as a councillor and three as mayor, Moffatt knows what she’s talking about when discussing municipal politics. She discussed being a panelist in one of the sessions with Martin and Hunter late last year, but after learning more about HHHDP decided she wanted to be more involved.

“My years on council showed me that local government is widely felt to be confusing and inaccessible to the average person. They don’t know the agendas are public, that meetings as open and now streamed online, they don’t know they’re supposed to have a relationship with their councillors.

“This is an opportunity to teach folks how the system works so that they can participate. It has felt to me, for years, that people have things to say, ideas to share and perspectives to put forward, but they don’t know what door to knock on to get there,” Moffatt said.

Inspiring the next generation of leaders is just as important – almost every elected official in the Highlands is at least 40, with the average age of County council, made up of mayors and deputies from the four townships, over 65.

Moffatt admitted life in the public spotlight can be difficult – abuse is a lot more common now than 20 years ago, thanks to social media, but said she feels the good drastically outweighs the bad.

“You get to have a say in shaping the future of your community – there aren’t many things [more fulfilling] than that,” Moffatt said.

She and Pennylegion say HHHDP will also talk about the importance of volunteering – whether with a municipal committee or event, or another community organization. In recent years, groups like Haliburton Highlands Health Services, area food banks, churches and legions, Pride in the Highlands and more have seen a marked drop-off in volunteer numbers.

“One of the things that needs to be brought to the fore is that when you have a lot of volunteer-run organizations that have come to provide anchor services in a community, and they’re run by people who are getting older; and you have a younger cohort that is disengaged and perhaps not overly interested, then the burden to continue to provide those services will fall to a municipality,” Moffatt said. “Then taxes go up and people get angry.

“We’re getting close to a breaking point here… we need to find ways to connect with people so they know they are needed, they do play a role in helping make our community run,” she added.

Minden Hills faces deluge of maintenance projects

Lisa Gervais

September 11, 2025

Things are moving at the Minden Hills library and cultural centre – but it’s not the kind of movement staff or council are embracing.

Chief building official, Eric Guay, told council Aug. 28 that the retaining wall that supports the accessibility ramp is moving away from the building.

He said they had checked six points and the wall has moved half-an-inch to three-quarters-of-an-inch in some areas.

“The frost heave that we are seeing in the wintertime is causing significant issues. As well, the posts holding up the gable entry structure have not been put below frost levels,” he told council. He added when the ramp moves, the structural posts are moving with it.

He said the municipality has received some Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program funding to put towards various accessibility projects at the library and cultural centre, Lochlin Community Centre, Irondale Community Centre and Minden Curling Club. The federal government pays 40 per cent ($358,800), the province 33.33 per cent ($298,970.10) and the township 26.67 per cent ($239,229.90) for a total of $897,000. Expenses must be as of March 31, 2027.

Guay noted the township’s accessibility priorities had changed since 2021 when they got the grant and they are reviewing curling club and Irondale community centre needs. The township is also looking for someone to demolish the Lochlin community centre, and replace it with a pre-fabricated structure.

“Staff intend to follow up with the grant approval authorities to discuss the potential to reallocate remaining grant funds,” Guay said.

He recommended contracting Tatham Engineering to do engineering work for the accessibility ramp and retaining wall, at a cost of $20,300 plus HST; followed by using grant funding for the retaining wall and ramp.

Mayor Bob Carter asked about timelines, and Guay said engineering work first, then construction next year. “It is not an imminent danger, but it is a situation that will develop and get worse over time.”

Coun. Pam Sayne supported the ask, but said there were long-standing problems with the library and cultural centre, not just the ramp and retaining wall, but roofs. She questioned the need “for a different engineer or better designs. We have other things that have been pressing much longer that require money as well.”

Coun. Tammy McKelvey said they’d hired Tatham for engineering work for the curling club roof, and library and cultural centre roofs for $27,500 and were looking at another $20,300 for the retaining wall and ramp job.

“Would we not have been better to put all these together? We needed to get this a little better organized.” She added there will be more work coming with staff entrances at the administration building.

She said they have to make sure the funding can go to the retaining wall and ramp project.

CAO Cynthia Fletcher agreed, “I think we need get a lot more coordinated” when it comes to facilities. However, she said they wanted to start using grant money they have received.

The County of Haliburton is looking at hiring an engineer as part of the service delivery review. Mayor Bob Carter said it could be a resource his township can use.

McKelvey and Sayne also asked about progress on the curling club, cultural centre and library roofs.

“This is an emergency, practically,” Sayne said of the cultural centre roof.

Guay said Tatham was close to completing engineering work for the curling club roof “and then we’ll look at the cultural centre as the next step as well.” However, he pointed out this funding has to do with accessibility, not facility upgrades.

Council approved Guay’s ask for using the grant money for the retaining wall and ramp.

Habitat and Places join up

Lisa Gervais

September 11, 2025

On Sept. 7, representatives of Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region and Places for People erected a sign just off of Peninsula Road in Haliburton announcing a partnership to build affordable condos at the site.

It’s part of Paul Wilson’s Harburn Holdings project, following Wilson’s promise to donate some of the land for affordable housing.

The two housing providers revealed their official collaboration last week, and will hold an information session Sept. 18 for contractors, potential homeowners, renters, and the public from 3-7 p.m. at the Haliburton Legion.

Zambonin was reluctant to discuss the Peninsula Road project in detail, saying more would be revealed next week.

However, she did say, “this partnership will allow Habitat to do affordable home ownership and it will allow Places for People to do affordable rentals. It will be the first time that Habitat has worked with a non-profit to provide affordable rentals.”

Zambonin added, “that’s new for us. Normally, we’re just trying to sell all of our units. And it doesn’t help someone whose income may be a little bit lower and Places for People is only renting, so that doesn’t help somebody who wants to get equity. So, this is a really good partnership in that respect.”

Tromanhauser said the collaboration is ideal for Places for People. “We’re excited to work with Habitat because they have so much experience in building new builds and their reputation is pristine. Working together just makes sense because we’re both trying to solve the affordable housing problem; them through home ownership and us through rentals.”

Zambonin said that about four or five months ago, they made a presentation to the Haliburton County Home Builders Association and said, “this is what we’re planning to do. We’re looking for local trades, local suppliers because we have a whole network, but it’s in Peterborough and Lindsay. We’ve said ‘sure, we can bring people here, but that’s not what we want’. We’re looking for new partnerships, we’re looking for local suppliers.” She said in Peterborough, they get cost plus a bit as it is affordable housing.

“We want to take our model and just bring it to Haliburton and make new friends, essentially.”

Zambonin was asked about challenges in Haliburton County. She said she didn’t think there was anything different from Lindsay or Peterborough. “There is NIMBYism (not in my backyard), ‘those people’ that are going to be purchasing our homes. Well, ‘those people’ are your neighbours that are renting, and have solid jobs, and just can’t find a house they can afford that is worth buying and get a down payment.”

She added, “for us, it’s really trying to get people to understand how our program works. Because the average person would say ‘if builders can’t do this, how can you do it – that it’s going to be affordable?’ We have to explain our mortgage model for our homeowners; and how we are able to build for the price that we are able to build, which is our partnerships in the community. We know we are not going to get donations to build this. We need help with the cost to build and when our homeowners buy, that’s how we pay for it. We don’t walk away with all kinds of debt.”

Tromanhauser said Places for People brings local knowledge to the partnership and “can help Susan and her team meet the right people and get the message out and explain how Habitat works, and how it’s going to work in Haliburton.”

The two said once the community sees how it works, they hope it can kick off other affordable housing builds, such as at the Wee Care property in Haliburton.

The event is Thursday, Sept. 18 from 3-7 p.m. at the Haliburton Legion at 719 Mountain St., Haliburton.

Hiker identified, laid to rest after 40 years

Lisa Gervais

September 11, 2025

Human remains discovered in Algonquin Park in 1980 have now been identified through the use of investigative genetic genealogy (IGG).

The OPPs Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) said on Sept. 4 that the 40-plus year case has now been solved.

On April 19, 1980, a hiker found the remains near the Hardwood Lookout Trail in the park and members of the Whitney OPP, under the OPP CIB, began an extensive search with the assistance of the Ministry of Natural Resources. Over several days, a boot, a leather wallet, clothing, a sleeping bag, camping gear and additional remains were located and examined by the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OFPS).

It was determined the deceased was a white male between 18 and 21 at the time of his death. Foul play was not suspected.

It was initially estimated the male had died between July 1, 1971, and spring 1978. Further investigation narrowed the estimated time of death to approximately two years before the remains were discovered. Despite comparing the remains to several missing persons reports and issuing public appeals, the case remained unsolved.

On March 23, 1995, additional remains were discovered along the trail. A jawbone was examined by the OFPS and confirmed to belong to the human remains found in 1980. Although further searches were conducted, no additional remains or items were found.

In 2017, the OPP unveiled a threedimensional clay facial reconstruction created by their forensic artist. This generated dozens of tips, but none led to a confirmed identity.

The investigation continued and, in April 2022, the male’s DNA was submitted to the DNA Doe Project for IGG analysis in an attempt to determine his identity through family members. By September 2023, the presumptive identity was verified and used by CIB detectives to locate living family members. DNA from family members was used to confirm the male’s identity and the family was notified.

After more than four decades, the deceased has finally been identified as Eric (Ricky) Singer of Cleveland, Ohio. Singer had last been seen at his parents’ residence in Berea, Ohio, on Oct. 4, 1973.

The CIB said that this summer, Ricky’s sisters travelled from the U.S. to walk the trail with investigators and visit the place where their brother spent his final days. Ricky’s youngest sister, Merry Singer, said, “up until this time, I never felt sad because it has been such a long time and you get numb to it. This cuts through. I’m honoured, I’m humbled, I’m grateful. He was eventually found. He was identified and we were able to put him to rest and put ourselves to rest.”

It offered closure to investigators as well.

Detective sergeant Philip Holmes, OPP lead investigator, said “Eric Singer’s remains were found before I was even born. The fact that I’m involved in supporting his family in understanding what happened to him feels a little surreal. This case demonstrates the incredible results that are possible when modern investigative tools, such as investigative genetic genealogy, are used to resolve historic cases and provide long-awaited answers to families. This was one of the most rewarding investigations of my career.”

All is revealed

Lisa Gervais

September 11, 2025

You could have cut the tension with a palette knife as four artists took part in Corner Gallery’s Reveal 2 Sept. 6.

Actually, it wasn’t very tense at all as curator David Partridge revealed a black and white image and the artists went to work in their separate corners creating their own interpretations of the mystery photo.

While a reporter would also like to work in that it was like watching paint dry – it was anything but.

Members of the public dropped in and out of the gallery to watch the process unfold. One sauntered over to Harvey Walker with a casual “how are you?” to be told “I’m having fun. I have a paintbrush in my hand. It’s my happy place.”

Walker, David Rolfe, Kelly Whyte and Zoey Zoric all accepted the challenge of taking part in the activity. The first Reveal featured Marissa Sweet, Holly Hutchison, James Brown and Barbara Hart on Aug. 9.

Partridge had heard about similar events but found them more competitive. He wanted the artists to use their own styles, with no limitations. The first time around, he provided the twist of a black and white photo, and did so again for Reveal 2.

“They have to paint in colour and they are not allowed to look at each other’s works. So, they all come out very different. I think that’s cool.” He added if people looked at the image closer, it was interesting when placed upside down. One of the artists did the flip.

Partridge added it wasn’t easy finding images because he didn’t want the paintings to be boring.

Joan Hawley and Alex Isbister came to watch. Hawley said it was slow when the artists were just starting, “but once they get going, they get the idea, then they just seem to take off.” She finds it interesting how each artist approaches the process differently.

Isbister said he doesn’t care much about art when it is on the wall, “but I care a lot about the moment of production. I care a lot about the courage, the creativity…”

Whyte had never done anything like this before and was excited. She brought a lot of art supplies in preparation. She shared she was thinking of scrapping the Muskoka chairs on a dock in the image, but instead making leaves on the trees the focus and going with an Autumn theme. She also planned to spend time on reflections in the water. “We’ll see as we go along what happens. It may change, you just never know.”

Partridge said the Reveal series is going well. He got emails after the first one with people saying, “it was so cool to see the process. I know for artists, sometimes you do something like this and all it is are other artists coming to learn … but we’re seeing genuine curiousity from the public.”

He’s thinking of now doing a quarterly Reveal, with another one in the new year. He has lots of ideas. “Next time, it might be I’m going to show them the image for a half-a-second and say ‘go for it’.” He added there could be other media. For example, George Hall, a stone carver, has already signed up for the next one.

That’s a wrap

Lisa Gervais

September 11, 2025

Brooksong Retreat and Cancer Support Centre wrapped up its sixth annual Haliburton Highlands Challenge with a celebration at Haliburton Highlands Brewing Sept. 6.

Executive director Barb Smith-Morrison said they had raised more than $100,000 over the summer, which she called a “wonderful accomplishment.”

She dubbed it a peer-to-peer fundraiser. “It’s actually people who have come to a program; people who have come to a retreat, board members, many volunteers who have gone out and chosen a way to get moving in their community and then invited others to donate to support the work we do.”

Smith-Morrison said they had more than 200 people on their waitlist for a cancer support retreat.

She added they were one-of-a kind in Canada; “people are really getting to know the work that we do.” She noted they offer the retreats at no cost to participants “because when you are in the midst of a cancer experience, we know that we need to make sure the kind of support we offer is really accessible to you.”

The executive director added when people arrive, they are well cared for, build community with other people living with cancer, offered evidence-base practices that help with stress, PTSD, anxiety, body pain, difficulty sleeping … “wellness practices that you can take into your life.” She said they also invite the caregiver, or key support person, to lend support to them.

Smith-Morrison said one of the special things about this summer has been the way the local community “has come shoulder to shoulder” with us. She noted a number of people living locally with cancer had reached out to them. There were two corporate challenge teams, Hudson Henderson Insurance and Willow Organics. There were Brooksong days; at Glecoff’s Family Store, Hook, Line and Sinker, Sweat Social, the Bonnie View Inn, and an upcoming one at Heat-Line. She said it’s gifted Brooksong community awareness and support.

The total was $102,820, with people still able to donate until the end of the month. Smith-Morrison said that would move “a number of people” off their waitlist; enfold more locals living with cancer in a ‘warm hug from the Highlands’ quilt; and continue to build support and community.

“Our hope is that we continue to grow and fill such an important gap in cancer care.”

A surprise party for 650 people

Lisa Gervais

September 11, 2025

Tegan Legge, general manager of tourism and recreation at Haliburton Forest, said they got a call from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s people about two weeks before the Haliburton Trail Race – saying Carney and his wife, Diana Fox-Carney, wanted to compete in the 26km race, Sept 6.

However, she said the planning didn’t take a lot of Forest time. She said his detail came for a couple of visits to check out the trails. She toured them around, showing them the aid stations.

“And that was it. They were very noninvasive. They wanted him to just be able to go out and be Mark Carney (and Diana FoxCarney), not the prime minister that day.”

One of the Forest team members was on hand to make sure the Carneys knew where they were going, otherwise, she said without the black Suburban’s being everywhere, nobody would have had a clue.

Legge said it was “incredible, super slick.” She said she was giving her briefing to 120 runners, knowing he was coming, but nobody else did. About half way through, people started noticing the Carneys were there and stated taking selfies with him. “But everybody was respectful. Nobody stopped anything. And they all hit the trail.

“It was like planning a surprise party, but for 650 people.”

Legge has been co-organizing the 30-yearold-plus race with Cameron Ferguson for about five years, but she said this one was the most memorable for her.

“For multiple reasons. It’s great the prime minister was there, but it’s the largest one we’ve ever had. We were sold out at 650 runners. The most we’ve ever had is 600. Pre-us taking it over, they might get 350400 so it’s pretty incredible.”

She said the weather was ideal for running. For the 100-milers, they typically see 15-20 of 50 finish. This year, they had 35-40 finishers out of 80.

Legge added in previous years, there were hardly any Haliburton County racers, “but in the last two or three years, a lot of locals are coming out to support the event, which is nice.”

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