‘Barrage of gunfire’ rang out in forest

April 25, 2024

One of the police officers who took down Leslie Hegedus on July 15, 2020 told a coroner’s inquest April 23 about the moments surrounding the “barrage of gunfire” that rang out on Indian Point Road, Haliburton.

OPP officer Ezra Zugehoer recalled how he responded to the scene and was walking up the long driveway to Hegedus’ house when he noticed a dark shape in the woods; and what looked like shoulders and a hat. He said the shape within a tree stump moved. He called out a police challenge; “police. Don’t move. Show me your hands,” a number of times.

OPP officer Craig Baril was off to the right also moving up the roadway.

He said that is when he heard “a blast” that sounded like a “cannon.”

He added he was “100 per cent certain those shots were directed at me.”

Zugehoer said he felt he and Baril were in a “bad ambush position” and had no choice but to “engage and stop the threat.”

He added he directed his point of aim at the stump to stop the threat.

He started shooting, as did Baril.

Moving towards Hegedus, at one point, Baril said, “come to me, I’ve got him here.”

Asked by inquest counsel, Kim Motyl, about OPP policies around the use of deadly force, Zugehoer said it is used when “serious bodily harm or death is imminent to yourself or another individual.

“I feared for my life at that point, 100 per cent fear for my life and my partner’s life.” He added had he not responded, he would have been killed.

He detailed that after Hegedus was shot, they were unable to get through on the police radio for a time. They then got through to relay the suspect was down and they would need EMS.

Motyl asked if he thought they could have done anything differently.

He replied, “I don’t think anything different could have been done that day.” He added there was “nothing amiss” and he was proud to be part of the decisions made that day.

Zugehoer did outline issues around communications on the day, but said OPP were working on improvements. Motyl and a jury member asked several questions around that, suggesting it may form part of the juror’s recommendations. There was also discussion of Baril having to change uniform at the scene.

Baril also testified Tuesday afternoon. He spoke of an “eerie feeling” as they arrived on scene. He feared for both of their lives as he closed the distance between him and Hegedus to 14 metres, from 28 metres, to eliminate the shooting threat. The inquest heard Zugehoer fired nine rounds and Baril 17.

It only takes one bad egg

Meanwhile, Sgt. John Spence, who was also fired upon, testified April 22, he had been involved in past situations requiring OPP Emergency Response Teams and, “had been able to handle a lot of stuff coming through… up to now.”

Spence said within a couple of days, “I had changed… my interactions with the public, my interactions with my co-workers, and my constables. I wasn’t the same. I wasn’t as calm and objective as I used to be.”

He said he got into policing to help people “but when they… in this situation, try to kill you, it really brought it home.”

He said he was close to retirement at the time of the incident, and was thinking about his wife and children. He added, “I almost didn’t make it. So, that changed me. I was more hypervigilant at work. I continued to work for a year after that.”

He said coming up to the one-year anniversary of the shooting, he was told he would have to work that day, July 15, 2021. He had wanted that particular day off but was told he could not. However, he said he got a call from a psychologist telling him to go home, “so I believe that was a good idea.”

Ever since, he said he had been going through treatment. He added he can talk about the incident now but that was not always the case. “And that’s why I avoided meeting people in grocery stores or going to the office.

“But in this situation, I felt compelled to testify today… for people to understand that we did the best that we could, as far as I’m concerned, with what we had.”

Motyl commented it must be hard to avoid talking about such an incident, particularly in a small town. She said she imagined it had had an impact on the community, too.

Spence said the Highlands is “usually a great, great place to live. You know, 99.8 per cent of the population are good people, hard-working people, and it only takes one bad egg.”

Man shot by OPP ‘prone to aggressive overreaction’

Lisa Gervais

April 25, 2024

The sister of a Haliburton man, killed in an altercation with OPP July 15, 2020, said her estranged sibling had grown up in Budapest, Hungary, where he was exposed to the Hungarian uprising at the age of 10.

In a statement read to a coroner’s inquest into the death of Leslie Hegedus, 73, his sister, Eileen Ross gave some insight April 22 into her brother’s upbringing.

She said Hegedus was born in 1946. The 1956 revolution was an attempted countrywide movement against the government of the Hungarian People’s Republic, and the policies caused by the government’s subordination to the Soviet Union. The Soviet army crushed the rebellion.

Ross said her brother was exposed to “death and destruction” on the streets of Budapest. Their father was captured and never able to leave Hungary. A Toronto cousin sponsored she, Leslie and their mother to come to Canada.

Ross said that from an early age, Hegedus had difficulty in social development.

“My mother tried to get help for him from doctors, but found limited support through church, Boy Scouts, and Big Brothers,” Ross said. She added while undiagnosed, she thinks her brother was on the Autism spectrum, possibly suffering Aspergers.

Ross said her brother became a licensed electrician, working in construction.

She said he severed all contact with his family, but actively participated in a car enthusiast club, travelling the world to meet other car enthusiasts and judging events. “He seemed always to be singularly, obsessively focused.”

She said he retired at 60 and built a small house in the forest of Haliburton, where he lived alone, close to nature, eating healthy, and leaving a light impact on the environment. She said he never smoked, there was no sign of drug use, and the only alcohol in his house was quality red wine. She added his home had no television, computer, mobile or landline phones, and he possessed no credit cards.

Coroner’s inquest into OPP shooting wraps up

“He seemingly became more reclusive, paranoid and obsessive” spending his time building his house, restoring vintage cars and reading.

Ross said there were hundreds of books in his house, many on politics, including biographies of world leaders. However, there was “no evidence of any political association or ideology. Many books were about adventure and nature, of man living alone in the wilderness, surviving adversity, and observing nature.” She said he had made daily notations on his calendar about weather and the birds and animals on his property.

In the statement, read by inquest counsel Kim Motyl, Ross said, “I am grateful that nobody else was killed or seriously injured in this altercation. I’m comforted that Leslie was not driven by hateful ideology. I regret that Leslie did not want me in his life, and that I was not there to support him. We seem to have had much in common. My hope is that more services will be available for the recognition and support for children and adults struggling in life.”

Inquest underway

Dr. Jennifer Clara Tang is the presiding officer of the inquest that got underway this past Monday. She explained that in the event of police shootings, coroner’s inquests are mandatory.

Motyl also addressed Hegedus’ “difficult and turbulent” childhood in her remarks to the five-person jury in a virtual inquest, referencing the permanent separation from his father.

“Mr. Hegedus was prone to aggressive overreaction, especially to perceived slights and insults.” She commented on his distancing himself from family. She said in addition to his affinity for cars, he had an interest in firearms.

Motyl said he didn’t speak to neighbours. She said in 2010, he’d run two men off his property who were attempting to cut the lock at the gate of his long driveway. He didn’t have a firearms license and wasn’t permitted to own them after that incident, However, there were two complaints to OPP from neighbours in 2011 about gunshots on the property. However, Hegedus denied owning or firing weapons.

She related a tale of a building inspector, in 2015 or 2016, visiting the property. Upon finding issues with the build, he drew the ire of Hegedus and feared for his life.

“Mr. Hegedus became angry and started yelling, ‘how dare you come on my property? How dare you come and tell me what I can and cannot do on my property? This is my house, and I should be able to heat the house however I want’.”

Referencing the reason for the inquest – the events of July 15, 2020 – Motyl said Hegedus went to the Valu-Mart in Minden, where an elderly grocery clerk asked him to put on a mask during COVID-19 mask mandates. Hegedus refused, “repeatedly punching the clerk in the head.”

The inquest heard how Hegedus was pushed out the door by staff and customers and 911 was called. Driving away, he struck several parked cars and drove his vehicle at employees, hitting a concrete pillar. Speeding away on Hwy. 35 N, and then County Road 21, the jury heard he tried to run a police car off the road so dispatch called off the pursuit.

Police tracked Hegedus’ license plate to find his Indian Point Road home.

The inquest heard from Sgt. John Spence who said that after fleeing Valu-Mart and arriving at his property, a camouflaged Hegedus had armed himself with a rifle, a pistol, ammunition, and a knife, and fired at police. They returned fire and Hegedus received a fatal gunshot wound in his back. Despite attempts to treat him on the scene and en route to Haliburton hospital, he was pronounced dead at the ER at 11:47 a.m.

The jury came back with two recommendations Wednesday afternoon, addressed to the Ontario Provincial Police. It asked them to:

• Review all directives relating to Emergency Response Team uniforms to ensure that officer compliance with said directives does not adversely impact officer safety or officer response time.

• Review all directives and policies relating to the OPP communications centre to ensure, where known, complete and accurate addresses, including postal codes, are provided to responding officers to maximize officer response time.

Wanakita family unveils centre

Lisa Gervais

April 25, 2024

The Camp Wanakita family came together April 20 for the official opening of the Heming Welcome Centre.

The refurbished building is named for long-timer staffers, brothers Rob and Stevie Heming.

Camp director Andy Gruppe said they started planning the makeover in 2019.

“We’re here to celebrate the opening of this building that has been awhile in the making,” he told work weekenders, former and current staff and campers, as well as Haliburton County community members. He also acknowledged the work of Rodco.

Gruppe said the building has had many uses since the early 1960s, “and it will serve again as a fine meeting space,” with bedrooms, an accessible washroom, and the year-round office. “It’s ready for action.”

He thanked the many donors, especially long-time Koshlong Lake cottagers, Barb and Scott Allan, whom he said made a commitment to launch the project.

Barb Allan said her family had been cottaging since 1962. She is a former student counsellor and generations of the family have been campers and counsellors. “We’ve been quite involved with Wanakita for those two generations anyways… Wanakita is very important to us,” she said.

She added, as cottagers, they appreciate the camp being good stewards of the lake, saying it makes the lake “beautiful on a sunny day with their canoes, kayaks, sailboats all floating out there. I cannot dream of what kind of neighbours we would have if Wanakita wasn’t here.”

She said she was thrilled the building was named after the Hemings, as Rob and Stevie had touched thousands of lives in their tenures at the helm of the camp.

Rob said, “we are so privileged and really honoured. It just is emotionally overwhelming. When we first heard, we both wept.”

The two came as pre-teens to the camp for the first time in 1964 and, in some ways, have never left. Rob spoke of many firsts, a night filled with the sounds of giant bullfrogs, memorable canoe trips, and girls arriving. He also paid tribute to Wayne and Pam Perkins.

Stevie said it was “humbling.” He commented on the consistent leadership, long-serving staff, and the support of head office from the YWCA Haliburton Burlington Brantford.

“Without everyone working together, visioning for the future, we wouldn’t be where we are.”

Making the art of Lapine new again

Lisa Gervais

April 25, 2024

The Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden has two recently-restored Andre Lepine paintings – thanks to Minden Hills Cultural Centre Foundation funding, and the expertise of Peterborough-based conservator, Basia Baklinski.

Baklinski said the biggest issue with the untitled painting, depicting men and horses, was a hole.

She found the fireside painting to be very dark, as it had likely been varnished many times. She noted both paintings had a black, sooty, substance on them. Her theory is that they were likely stored together in the vicinity of a coal furnace, or perhaps kept in a damp basement room.

“Even before I could take the varnish off, I had to take this black sooty stuff off,” Baklinski said.

She said the fireplace painting had several anomalies once she removed the varnish. It almost looked as though someone had applied watercolour over parts of the painting.

Also, she detected the painting had been done on a surface, such as fabric, and then tacked onto a board.

Baklinski said everything she restores has its own unique challenges and requires different treatments.

She noted Fireside had been worked on before, “and I don’t know if it was a conservator or if it was just somebody in the kitchen. But there were little divots right up at the top, and two of them were barely visible but looked like somebody had applied some black ink to sort of camouflage, but it made them stand out more, actually.”

All up, she said it took about 13 hours to restore both paintings. She said on a scale of one to 10, 10 being huge amounts of paint loss, or paintings so dry they are completely crispy, these were not bad.

“Although, I was absolutely flummoxed when I kept getting the black.” However, she found it a fun and interesting challenge.

She added despite not necessarily knowing the name of a painter when a piece of work comes through the door, she develops an emotional connection with the artist.

“It sounds weird but I do get an emotional connection with the things I work on,” Baklinski said.

She added, “with paintings, I’ll look at brush strokes, for example, and wonder what was he thinking when he was painting this? Why is this face so clear when all the other ones are murky? These paintings elicit emotion out of me, they become almost like family.”

And despite feeling as though the restored works are never ready to return, and she holds her breath for approval, Baklinski said she takes pride in what she does and takes the responsibility seriously.

“Given any occupation, or any profession, on the planet, I would pick this one.”

Shannon Kelly, manager of cultural services at Minden Hills, has worked with Baklinski in the past on conservation projects.

“Her work is always flawless and her attention to detail remarkable. She is also a great person to work with. She drove from Peterborough to pick up the paintings and returned them to the Cultural Centre when the work was completed, so we did not have to pay for shipping.”

Kelly added, “I would also like to extend my thanks to the donation by the Minden Hills Cultural Centre Foundation, which made this work possible. Moving forward, we hope to have one to two paintings from our permanent collection cleaned each year in this manner.”

The Mason Jar ‘spreading joy with food’

Lisa Gervais

April 25, 2024

With a background in hospitality, the owners of The Mason Jar in Carnarvon say they love to serve people.

Tara and Andrew Schroeder are doing just that as of April 22, at the home of the former Lola’s food truck at Hwy. 35 and 118.

They’ve themed their newly-minted venture ‘spreading joy with food’ with Andrew referencing “the beautiful colours in the food, the beautiful flavours.

“We love bringing joy through the food, and the service that we’re giving… the thankfulness, the smiling faces, people coming up and saying ‘that was amazing’.”

Since purchasing the food truck effective March 1, the two have been busy. They’ve put wood siding on the vehicle, added an awning, picnic tables with umbrellas, two small smokers out back, and even painted lines for parking spaces. They’ve also rebranded it The Mason Jar. It’s got curb appeal.

Tara said they wanted people driving by to notice “a very relaxed vibe.” She and Andrew use words like “simple” and “elevated elegant. Not crazy colours, other than our food,” Andrew adds. “We like our vibrant beautiful pops of colour but for curb appeal, it’s black and white, with nice wood.”

Tara has been coming to the area for years, as her grandparents owned Shalom-by-theLake on Halls Lake. Her parents now own it and she still helps out. That’s why she and Andrew moved back to the area.

They had been in Orillia and Andrew worked as head chef at Fair Havens Camp and Conference Centre in Beaverton. Tara also worked there in a number of capacities. It’s where they met and married a year later.

Andrew says, “we work great together as long as there is that definitive line, ‘this is mine, this is yours’ but when that is there,we work amazingly.”

Andrew worked in kitchens in Niagara Falls, and was recently the regional chef for Boshkung Smokehouse and Boshkung Social.

The new venture came about when they noticed the food truck, and its location, when they moved back to the area. “We loved it.”

Earlier this year, they reached out to then owner, Lori Glenn, to say if she ever wanted to sell, they would be interested. The deal was done quickly.

It’s been long hours since. In addition to the rebrand and curb appeal, the two have been challenged to strike a menu that resonates with a lot of people.

There’s smoked meats and smash burgers, but they wanted to please the herbivores as well. So, there are things such as power bowls.

Since it is a two-person operation for now, they have also crafted an “efficient” menu, to get “delicious and beautiful” meals out the window fairly quickly.

They would like to find one additional staff person but were still looking as of April 19. Andrew said a candidate does not have to have experience, but must be willing to learn, have drive, and not be afraid of being busy. Tara adds they want someone with a positive attitude.

They also want to maintain consistent hours.

And it isn’t just the human customers they hope to cater for. There is a cannister of dog treats near the register and water bowls are placed outside so fido can experience the ‘spreading of joy with food’ too.

The Mason Jar is at 15436 Hwy. 35. You can find them at themasonjar.ca; facebook.com/themasonjarfoodcompany; at themasonjarfoodco@gmail.com; or 1-705-826-6527.

Minden’s Molly’s moving to market bakery

Lisa Gervais

April 25, 2024

After 14 years at the helm of Molly’s Bistro Bakery, owner Molly McInerney is making a change.

The popular Minden eatery will no longer be a sit-down restaurant for breakfast and lunch. However, McInerney’s food will still be available as take-out or to carry home.

The space is now devoid of tables and will instead be filled with refrigerators for fresh foods and freezers for frozen items. There will also be take-away breakfast and lunch options as well as fresh baking.

McInerney plans to open the newly-named Molly’s Market Bakery on May 5.

The business is still up for sale, and McInerney ultimately would like someone to purchase it. But, until that happens, the 68-year-old proprietor is looking to make things somewhat easier, especially since she has been largely under-staffed.

“I thought let’s just change it up a little bit,” she said last week.

During the first wave of COVID, she expanded the frozen food offerings and started doing date nights once a week. “I really enjoyed that. It was fun. You get to be creative,” she recalled.

During the pandemic’s second wave, amid lockdowns, they closed the restaurant completely as breakfast isn’t conducive to take-away. However, she made preserves. When Molly’s re-opened, she did not have time for preserves, but felt guilty when there was no jam or chili sauce on the shelf.

And while she loves the restaurant, she knows summers can be brutally busy with no opportunity to cater. That coupled with a staff shortage has resulted in the pivot.

“This has been in the back of my head for several months.”

While regulars will miss gathering at her bistro, McInerney said, “I’ll have fresh cuisine as well as carry home and dinner solutions, and frozen. I’m going to expand the bakery. I’m going to start selling bread again.” She’s dreaming about cupcakes, “bigger, badder, better” cookies and cream puffs.

Warming up to the topic of food, she adds, “there’s going to be a huge selection of things to choose from. I will have grab-andgo sandwiches and soup and salads, maybe add croissants, something a little more fun… I’ll have some breakfast offerings. I was thinking of doing some mini pastry-less quiches and making a bunch of savoury ham pies with sausage, mushroom, broccoli, Cornish pasties, meatballs with sauce, wings and ribs that are partially cooked and can be finished at home, along with homemade sauces to go with them. It’s 20 minutes to half-hour to finish at home.”

There are favourite foods she will still offer, such as her Tuscan crepes and eggs benny. People can take the ingredients home and just add an egg. “So, you can have your own classy brunch at home on a Sunday.” She’s also planning smaller portions for seniors or those who live alone.

She admits it’s joyful envisioning the new space and its offerings. “I am enjoying it and I like when people taste my food and like it.” As for regular customers, she said they understand why the change is occurring, as “they don’t want me to kill myself. Not gonna’ die on the grill,” she says with a laugh.

Meanwhile, the restaurant remains for sale. “It’s still a restaurant if someone wants to buy it and start the restaurant up, then it’s all there. If someone wants to take it over like this (market), then it will be successful for them as well. If they want to change back into a restaurant, they’ll be heroes.”

In her dream world, she hopes a long-time customer or customers miss the sit-down breakfast so much they’ll make an offer.

“I’ll be 69 this year. I’d like to sit on my back deck and read a book. Dig in the garden again.”

Molly’s Market Bakery reopens May 5, Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., so working people can purchase dinners to take home.

HHOA restocking a dozen lakes this year

Mike Baker

April 25, 2024

The Haliburton Highlands Outdoors Association is aiming to restock around 30,000 fish into 12 area lakes this year, says its president Dan Smith.

Efforts began April 9, with volunteers transporting rainbow trout and lake trout into Maple, Glamor, Clement, and Kashagawigamog lakes. As of April 22, Smith said the HHOA had stocked approximately 15,000 rainbow trout and 5,600 lake trout.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry assisted hatchery staff April 21, using a helicopter to transport 2,000 ‘Haliburton Gold’ lake trout into Devil’s, Concession, Sheldon, and Rainy lakes.

“Stocking thousands of fish in multiple lakes is a very big job that involves a lot of moving parts and a lot of people power,”

Smith said. “Timing is critical. Water temperatures have to be just right. It’s a lot of coordination and hard work, but it’s well worth the effort to help maintain good fishing in our lakes.” Smith said the local restocking program is done in partnership with MNRF, which studies and tracks fish population levels and identifies lakes that are struggling.

He noted all fish are raised at the Haliburton hatchery, located on Gelert Road.

“Usually, we’ll do most of our restocking the old-fashioned way – we have a big trailer with a water tank on it that can hold 700 gallons of water. We’ll net the fish out of the big tanks in the hatchery and put them into the trailer. We have a water pump that circulates the water to keep it oxygenated, then we drive to whatever lake we’re stocking,” Smith said, noting they can be on the road for up to an hour before transporting the fish.

The MNRF assists with restocking on lakes that are difficult to access, Smith added. Fish are piped into six holding tanks on the chopper and released as the pilot hovers over its targeted lake.

Most stocking takes place in early spring INSTANT REFUND PROGRAM as soon as the ice has melted. Smith said the timing is perfect as cold water holds more oxygen, creating less stress for the fish in their new environment.

Smith said the HHOA restocks lakes for two reasons – to improve recreational fishing, and to protect and rebuild dwindling natural fish populations.

“It’s a big thing for our tourism sector. If we’ve got a good fishery up here, it attracts more tourists to our area, which in turn brings dollars to the area,” Smith said.

Some lakes, like Glamor, are targeted every other year, while popular spots such as Maple Lake and Kashagawigamog are stocked annually. The most recent lake rehabilitation HHOA participated in was on Salmon Lake, just north of Buckhorn in Peterborough County. Thousands of ‘Haliburton Gold’ lake trout were dropped there for three straight years from 2019 to 2021.

“I’m told by fishermen who go there regularly that the lake is a healthy fishery again,” he said.

Smith estimated the HHOA has raised and stocked more than 800,000 fish since efforts began 30 years ago. He said Haliburton has the largest community fish hatchery in the province, run largely by volunteers.

Paudash put-in

Smith attended a stocking on Paudash Lake April 16, when 2,600 lake trout were transported from the North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery in Bancroft. About 30 people attended the put-in, including Highlands East mayor Dave Burton, and coun. Angela Lewis.

Mike Thomas, president of the Paudash Lake Conservation Association, said restocking efforts have been ongoing for eight years, with almost 35,000 fish finding a new home at Paudash.

He said fish are raised for two years in Bancroft before being stocked. Estimating the cost at $6 per fish, he said Paudash Lake has received $200,000 of lake trout since 2017.

Twelve additions to Highlands Sports Hall of Fame

Mike Baker

April 25, 2024

The second class of inductees for the Haliburton Highlands Sports Hall of Fame has been revealed, with six athletes, four community builders, and one historic local team to be honoured.

Roger Trull, chair of the Hall of Fame’s organizing committee, said he was really happy with the class of 2024, noting there are some standout names who competed provincially, nationally, and internationally – helping to put Haliburton County on the map.

“We’ve accomplished our goal of recognizing people from a number of different sports, and people who have made a difference to developing sport in the County,” Trull said. “All nominees, whether an athlete or builder, have had highly successful careers they can all be proud of.”

Track and field star Kate Campbell, hockey players Scott LaRue and Gary Vasey, baseball exports Colin and Greg Newell, and footballer Mark Robinson are to be inducted into the athletes wing. Gary Brohman, former principal and athletics coach at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School, will join Jane Heyes, Ken Rosenberg, and Mark Schell Sr. as recognized community builders.

The 1974 HHSS Redmen football squad are the sole inductee in the team category, recognized for their exploits winning the COSSA Single A championship.

New this year, Trull said one local organization is to receive an outstanding achievement award for its contributions to sport. The Haliburton County Red Wolves, which works with Special Olympics to have disabled athletes compete locally, and outside the County’s borders, will be the inaugural recipient.

“They have done truly unrivalled work in building a fantastic program in Haliburton County. Red Wolves athletes compete locally, provincially, and nationally in some cases – they have huge involvement from County-based athletes. We’re really excited to recognize their contributions,” Trull said.

Campbell set several regional track records during her time at HHSS, with many still standing today. She was the first local student athlete to win gold at OFSAA – the provincial championships for high school athletics.

LaRue played junior hockey within the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings farm systems as a rugged defenceman before playing professionally in Europe. Vasey was a noted scorer who led the Minden Monarchs to three straight Eastern Ontario Championships between 1956 and 1958. Later in life, he was the owner, general manager, and coach of a junior hockey franchise in Bradford.

The Newell brothers turned heads as up-and-coming baseball players in the 1980s. Colin played in the International Softball Congress (ISC) league in the 1990s, representing teams in Owen Sound, Oshawa, Scarborough, and Bracebridge. He received numerous MVP awards and won bronze and silver medals at the ISC World Championships, and gold at the Ontario Sr. AAA Championships.

Greg travelled all over North America playing in the Ontario Amateur Softball Association, International Softball Congress, Canadian and Eastern Canadian, and North American Fastpitch Association championships. He was noted for his hitting ability.

Robinson enjoyed a stellar football career at Queen’s University, where he was named rookie of the year as an offensive lineman in 1990, won the Vanier Cup in 1992, and an Ontario-Quebec Intercollegiate Football Conference all-star and second team All Canadian in 1993. He was also a finalist for TSN’s prestigious Russ Jackson Award for academic achievement, football skills, and citizenship.

On the builders side, Brohman is noted for his work at HHSS, where the athletics field is named after him. Heyes was instrumental in developing the Haliburton Highlands ackrabbit Cross Country Ski program through the 90s and 2000s. Rosenberg is recognized for his work helping hundreds of local golfers at the Haliburton Highlands Golf Course, while Schell supported Countybased hockey and baseball programs – in the community and at HHSS.

An induction ceremony will be held May 25 at A.J. LaRue Arena in Haliburton. The event kicks off at 2 p.m. and will feature videos for each inductee, and awards presented by someone who impacted their career. Posters of the inductees will be installed at the Haliburton and Minden hall of fame sites.

“We think it’s really valuable to recognize the important role these people played in furthering sports in our community,” Trull said.

Bookapalooza to feature big-name mystery author

Mike Baker

April 25, 2024

The Haliburton Arts Council is staging a community-wide game of Guess Who? in the lead up to this year’s third annual Bookapalooza literary festival.

Douglas Tindall, a County-based author and arts council member, said one of Canada’s most loved, bestselling authors will be in attendance for a conversation and book signing, and is challenging the community to figure out who it is.

“His or her identity remains a secret – we’re really hoping to build some intrigue. Our mystery author is a name very well-known around the world, and should be very wellknown to this area,” Tindall said, noting people are invited to submit guesses and, if correct, have a chance to win a prize.

The arts council has been working with CanoeFM on the guessing game, revealing clues on air and social media. Tindall shared the final clue, which airs on Canoe this week.

“I’ll bet you never saw it coming: Bookapalooza is only three months away! There is a rumour that we are running short on tickets, but this is far from true. We can help you chase down the last 23 seats at a price that will not ruin you. We don’t want to deliver bad news, so get your guesses in,” Tindall said.

Previous clues focused on the senses, with the first noting this year’s guest “is sure to take your breath away,” and another advising players to “trust your eyes as clues are revealed.”

Guesses can be submitted to bookapalooza.hh@gmail.com. Tindall noted the author’s identity will be revealed May 1.

A hobby writer for most of his life, Tindall said Bookapalooza is a great way for local authors to showcase their works. This year’s event will take place July 13 at the Minden Community Centre.

“Last year was my first Bookapalooza and one of the things that blew me away is how much incredible cultural activity we have going on in the County, how many writers we have here who are tucked away, doing their own thing. It’s nice to shine a light on that,” Tindall said.

By hosting it earlier in the summer, Tindall said organizers are hoping to attract more writers and visitors.

There’s a new format, with the exhibitor’s hall and big book club, previously separate events held in different locations, coming together under one roof. The event will start at noon, with the mystery author participating in a book signing and Q&A at 3 p.m. Writers will remain at their booths until 5:30 p.m.

The author will participate in a more “intimate” reception and dinner at the Dominion Hotel at 6 p.m.

Access to the exhibitor’s hall is free, but tickets are required for the book signing, Q&A, and reception. They go on sale May 1.

Tindall said Bookapalooza is a great event for everyone.

“As one of the participating authors last year, it was a big help for me. I love writing, but don’t have a clue where to start with selling my books. Having an event like this, which brings so many eyes to what you’ve done, really helps with that,” Tindall said.

“There really is no other opportunity like this for local literary lovers. I enjoy reading a best-seller just as much as the next person, but these books are written by local authors, often using local landmarks and settings in their stories, and focusing on things that matter to Haliburton County. There’s something about that you just can’t replicate,” he added.

For more information, visit haliburtonarts.on.ca.

OPP uniforms an issue

April 25, 2024

I’ve been watching the coroner’s inquest into the death of Leslie Hegedus.

For those of you who don’t know, he was the 73-year-old Dysart man killed by OPP in an armed stand-off at his Indian Point Road home.
The shooting took place on July 15, 2020, at the height of COVID-19 and its masking mandate.

The jury heard how an unhappy looking Hegedus walked into the Minden Valu-Mart that hot summer day. He was met by an employee who was ensuring people were masked before entering the store. Hegedus refused. When the store employee pointed to the public health requirements on a sign, Hegedus repeatedly punched the man in the head, knocking him to the floor.

Staff and public came to the workers’ assistance, shoving Hegedus out the door. The enraged man jumped into his Alfa Romeo and hit some parked cars and ran at some employees before speeding out of the parking lot. Police were called and gave chase. They halted the pursuit when Hegedus tried to run a police car off the road. Hegedus went to his home where he donned camouflage and got a rifle, handgun, knife and enough ammunition for a long stand-off, and made his way to a spot in the bushes near the road of his long driveway. He was ready for police once they arrived. He shot at officers, who returned fire and took Hegedus down. The man was pronounced dead at hospital.

The Special Investigations Unit has already cleared the officers involved in the shooting. The purpose of an inquest is to answer five questions: who was the deceased; how did the deceased come to their death; when did the deceased come to their death; where did the deceased come to their death; and by what means did the deceased come to their death?

A jury can also – but does not have to – make recommendations in hopes of ensuring a similar death can be prevented in future.

However, there are some themes emerging that will give the five-person jury fodder for recommendations.

For example, one of the officers testified how he had to change uniforms on the side of the road – from blue to green – to enter the crime scene. The inquest counsel has prompted the jury that something should be recommended around that.

Another theme is the OPP communications system. We heard testimony that sometimes officers call other offices on their cell phones to alert them to situations, even before comms sends out a dispatch. We have heard that detachments have their own towers so sometimes an officer en route from, say Orillia, may not be able to hear the police radio until he or she gets into range.

We also heard that sometimes the radios are so full of chatter, it is hard to hear what is going on, even when switching to tactical channels.
Officers also get noise from other jurisdictions. In this case, an officer testified there were two Indian Point roads, one near Coboconk and one in Dysart and he initially headed for the wrong address.

One of the officers at the scene of the Hegedus shooting testified Tuesday that after they had taken Hegedus down, he could not initially get through on the radio to tell the others the suspect was down and they were going to need EMS. He was about to use his cell phone when the radio kicked in.

The officer said while OPP have made, and are continuing to make, improvements to police communications, it remains an issue. We suspect this – as well as uniform policy – will be two of the key recommendations. (The recommendations were released Wednesday).

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