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{Discussion continues on value-added items }

Discussion continues on value-added items

Minden Hills councillors have still yet to decide on which value-added items will be included in the township s arena project.
{County passes video surveillance policy }

County passes video surveillance policy

Haliburton County councillors approved a video surveillance policy during their June 24 meeting, held via videoconferencing and broadcast on YouTube.
{COVID-19 assessment centre operating at capacity }

COVID-19 assessment centre operating at capacity

Since restrictions on who can be tested for COVID-19 have been lifted, demand has swelled at the assessment centre in Haliburton, which is averaging 25 to 35 people per day, said Dr. Norm Bottum of the Haliburton Highlands Family Health Team.
{County-based kombucha biz brewing success }

County-based kombucha biz brewing success

It was Haliburton County s lack of kombucha selection that led Lucus Esson to brewing his own, with those concoctions becoming the now-commercially available Luc s Brew.
{County council meetings to be broadcast in perpetuity }

County council meetings to be broadcast in perpetuity

Haliburton County council will proceed with the purchase and installation of audiovisual equipment for council chambers so that when in-person meetings resume, they will be broadcast publicly on the internet.
{MH awards contract for IGA Road reconstruction }

MH awards contract for IGA Road reconstruction

Council awarded the contract for the reconstruction of IGA Road to Four Brothers Construction for a total cost of just less than $410,000. The road has been in poor condition for many years, with the project continually deferred during council s annual bu
{Incoming kindergarten students introduced to school from a distance }

Incoming kindergarten students introduced to school from a distance

Twenty-one of 33 registered junior kindergarten students got a look at the school they could be going to for the first time this September at the June 22 Welcome to Kindergarten Drive About event held at Archie Stouffer Elementary School.
{Minden Hills holds Canada Day photo contest }

Minden Hills holds Canada Day photo contest

Canada Day will look a lot different in Minden this year, with Minden Hills annual celebration, which normally packs the downtown with residents and visitors, cancelled amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
{Guide rails in AH damaged again }

Guide rails in AH damaged again

For the second time in a year, Algonquin Highlands township will replace guide rails at the intersection of St. Peters Road and North Shore Road, after they were damaged by transport trucks. The rails had just been replaced in fall of last year.
{Penny's Place goes online }

Penny's Place goes online

Penny s Place, the consignment shop dealing mostly in children s clothing that opened on Minden s main drag during the winter, no longer has a storefront along Bobcaygeon Road amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is still in business.
{Public will be able to call into meetings }

Public will be able to call into meetings

During their June 18 meeting, Algonquin Highlands council discussed how residents might be able to partake in public meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
{Emma Casey named Female Athlete of the Year }

Emma Casey named Female Athlete of the Year

Emma Casey couldn t hold back the tears when she learned she was named the Haliburton Highlands Secondary School s Female Athlete of the Year. Casey learned the good news online from the virtual Red Hawks ceremony on Thursday morning with her family pres
{Isaac Little named Male Athlete of the Year }

Isaac Little named Male Athlete of the Year

Isaac Little, this year s Male Athlete of the Year for Haliburton Highlands Secondary School, is an inspiring force for teammates and coaches, appreciated for his athletic prowess, and the way he carried himself off and on the track, trail or ice.
{Red Hawks recognized for dedication and sportsmanship}

Red Hawks recognized for dedication and sportsmanship

There wasn t any audience applause. There weren t any tearful acceptance speeches. There wasn t any laughter from a crowd. What students do have is a lasting reminder of athletic excellence and commitment to sport through the Red Hawks Athletic Banquet he
{Burke's birdhouses benefit food bank }

Burke's birdhouses benefit food bank

While some turned to Netflix, and others turned to baking sourdough bread, Tom Burke turned to building birdhouses.
{About picnics and ice cream }

About picnics and ice cream

True events transcribed from my hand-written journal with minimal editing from my Bat Lake School Snowdon Township book-in-progress
{Housing program helps homeless during pandemic }

Housing program helps homeless during pandemic

The City of Kawartha Lakes, which is the social services provider for Haliburton County, has designed a program to assist landlords in housing the homeless during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
{Council to decide on value-added items for arena}

Council to decide on value-added items for arena

Minden Hills councillors will decide what value-added items the township will include in the arena project at their meeting at the end of the month.
{Satellite internet for Lochlin, Irondale }

Satellite internet for Lochlin, Irondale

The Township of Minden Hills will outfit its community halls in Lochlin and Irondale with satellite internet, councillors decided during their June 11 committee-of-the-whole meeting, which was held using online conferencing and broadcast on YouTube.
{Patients could stay in town for out-of-town appointments }

Patients could stay in town for out-of-town appointments

As non-urgent appointments are made available throughout the province and residents are contacted for specialty visits, Ontario Telemedicine Network allows for virtual care for out-of-town engagements.
{G7 student senate fights for climate action }

G7 student senate fights for climate action

The G7 Student Senate presented their climate action plan to the Trillium Lakelands District School Board at its regular meeting of the board on June 9.
{County stays course with COVID-19 recovery }

County stays course with COVID-19 recovery

Haliburton County s four lower-tier municipalities will continue to deal with recovery from the COVID-19 crisis separately, county councillors decided during a June 10 special meeting.
{Visual Arts, the Great Depression and COVID-19 }

Visual Arts, the Great Depression and COVID-19

An odd combination of words for a title, I will grant you, but consider the following.
{Busiest year ever at Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary }

Busiest year ever at Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary

With the COVID-19 pandemic causing many to stay home and go out only for the essentials, Monika Melichar, the founder and director of Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary, had thought less people would be out on the roads. And that would mean there was going to b
{Public should remain diligent during pandemic: health unit}

Public should remain diligent during pandemic: health unit

Haliburton County s total confirmed cases of COVID-19 that are unresolved remain at one, after a new case appeared the first since April last week. Currently there are also two community high-risk contacts in Haliburton County reported in the June 9 d
{COVID-19 testing continues for LTC staff }

COVID-19 testing continues for LTC staff

In a weekly update from Haliburton Highlands Health Services, Carolyn Plummer, president and CEO, said all long-term care staff will be tested for COVID-19 twice during the month of June, under direction by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
{Barb Millington takes on Terry Fox Run }

Barb Millington takes on Terry Fox Run

The first-ever virtual Terry Fox Run will be held in 650 communities across Canada, including Haliburton and Minden. The Terry Fox Foundation confirmed both Minden and Haliburton have had organizers step up to help coordinate the run, which is being held
{Road mortality threatens turtle populations }

Road mortality threatens turtle populations

Every year, from as early as May to as late as mid-July, it s turtle nesting season in Ontario. And us humans have created the perfect nesting or relaxing habitat for these threatened creatures: the side of the road. As a result of this, road mortalit
{Smiling in self-isolation, capturing life during a pandemic}

Smiling in self-isolation, capturing life during a pandemic

A picture is worth a thousand words, and the Thorn family has had a little fun with that concept, posing in photos that depict life at home during a pandemic.
{Province announces additional internet funding amid COVID-19 crisis}

Province announces additional internet funding amid COVID-19 crisis

Last week, the provincial government announced more funding for internet infrastructure in Ontario, aimed at bringing enhanced broadband and cellular service to rural, remote and under-serviced areas. The $150 million in funding is part of a $315-million
{Resorts may open with safety protocols in place }

Resorts may open with safety protocols in place

It appears that cottage rental resorts in the county may open for business under provincial guidelines as long as they abide by proper protocols, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit said, that information being sent to county accommo
{Huxley the goat gives family story to tell}

Huxley the goat gives family story to tell

Lindsay Wilkinson sums up the strangest occurrence in her life with one sentence: It s nothing like I ever thought I was going to experience, getting a goat.
{MH hires new CAO }

MH hires new CAO

The Township of Minden Hills has hired a new chief administrative officer, who will start in the position July 6.
{Businesses adjust to curbside economy }

Businesses adjust to curbside economy

Adjusting to new rules and regulations is never easy in the best of times, but county businesses have had to do it in the worst of times and find new ways to survive amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
{No ball for Minden youth this summer}

No ball for Minden youth this summer

Like much of everything this year, the Minden Minor Baseball League s 2020 season has been officially cancelled.
{Newspaper delivery driver captures images along route }

Newspaper delivery driver captures images along route

For the past 10 years, if you ve ever read the Toronto Star newspaper in Haliburton County, you have delivery driver Cynthia Kocot to thank.
{Virtual ceremony provides real recognition for Hawks' achievements}

Virtual ceremony provides real recognition for Hawks' achievements

It s the first time in 42 years the Haliburton Highlands Secondary School Annual Athletic Awards Ceremony is going virtual, as part of continuous efforts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. When the provincial government decided to not reopen school
{SIRCH rallies for rhubarb }

SIRCH rallies for rhubarb

If you have a rhubarb patch, SIRCH Community Services is asking you to donate some rhubarb to help the organization provide a serving of fruit alongside each free meal it gives out amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
{Sanctuary gets chance at pigeons }

Sanctuary gets chance at pigeons

While Minden Hills councillors had been on the precipice of hiring a company to trap and euthanize a flock of pigeons living in downtown Minden and roosting in the former theatre along Water Street, after receiving correspondence from the Woodlands Wildli
{Requests for COVID-19 testing increase}

Requests for COVID-19 testing increase

Haliburton County is seeing an influx in requests for COVID-19 testing, according to the Haliburton Highlands Family Health Team, possibly in response to Premier Doug Ford s weekend public plea that Ontario residents get tested.
{Digital payment system for AH landfills}

Digital payment system for AH landfills

The Township of Algonquin Highlands will introduce a digital payment system at its Maple Lake and Oxtongue Lake landfills, as well as the Dorset transfer station.
{Virtual Terry Fox Run needs organizers for 40th anniversary}

Virtual Terry Fox Run needs organizers for 40th anniversary

The Terry Fox Run is going virtual across Canada this year, fulfilling Fox s dream of the Marathon of Hope continuing despite his death in 1981 but organizers are needed for the Minden and Haliburton community runs this year.
{Making a dream come true, one kilometre at a time}

Making a dream come true, one kilometre at a time

Riding up County Road 121 a few kilometres from Kinmount, 47-year-old Arie Hoogerbrugge pedals his bicycle, smiling, free from the constraints of an ordinary life, pushing his physical and mental limits during his epic 55,000 kilometre dream ride that sta
{School's Cool a no-go this year}

School's Cool a no-go this year

For six weeks each summer for the past 20 years, three-and-four-year-old residents of Haliburton County have experienced what their upcoming first days of school might be like at School s Cool, a summer program run by SIRCH Community Services and the Tril
{Funding doesn't go far enough, CARP says }

Funding doesn't go far enough, CARP says

The president of the Haliburton chapter of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons says that while funding for seniors announced by the federal government earlier this month amid the COVID-19 crisis is welcome news, it doesn t go far enough, and the o
{Online storyteller keeps it real }

Online storyteller keeps it real

When Jaime Bilodeau was little, she wanted to be the girl version of Indiana Jones. As an adult, the branch assistant at Minden Hills library now says, I m never going to do that in real life. The closest thing I guess, is reading about it.
{Council considers culling of pigeons }

Council considers culling of pigeons

Minden Hills council is considering some options in dealing with a flock of pigeons that have taken up roost in downtown Minden.
{'Cautious optimisim' for first stage of reopening }

'Cautious optimisim' for first stage of reopening

Representatives of the county s business community say there is cautious optimism from among their membership following the province s decision to begin stage one of the reopening process this week.
{MH considering more shoreline controls }

MH considering more shoreline controls

During a May 14 committee-of-the-whole meeting, Minden Hills council discussed the ways the township might more tightly control development in shoreline areas, including whether or not to continue the practice of selling shoreline road allowances to prope
{Photo conveys mood of Picasso}

Photo conveys mood of Picasso

A couple weeks ago, Haliburton Highlands Secondary School student Colleen Petric put one foot toward a post-secondary education in visual arts with an effective photo re-creation of Picasso s Old Guitarist, 1903. The art assignment asked students to lear
{COVID-19 response, surplus management hot topics at TLDSB meeting}

COVID-19 response, surplus management hot topics at TLDSB meeting

On May 12, the Trillium Lakelands District School Board held its committee-of-the-whole meeting via remote video conference, discussing matters including COVID-19, budgets, and graduation. The meeting was live streamed to the public on the board s website
{Schools to remain closed until September }

Schools to remain closed until September

Class materials will continue to be offered online or through alternative formats for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.
{Loans available for area businesses }

Loans available for area businesses

Additional funding is available for small businesses in Haliburton County affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
{Returning cottagers asked to scale back activities }

Returning cottagers asked to scale back activities

Residents returning to their cottages are being asked by Premier Doug Ford and municipal politicians to enjoy the long weekend in a more low-key fashion. No big gatherings, no outdoor fires, no fireworks. Although seasonal residents were never banned fr
{MH begins accepting more waste at landfills }

MH begins accepting more waste at landfills

As of Monday, May 11, Minden Hills waste disposal sites have begun accepting more types of waste than have been permitted under restrictions put in place amid the COVID-19 crisis. The township is phasing in a return to partial services at its waste dispo
{Arena construction resumes }

Arena construction resumes

After being put on pause for a month following restrictions from the provincial government amid the COVID-19 outbreak, construction on Minden Hills arena project resumed last week.
{Chef Chris cooks up community during COVID-19}

Chef Chris cooks up community during COVID-19

On May 2, Rhubarb restaurant in Carnarvon hosted their first takeout night since the provincial government announced that all restaurants can be open for takeout only due to COVID-19. They expected to serve around 25 meals and ended up serving close to 12
{Celebrating nursing week more imporant than ever this year}

Celebrating nursing week more imporant than ever this year

National Nursing Week is taking place from May 11 to 17 this year and its theme is Nurses: A voice to lead nursing the world to health. The World Health Organization has designated 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife in honour of the 200th anniver
{New tech brings colour to black and white photos of Minden's past}

New tech brings colour to black and white photos of Minden's past

The Minden Hills Cultural Centre has been using an artificial intelligence program called DeOldify to restore old photographs with colour, then posting them to Facebook for the community to view from the comfort and safety of their own home.
{Takeout service helps bridge gap for restaurants}

Takeout service helps bridge gap for restaurants

While dine-in service is temporarily unavailable in restaurants in Ontario, the businesses ability to offer takeout has helped many get through an economically difficult situation and provide customers with the comfort of their favourite dishes.
{Girl and her dog share life-altering bond}

Girl and her dog share life-altering bond

Words do little to express the bond shared by Minden teen Emma Gillam and her Doberman, Biggie, who wouldn t be one without the other. They re pretty much inseparable.
{Schmale distances himself from Sloan comments}

Schmale distances himself from Sloan comments

Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MP Jamie Schmale says he doesn t know what his caucus colleague and Conservative party leadership hopeful Hastings-Lennox and Addington MP Derek Sloan was thinking with his verbal attack on Canada s top doctor, and does not
{Long-term care residents undergo universal coronavirus testing}

Long-term care residents undergo universal coronavirus testing

All long-term care residents and staff have been tested for COVID-19 at Haliburton Highlands Health Services facilities as part of a directive of the Ontario government.
{Home builders pleased as some activities set to resume}

Home builders pleased as some activities set to resume

The provincial government s decision to allow some construction activities to resume was good news for the Haliburton County Home Builders Association, which issued a press release on Friday, May 1 praising the decision.
{Vandalism in Minden’s downtown comes at time of elevated stress}

Vandalism in Minden’s downtown comes at time of elevated stress

Minden shopkeepers were greeted by posters stuck to the windows of their buildings on Wednesday morning, which they had to spend time carefully removing. The posters included messages about a coronavirus hoax among other topics.
{Schools adapting as closure extended }

Schools adapting as closure extended

School staff have been adapting quickly to changes to the education system, and continue to work through challenges distance learning presents, a spokesperson for Trillium Lakelands District School Board said.
{MH council meetings go digital }

MH council meetings go digital

Minden Hills council held its first remote meeting using digital teleconferencing platform Zoom on April 28, and the plan is for regular committee-of-the-whole and council meetings to be held digitally beginning in May.
{Province to re-open economy in stages }

Province to re-open economy in stages

The provincial government announced Monday that it will re-open Ontario s economy in stages, but only after receiving advice from its top medical advisors that it is safe to do so.
{Jump in your lake for the food bank}

Jump in your lake for the food bank

The president of the Balsam Lake Association is challenging area lakefront residents to join him this Saturday afternoon, and take a plunge into their lakes to raise money for charitable causes.
{Online yoga fundraiser continues into May }

Online yoga fundraiser continues into May

After the success of Online for our Frontline, a yoga fundraiser for Haliburton Highlands Health Services, instructor Gail Holness said she s continuing her efforts in May, this time raising money for the food bank.
{County considers how to help with COVID-19 recovery }

County considers how to help with COVID-19 recovery

Haliburton County councillors discussed the possible creation of a COVID-19 recovery team during an April 22 meeting.
{Scott urges residents to stay the course}

Scott urges residents to stay the course

Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP and Ontario Infrastructure Minister Laurie Scott says she s cautiously optimistic that the province might see the peak of the coronavirus curve in the not-too-distant future, but is emphasizing it s important for reside
{Neighbours Helping Neighbours extends a hand from the heart }

Neighbours Helping Neighbours extends a hand from the heart

The Ritchie Falls Road bridge Bonnie Roe stands on offers a kind of symbolism as she talks about her Neighbours Helping Neighbours COVID-19 Support Network and the help the service can provide. The support network is bridging the divide between people
{Retired health-care workers return to the front line }

Retired health-care workers return to the front line

After she graduated as a nurse in 1971, Jeanette Gibbons spent 15 years working in a neonatal intensive care unit at a hospital in Hamilton before moving to Haliburton County in 1986 to run a resort on Little Hawk Lake with her husband.
{EORN issues RFP for massive cell project}

EORN issues RFP for massive cell project

The Eastern Ontario Regional Network is releasing the first request for proposals in its massive cell gap project that will connect areas of eastern Ontario with low or no connectivity with mobile broadband internet.
{Students' stress grows over school, rent, summer jobs }

Students' stress grows over school, rent, summer jobs

Abby Gordon was sitting in a class, studying in the last month of school in her first year of the developmental service program at Algonquin College in Ottawa, when everything changed. As the coronavirus spread into Ontario, so was news that nearby univer
{OSSTF and government reach deal }

OSSTF and government reach deal

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, along with the Ontario Public School Boards Association, OSSTF Education Workers and Council of Trustees Associations, has reached a tentative three-year deal with the provincial government.
{Donations for HHHS roll in from online yoga class}

Donations for HHHS roll in from online yoga class

Yoga instructor Gail Holness is reaching out to the community and helping to give back by moving her classes online and providing access through donations to Haliburton Highlands Health Services.
{Tourism association makes recommendations in wake of COVID-19}

Tourism association makes recommendations in wake of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic stands to wallop the province s tourism industry, and earlier this week, the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario released a series of recommendations designed to ease the financial burden for tourism operators.
{SIRCH rallies public with Sewing for a Great Cause }

SIRCH rallies public with Sewing for a Great Cause

SIRCH Community Services and Haliburton Highlands Health Services are asking for the public s help to build an inventory of fabric homemade masks for Haliburton County.
{Possibility of library layoffs broached at meeting}

Possibility of library layoffs broached at meeting

Whether or not some staff of the Haliburton County Public Library might be laid off during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was discussed during an April 8 meeting of the library board.
{Flooding remains unlikely }

Flooding remains unlikely

Severe flooding in the county remains unlikely, according to a water levels update from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
{Music from Home attracts thousands of music fans}

Music from Home attracts thousands of music fans

Days into staying at home to stay safe and help prevent the spread of coronavirus, Brent Coltman, a guitar player and musician who regularly jammed when community could gather had the idea of sharing a video or two of the songs he was playing on Facebook.
{HHHS expands acute care capacity, separates facilities for COVID and non-COVID needs}

HHHS expands acute care capacity, separates facilities for COVID and non-COVID needs

The acute care unit in Haliburton has been expanded from 15 to 21 beds for COVID related needs, and a new nine-bed acute care unit has been created at the Minden site for non-COVID related admissions.
{Fleming College announces cancellation of Haliburton School of Art + Design summer school programs}

Fleming College announces cancellation of Haliburton School of Art + Design summer school programs

The 2020 Haliburton School of Art + Design summer program will be cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fleming College announced the change today regarding more than 300 week-long and weekend courses that occur May through September every year.
{Arena project on pause following provincial announcment}

Arena project on pause following provincial announcment

The Minden Hills arena project is paused for the time being following an April 3 announcement by the provincial government that further restricts construction activities within Ontario.
{Resources available for tourism businesses }

Resources available for tourism businesses

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is creating tough times for many businesses, including the tourism-based businesses of the Haliburton Highlands.
{Home builders support construction restrictions }

Home builders support construction restrictions

The Haliburton County Home Builders Association, along with the Ontario Home Builders Association, says it s supportive of the provincial government s decision to restrict construction activities in Ontario amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
{'A little piece of community' offered online}

'A little piece of community' offered online

Nancy Therrien was adapting library programming to allow for greater physical distancing as recommendations to stay home came into effect before March Break when the library programming was cancelled altogether. Not long after that, the library doors woul
{COVID-19 can't stop syrup production}

COVID-19 can't stop syrup production

It takes 40 litres of sap to make one litre of syrup and the ideal conditions for high yields is cold nights and warm days. Haliburton County has seen its fair share of such weather and area producers have been the beneficiaries of strong sap flow.
{Bounceback offers mental health support during COVID-19 crisis}

Bounceback offers mental health support during COVID-19 crisis

To help Ontarians navigating the difficult realities in the wake of COVID-19, the Ontario government has announced an expansion of online and virtual mental health supports, including Canadian Mental Health Association s BounceBack program.
{HHHS Community Programs launches HaliburtonCares.ca}

HHHS Community Programs launches HaliburtonCares.ca

Haliburton Highlands Health Services Community Programs has launched a new website to provide all residents of Haliburton County with up-to-date information and resources during the COVID-19 global pandemic.