By James Matthews

Haliburton artists are aiming for a five-year timeframe to begin construction of a facility in Dysart.
Dan Manley, president of the Haliburton Highlands Arts Centre Foundation, and Beth Kipping, the foundation’s vice-president, met with Dysart council in July to lay out plans to get property on Wonderland Road.
After a recent closed session with the foundation, council requested details about timelines of the Wonderland/21 project.
“I think it’s pretty clear what we need to do,” said Mayor Murray Fearrey. “We agreed to give you the property based on the fact that you do it or you don’t. If you can’t then you come back to us.”
Manley described a process that would get into high gear in this year’s third quarter. But that could be delayed, depending on how long it takes for land to transfer to new owners.
Manley said the foundation will revisit a fundraising study recently completed with the Dennis Group, consultants based out of Peterborough that work with clients to create management strategies.
“What they had done is essentially done some interviews with a lot of key people, movers and shakers, and some public surveys to find out about the affinity for fundraising for the project,” he said.
Now that the project is a little father along, key people will be revisited to solicit their opinion on the work.
“And reassess the fundraising potential for the project,” Manley said.
He said much has changed in the two years since the project was undertaken. Back then, they were in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns.
“The fundraising landscape and the funding landscape has changed quite a bit since then,” he said.
Then the foundation will be established a building committee consisting of board members and others from outside the foundation who are experienced in building.
Toward the end of the year, a capital campaign plan will be developed and a fundraising target will be established.
“Some of you have seen our feasibility study that (had) a $48-million price tag attached to what was in that report,” Manley said. “We’ll see if that is possible.
“If that’s not possible, then what number could be reasonable? And go for that target instead.”
The building plan will be updated and committee members will ensure the project budget matches the fundraising target.
“If we come back and they say that we can probably raise $35-million, we will then go to the architects and say, What can you build for $35-million?” he said.
Then steps will be taken to retain a project manager and an architecture and consulting team.
The arts centre design will be finalized in 2025 before the public campaign is launched later in the year.
The long-term activities will stretch two to five years, “unless there are some big donors that come forward and let us cut it short,” Manley said. “But it’s likely to go two to five years.”
The public capital campaign will continue as construction documents are looked over by the municipality for approval. The contract for the work is expected to be awarded by the end of 2029.
“That is what we’re hoping to work towards,” he said. “Anything can happen, of course.”
“I think five years is what we were thinking,” Fearrey said.
“It’s a nice, well-rounded number,” Manley said.
“I’d think you’d know by then what you’re going to do,” Fearrey said.
“All the sort of practical, logistic things will happen sooner,” Manley said. “The biggest thing is the capital campaign for the two to five years and we’d be in constant communication about what is going on, if there are any changes.”
Manley asked if there is any avenue by which the municipality could help the foundation cover zoning fees.
“We will discuss that,” Fearrey said.
“The fees certainly aren’t cheap,” Manley said when debating council’s resolution on the matter. “I’ve put them all together with all the studies. If some can be waived or we can defer that to a later time, that would be ideal.”
Manley said an estimate for the fees, without the studies, came to about $700,000. As a charitable organization, the arts foundation relies on donations.
“We’re amazingly thankful for the property gift,” Manley said. “That’s a complete game-changer for us and really fires the starting pistol for (the project).”