NHL alumni Ron Stackhouse a Haliburton resident spent time on several occasions during the Roger Hockey Hometown weekend of events meeting fans discussing his career and promoting Haliburton in interviews and catching up with friends. /SUE TIFFIN Staff
The following are brief reports of items discussed during an April 26 meeting of Haliburton County council.
An active neighbourhood plan from the Communities in Action committee calls for changes that would more greatly incorporate the stretch of County Road 21 heading into Haliburton Village into the village itself. That stretch of roadway which turns into Highland Street includes the area around Independent Grocer Tim Hortons and the affordable housing complex.
“Traffic calming is a way of slowing down traffic through environmental design” said committee member and local health promoter Sue Shikaze as she presented the plan to councillors.
One suggestion is to make that area a community safety zone with a speed limit of 40 km/h. The plan also suggests that pedestrian walkways could be created for businesses in the area since most are accessible only by driveways designed for vehicles.
Tying in some aesthetics from the street-scaping efforts in downtown Haliburton could also help emphasize that the stretch of road is in fact a well-frequented part of the village the plan suggests.
While the road is owned by the county Haliburton County Warden and Minden Hills Reeve Brent Devolin said any major changes in the area should really be the decision of the council for Dysart et al in which most of the village sits.
“I look to be principally led by Dysart council” Devolin said.
Transportation project extended
The Ministry of Transportation will fund the extension of the community transportation pilot project an initiative of Rural Transportation Options (RTO) and Haliburton County that has been ongoing for the past two years.
The goal of the project is to address transportation needs in local municipalities assist community agencies in meeting the demand for transportation and helping to fill transportation gaps in the community. With the hiring of a project co-ordinator it has included a transportation summit survey the creation of a community transportation hub and ride-sharing website and 1-800 hotline.
The $50000 in funding from the ministry along with more than $20000 in in-kind contributions from partner organizations will extend the project for a year.
