By Jenn Watt

Published Dec. 11 2018

Aaron Walker wants to see the community turn its focus to funding the new Haliburton Youth Wellness Hub which is undergoing renovations in the former Lighthouse church on Dysart Avenue in Haliburton.

The space is much-needed by youth and Walker who owns McKecks Tap and Grill with his wife Melissa Walker said he’d like to see people helping out where they can.

A concert by The Emburys at McKecks in November raised $250 for the youth hub which the restaurant matched to donate $500.

“It’s exciting to have in this community” Walker said at a cheque presentation at the new space on Dec. 5.

“In a conversation that I had with Marg Cox [executive director of Point in Time which is a lead on the project] a couple of months ago I learned about the youth hub and that it would be in need of funding as things progress so I thought that it would be great to leverage events at McKecks to support this just as historically we have supported minor hockey and youth in the community” he said in a press release.

Although funding has come in from the province as well as through Haliburton County Development Corporation to pay for the operation and staffing money is still needed to renovate the space.

Cox said members of the public can visit pointintime.ca/gift-registry to give to the project. Money will go to whatever is the most pressing need at the moment.

Those working on the youth hub are grieving the death of Peter Fearrey who was managing the renovation and doing the hands-on work at the space. Fearrey had recently retired from HHHS and was a key member of the team.