Some educators across the province including a few working at Trillium Lakelands District School Board wear “bite sleeves” – protective coverings to avoid injury while working with children according to the ETFO local president. A survey of more than 1600 educators across the province found that more than half had been subjected to violence in the previous year mostly from students. The teachers’ union says more educational assistants and mental health specialists are needed in the classrooms to properly support children. /KAREN LONDON Staff

More affordable housing planned

By Angelica Ingram

Published Aug. 23 2016

More affordable housing units will be coming to the village of Haliburton following an announcement made at the Aug. 22 meeting of Dysart et al council.

CEO of the Kawartha Lakes-Haliburton Housing Corporation Hope Lee presented councillors with the first look at Phase 2 of the Whispering Pines complex located at 4977 County Road 21.
Constructed in 2013 the development known as Whispering Pines has 24 one-bedroom units.
The Phase 2 proposal includes adding 12 family townhouses on the same property with six of them to include two bedrooms and the other six to have three bedrooms said Lee.

The design of the townhouses will match the current building on site and they will be constructed as two separate buildings (with six units in each complex).
The two-bedroom units will measure 850 square feet while the three-bedroom units will be 1150 sq. ft.
The property is already zoned for the additional development which was done in 2011 however a lack of capital funding at the time prevented the corporation from completing the entire project said Lee.
The municipality was supportive of the initial phase of the project with Dysart selling the land for a fair price and waiving site plan application fees building permit fees security requirements and reducing the property tax according to Lee.
A cash donation of $190000 from the county was made for the first phase.
Lee said the second phase will include 10 affordable units as well as two “market units.”

The market units will rent for approximately $1057 and $1251 a month both rates including utilities.
The affordable units will be priced at $837 a month for a two-bedroom unit and $968 for a three-bedroom both rates inclusive of utilities.
“We certainly already know the need” said Lee. “We know there won’t be an issue filling these units.”
Lee said currently there are 32 households in Haliburton in need of a two-bedroom unit and 12 households in need of a three-bedroom unit.
The project is dependent on support from all levels of government and the KLHHC has committed a reserve contribution of $150000 to the project and the City of Kawartha Lakes has earmarking just over a million dollars for a KLHHC project said Lee.

The CEO who presented with housing corporation chairwoman Eleanor Harrison said they were at council to ask for the municipality’s support as well as request that Dysart waive the sewer connection fees site plan application fees registration fees and security requirement. Lee also requested building permit fees be waived and the property taxes be reduced.
The CEO said a request at the county level would be coming this week for support of the project and for a $144000 cash donation which will be needed for when construction starts in 2018.
The approvals are needed by September she said.
The projected timeline for the project estimates construction to start in the spring of 2018 with tenants moving in later that year.

Councillor Derek Knowles asked why two units were being offered at market rent to which Lee said there was a need for this in the community as well and that these units were on the lower end of market rates especially since they include utilities.
If there was no need for them they would be filled with those seeking affordable housing she said.