By Emily Stonehouse Dysart passed their budget earlier this year by following a standard status quo pattern. Very few feathers were ruffled. If you blinked, you may have even missed it on the agenda altogether.…
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Haliburton Gymnastics maps out next steps
By Emily Stonehouse “If you build it, they will come.” That’s the mindset of Kathy Judson as she shared the iconic Field of Dreams quote, in reference to her newest project: a gymnastics gym in…
How Haliburton Village Pharmacy is redefining care
By Adam Frisk When you step into Pharmasave Haliburton Village Pharmacy, the typical "big-box" experience of fluorescent lights, aisles of industrial cleaning products, and a lotto machine shouting "winner, gagnant!" is nowhere to be found…
Dysart council approves ‘palatable’ 4.98% tax hike
By Adam Frisk he Municipality of Dysart et al council approved the 2026 budget, with the final property tax increase set at 4.98 per cent, a notable drop from the 5.83 per cent initially proposed…
2016
By Emily Stonehouse There’s a viral trend circulating online these days about throwing it back to 2016. While the year may seem in the not-so-distant rearview mirror, I think it came as a startling realization…
First county baby arrives on New Year’s Day
By Emily Stonehouse January 1 is a date that brings fresh starts, new beginnings, and the start of a brand new chapter. For one Harcourt family, January 1 will symbolize something a little extra special.…
But
By Emily Stonehouse It’s dark, the nights are long. Swirling snow and screaming winds, we wake up to dig ourselves out. Every day. But, it’s getting lighter. The days are stretching thin. Wisps of daylight…
Busy holiday season for downtown businesses
By Adam Frisk The 2025 holiday shopping season was a banner year, thanks to the early arrival of winter weather, community loyalty, and a surge in tourism, according to local businesses. For stores like Algonquin…
New carbon monoxide detector laws in effect
By Thomas Smith Changes to the Ontario Fire Code are here. On New Year’s Day, new carbon monoxide regulations were put in effect across Ontario. Carbon monoxide detectors will need to be installed on every…
New carbon monoxide detector laws in effect
By Thomas Smith Changes to the Ontario Fire Code are here. On New Year’s Day, new carbon monoxide regulations were put in effect across Ontario. Carbon monoxide detectors will need to be installed on every…
Ready?
By Emily Stonehouse It’s no secret that over the holiday season, our thoughts are heightened. There’s an edge to our emotions, a fray to our feelings. Seasonal times tend to have that effect on people.…
Dogsled Derby returns to Haliburton Highlands
By Emily Stonehouse When you type the word “dogsled” into the Haliburton Highlands Digital Archives, a free online portal that provides access to thousands of past community newspapers, there are nearly 400 hits. Nearly all…
Council defers controversial shoreline structure amendments
By Adam Frisk Dysart et al council once again voted to defer proposed amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw concerning accessory buildings within the minimum water setback, pushing the debate to a third…
County council approves 2026 budget
By Emily Stonehouse Stormy winter weather forced the Dec. 10 regular meeting of county council to shift exclusively to an online platform. Warden Dave Burton efficiently hopped right into the meeting, bringing forth the finance…
The cost of living
By Emily Stonehouse I watched as our county council spoke in circles around budget spikes. A percentage knocked off here and there, major capital projects put on the back burner for another year in an…
What Ontario’s Bill 60 means for tenants and…
By Adam Frisk The provincial government recently passed the "Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act" (Bill 60), a major piece of legislation that changes several provincial laws, including the Residential Tenancies Act, which governs rental agreements…
Gender-based violence remains epidemic in Haliburton County
By Emily Stonehouse Please note that the following article contains graphic depictions of gender-based violence and femicide that some readers may find disturbing. To receive support around this topic, please reach out to the Haliburton…
Behind closed doors
By Emily Stonehouse Please note that the following editorial contains depictions of domestic violence that some readers may find uncomfortable. If you are in a dangerous situation of domestic violence, contact 1-800-823-0599. I lived in…
Haliburton paramedic honoured for more than 30 years…
By Adam Frisk For some people, 30 years on the job may feel like a lifetime, but for Haliburton County Paramedic Service Chief Mike Slatter, it felt like it went by in the blink of…
Head Lake shore alders to get a trim
By Adam Frisk The tag alders along the Head Lake shoreline are set to be trimmed back and thinned out in an effort to improve sightlines and aesthetics while maintaining the shoreline's ecological integrity. Council…
Prioritizing people
By Emily Stonehouse I was ready to start this editorial, flying the flag with bold letters crying ‘Long Live the Library’. We all know that during budget talks, the first victim to the chopping block…