Love. A four letter word. Simple in construction, but complicated to process when it’s gone.It’s been central to art. It’s launched a thousand ships. It’s been at the heart of Wordle – a very popular…
Protesting is a freedom
By Darren Lum There was a certain level of anxiety that I felt after seeing footage of angry protesters waving Canadian Flags with the “Freedom Convoy” at Parliament Hill.It wasn’t because they were protesting, but…
Maintain perspective
By Darren Lum Seeing the snow-covered driveway reduced in size from its uncovered state seen the rest of the year after the past few snowfalls made me think of how much our worlds have diminished.This…
I have a dream
By Darren Lum It’s a matter of when now.Justice will be served. It’s been a long time coming to properly recognize Haliburton’s only Olympian Lesley Tashlin and the area’s first pro football player Taly Williams…
Harness the power of belief for a better…
By Darren Lum The new year brings optimism.I have a dream when there will be better days ahead.It’s a fitting sentiment for this time in our lives with so much uncertainty.Art Ward, a Rotarian with…
What’s old is new again
By Darren Lum Whatever the new normal will be we’re far from it.Omicron and a reactive provincial government instead of a pro-active one has contributed to that.In light of the provincial government’s announcement on Monday…
Connection is the strength we all need
By Darren Lum As the winds wailed outside the Club Room at the Royal Canadian Legion in Haliburton, Essonville Hank belted out a tune of his own making about life here in Haliburton. He was…
We’re in this together
By Darren Lum The heated debate at Haliburton County council recently regarding vaccinations is a clear indication the province needs to take charge when it comes to vaccination mandates.We’ve seen the past few years how…
No introduction needed
Readers may have noticed a few changes at the papers lately, most notably here on the editorial page. As of last Monday, I am the “new” editor of the Haliburton County Echo and County Life.…
Working to see the light
By Darren Lum We all need to cheer for something after close to two years of living during a pandemic that left us in the dark, wondering when … when would we see the light…
Courtesy or tyranny?
By Katrina Boguski Earlier this month, Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov and Maria Ressa won the Nobel Peace Prize. They shared the honour, “for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy…
Time to stock up on the goods
By Katrina Boguski The squirrels and chipmunks in my yard have been stocking up for some time already, stashing food originally intended for birds. I would be tempted to scold them for their thieving antics,…
The lost art of handwritten communication
By Katrina Boguski Last week, driving through downtown Haliburton the number of impressive signs on the local storefronts made me think about a man who made his living painting signs by hand.His name is Maurice…
Haliburton you make a great first impression
By Katrina Boguski You never get a second chance to make a first impression. As it happened, on Aug. 18 the town of Haliburton made a pretty good impression on me, and that was one…
It’s time to act
By Mike Baker I’ve lost count of the number of sad, horrific stories I’ve heard in recent years about how a promising young life was destroyed, and sometimes even cut short due to illicit drug…
The dog days of summer
By Mike Baker You know, I didn’t truly understand what the term “the dog days of summer” meant until this past weekend.It’s funny – it’s a term I’ve heard, and even used myself on occasion…
Common sense has to prevail
By Mike Baker Ontario Premier Doug Ford surprised me once again last week, and not in a good way.During a press conference last Thursday, Ford said he would not make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for healthcare…
That summertime feeling
By Mike Baker If anyone walking around downtown Haliburton on Friday afternoon heard an accented voice bellowing out the word “freedom” in a loud, over-the-top manner, don’t worry, there wasn’t a live re-enactment of the…
A class to be proud of
By Mike Baker Congratulations are in order.Last Tuesday, June 29, I had the pleasure of attending Haliburton Highlands Secondary School’s 2021 graduation ceremony, where 113 students joined, spiritually, in celebration as they marked the culmination…
Fighting for change
By Mike Baker The kids, they did alright.OK, maybe they did better than just alright.When word first got out a few months ago that a collection of elementary school students had banded together to ask…
We need a local option
By Mike Baker I think it’s fairly safe to say that the Haliburton vaccination clinic, which operated out of A.J. LaRue Arena from early April until this past Wednesday, June 9, was an overwhelming success.There’s…