By Vivian Collings It’s been a couple of months since writing about poverty in the Highlands in one of my editorials.With the launch of the fundraising campaign to build a new playground in Head Lake…
Pura Vida
By Lynda Shadbolt I recently listened to a podcast by Tara Brach, a well known psychologist, teacher, meditator and author.She does weekly talks on mindfulness, Buddhism and psychology. In this talk she had just returned…
Pie in the sky
By Steve Galea On Sunday, Jenn and I decided to have some pie for dessert.“Ah, there’s nothing like a nice piece of pie and some intelligent conversation,” Jenn said.I took that as my cue.“You know,…
A ‘happy and peaceful home’ for everyone
By Emily Stonehouse Karinya: an Australian Aboriginal word that can be translated to “a happy and peaceful home.”This is the vision of Abby Gordon, the founder of Karinya Home Care Inc., based out of Minden.The…
Head Lake Park playground to break ground in…
By Vivian Collings Head Lake Park is set to have a 9000 square foot, accessible playground in late spring.The playground has been designed, all major pieces have been ordered, and the fundraising committee has been…
Team Dobson wins gold at Swiss Junior Cup
By Vivian Collings Jacob Dobson, HHSS alumnus, and skip for U20 men’s curling team, Team Dobson, recently represented Canada and slid into first out of 15 teams in the Swiss Junior Cup in Bern, Switzerland…
Lawyer asks county to defer condo decision
By James MatthewsLocal Journalism Initiative ReporterAn environmental group has asked Haliburton County to halt all development on Grass Lake and to reject a proposal to build condominiums there.The Friends of Grass Lake brought their concerns…
County defers decision on Grass Lake condo development
By James MatthewsLocal Journalism Initiative ReporterHaliburton County council will take some time before it decides the fate of a housing development on Grass Lake in Dysart.Harburn Holdings wants to build 88 condominiums and a commercial…
Invasive pests should be our biggest concern, says…
By Vivian CollingsIf we don’t prioritize invasive species as a problem, we may not have an environment left to be worried about.Invasive pests should be at the top of our list of concerns as Ontarians,…
The kids are alright
By Vivian Collings You may have noticed, but we feature kids and youth a lot in the Echo and the Times.Our papers are usually full of smiling young faces and success stories to go with…
Adverse conditions
By Lynda Shadbolt We’ve all got to do things that make us happy.We are all different, and we are all evolving. I think we are all happiest when we are doing something we love and…
It behoofs us all
By Steve Galea A week or so ago, my best buddy Tom called me and spoke with more enthusiasm than I have heard him exude in a long time.“I have seen the light,” he finally…
Finalists announced for restaurant makeover
By Emily StonehouseIt’s no secret that the number one industry in the area is tourism. That’s why ACM Designs wants to start giving back to the community with their upcoming restaurant makeover contest.“After the pandemic,…
It’s a small world; a focus on farm-to-table…
By Emily Stonehouse There’s a shift happening in the way we see our food, and Andrea Salvatori and Thalia Nash are paving the way for these changes in our community.The two recently presented a film…
Plant and flower shop blossoms downtown
By Vivian CollingsTwo weeks in to opening her doors in Haliburton, Gillian Taylor said she’s overwhelmed with the amount of support she’s received and the love shown for her business, Snaffle and Mane.The horse and…
A decade of making dreams come true
By Amanda Duncombe-Lee Ten years ago, Lochlin resident Jenn Abbott donated a prom dress to a local youth looking for one, and it sparked an idea for something bigger.“That’s how it started – I loved…
Brought into the world for the New Year
By Vivian CollingsGrace Victoria Kent was born on Jan. 18, 2023; one of the first to be born with the Midwifery Services of Haliburton-Bancroft in 2023.Her mom, Johnna Kent, and dad, Brady Kent, were “born…
Unpacking the idea of basic income
By Emily Stonehouse“Poverty isn’t a lack of character; it’s a lack of cash.” That is the concept presented by historian Rutger Bregman during a 2017 TED Talk on basic income. The concept of universal basic…
Ontario’s minimum wage is $4 short of a…
By James MatthewsLocal Journalism Initiative ReporterThe province’s minimum wage needs to be increased to a more livable wage if people are going to beat food insecurity.That’s one of the findings in the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine…
County, townships tackle climate change
By James MatthewsLocal Journalism Initiative ReporterHighlands East’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased by two per cent.Korey McKay, Haliburton County’s climate change coordinator, updated Highlands East council Feb. 14 about the progress made countywide to address…
Dysart launches interactive waste sorting game
By James MatthewsLocal Journalism Initiative ReporterDysart has found a fun way to promote sorting trash for proper recycling.The township received a grant from the Carton Council of Canada to start a public awareness initiative. The…