By Mike Baker Following several months of discussion, Dysart et al council officially approved its 2021 budget on Friday morning [Feb. 12].In what was a third draft of the document, councillors settled on implementing a…
Families react to decision to delay March Break
By Mike Baker The Ontario government’s recent decision to postpone March Break for all students and teachers across the province has received a mixed response from families throughout Haliburton County.Last Thursday [Feb. 11], Ontario’s education…
Dysart delays review of township’s ward boundary system
By Mike Baker A majority of Dysart et al council felt this was an inopportune time to get into a thorough review of the municipality’s ward boundaries, that despite one councillor’s claim that the current…
Canadian rites of passage for rink makers
By Darren Lum There are few images more iconic than skating on a lake, surrounded by a blanket of snow, set against a stand of trees that stretches off to the horizon, or on a…
Haliburton County to post shoreline FAQs for public
By Chad Ingram The County of Haliburton will create and post answers to frequently asked questions regarding a shoreline preservation bylaw, to be housed on the county’s website.As previously reported, during a Jan. 27 meeting,…
Lockdown over, but risk not diminished: MOH
By Sue Tiffin The following are brief reports from a Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge district health unit press conference held virtually Feb. 10. As of Feb. 16, Ontario’s stay-at-home orders will be lifted and public…
Gerry Hunnius, ‘calm radical,’ remembered for life of…
By Sue Tiffin After Christmas dinner this past December, Valerie Hunnius read the first chapter of a book to her children about the life of Gerry Hunnius - her husband. The pair – married for…
Seventh year for Make Dreams Come True
By Darren Lum Chapters of achievement still need to be recognized now more than ever said Jenn Abbott of Make Dreams Come True, a community initiative to provide free formal clothing to graduating students.Abbott, who…
New office space coming to site on County…
By Mike Baker Dysart et al council has signed off on the development of a new office building on the corner of County Road 21 and Nimigon Lane – right next door to Tim Hortons.During…
BIA lowers tax levy for downtown merchants, welcomes…
By Mike Baker History was likely made at the Haliburton BIA’s 2021 annual general meeting on Thursday evening [Feb. 11] as the organization announced it would be reducing its annual tax levy for downtown merchants.Luke…
LTC coalition passes declaration to ‘fix’ long-term care…
By Mike Baker The percentage of long-term care COVID-19 deaths in Canada is the highest in the world, Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, told a group of around 50 Haliburton area…
Township staffer talks diversity, inclusion and gender neutrality
By Mike Baker There was some discussion last week about Dysart et al potentially implementing some new “diversity and inclusion” measures in the future.Andrea Mueller, Dysart’s recreation coordinator, filled council in on the numerous training…
County council passes 2021 budget
By Chad Ingram Haliburton County councillors passed the 2021 budget during a Feb. 10 meeting, the final budget containing a tax increase of 3.84 per cent.Councillors had first reviewed the budget during a Jan. 11…
More than 150 students ‘left behind’ as internet…
By Mike Baker When students from across Haliburton County returned to the classroom late last month, teen Finn Tentrees breathed a huge sigh of relief.It has been a rough year for the Haliburton Highlands Secondary…
Haliburton County to remain in lockdown until at…
By Mike Baker The provincial stay-at-home order will remain in place for residents of Haliburton County for at least another week.Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on Monday [Feb. 8] that the lockdown had been extended…
Highlands skiers tackle virtual Canadian Ski Marathon
By Darren Lum Starting from Feb. 6, over the next few weeks until March 7, there will be more than 1,200 Nordic skiers gliding and double-poling their way along snow tracked routes all over the…
Daisy Duke, beloved Bonnie View Inn pig: 2012…
By Sue Tiffin When Daisy Duke died at the end of January, Andrea Hagarty was inundated with comments, e-mails, messages, photos and stories of the eight-year-old pig that had become a beloved icon and mascot…
HHHS confirms negative results for COVID-19 testing of…
Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) confirmed on Sunday [Feb. 7] that the COVID-19 tests of all staff at Hyland Crest in Minden have come back negative.“Obviously this is a tremendous relief for everyone but it…
Variants not yet identified in Haliburton County
By Sue Tiffin As of last Wednesday, the public health unit was responding to nine outbreaks at long-term care homes, including one at Hyland Crest in Minden where two essential caregivers tested positive.Gemmill said of…
Dysart sees more than $58 million in new…
By Mike Baker While COVID-19 ensured that most people couldn’t wait to see the back of 2020, Dysart et al’s chief building official noted there were some positives to come out of the pandemic-ridden year.Karl…
Gerontology student bringing joy through robocats
By Sue Tiffin A few years back, researchers in southwest England invited a group of people aged 60 to 99 at a supported living retirement complex to interact with eight different toys, each of them…