County Closeup

In mid-August, the County of Haliburton announced the deployment of its first frontline advanced care paramedic or ACP. The program is expected to expand over time to a total of three ACPs. Every ambulance in Haliburton County is staffed by highly trained primary care paramedics (PCPs) who provide exceptional care for the community. The addition of advanced care paramedics means on-site interventi...

The secret may have gotten out, but Dave Gillespie, the Director of the Minden Whitewater Preserve, isn't saying a word. He's not going to spill any tea on juicy details about action heroes or shooting schedules. But what he will share, is what it means to attract both the attention and rental fees of a big television production company that's come to Minden to film a wildly successful franchise s...

Anyone with children who lives in Haliburton County knows childcare is not easy to find here. In fact, the waiting list for licensed centre-based childcare has more than 1,451 kids on it and the average time to secure a spot is three years. That's why Amber McDuff and her husband Justin Dadic decided to take matters into their own hands and do something to help those struggling to find childcare....

For two months this summer, Haliburton's current two-tier government structure has been studied by the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN). Now, as residents prepare to cast their votes in the upcoming municipal elections, the public is being invited to a series of meetings that explain what's on the table and why. Concern over mounting financial pressures on the county and its lower-tier muni...

There's an old adage that claims failure to plan means planning to fail. And that's why the Minden Hills Fire Department, along with members of the Algonquin Hills Fire Department gathered recently to do a mock emergency drill at Budget Propane just south of Minden. The drill, required by propane operators across the province every fire years, put firefighters through their paces, so that if a rea...

For the first time ever, Culture Days are coming to Haliburton County. And thanks to its already thriving arts and culture community, Haliburton has been recognized as one of 16 provincial hubs featured during the celebration. Ontario Culture Days is an annual, multi-week festival highlighting local arts, culture and heritage in several communities across the province. This year's Culture Days run...

If there's one thing Ron Parkinson believes, it's that democracy is a gift – one we all should honor by voting. That's why he's doing all he can as the President of the Cedar Lake Association – an organization that connects about 300 cottage owners on vital issues, to vote in the upcoming municipal election on Monday, Oct. 26th. Like hundreds of others, Parkinson is a cottager and has been coming...

The Dysart Fire Department plays an important role in our region. They're there for all kinds of emergencies and perform difficult work to save lives and property. But with more than 8,000 properties in the Haliburton Highlands across often challenging rural and seasonal cottage country terrain, they need the flexibility to use whatever equipment helps them get to calls the fastest. That's why Dys...

Are you 55+ and looking to bring more meaning into your life? Haliburton's SIRCH is looking for you! April Austen is looking for a few good men and women. Moreaccurately, she's looking for 10 kind-hearted people who want to share their life experienceand caring nature with young families in Haliburton County as part of SIRCH's new GrandFriendprogram. The concept is simple; matching those aged 55 a...

It has sat at the corner of Irondale Road and Salerno Lake Road since 1887 and born witness two World Wars, the Gold Rush, Canada's Confederation and everything else that brought us all here, to 2026. It's the Irondale Church, a central hub to this small community and generations of families. And now, its future is bleak. Officials there say that unless new members of the Bark Lake Cultural Develo...

The veil of secrecy surrounding the planned merger of Fleming College and St. Lawrence College has led the Ontario Public Service Employees Union of faculty and support staff at both colleges to file six grievances for failing to keep all parties informed, a local union president said recently. In April, a press release announced the merger to form a much larger post-secondary institution saying i...

Every community has that one person who does all they can to make life better for others. In Wilberforce, that person is Kathy Rogers. She's the type of person who can be called on to take on any initiative that improves her town for those who live there. That's why she's hard at work, with the rest of the Wilberforce FUNraising Committee, getting everything ready for the upcoming annual Gigantic...

Ask anyone who lives in Minden and they'll likely say the same thing; the Gull River floods out their town nearly every Spring. It did this year, just as it did in 2013, 2017, and 2019, damaging both roads and properties. It's frustrating to many local residents, who were forced to fill and install hundreds of sandbags to keep the water from causing further losses. Some of those residents took to...

Parker Pad Printing was started by Frank Parker Sr. He focused on producing pads of paper for various firms and thus the business became known for it. When Frank Sr. passes, his son, the late Frank Parker Jr. took over the reins for four decades until his daughter Janis assumed leadership following her father's death. For eight decades, Parker Pad Printing has been led by three generations of the...

The Good Food Box is a community assistance program that provides a box or bag of nutritious fruits and vegetables and it's the answer for those who want to stretch their grocery budget as far as possible. For $20 each month, those who've signed up receive a Good Food Box filled with delicious, fresh produce. The program, originally run here by the Lions Club, started in 2001. The Haliburton Rotar...

Walt McKechnie, Deputy Mayor of Dysart et al, will likely take over the role of Interim Mayor until the municipal election, Monday, October 26th, following the death of Murray Fearrey, the municipality's former mayor. Tamara Willbee, CAO of Dysart et al, spoke with CanoeFM recently. She said that as of June 30, only one person came forward to take on the position, and that was McKechnie. A vote wi...

Bruce Kruger came to Haliburton recently, to make a special public proclamation and to celebrate a remarkable achievement. Kruger, surrounded by CanoeFM staff and volunteers, declared this Saturday, July 4rth as CanoeFM Day in Haliburton County in the lead-up to the station's upcoming fundraiser, the annual CanoeFM Radiothon, taking place July 3rd, 4rth and 5th. For 30 years, Kruger worked with th...

Ojibwe Spirit Horses, also known as the Lac La Croix Indigenous Ponies or Indian Ponies, are the only known horse breed developed by indigenous people. Critically endangered, there are only 200 remaining in the world. They're shorter than other horse breeds, standing on average 13 hands. They have hard hooves and therefore do not require shoeing. The have fluffy ears and an extra nose flap to prot...

In April, Aurora Wesley finally heard the news she's been hoping for. Wesley became one of 15 Canadian students to receive the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award and a $30 thousand dollar scholarship she'll use this fall at the University of Western Ontario. Caring for others runs deep for Wesley. When she was just 11 years old, she organized a fundraising event for the Canadian Cancer Society in suppor...

Since 1917, the not-for-profit Moorelands Camp has been offering opportunities for children from low-income neighborhoods to realize their potential to succeed. The camp, rooted in positive youth development, allows kids to develop leadership skills in a safe and fun environment. Colette Halferty is the director of Development and Communications for Mooreland Kids & Community Services, the par...

After the death of their son Kyle in 2019, Terry Moore and his wife Shirley launched the Haliburton Highlands Green Burial Society seven years ago with the hope of establishing a green burial site here. Sadly now both Shirley and Kyle are buried in St. Stephens Cemetery in Algonquin Highlands, the first green burial site in the region. It's a bittersweet accomplishment but one Moore takes comfort...

The moment one steps into Reid House, it hits you. It's no longer 2026, it's entirely 1882. To the left of the front door is the more formal parlor, complete with an ornate woodstove and furniture reflective of the period. A staircase to the right leads to the upstairs bedrooms and the hallway leads to the kitchen, where families would spend most of their time together. There's a quiet here, a rev...

According Second Harvest, Canada's largest food rescue organization, Canadians waste approximately $58 billion dollars' worth of food each year, an estimated 13 hundred dollars per household due to confusion of best before dates and the fear of consuming inedible food. And at a time when the staggering cost of food is putting the squeeze on consumers, understanding the difference between expiry da...

Since May 2024, the Beer Store has closed one hundred and ten retail locations across the province. The original agreement stated that grocery stores were obligated to take back empty alcohol containers. But now, after numerous grocery chains lobbied against the policy, they are no longer responsible for doing so. The result? People in rural communities have to drive out of their way to return the...

Lorne VanSinclair has been fascinated by the power of radio and music since he was a little boy. And it's that fascination that's led him to carve out a career in both radio and music that's won the appreciation of both listeners and radio associations. Though not formally trained, VanSinclair found creative ways to get on air. He worked at CBC in Toronto as a technician and would suggest program...