County Closeup

Haliburton County has only two licensed childcare centers in the County – one in Minden, and the other in Haliburton, so for parents in need of finding reliable childcare face an incredibly difficult ordeal. Parents of young children here must endure years-long wait lists or turn to grandparents, neighbors and friends to fill in as caretakers for their children. With 260 children on waitlists that...

An intimate table for two looking out on a pack of grey wolves. It’s not for the faint of heart, Dinner with Wolves at the Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve’s Wolf Sanctuary is definitely a night to remember. Catered by a local restaurant, the Dinner with Wolves experience features a three-course meal and all the photos of wolves you can take. Guests have the whole center to themselves to vie...

Attracting tourism, while decreasing our carbon footprint were the rationale Environment Haliburton’s Susan Hay used to convince Dysart et al council members to apply for the Charged for Change $125 grant at its Jan. 28th session. Susan, president of local environmental organization Environment Haliburton became aware of the grant in late 2024 and jumped at the chance to increase the number of ele...

As of Jan, 1, 2025, the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge Health Unit and Peterborough Public Health officially merged into one agency, the Haliburton, Kawartha Northumberland Peterborough Health Unit, or HKNP. The merger, was prompted by the Ontario government’s More Convenient Care Act, with the goal to build a greater capacity of people, processes, tools, technology and funding to better serve com...

He’s something of an institution in Haliburton. Miles Maughan has been with the Dysart Fire Department for 47 years and on Dec. 31, 2024, he retired from a career that has meant the world to him. CanoeFM invited Miles into its studio to share his fondest memories, greatest challenges and thoughts on his decades of service to the community. Miles spoke about how the department has changed, and grow...

For the past few years, Youth Unlimited, a faith-based organization in Haliburton has been operating in local churches, without a place to call their own. Recently, the group celebrated the grand opening of The Bridge, a center for youth that aims to build confidence and foster respect while having fun with friends. Thanks to the dedication of co-directors Kyle and Leanne Young, The Bridge is now...

It’s been decades since doctors made house calls in Ontario, but thanks to a pilot program, patients in Haliburton County are getting cared for in their own homes. It’s part of the province-wide Community Paramedicine program that offers both medical care and social interaction, aiming to take some of the strain off the healthcare system and cut down on 911 calls. CanoeFM spent time with three Hal...

There’s a group of retired women in Haliburton who don’t believe in sitting on their laurels, rather, these three women are doing their best to improve Canadian society by starting with the basics – Basic Income, that is. Judy Paul, Carolynn Coburn and Marybeth Wilson began the Basic Income Group because of experiences each had in their former occupations. They saw first-hand how poverty holds peo...

Highlands East Mayor Dave Burton was recently elected to the position of Warden of Haliburton County. He sat down at CanoeFM studios to share his hopes for the term ahead, the challenges and the reasons he's been committed to public service.

Canada’s 629,000 veterans have higher rates of depression, anxiety and substance use disorder than civilians. One in seven veterans is living with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a psychological response to the experience of intense traumatic or life-threatening events. PTSD can affect people of any age, culture or gender. That’s why the work carried out at Dimensions in Haliburton County i...

There’s nothing like the cozy feeling you get when you heat your home with a wood stove or a pellet stove. Beyond the radiant warmth, modern-day stoves have a higher efficiency than any other heating method on the market today. That’s why they’re to go-to system for the majority of rural community residents. Ian Myers has been a chimney sweep in Haliburton County for 17 years and says these stoves...

For 36 years, a solid concrete cow has been keeping watch over customers at the Kawartha Dairy’s Minden store. The cheerful bovine has been a constant in the community and at Christmas, residents there can’t wait to see it decorated for the holidays. CanoeFM visited the store recently and spoke to third generation owner, Terry Crowe who says the cow is part of his family’s dairy legacy and his mot...

Christmas is supposed to be a time for togetherness, joy and wonderful meals shared with loved ones. But for those who live on the margins or are alone, Christmas can be a dreaded time of year. That’s why, for the first time in its 35-year-history, SIRCH — which stands for Supportive Initiatives for the Residents of the County of Haliburton — will serve up a Christmas dinner with turkey and all th...

It’s a time for getting together with friends and family, but it’s also prime time for crime. Shopping in crowded stores, lengthy Christmas lists, presents to wrap, dinners to cook and planning trips to relatives mean we’re all quite distracted. Constable Joel Imbeau, Community Relations Officer for the Haliburton Highlands detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police says a safe and happy holiday...

Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere or RIDE is a sobriety testing program used by police since 1977. So far, in this year’s Festive RIDE program, police have stopped more than 1,000 vehicles. The RIDE program is designed to keep impaired drivers off the road, but many are still not getting the message Canoe FM recently spoke with Constable Joel Imbeau who says arriving on the scene of an accident c...

It’s that time of year again –- flu season, and as the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. According to medical experts, our best bet to prevent a severe case is to roll up your sleeves and get a flu shot, but less than half of Canada’s population chooses to do so. Dr. Norm Bottum is a family physician in Haliburton and he’s been kept busy lately giving flu shots to his p...

For Keli Schmidt, the month-long postal strike hasn’t been an obstacle for her business – Haliburton Clothing Co. The clothing designer makes comfortable, casual clothes and sells them mostly online. While other local businesses are feeling the strain of the strike by Canada Post union employees, Keli says it’s business as usual for now. A strong believer in a fair wage, Keli supports the postal e...

For 21 years, Environment Haliburton has been doing all it can to raise awareness about the threats of climate change. They’ve written op-eds, held webinars and other events and written articles and letters to local politicians about the very real impacts of a warming planet. While in the past, there were more naysayers than believers, that’s finally changing. The group is seeing more buy-in by bo...

A giant snowstorm that brought travel in many northern Ontario communities to a stand-still late last week also cut short the Ontario Health Council’s Trojan Horse Tour. After visiting both Minden and Haliburton on November 28, the threat of blizzard conditions caused organizers to call off visits to both Bracebridge and Midland. The 15-foot-tall Trojan horse has been touring the province to raise...

Dogs may be man’s best friend, but they’re not disposable. That sentiment is what drives Kristyn Begbie to rescue and care for stray and abandoned dogs in Haliburton County. Snowflake Meadows, a rescue shelter located just outside of Lochlin, focuses on trying to give dogs a better life. Recently, 47 dogs came to the shelter in one month, and now Snowflake Meadows is bursting at the seams. CanoeFM...

It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but for many families in Haliburton County, the holidays can be stressful. The Haliburton County Home Builders’ Association’s 29th Annual Christmas Challenge Toy & Food Drive ensures even more children and families in the region can share the fun of the season. CanoeFM spoke with Aggie Toes, Executive Officer for HCHBA recently. She says...

Haliburton Highlands Secondary School handed out awards and recognition recently as part of its undergraduate awards ceremony. The high school’s scholarship fund presents over 200 awards to the undergraduates and graduates. Eighty-five of those awards come from the Haliburton Highlands Scholarship Endowment Fund. Both individuals and organizations have contributed and the Endowment Fund continues...

The cold weather is on its way, and with it, a season of dread for those who struggle to afford home heating. Rising costs for food, gas and other necessities put a strain on many residents of Haliburton County. That’s why the 11th Annual Highlands Christmas Shindig, taking place at the Haliburton Legion on Saturday, November 30th, supporting the Fuel for Warmth initiative, is such an important ev...

When you’re struggling with mental health issues, getting help is critical, but often it’s not an easy thing to do. Research by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CHMA) has found it is harder to access mental health support in rural communities than in cities. The Road Ahead Mobile Wellness Clinic could change that in Haliburton County. Run by the CMHA, mobile clinics connect those in rural s...

Across Ontario, an estimated 2.5 million people are without a doctor, and there is fierce competition between municipalities to attract doctors to their communities. In Haliburton County, the quest to secure physicians to care for area residents is Wendy Welch’s job. As Physician Recruitment Coordinator for Haliburton Highlands Health Services, she says it’s a challenging task, but progress is bei...