What the Haliburton?

Municipal election season is underway and we're kicking itoff at What the Haliburton with our first candidate interview of 2026. Tammy McKelvey is running for Mayor of Minden Hills after her first term on council. Lisa and Bram talk with Tammy about her candidacy and why she thinks she's the right person to lead Minden for the next four years.

In this episode, we sit down with Barb Smith-Morrison, executive director of the Brooksong Retreat and Cancer Support Centre in the Algonquin Highlands. A cancer diagnosis brings overwhelming fear, grueling treatments, and deep emotional turmoil, not just for patients, but for their families too. While the medical system can often feel like an impersonal assembly line, Brooksong offers a tranquil...

Why do turtles cross the road? It’s not a joke, it’s an ancient, dangerous journey. In this episode, we sit down with Leora Berman, the "turtle lady" and founder of Turtle Guardians, who has spent 20 years championing these living dinosaurs. Turtles face massive threats from climate change and development, and because they take decades to mature, every breeding adult is vital to the ecosystem. Thr...

The Mayor of Dysart, Murray Fearrey, passed away last week at 84. Bram and Mike talk with Murray's dear friend and Deputy Mayor, Walt McKechnie, about a remarkable 55-year career in local politics.

Jamie Schmale has been our MP for 11 years, all of that time in opposition, giving him plenty of time to consider what his party (the Conservative Party of Canada) would do better. In this episode, our MP drops by the podcast for a wide-ranging chat. We discuss recent floor-crossings, how MPs vote and what that means for our democracy. And we get MP Schmale's take on why rural Canada always seems...

The County of Haliburton recently received a federal grant of $1.2 million to provide support to people in our community who are addicted to hard, often dangerous drugs. The money will be used to purchase a van and to hire support workers to "meet people where they are" with counseling and items like clean needles to make drug use less dangerous. But with these programs having a 1% success rate in...

Just how difficult has it become to make a living as a food service entrepreneur in Haliburton County? Bram and Adam talk to Claudette Petrie, owner of Poquito Loco in Haliburton Village. Her Mexican restaurant serves great food, has a prime location and a loyal customer base. So why is she closing it down after Labour Day this year? Spoiler alert: it has a lot to do with the same thing all of us...

The Village of Minden was flooded again this year, despite commendable efforts by Parks Canada staff to maintain smooth water flows through the Trent-Severn system. With waters subsiding somewhat this past week, what happens next is largely dependent on how much rain falls over the next few days. Mayor Carter is back on the podcast to give us an update, explaining why flooding is so difficult to a...

Join Bram and Adam as we examine the intersection of fast food and content creation. In this episode we meet local food reviewer Guy Alaimo. Guy does food reviews from parking lots in Haliburton County and the surrounding area, drawing thousands of social media viewers to his punchy takes on take-out. You'll never look at a meatball sandwich the same way again.

Lisa and Bram speak with retired Municipal Chief and current chair of the Haliburton County OPP Detachment Board, Andrew Fletcher. The Board was set up to coordinate local community needs with OPP operations and has local representatives from our councils and the general public. What are the OPP's priorities in this area? Why are certain types of crime so difficult to stop? Our guest brings a life...

Bram and Lisa talk to The Highlander's new reporter, Adam Frisk. Get his newcomer's take on Haliburton County and hear all about the news and information app for Haliburton County launching in the next few weeks.

We speak with Marg Cox, executive director of Point in Time and the Haliburton Youth Hub. Point in Time helps youth and families facing difficulties and provides a safe place for counseling and support. Recently they announced the acquisition of land for a new Family and Youth Hub on County Road 21, near our local high school. Is that the next logical step for Point in Time or will it take focus a...

Bram and Lisa discuss how key organizations we all rely upon are refusing to engage with our community, leaving us in the dark. Why are they behaving this way, and what can we do about it? If you have information you think The Highlander should know about one of the organizations mentioned, email editor@thehighlander.ca .

Our deputy editor, Mike Baker, talks with outgoing owner Paul Wilson and new boss Ryan Ramsay about the Minden-based Haliburton Huskies. Get the inside track on this year's play and the plan for 2026.

In what we hope will be the first of several discussions during his final year as Mayor, Murray Fearrey reflects on his 55 years in politics, most of them leading the largest municipality in the county. What is he proud of? Are there any regrets? And what does he see for the future of Haliburton County? All that and more in this podcast.

Minden Mayor Bob Carter gives straight answers to tough questions in an interview demonstrating what transparency and accountability sound like. It's hard enough keeping a small, rural town going with the Province continually offloading costs. Add a school board, Province and health system that refuse to communicate and cooperate, and the job looks close to impossible.

Royal LePage Lakes of Haliburton is celebrating its 50th anniversary in the real estate business this year. Owner and broker, Anthony vanLieshout, joins us to discuss one of Haliburton County's favourite topics: real estate. In this episode we cover historical price and activity patterns, changing cottager dynamics, short term rentals, the insane COVID period and subsequent cooling-off. Anthony gi...

Depending on how you define it, the county has at least two downtowns: one in Haliburton Village, and one in Minden. And depending on what time of year you visit, they can be nearby and friendly stops to get what you need, or crammed with cottagers and out-of-towners taking up all the parking. A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is often set up to maximize the functionality and attractiveness of a d...

Ontario has many programs for children and parents who need help. So why is it that someone in Haliburton with a full time job still struggles financially to support herself and two kids? And how can we call ourselves a society that supports families when we consistently make decisions to not adequately fund services like affordable daycare? Our guest shares some of her challenges as we brainstorm...

Mike Waller, president of the Royal Canadian Legion, Haliburton Branch, joins Bram for a chat about the important work our Legions do supporting veterans and the wider community. With many of our veterans aging and experiencing mobility issues, Mike takes us through their efforts to have a crosswalk installed between their building and public parking across the street. Spoiler alert: if you though...

Bram and Deputy Editor, Mike Baker, welcome guest Greg Bishop for a discussion about Dysart's plans to permit small structures on shorelines. Is allowing gazebos at the waterfront the beginning of the end of decades of conservation efforts, or is it a reasonable accommodation for property owners? Could it even be a back door to better environmental protection? Join us as Greg explains why shorelin...

One episode wasn't enough to fully explore local democracy with our guest, Carol Moffatt. Carol is back this week with Lisa and Bram to talk about a perennial favourite: amalgamation. Should Haliburton County's five municipal governments in two tiers be consolidated into one government? Naturally, we have some opinions about that.

Guest Carol Moffatt from the Healthy Democracy Project joins Bram and Lisa for a discussion about why people don't run for office and what needs to change so they do. With the experience of 12 years as mayor of Algonquin Highlands and two terms as County Warden, Carol gives us an inside look at the world of local politics.

Why are local councils, non profits and businesses still posting their information on social media platforms filled with slop and misinformation? Bram and Lisa talk to communications expert Lauren Hunter about how we can post and get information without being manipulated by secret algorithms. As social media becomes increasingly unreliable and confusing, where should citizens get their information...

You can't get where you're going if you don't know where 'there' is. Bram and Lisa compare modestly-developed Haliburton to hyperactive Muskoka and note that we seem to be heading in that direction but without a plan or mandate to do so. What is Haliburton County supposed to be? Why don't our councils seem to have any kind of vision for the future of our community? Letting others do what they like...