By Chad Ingram Published May 31 2018 While we often refer to and perhaps think of the three levels of government as distinct and separate they are inextricably interconnected. What happens at one level can…
The cottage
My great-grandfather bought a lot on the eastern shore of Halls Lake in 1932 for five bucks. He’d been coming to the property for a few years to go fishing. At that time the car…
A month
By Chad Ingram Published May 10 2018 The provincial election campaign is officially underway and in just less than a month’s time we’ll know who Ontario’s next premier will be. While many of us may…
Reviving reserves
By Chad Ingram Published May 3 2018 The financial reserves of the County of Haliburton are too low an auditor told members of council last week. By the end of this year the county is…
Burning hot and crazy
By Jim Poling Published April 26 2018 I think I am going to be ill. My stomach is gurgling starting to roll and its contents are about to take flight. I’ve been researching what people…
The man in the van
By Chad Ingram Published April 26 2018 It was mid-afternoon Monday when I realized something terrible had taken place in Toronto. A journalist whom I follow on Twitter was urging people not to jump to…
Rethinking housing
By Chad Ingram Published April 19 2018 Imagine a bustling downtown Minden buzzing with activity residents coming in and out of apartments perched atop the shops of the main drag. Imagine down say Bobcaygeon Road…
A growing dangerous view
By Jim Poling Published April 12 2018 If you’ve not heard the world is entering a new epoch unofficially named Anthropocene the Age of Humans. With that odd moniker has come equally odd and dangerous…
Green and yellow
By Chad Ingram Published April 12 2018 Hockey rinks remain the heart of many small towns across Canada. Haliburton and Minden are of course no exception. Look at the way county residents packed the A.J.…
A blank canvas
By Chad Ingram Published April 5 2018 The purchase of a Prince Street property gives the Township of Minden Hills a perfect opportunity for a new civic space in downtown Minden. Last week councillors approved…
Evening meetings
By Chad Ingram Published March 29 2018 Last week we published a letter from our pal and former Times columnist Neil Campbell who suggested that municipal council meetings should take place during the evening rather…
Entrepreneurial engine
By Chad Ingram Published March 22 2018 During the weekend the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce honoured members of the local business community during its annual achievement awards gala at the Pinestone. Congratulations to all…
Populist politics
By Chad Ingram Published March 15 2018 In the fall of 2016 jaws hit floors around the world as an anti-establishment businessman with no relevant experience a reputation as a bully and penchant for shouting…
The kids are all right
I remember the Columbine school shooting very clearly the media coverage of it that is. Perhaps that’s because in the spring of 1999 I was a 16-year-old high school student the same age as some…
Laughing with Lorraine
I first met Lorraine McNeil fairly early on in my tenure with the Times . I went to her home on Horseshoe Lake to interview her and her friend Maureen James – known in comedy duo…
Girl power
By Sue Tiffin Published Feb. 15, 2018 The story of four Grade 5 students at Archie Stouffer Elementary School being proactive in finding a solution to their conflict is an inspiring one. It was…
Say hello
By Sue Tiffin Published Feb. 8 2018 January is gone and with it Blue Monday dubbed the “most miserable day of the year” and Bell’s Let’s Talk day a day devoted to an awareness campaign…
What now?
By Chad Ingram Published Feb. 1, 2018 Last Wednesday, Patrick Brown, according to many polls, was poised to become Ontario’s next premier. Following a bombshell that overnight dramatically altered the province’s political landscape,…
Climate change plan
By Chad Ingram Published Jan. 25 2018 As local politicians heard last week there are a number of ways municipal governments can help reduce carbon emissions in their communities thereby helping to mitigate climate change.…
Fighting killer flu
By Jim Poling Published Jan. 25 2018 One thing becoming more apparent in this worrisome flu season is the need for a universal flu vaccine. The world must develop a better flu vaccine that gives…
Paying the piper
By Chad Ingram Published Jan. 18 2018 Residents of the Township of Minden Hills are likely in for a not unsubstantial property tax increase in 2018. Councillors held their second round of budget discussions last…