By Stephen Petrick

Another event is taking a hike, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Hike Haliburton – Winter Edition festival, scheduled for Feb. 5 and 6, has been cancelled. The news was made official at the Wednesday, Jan. 12 county council meeting, held virtually, when councillors voted to accept a recommendation to cancel the county-run event.

Haliburton economic development and tourism director Scott Ovell said the “optics” of planning the festival with Ontario in a Modified Step 2 re-opening plan would not be good. 

He said his department will pursue grants so the county can look at holding a “bigger and better event in 2023.”

Warden Liz Danielsen agreed with the recommendation saying, “sadly, it’s a no-brainer.”

Hike Haliburton – Winter Edition, which last took place in the winter of 2020, is an economic development generator for the county, as it gets local residents and tourists out to county hiking trails and eating at local restaurants. The event has volunteers lead hikers on guided snowshoe hikes at various locations in the county.