By Emily Stonehouse
Haliburton County business stakeholders congregated in one room for the first time in two years this past week, in what turned out to be an informative and controversial meeting.
The County of Haliburton hosted a morning stakeholder meeting on Thursday, April 2 at the Pinestone, where businesses from across the county were invited to connect, network, and share any updates from within their industries.
These meetings were once common practice, with volunteers Barrie Martin and Bruce Ballentine leading the monthly sessions in an effort to connect community partners. The meetings evolved over the years through the COVID-19 pandemic, and this was the first meeting presented by the current manager of tourism for the county, Angelica Ingram.
“This is definitely something that’s been on my plate for two years,” opened Ingram to a packed room, “and there’s clearly an appetite for something like this on a regular basis.”
The first item on the agenda was the Municipal Services Corporation. Ingram dove in to explain that in spring of 2024, all townships in the County of Haliburton passed a Municipal
Accommodation Tax (MAT) by-law on Short Term Rentals (STR), levied on short-term stays of less than 30 consecutive days.
Council members approved MAT rates of four per cent for Algonquin Highlands, Highlands East, and Minden Hills, and two per cent for Dysart et al.
As per provincial legislation, 50 per cent of the MAT collected must be provided to an entity responsible for tourism marketing and development at the county level, and the remaining 50 per cent can be applied to projects specific to the lower tiered municipalities.
Ingram noted that the County will implement a Municipal Services Corporation (MSC) to manage their portion collected, which will be comprised of four council representatives as well as three members of the public. “It will be a transparent process and everyone will be kept in the loop,” confirmed Ingram.
Once the board selection for the MSC is complete, a plan will be developed to begin the transition to a new Destination Management Organization (DMO).
While the MAT has been collected since October, 2024, a number of attendees at the Wednesday meeting noted that this was the first they had heard of the program. While some recognized the value of funding local tourism initiatives, others presented challenges to the plan.
Tom Gutowski, the owner of the Lutterworth Trailer Park in Minden, shared that he believes the added tax will drive visitors away. He questioned the director of economic development for Haliburton County, Scott Ovell, as to whether the County intends to financially support businesses impacted by the tax. It was noted that trailer parks are not taxed through the MAT.
Elizabeth Oakley, a STR operator in Highlands East, shared her distaste of the program. “With respect, what this is doing, is it’s going to drive short term rentals underground,” she said. “You’re defeating the purpose of increasing tourism by making it harder to keep things open.”
Kasey Rogerson, a representative from Ontario Highlands Tourism Organization (OHTO) shared that the MAT is present in over 80 municipalities across the province, and so far, has raised over $250 million for tourism-based initiatives in those communities. Barrie Martin, an OHTO board member, noted that he recently visited a community where the tax was implemented, and shared the programs that had been put in place as a result. “There’s proof that it’s working,” he said.
While the newly-implemented tax is in its early days, Ovell noted that there is not an immediate plan for the revenue received, but as numbers are finalized and the MSC is put in place, the next steps for community benefit will begin to roll out.
