/HHWT to re-open June 16 

HHWT to re-open June 16 

By Chad Ingram

The Haliburton Highlands Water Trails operated by the Township of Algonquin Highlands will re-open on June 16.

The provincial government announced on Friday May 29 that backcountrycamping on Crown land could resume on Monday June 1. The water trailssystem includes Crown property and as Algonquin Highlands Mayor CarolMoffatt said in a social media post the short-notice announcement tookthe township off guard and that it will require a couple of weeks toprepare.

There’s an awful lot of prep work that needs doing butwith so many unknowns around the various restrictions summer staffhaven’t been brought on yet because it was impossible to know what workthey might be doing or when” Moffatt wrote.

The township’semergency operations committee met on Monday and in a subsequent pressrelease the township announced the water trails system would re-open to the public  on Tuesday June 16.
“Reservations will be acceptedonline or through the call centre only and can be made starting onWednesday June 3” the release reads. “Social distancing guidelinesmust be adhered to and provincial group size restrictions are limited to a maximum of five people unless they are from the same household. Thetrails office located at the St. Nora Lake access point at 20130 Highway 35 will remain closed to the public no in-person transactions orinteractions with staff are possible and no equipment rentals will beavailable until further notice.”

To make a campsite reservation visit https://hhwt.goingtocamp.com or call 1-866-364-4498.