/Young Eagles to fly again at Stanhope Airport The following are brief reports of items discussed during a March 17 meeting of Algonquin Highlands council. 

Young Eagles to fly again at Stanhope Airport The following are brief reports of items discussed during a March 17 meeting of Algonquin Highlands council. 

The Young Eagles program which has taken young people into the skies above Haliburton County each summer for many years will soar again this summer.

Late last year it seemed like the program which operates out of the Stanhope Airport many be in trouble due to a decrease in the number of volunteer pilots.

However airport manager Cam Loucks told councillors the event would be proceeding again this year. Councillors recently decided to offer pilots who participate in the program a deal on fuel.

Loucks said he hoped the relatively low price of fuel – “you can buy a litre of fuel cheaper than a litre of water right now” – would be a boon for the airport this summer.

Patience please

Council is asking for the public’s patience as the township office along North Shore Road will undergo construction for a renovation and addition shortly.

Council meetings for June July and August will be moved to the Stanhope Firefighters’ Community Hall since council chambers will be used by displaced staff.

“It’s going to be an incredible challenge for staff” Reeve Carol Moffatt said.

The public will need to access the building through an alternative entrance and public washrooms will be unavailable for some time since the washrooms and main entranceway are part of the renovation.

New rescue trucks

Council voted to purchase two new rescue trucks for Algonquin Highlands Fire Services. The combined cost of the two vehicles is $335000 plus HST.

“This quote is slightly above our budget number of $330000 however it is felt that operational saving throughout the year will cover the overage” read a report from fire chief Mike Cavanagh. “Should there be some unforeseen circumstances this year and savings are not realized the additional funds could come from fire services reserve at year end.”

Airport food

Council is continuing to explore options for the provision of food during the summer at the Stanhope Airport. The idea of a food truck has been mentioned as well as some of the vendors who make food on the spot at local farmers’ markets. The new MNRF base at the airport scheduled to open shortly could provide some extra traffic for food vendors Reeve Carol Moffatt noted.