The following are brief reports of items discussed during a Feb. 3 meeting of Algonquin Highlands Council, held virtually. By Nick Bernard Fire Chief Mike French presented a proposal outlining new hourly rates for firefighters…
Working group to form around green burial initiative
By Nick Bernard The following are brief reports from an Algonquin Highlands regular council meeting held virtually on Jan. 20. Council has agreed to form an ad hoc committee to collaborate with the Haliburton Highlands…
Haliburton County schools reporting absence rates of 16%…
By Sue Tiffin One week after staff and students returned to in-person learning at schools, schools across Haliburton County were reporting absence rates of 16 to 58 per cent. Since the new year, the Ministry…
HHHS staffing stable, but still a ‘significant challenge’
By Sue Tiffin While staffing levels at Haliburton Highlands Health Services have remained stable enough that emergency departments have avoided closure, HHHS CEO and president Carolyn Plummer said staffing remains a “significant challenge.” After…
AH invites public to participate
The township of Algonquin Highlands is providing an opportunity for the public to have its say with its launch of Let’s Connect Algonquin Highlands – its new public engagement platform. Let’s Connect Algonquin Highlands is…
Long-term solutions needed for long-term care: advocate
By Stephen PetrickSpecial to the Times New measures by the province to protect long-term care residents from COVID-19 seem necessary, but more work needs to be done to improve their quality of life long-term, said…
Surviving lives in the forest
By Jim Poling Sr.From Shaman's Rock There was no finer sight for a New Year’s morning. At the edge of a freshly snow-covered clearing behind my place stood a whitetail doe and her fawn. The…
Focus on mental health critical during winter months
By Nick Bernard Winter – the coldest, darkest time of the year. Where the holidays can be difficult for many, the long trudge towards springtime can be even worse for those who have concerns about…
Local vendors encouraged to join Farmers’ Market
By Stephen Petrick Amid the coldest days of winter, the Haliburton County Farmers’ Market is thinking about spring ... and hoping to find new local vendors. The application process for vendors who wish to have…
Not sure what to do with it? AH…
By Nick Bernard The following are brief reports of items discussed during a Dec. 9 meeting of Algonquin Highlands council, held virtually. Three ReUse Centres in Algonquin Highlands are set to be cleaned up and…
Ontario announces restrictions for businesses, gatherings as COVID-19…
This afternoon, Premier Doug Ford announced new restrictions for businesses and social gatherings as COVID-19 cases throughout the province continue to rise in part due to the Omicron variant. “Throughout this entire pandemic, we’ve never…
AH hears two-year update on septic program
By Nick Bernard Kathryn Stasiuk Riddell, rural development engineer for WSP, presented a septic re-inspection program update to Algonquin Highlands council on Dec. 9. In 2017 the company was hired by the township to implement…
Vaccines approved, appointments open for kids
By Sue Tiffin Health Canada has approved Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids aged five to 11. In a much anticipated announcement last Friday, Pfizer’s Comirnaty became the first COVID-19 vaccine authorized in Canada for a…
‘Fairly slow trajectory’ toward 90 per cent vaccine…
By Sue Tiffin The following are brief reports from a Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge district health unit press conference held Nov. 17 with medical officer of health Dr. Natalie Bocking. As of last week, the…
AH to begin land acknowledgements
By Stephen Petrick Council meetings and other formal municipal events in Algonquin Highlands will now start with a land acknowledgement statement. The mayor hopes it’s the first step in a prolonged commitment to research and…
Rogers expects to build new tower in Dorset…
By Stephen Petrick A plan by Rogers Communications to build a new telecommunications tower off of Maple Ridge Drive in Dorset is still a go, after Algonquin Highlands council gave the go-ahead at its Nov.…
‘Tough choices’ for AH ahead of 2022
By Stephen Petrick Dozens of public works infrastructure projects, as well as projects from planning, building, parks and fire services departments, will challenge Algonquin Highlands in 2022. Council is already preparing for its 2022 budget…
Library looks to lockers for service solution
By Sue Tiffin Library patrons in Algonquin Highlands are closer to having access to books once again. Residents who use libraries in that municipality have been without library services since March, due to temporary closures…
Police investigating break and enter in Algonquin Highlands
Police are asking local residents to be vigilant, lock all doors and windows and report anything suspicious on security cameras to police after a break and enter in Algonquin Highlands township. On November 12, 2021,…
Algonquin Highlands to install electric vehicle charger
By Stephen Petrick Electric vehicle users will soon be able to power up at the Township of Algonquin Highlands office. Council, at its Nov. 4 meeting, approved the installation of an electric vehicle charging station.…
Province allocates municipal funding
Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund allocations for 2022 have been announced. Municipalities in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock are receiving more than $16 million of the $500 million main general assistance grant offered by the Ontario government to 389…