County Closeup

There's a new shuttle bus driving around Haliburton County each week and it's driving positive change for Community Support Service clients struggling to remain independent in their homes. The Haliburton Highlands Health Services shuttle bus, (aka Triple H S), is making a real difference in the lives of those 55 and over and those with mobility issues by picking them up at their homes and driving them to get groceries, go to the bank, pick up medication or even visit with friends in town.

The shuttle bus works on a fee-for-service platform, with riders paying $15 dollars per round trip. The service came as a result of Triple H S adding to its fleet of vans last year. There are now four vans of various load restrictions providing the shuttle service.

Canoe FM spoke with Amanda Rowden, who heads up the shuttle bus pilot program, to hear how the initiative is making a difference in the lives of seniors in our region.

Owning a pet is now more expensive than ever. According to Rover, a Canadian online pet care service,in a blog post about rising costs, dog owners are facing 18 per cent higher costs this year compared to 2024 and cat owners paying 41 per cent more than last year.

As a result, there's greater demand to animal welfare agencies like the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) for more affordable veterinary care, spaying and neutering and pet food. A shortage of veterinarians and vet techs, rising pet insurance rates and the growing trend of corporations buying up smaller, independent vet clinics has created a perfect storm for pet owners.

The rising costs of pet ownership is causing a trickle-down effect of more surrendered animals to shelters or simply abandoned pets. CanoeFM spoke with pet owners, a rescue center and a spokesperson from the Ontario SPCA to learn how the rising cost of owning a pet is impacting everyone who cares about and for animals.

As they've done for more than 58 years, members of the Gooderham Century Gun Club gather in a nearby field throughout the spring, summer and fall to improve their clay trap shooting skills. It's an interesting group of people, some women, some men, some hunters and others just interested in honing their skills with a shot gun.

The trap shooting course has five stations for five shooters and after one shot each, members switch spots. A course firearm officer oversees each session, releasing the small, orange trap disc once the shooter calls ‘pull'. All members must have a gun license and it's about pointing the gun, rather than aiming it. Given how small those discs are, however, gives one a greater appreciation of those who consistently hit the target as it rises and falls.

Shooters try to get a score of 25 and while CanoeFM was on site, many shooters were pretty close to perfection.

For Steve Lucacic, nature has so much to offer to feed the body and stir the soul. That's why he's become a passionate forager who loves to pass on his expertise to others. The former touring musician decided to change his eating habits when he got sick. Since then, he's recovered, become a hunter and fishing guide, and 70 per cent of his diet comes from living off the land.

Lucacic teaches foraging, mushroom and plant identification workshops throughout the late spring and summer and has noticed a dramatic rise in those interested in learning all that nature has on its menu.

CanoeFM went on a walk in Haliburton's Glebe Park recently with Lucacic. Within minutes, he was pointing out several species of edible plants that can be used for salads, teas, and a variety of other purposes.

Ontario is home to eight species of turtles – all of which are at risk. This time of the year is the most dangerous time for turtle species across the province as more motorists take to area roads. Every year, and estimated 2000 different species of turtles are killed by vehicles.

That's why the work of the Turtle Guardians, based out of Haliburton, is so critically important. Because turtles can take more than two decades to become sexually mature, the turtle population continues to dwindle, since many roads cross the wetlands that are home to turtles. So, the Turtle Guardians are doing all they can to work with municipalities, road departments and the broader public to prevent needless turtle injuries and deaths. They carry out road monitoring, act as first responders to injured and deceased turtles on roadways, conduct research and run Ontario's third largest egg incubation program, releasing 9,000 hatchlings into the wild each year. But even with their efforts, turtle populations have yet to bounce back.

CanoeFM spent some time with the Turtle Guardians at their new location in Haliburton to meet some of the captive turtles used at public education events and to learn more about the importance turtles play in our natural ecosystems.

They're soft and cozy and the last thing you put on before drifting off to sleep. But for many people, a pair of PJs is almost a luxury and that's what the Great South Lake Pajama Project aims to fix.

Started in 2023 by Joy Webster, whose family has a four-season cottage on South Lake near Minden, the Great South Lake Pajama Project is already a great success. So far, the initiative has collected and distributed more than 500 pajamas to social organizations in Haliburton County that are then giving to those who need them. But there's no slowing this project down, they're aiming to keep collecting pjs as long as they're able to.

CanoeFM spoke with Webster to learn more about the project and the difference it makes.

Haliburton County is the kind of place that kind of sneaks up and wins you over with its natural wonders, vast recreational opportunities and welcoming people. That's what happened to Laurie Sweig when she moved here six years ago. She fell in love with the peace she found here. Now, the songwriter is giving back to her adopted home by way of music, penning not one, but four songs about Haliburton County, entitled theHaliburton Highlands Harmony Project.

Sweig worked in marketing prior to moving here, then soon began volunteering at the CanoeFM recording studio. Having gained confidence using audio software, she decided to create four songs that would capture the essence of the area in all four seasons. Now, one of her collaborators jokingly calls her the ‘Vivaldi of Haliburton'.

Full disclosure: This CanoeFM reporter tried her hand at back-up vocals for this project, then interviewed Sweig and others about the project.

The Retail Council of Canada has reported a 300 per cent increase in shoplifting since the pandemic, and points to economic pressures, the growth of online resale markets for stolen goods and a rise in organized crime activities. The most popular items stolen include meat, cheese, baby formula, clothing and alcohol.

Brad Park owns and operates the Foodland in Haliburton. He says theft is a near daily occurrence and knows the cost of living, addiction and other societal pressures are many of the reasons for the rise in shoplifting.

CanoeFM spoke with both Park and PC Joel Imbeau from the Haliburton Highlands OPP to discuss what they're seeing in the region and what the penalties are.

"Till death do us part". That's how the marriage vows describe the matrimonial bonds, but when those bonds get broken, divorce is often the next logical step. As Canada's divorce rate is now at a 50-year low, the one demographic where divorce is on the rise, is with those over 50.

Known as ‘grey divorces', these splits come after one partner has chosen to end a long-term relationship in the hopes of living a happier life with the years they have left.

CanoeFM spoke with a family lawyer with practices in both Haliburton County and the City of Kawartha Lakes. She says she has noticed grey divorces trending in popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic and advises her clients to take a more collaborative approach when breaking the bonds of marriage. Avoiding the expense and hassle of a protracted court battle is in everyone's best interests, she says.

It'll be months before the cleanup is finished in Haliburton County following the destructive ice storm in March that caused trees to snap, power lines to crash and residents to go without power for more than a week. But officials are already tracking the lessons learned because of it.

From building in redundancies and bolstering landline and cell tower infrastructure to creating a far more collaborative approach for whatever emergency comes next, officials are looking at how to improve their preparedness and responses.

CanoeFM spoke with Haliburton County's CAO Gary Dyke, the Director of Haliburton County's Paramedic Service, Mike Slatter and a spokesperson from Hydro One to discuss what worked and what gaps need to be addressed.