County Closeup

Tom Oliver is a gifted musician and someone who cares about his community. That’s why he’s decided to create a network of musical instruments with those who want to learn how to play them.

Here’s how it works. Oliver put a call out to local residents to donate any musical instruments they have at home that they’re not using. Then, interested would-be players come pick up the instrument of their choice and Oliver connects them with instructors.

Oliver, who travelled all over the world playing music and collected some interesting instruments along the way, was overwhelmed by the community response. He has received guitars, violins, trumpets, flutes, drums and even a steel pedal guitar. But besides connecting wannabe musicians with instruments, Oliver has high hopes of creating a YouTube channel that will feature jam sessions, instructor-led classes and helpful tips for recording music.

CanoeFM recently visited the Haliburton Music Exchange studio and learned more about how this unique network of musicians and instruments came to be.

The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust is clearing up the rumors and inaccurate information contained in a recent post on social media about the proposed Milburn-Kendrick Conservation Reserve in Haliburton County. The post, shared by more than 1,000 Facebook users, spread false information, saying hunting and other leisure activities would not be permitted on the Reserve once it was established.

Not so, says Sheila Ziman, volunteer founding member and director of the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust. She says the designation they are seeking does not prohibit hunting and allows ATV use on already existing trails. The proposed Milburn-Kendrick Conservation Reserve represents only 8 per cent of the larger 100-thousand-hectare Highlands Corridor and is home to significant flora and fauna. Establishing the Reserve will take years to finalize, she said, and the public will be invited to share their thoughts throughout it.

A County of Haliburton public meeting is planned for March 26 to discuss the Milburn-Kendrick site.

The threat of 25% tariffs that’s causing chaos in the stock market is creating an atmosphere of worry amongst local businesses in Haliburton County. The on-again, off-again tariffs by US President Donald Trump and the uncertainty that follows is posing both confusion and difficulties to firms in the county.

CanoeFM recently spoke to three businesses in the county to gauge their feelings about how the tariffs will impact their bottom line.

Despite the looming tariffs, each said they’re doing their best to ride out the trade war, but are looking to ways to cope by sourcing alternate suppliers other than the US or regretfully raising product costs. Those who spoke to CanoeFM say all that’s being done is an attempt to survive.

Few of us ever imagine having to sleep in our cars in the harsh winter months, but that’s exactly what Places for People‘s Sleeping in Cars fundraiser is all about.

Tonight’s fundraiser is the sixth installment of the event, which features about 30 ‘sleepers’ who brave the elements overnight in their vehicles to raise money for more affordable housing initiatives in Haliburton County.

CanoeFM recently spoke with Nataly Mylan, Places for People Chair of Marketing and Fundraising, in her car as she prepares for the upcoming fundraiser. Apart from raising money, the event drives home what it’s really like for unhoused people in the County, through dealing with obvious inconveniences like finding washrooms, learning how to sleep in uncomfortable positions and coping with the cold.

Those who take part are forever changed — and that’s exactly the point, Mylan says.

Don’t be surprised if the number of measles cases spikes after March Break and starts showing up in Haliburton County. That’s what Dr. Thomas Piggott, Medical Officer of Health for the Haliburton-Kawartha-Pine Ridge Health Unit warns.

In the last two weeks, 78 cases of measles were identified in Ontario, bringing the total of recorded infections to 140 – considered now to be the largest measles outbreak in the province in the last 30 years. The disease was considered eradicated here in 1998. The average number of measles cases is usually 22 cases per year.

The disease is highly infectious. At the height of the COVID pandemic, one infected person could transmit the virus to two or three other people. With measles, one infected person spreads the disease to between 15 and 18 others. Moreover, measles can cause severe respiratory problems, pneumonia, blindness, deafness and in the most serious of cases, it can be deadly.

At Walkabout Farm, it’s less about what you can’t do and everything about what you can try to do. Run by its passionate founder, Jennifer Semach, Walkabout Farm offers therapeutic riding and so much more. Wrapping a client’s entire family and support system in kindness and daily miracles, the farm is a much-loved staple in the community.

CanoeFM visited the farm recently and had the privilege of meeting some of the farm’s many four-legged therapists — horses who have been given a second act in teaching those with physical and developmental challenges there are no limits to what they can achieve. But it’s not just about the horses, Jennifer’s many volunteers help keep things humming along at the farm each day too. As the weather continues to warm, the farm is getting ready for another season of therapeutic riding.

Haliburton County Development Corporation’s, (HCDC), Local Initiatives Program, (LIP) gives local not-for-profits a financial leg up. It is a vital source of funding support for a diverse range of not-for-profits in the region. HCDC is celebrating its 40th year of sparking economic growth in the region and has been assisting local organizations since 2015.

HCDC Executive Director, Patti Talman spoke with CanoeFM recently about the LIP program and how it strengthens the community by supporting projects which enhance the vibrancy of Haliburton County. Past projects include The Sculpture Forest, Razzamataz Kids Shows, the Dental Outreach Clinic, the Haliburton Highlands Arts Center Foundation and the Haliburton Sports Hall of Fame.

Boshkung Brewery in Minden has joined 49 other breweries across Canada in supporting the efforts of Veterinarians Without Borders, (VWB), through the Animals & Ales Pet Photo Contest.

Deb and Matt Banks, new owners of Boshkung, think that the Animals and Ales Contest is an extension of the pet-friendly vibe they promote at the brewery. So, they’re excited to take part in the Veterinarians Without Borders fundraiser this year. It’s the perfect fit.

Veterinarians Without Borders works to help animals around the world, offering medical attention, spay and neuter clinics and helping them find their forever homes.

In Canada, VWB works with the animals in remote, fly-in communities.

If you can’t wait for the weather to change and you’ve got a big project planned for your home or cottage, your first stop should be your local municipality’s building department. Applying for a building permit isn’t just good sense, it’s the law and Dysart et al Building Official Karl Korpela says not doing so can cost you.

Applying for a building permit is an essential first step as Korpela told CanoeFM. He said with the new septic maintenance legislation and short term rental bylaws, his department is finding more illegal builds in the municipality.

He says his department takes a ‘carrot and stick’ approach, giving property owners a correct issues first, rather than jumping to next steps. Subsequent orders, though, come at a cost and applications for building permits will run double the normal fee.

Korpela also recommends working with local contractors and designers to make the process run smoothly.

The roar of snowmobiles have been heard all season long in Haliburton County and that’s been great for everyone involved, from sledders themselves, to those who manage the local trails and even local businesses. Snowmobiling in Ontario is a $6B business, with hotels, restaurants, snowmobile outlets and service providers all cashing in big time this year.

CanoeFM spoke with the Neil Vanderstoop, President of the Haliburton County Snowmobile Association about how Mother Nature’s bounty of snow has meant a flurry of positives for those who love the past time as well as those who support it through the hospitality industry. And it seems everyone has benefitted by the old fashioned winter with lots of the white stuff.