County Closeup

Roger Trull considers his volunteer role with the Haliburton Highlands Sports Hall of Fame to be one of the best in the world. After all, he gets to tell the newest group of inductees they're being honored. For the third time since its inception, the Haliburton Highlands Sports Hall of Fame will be inducting another slate of worthy individuals at an upcoming ceremony, those who've made their mark and those who've helped launch them on their way.For a county the size of Haliburton, this region has produced a surprising number of notable athletes in a variety of sports. But beyond the headlines and box scores, the region is rich with those who've been instrumental in making their dreams of sports excellence a reality.Trull came to the CanoeFM studio recently to talk about why the organization was created. Since the region is chock-full of various sporting organizations and talented athletes, picking potential inductees is relatively easy, Trull says. The hard part, he adds, is winnowing down the list to fit the four categories.

Like many other Ontario communities, the village of Kinmount has a doctor shortage. Now, the problem has been made worse as Dr. Mimi Van Der Leden recently announced she's closing up shop, leaving 500 local patients without a physician.Dr. Van Der Leden's patients were notified about the closure of her practice last week via phone messages and mailed letters, causing many to take to social media to express their frustration and anger. Dr. Van Der Leden accepted the position at the Kinmount District Health Centre in December 2024, and began seeing patients in February 2025. She has only been treating patients here for just over a year and patients were not told the reason for the closure of the practice.Canoe FM spoke with Lois O'Neil-Jackson, Chair of the Kinmount District Health Centre Foundation. She said the Foundation is saddened about Dr. Van Der Leden's departure but could not provide a reason, other than suspecting that it ‘was not a good fit' for her there.

Over the years, many have tried and failed to make Minden's downtown core a place people, and more specifically, shoppers want to be. Now, the creation of the Minden Business Working Group, formed under the umbrella of the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce, to transform the downtown to reflect the unique character and pride of Minden and its residents.Matthew Renda, who owns Boshkung Social, says attempts have been made by business owners in Minden several times in the past to revitalize and re-imagine the downtown core, but all failed to make real change. Renda's role as First Vice President on the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce helped facilitate the timely formation of the working group and he's now the working group's Chair.At the first meeting, more than 42 business owners and interested parties were present. The interest, work ethic and passion of the group's members are turning naysayers into believers, and this time, the dream of creating an attractive, appealing and enticing downtown will come true, Renda says. And the cherry on top is Minden Hills council supports the initiative.

These days, with post secondary tuition on the rise, it's a good idea to be certain about one's future career path. That's exactly what the Haliburton Highlands Ontario Provincial Police is attempting to do with its new initiative, the OPP Youth Academy.The program, the first of its kind to be offered in the region, gives high school students a chance to learn more about the diverse roles within the OPP and gauge whether this is a career that interests them.The OPP Youth Academy is a six-week program beginning March 26th, where students in grades 9 through 12 spend two hours each week at the Minden detachment. It's a chance for students to get a behind the scenes look at the work the OPP carry out every day.

The true story of how a small Women's Institute in Yorkshire raised both eyebrows and funds by posing nude for a calendar is the central theme of the playCalendar Girls, set to take the stage of the Northern Lights Pavilion in Haliburton in late March. Since early January, the cast and crew have been hard at work, learning their lines, blocking and even some songs for the upcoming show.Most people who sit in the audience enjoying HLT's productions never truly know what goes into bringing a show to the stage; the long hours, memorizing lines and figuring out who their characters are both as individuals and as part of the greater cast. But for everyone involved, it's a labor of love.For a number of years in my 20's and 30's, I took part in a number of shows with a theatre company just east of Alliston. After having children and going through a divorce, I was unable to spare the time to pursue my love of acting and singing on stage. So, being cast in a show 27 years later, is both exciting and terrifying. Having been welcomed by this group is giving me the confidence I need as we edge ever closer to opening night.In this, the first of a series on bringing this show to life, you'll hear from the director, the stage manager and a few actors in the production. You'll hear how the show is progressing and meet more of the people working to bring a wonderful true story, filled with laughter and tears to the stage.

Barb Murphy has a new motto for living in Haliburton during snowy winters: Keep the snow low. Recently, the Ingoldsby resident had an unpleasant surprise when he carbon monoxide alarms went off one evening and the gauges measured dangerous levels of CO2 in her home.Murphy, who considers herself a capable and independent sort, was shocked the alarms went off, but immediately took action. She opened all her windows and doors then called 911. Minden Fire Chief Don Kruger arrived first, then another two fire trucks and crews came to investigate. After testing and re-testing the levels of CO2, they discovered the culprit — a huge snow wall that prevented the fumes from escaping the outdoor vents. While the vents were clear, the snow wall trapped the gas and it reentered Murphy's home.In the clear now, Murphy is grateful to the fire crews who kept her safe and recommends everyone go the extra mile in clearing snow around vents and keep nearby snow piles from getting too high.

It's been an important part of the community for both permanent residents and seasonal visitors, and now, after a fire that completely destroyed the main store, last Thursday, the owners are vowing to rebuild.CanoeFM spoke with Kevin Dyck, one of three owners of the Kingdon Timber Mart earlier today. Dyck said despite the shock and sadness of the fire, they are already making plans to rebuild the main building lost in the blaze. Although he couldn't provide a dollar value to the destruction, Dyck said they will be setting up temporary offices on site to continue lumber yard sales and will eventually begin construction of the new store.The fire broke out late Thursday evening last week, but by the time firefighters from three different municipalities arrived, the blaze was already well developed. 35 firefighters fought the fire but could not save the main building. The lumber yard out buildings did not sustain any damage. The Ontario Fire Marshall reported the fire's cause remains accidental and undetermined.Employees affected by the fire have been relocated to the Gooderham Timber Mart or working from home.

Dementia Widow – A Memoir of Love, Death & Survivalis Minden's own Fay Martin's first work, but it's her very own story of loss, acceptance and finding a way through. It is a personal story she knew she wanted to tell while experiencing her husband's journey with dementia. In it, she explores frustrating delays in diagnosing him, and the impact on their marriage, as Martin went from an equal partner to a different person altogether – someone, Martin made the choice to care for as the dynamics changed dramatically.CanoeFM sat down with Martin recently to learn more about how Martin felt compelled to write this very raw and real book about her husband Michael Fay's dementia and how it impacted her as well.Fay passed away in 2020 and not long after, Martin began her Masters Fine Arts in Creative Non-Fiction a year later. She had journalled about her experiences with her husband's dementia journey since its onset and Martin knew she had to do something with them. After several rewrites, it becameDementia Widow. Martin, now 82, confesses that while it was a difficult experience to go through, it was important for her to share it with others.

At more than 20 years old, the playground at Stuart W. Baker Elementary School is well past its prime. Within the next couple of years, it will most likely be decommissioned due to safety concerns.That's why Lauren Adelson, and the rest of the school's parent teacher council are busy organizing an upcoming fundraiser entitled ‘Pasta for Playground' to help get them closer to their dream of a safe, new and accessible playground.Between both Stuart W. Baker and J. Douglas Hodgson Elementary, who share use of the play structures, parents have raised $30K towards the goal of $300K. The Pasta for Playground fundraiser is the first of what is hoped to be an annual event until the full amount of money needed to tear down the existing structure and replace it with a new one.The Ontario Ministry of Education does not financially assist playgrounds, so the parent councils and the community must pull together to make it happen. Adelson recently spoke to CanoeFM about why this venture is so important.

It's been a tough year for Canada. Threats of annexation and geopolitical uncertainty have been difficult for most of us to deal with. That's why the Highlands Summer Festival in Haliburton is launching its summer season with a fitting prescription — laughs and lots of them from an all-Canadian season of plays and musicals.Dougie Walker, Artistic Director and Producer of HSF took time out of his busy schedule of auditions, callbacks, working, being a dad and studying for a new career to speak with CanoeFM recently. He says we all need a laugh and this season, audiences are going to be doing just that. This season's offerings feature beloved musicals and plays from Canadian playwrights that are sure to give everyone a boost of patriotism and pride.