Public Hall Meeting

How exciting! I have received my first comment from a blog. Someone reads this! Thank you to the person who commented on our walk at Crests of Kennisis - I do not blame you for loving your cottage. I am a local, so know well the ups and downs of the river and what a great place it is for tubing. This spring was quite disappointing for many, I am sure, with little to no water in the rivers. The river through there is usually rushing wildly, but this year it was almost a mud bog with no spring runoff from winter. It was great to see the water levels return to normal the week before July 1! Thank you for your comments, and I will keep an eye out for your dog "River", in the river!

Last Wednesday there was a community meeting at the Gelert Hall for members of Lochlin, Irondale and Gelert. The meeting went well, although I truly hoped for more attendance from younger age groups - the Halls' futures depend on these people and their participation. But hopefully media attention and follow-up and discussion from the meetings will get the word out to them. The County Voice and the Minden Times were in attendance and I look forward to their write-ups. Lots of ideas came forward and lots of concerns. How do we get the word out that these halls mean a lot to their communities? People shared their concerns, frustrations, and ideas. The presentation for the new council on the halls will be completed over the next week or so and any public members who wish a copy are welcome to contact me and I would be happy to send it to them. With a fast-paced, ever-changing world, one this will always be important - community. These halls are the centres of those communities and we need to pass on community involvement and spirit to our children - lets keep them open!

Circuit of 5 Viewpoints Trail

Last Sunday Christine and I explored the Circuit of 5 Viewpoints Trail, at the end of Little Hawk Lake Road. We didn't go far as Christine had to get back to North Bay, but it was a beautiful day. With just a touch of colour on the trees, and a warm breeze, it was the perfect day for an excursion. The expanse at one of the view points was breathtaking. I felt like I was on top of the world. We didn't just notice the view that day, with leaves starting to turn bright, there was also an abundance of growth on the forest floor - bright red and bright yellow mushrooms and other forms of fungi. Primary colours were everywhere - is it my imagination or are there way more varieties than when I was a child? As a young Gelert girl I spent a lot of time in the bush and I do not remember the sights that you see today.

After our walk, we went to the waterfront at Little Hawk Lake, where there was an abundance of colour of a different sort. Many boats of different shapes, colours and sizes dotted the docks and one boat was unloading as a family with a water-access cottage took home their belongings - even a large plant was brought by boat. It must be quite an experience to own a water-access cottage. There are many in our County - lakes such as Hawk and Little Hawk, Redstone, Drag, Kennisis, Red Pine, Kushog.......and the list goes on! It looked like the family that were unloading the boat were unloading not just for the weekend, but for the season. Perhaps they will have a couple more visits before winter?

It was a fabulous day and difficult to leave the beautiful scenery and nice weather for the drive to North Bay to deliver Christine back to school! I am hoping for an exquisite October for more adventures.....

Our Community Halls

Three community halls within the township of Minden Hills are in jeopardy over the next two years of being closed - Irondale, Lochlin and Gelert. It is a complex issue of budget, maintenance, compliance and liability. Since the townships amalgamated, each hall has worked hard at being self-sufficient, to a great degree. Each hall has it's own board, it's own bank account, and it's own fundraisers. Currently, the municipality covers the halls under it's blanket municipal insurance policy, cuts the grass and maintains the driveways. The communities pay for heat and hydro and any improvements they may wish for. I grew up in one of these communities. From the outside observer, they seem to be old buildings that serve an ever-dwindling population, but look carefully, and you will learn that these are special places that keep these communities alive - they provide community dinners (spaghetti, St. Patrick's Day, socials); they keep the local bridge games going, offer meeting space for small non-profit groups and interest groups, supply parties for the children at Halloween and Christmas, local wedding and baby showers, and the list goes on and on and on......

No, they are not used as much as they once were - but that is about to change, for many reasons! Everything in life is cyclicle. What was once old is new again. Lifestyles are changing, people are jumping off their roller coasters and becoming more community-minded. They are eating and living better, small farms are becoming more popular as people want fresh foods once again, they are teaching their children to be involved too - all very good things. With improved transportation and roads, people no longer care about living "in town" or "way out there". These communities are becoming, once again, a great place to live!

Now is the time to help councillors understand the importance these halls carry. The memories they create for the children, the ability to make "signs on a road" represent a village, rather than a cluster of homes. It is time for the 3 communities to work together as one to get attention. A presentation has been created (still in development) that will serve 2 purposes: one, it will be used by each community as a starting point to beefing their usage of the Halls, with ideas of ways they can be used in the future; the second, is for local councillors - so they can better understand what these halls are to the local population.

Did you know it is incredibly inexpensive to rent these halls for an afternoon or evening? Depending on the hall, between $35 to $75, depending on whether you need it for a couple of hours, a full day, and if you need the kitchen. They offer a place for reunions, anniversary/birthday parties - you name it!

If you have any ideas or comments regarding the future use of the Halls, I would love to hear them. If you would like a copy of the presentation package, please let me know - it can be forwarded in pdf format. My email is carr2211@gmail.com

Our community halls - not just buildings!

I'm Back!

Where has summer gone? A busy season at work, along with a move, has put a crimp in my blogging! But as the seasons change, I must catch up. The real estate market has been "interesting" in the Highlands this Spring and Summer - the residential market has been ominously quiet, to the chagrin of sellers, but cottage sales have been steady but not exciting. There was an abundance of listings this Spring which slowed down buyers as they found it hard to make a decision, and many never bought in the end! But Fall promises to be a busy one as people get back to their lives and realize they still want that perfect cottage - we are also optimistic that the residential market will pick up.

York Street in Haliburton (the "back" street) that has the Rails' End Gallery, entrance to the park, the Lilly Anne and the brand new, beautiful Library, has become complete chaos this week as it undergoes a face lift. Although the official start date is September 7, workers got a head start this week and parking in the town is now at a premium. The construction is to last into November as we receive new sidewalks and curbs to make the back street more user friendly and more an extension of the main street, upgraded sewers, new paving, etc. - it will also make the street safer for the many visitors that cross that busy curb to get to the park and the gallery! It will be a tough couple of months but I am looking forward to seeing the end results!

For those Kushog Lake cottagers - did you see the news last week? The boat launch and access point by Noah's Landing is being closed permanently this month by the MNR. They will be erecting a gate and closing off a great spot where the public has traditionally put in their boats, canoes and kayaks and even taken a swim or two. It is a shame but they are obligated to deal with the illegal use as they have received a complaint by a member of the public. There is also docking there for water-access-only cottagers on the far side who will now have to make other arrangements.

On Wednesday I attended a meeting at the Minden Arena where the public are being asked for their "vision" for recreational facilities and programmes in Minden Hills over the next 15 years. Where are we going - what are we lacking? It is all part of the municipalities strategic planning to meet the public's needs. There is another meeting in the evening on September 13. You are asked to fill in questionnaires and you also participate in group discussions - I enjoyed it! Of course I was there wearing my "Friends of the Rail Trail" hat, my "Save the Gelert Hall" hat, AND my "we desperately need an indoor pool" hat! I will be preparing a proposal to council regarding the Gelert Hall and it's future possible uses, which I believe will also tie into our vision for an enhanced Rail Trail. Wish me luck - and if anyone has any ideas or suggestions, please let me know! The Gelert, Lochlin and Irondale Community Halls are all slated for closer in the future, which will finish off these all-but-ghost towns - it will plummet real estate values even more, and be the final act in the disintegration of these communities.

Well - enough of my ramblings for today! Lots to catch up on, but not all at once - no need to put anyone to sleep!

Hike at Crests of Kennisis Trail

Well, today could not be missed! No rain, beautiful sun but not too hot! John and I took advantage of the day and decided to go for a hike. We headed out to the historic log chute between Hall's Lake and Hawk Lake (see winter photos in a previous blog), and had lunch at a picnic table. The water levels in the area this year are astoundingly low, and the Kennisis River between the lakes - which is usually fast moving, loud and beautiful, was rocks and mud in a lot of places. It was truly quite sad - no kids are tubing into Hall's Lake this year! After lunch we crossed the dam and headed along the "Crests of Kennisis Trail" - a 5km trail (up hill both ways - or so it seemed!) that leads you up and along a ridge high above the Kennisis River. As it was our first hike of the season, and we are not seasoned hikers, we didn't make it all the way, but we did make it to the first viewing point, past the beaver pond. It was spectacular and took about 45 minutes to get there. We then swung our exhausted bodies around and headed back. Lots of mosquitoes, lots of sunshine and an incredibly peaceful, beautiful forest. Sometimes we had to just stop and listen to the silence - an extraordinary day! I wonder what trail we shall try next????

Friends of Rail Trail AGM

This Sunday evening I attended the first ever AGM for Friends of the Rail Trail. It was well-attended and held in our Chairpersons home, Pamela Marsales. Pamela reported on the past year's activities, including Sunday Rambles, education, access, nature and history. One key factor this year is the group's impact on local business. The report listed how many local businesses and organizations were affected by post-walk luncheons, visits by participants to art studios, farms, and non-profit locations. It was an impressive list and membership with FoRT is also growing substantially, with $5.00 per person being the deal of a life time! There are some great upcoming events, including a canoe trip/lunch along the Burnt River (July 13th) - FREE! I will post a complete list of upcoming events within the next few days.

Wild About Nature Gala

Friday, May 28 I got to go to my first ever Gala! The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust held it's annual Gala - a fundraising event to support the Trust, and an opportunity to celebrate Haliburton County's "Enviro-Heroes". The evening was titled "Wild About Nature". Money was raised through silent auctions, raffles and a loonie auction and the Minden Community Centre was packed! There was a fabulous buffet catered by Bonnie View Inn and The Wild Orchid. There were five awards given. Under the section of Business - The Haliburton Highlands Water Trails was recognized for "developing a set of far-reaching education, outreach and stewardship initiatives". Under Education, the Haliburton-Muskoka Children's Water Festival and Friends of Ecological and Environmental Learning were rewarded. In Stewardship, Jerry Walker, a well-known Haliburton County man and business man was noted for his extensive work with Ducks Unlimited and tireless efforts mapping and identifying wetlands in Haliburton County. In the section of Arts, Mary Anne Barkhouse and Michael Belmore, local yet far known multi-disciplinary artists were awarded. Their work has been and is being displayed in museums such as The Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Toronto Sculpture Garden, University of Western Ontario and The Smithsonian's National Museum of the America Indian. For the division of Health, Sue Shikaze won for her vision and dedication to projects such as Share the Road, and the cycling coalition. Sue's vision for a healthy and active community is pushing us forward!

It was a great evening and I wish I had attended before! Good music, good food - great people! It was very inspiring to get to meet even more of Haliburton County's extraordinary human resources!