What the Haliburton?

The Village of Minden was flooded again this year, despite commendable efforts by Parks Canada staff to maintain smooth water flows through the Trent-Severn system. With waters subsiding somewhat this past week, what happens next is largely dependent on how much rain falls over the next few days. Mayor Carter is back on the podcast to give us an update, explaining why flooding is so difficult to avoid and answering questions about why bridges and roads were closed. Can seasonal flooding in Minden ever be stopped for good? Join Lisa and Bram for this timely discussion.

Lisa and Bram speak with retired Municipal Chief and current chair of the Haliburton County OPP Detachment Board, Andrew Fletcher. The Board was set up to coordinate local community needs with OPP operations and has local representatives from our councils and the general public. What are the OPP's priorities in this area? Why are certain types of crime so difficult to stop? Our guest brings a lifetime of experience to this perennial discussion.

We speak with Marg Cox, executive director of Point in Time and the Haliburton Youth Hub. Point in Time helps youth and families facing difficulties and provides a safe place for counseling and support. Recently they announced the acquisition of land for a new Family and Youth Hub on County Road 21, near our local high school. Is that the next logical step for Point in Time or will it take focus and money away from their programs? Join editor Lisa Gervais and deputy editor Mike Baker as they talk to Marg about this new project and Point in Time's role in the community.

Our deputy editor, Mike Baker, talks with outgoing owner Paul Wilson and new boss Ryan Ramsay about the Minden-based Haliburton Huskies. Get the inside track on this year's play and the plan for 2026.

Minden Mayor Bob Carter gives straight answers to tough questions in an interview demonstrating what transparency and accountability sound like. It's hard enough keeping a small, rural town going with the Province continually offloading costs. Add a school board, Province and health system that refuse to communicate and cooperate, and the job looks close to impossible.

Depending on how you define it, the county has at least two downtowns: one in Haliburton Village, and one in Minden. And depending on what time of year you visit, they can be nearby and friendly stops to get what you need, or crammed with cottagers and out-of-towners taking up all the parking. A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is often set up to maximize the functionality and attractiveness of a downtown, bringing local business owners together with a member of council, aiming to align municipal policies with good economic development practices. Haliburton Village has one. Minden doesn't. In this episode, Brandon Nimigon, president of the Haliburton BIA, tells us what they're working on and what he'd like to see happen next. Will he succeed bringing something similar to Minden? And why does Minden clear its piles of snow on the curbs when Dysart doesn't? Are people in Dysart more spry? Brandon shares his thoughts on that and much more. Bonus: our first lighting round!

Mike Waller, president of the Royal Canadian Legion, Haliburton Branch, joins Bram for a chat about the important work our Legions do supporting veterans and the wider community. With many of our veterans aging and experiencing mobility issues, Mike takes us through their efforts to have a crosswalk installed between their building and public parking across the street. Spoiler alert: if you thought the safety of our veterans would be more important than technical requirements for crosswalk locations, you would be wrong. Our veterans will continue to have to play the Mountain Street version of Frogger, with walkers and canes, until someone with authority cuts the excuses and does the right thing. Take Action: If you'd like to sign Mike's petition to get a crosswalk installed between the Haliburton Legion and municipal parking lot, email rcl129@outlook.com with your name, town of residence, and a message to "add me to the crosswalk petition".Learn More: Go to thehighlander.ca/veterans for archived interviews with some of our local veterans. In 2015, The Highlander interviewed several to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. The videos include Mabel Brannigan, namesake of the Minden Legion branch, and Murray Whetung, who shared what it was like to be a First Nations soldier in the Canadian military. Billy Pickard describes the critical role played by wartime postal services in connecting servicemen and women with their families, while Chuck Viner shares his impressions from the Korean War and Parry Huiser explains some of the difficulties our soldiers have experienced both in and coming home from Afghanistan. These videos and more can be found at thehighlander.ca/veterans.

One episode wasn't enough to fully explore local democracy with our guest, Carol Moffatt. Carol is back this week with Lisa and Bram to talk about a perennial favourite: amalgamation. Should Haliburton County's five municipal governments in two tiers be consolidated into one government? Naturally, we have some opinions about that.

Why are local councils, non profits and businesses still posting their information on social media platforms filled with slop and misinformation? Bram and Lisa talk to communications expert Lauren Hunter about how we can post and get information without being manipulated by secret algorithms. As social media becomes increasingly unreliable and confusing, where should citizens get their information and how should organizations get it to them?

Bram and Lisa talk about County Council's reaction to a report saying $30mm will be needed to build adequate, affordable housing in the area and debate an expert's suggestion to use public lands for housing. Are we going to keep waiting for 'someone' to build us the housing we need, or might we just have to do it ourselves?