"In the city, I lose my mind . . . in the Highlands, I find it."

Nuisance Bears - Know Who to Call

Spring is here and in Haliburton County, that means the bears are awake, hungry, and looking for food—perhaps on your property. Incidents involving conflicts with bears are primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR).
   The MNR operates a toll free Bear Reporting Hotline, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from April to November. Trained MNR staff answer these calls and determine the appropriate response. If there is an immediate threat to public safety, the OPP will respond to emergency calls about any wild animal, in support of the MNR response.

The toll free Bear Reporting Hotline is 1-866-514-2327.

Spring Planting Season

Would you know one if you saw one? A marijuana grow op, that is? The OPP want to help you recognize them. At this time of year (late spring and summer), growers head into rural areas to plant and care for their marijuana plants (in some cases, very large plots). Typically, these illicit crops are located in swamps, corn fields, wooded areas, along rivers and on rural, rental properties with large acreage. Marijuana plants are bright green in colour and grow as tall as 3-5 feet. The leaves have seven jagged fingers and the plants give off a strong, pungent, musty odour.

Common indicators of outdoor marijuana grow operations include:
1. abandoned vehicles parked on side roads or trails
2. people observed walking in remote areas for no apparent reason
3. bags of fertilizer, planting trays or chemicals located in remote areas 4. well-trampled trails in wooded or swamp areas
5. cleared out areas in swamps, wooded areas or corn fields
6. numerous "No Trespassing" signs appearing out of nowhere

The citizens of Haliburton County are urged to contact the OPP if they notice any suspicious activity in their area. "The priority of the OPP is public safety, and we need the assistance of the citizens of Haliburton County to help us keep this community safer," says Acting Staff Sergeant Mike Landry. More information will be available in a pamphlet to be distributed throughout Haliburton County over the next few weeks.

A Sure Sign of Spring...
The Haliburton Home
and Cottage Show

The 34th Haliburton Home and Cottage Show takes place during the weekend of June 1-3, 2012. This event, sponsored by the Haliburton Curling Club, will feature 150 exhibitors of home and cottage products and services. The show takes place at the Haliburton Curling Club and Arena. Friday June 1 from 4:00pm to 9:00pm, Saturday June 2 from 10:00am to 5:00pm, and Sunday June 3 from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Admission is $3.00 for adults. Children are free and parking is free! Food and refreshments are available at the Curling Club.

For more information, please visit www.haliburtoncurlingclub.com.

An Evening with Carol & Gene Kent

Wed. June 6, 2012, 7:00 pm
Lakeside Baptist Church, Haliburton
$10.00 per person
Music and Refreshments
Everyone Welcome- Men & Women!
www.womensdaytogether.ca


Carol and Gene Kent's son, Jason, was a young man with a promising future. But one day, Carol and Gene received a phone call in the middle of the night—their only child had been arrested for murder. The Kents will share their heartbreaking story and reveal how, when seemingly insurmountable challenges crash into our lives, we can be transformed as we discover God at work in ways we never imagined.
Men and women welcome!

Highlands Summer Festival

The Highlands Summer Festival has announced its schedule for this year. It includes:
Colours in the Storm - A musical play that recounts the life and mysterious death of one of Canada's best known painters, Tom Thomson. 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of his first visit to Algonquin Park.
Within Reach - Directed by Artistic Producer Scot Denton using local talent, this collaborative work chronicles the evolution of education for young women through humour, music, drama and dance.
Arsenic and Old Lace - This much-loved, deliciously dark comedy, tells the story of two spinster sisters and their loopy nephew. The women run a boarding house where they always seem to have a room for one more...
Sweetheart: The Mary Pickford Story - In music and drama, Sweetheart relates the story of Gladys Smith of Toronto and how she went from a small time theatre actress to be one of the most powerful women in Hollywood.
Steel Magnolias - A lovingly told story of friendship and trust. In a small town hair dressing shop six women share their inner secrets as well as trading in the latest gossip. Steel Magnolias serves up a slice of life that's as warm and comforting as mother's apple pie along with a heaping side of laughs!
Opera Master Classes & Opera Excerpts Concerts - perfect for opera lovers!
... and more! For details and schedules, please visit www.highlandssummerfestival.on.ca.

Colourfest 2011 Receives Awards

Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO) recently announced its 2012 Achievement Award winners. These awards, handed out to FEO members, showcase different elements of festivals or events that stood out in the previous festival year. Congratulations to Colourfest 2011 for winning two awards: Best New Festival or Event ($100,000 or less) and Best Promotional Campaign ($100,000 or less). Colourfest took place on Saturday, October 1, 2011, and was organized by the Haliburton Village Business Improvement Area (BIA), with Jerelyn Craden as Event Coordinator. Congratulations to the people behind this great event!

Got Ants?

It's spring and that means, in addition to the wildlife we love to see, we will also likely encounter less welcome creatures, such as ants. Before you go out and buy those toxic ant traps, why not try one of these natural solutions:
Vinegar - Ants hate the smell, and it removes the scent trails that they use to get around. See frugalliving.about.com.
Mint, Talcum Powder, Cucumber, Cinnamon, Garlic - these are just some of the things ants really dislike. And they won't harm our kids and pets. See www.servicecentral.com.au or www.planetnatural.com.
Icing sugar and baking soda - See answers.yahoo.com.

Upcoming Events in Haliburton County

Visit our Events page for details about these and other Haliburton County events.

Various Dates - Great Highlands Experiences - Embrace the wonders of the Haliburton Highlands with a sampler of unique, fun, and active outdoor experiences. For details, see www.yoursoutdoors.ca.
June 1-3 - Haliburton Home and Cottage Show - Friday to Sunday at the Haliburton Curling Club and Arena
June 6 - An Evening with Carol & Gene Kent - Popular speaker and well-known author, Carol Kent, will be at Lakeside Baptist Church at 7:00 pm.
June 10 - Highlands Wind Symphony Spring Concert - 3:00 p.m. at the Northern Lights Theatre
June 16 - Treasures 'n Trash - A giant community yard sale. This annual event is held in Head Lake Park. 8am-3pm. Hosted by the Rails End Gallery.
July 19-22 - Dusk Dances - Head Lake Park, Haliburton - an outdoor dance festival that brings high quality contemporary and traditional dance to public parks.

Meet Sebastian!

He's adorable. He's soft and cuddly. His name is Sebastian and he is the 16th bear in the Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation collection. For just $20 you can take this beautiful bear home with you! Each year the foundation introduces a new bear, and over the years these stuffed bears have raised a total of $78,000 for priority medical equipment and technology for the hospitals and health care facilities in Haliburton and Minden. You will see Sebastian all over the county as many stores and businesses are supporting the HHHS Foundation by selling the stuffed bears. For more information, including a list of locations, please visit the Health Services website at www.hhhs.ca.

Promoting the Haliburton Highlands!

Last summer, Ontario's Highlands Tourism Organization (OHTO) completed a pilot series video project. The video above, for the Haliburton region, features the Sculpture Forest, Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve, Sir Sam's Ski & Bike, and Sir Sandford Fleming College. The OHTO will be using these videos on their website to promote the Haliburton Highlands.