FYI Haliburton Story Archive

2005 Stories

• Wondering About the Bird Flu? (December 2005)
• Christmas is for Sharing (December 2005)
• Sick of High Gas Prices? (November, 2005)
• Don't Worry - It's the Harmless Fall Webworm! (September 2005)
• Job Opportunity (September 2005)
• Christian Education Now Available in Haliburton County (September 2005)
• Garden Party Supports the Hospital (August 2005)
• Second Annual Rail Trail Relay (August 2005)
• The UV Index - It's 13 Years Old! (June 2005)
• Summer is for Reading (July 2005)
• "Hotel of the Year" Award Goes to Pinestone (July 4, 2005)
• Elementary Teachers End Job Action (April 18, 2005)
• Teachers Work-to-Rule Moves to Phase Two (April 1, 2005)
• Kids These Days! (March, 2005)
• Snow Day! (March, 2005)
• Dorset Snowball Writing Contest Winners (February, 2005)

Wondering About the Bird Flu?

December 2, 2005 - Killer Flu: The World on the Brink of a Pandemic, written by local author Jim Poling Sr., has just been released by Altitude Publishing. Poling is a St. Nora's Lake cottager and has written several books on outdoor themes, including The Canoe and Tom Thomson: The Life and Mysterious Death of the Famous Canadian Painter. He is also a frequent contributor to Cottage Life magazine, Ontario Out of Doors and a variety of other magazines and newspapers. Killer Flu has been distributed to several stores including Shoppers Drug Mart, PharmaPlus, Loblaws (and various affiliates like Zehrs), Wal-Mart and Zellers. A trade paperback edition will be released to regular bookstores in January. "It's not a happy read, but we hope it will balance some of the bird flu hysteria seen daily in the media," says Poling. For more information about Jim Poling Sr., visit his website.

Christmas is for Sharing

December, 2005 - There is no need for anyone in Haliburton County to be alone this Christmas, thanks to Judith McKay. She is organizing A Mission of Love, a free Christmas dinner for anyone who would otherwise be alone. The traditional turkey dinner will take place at Lakeside Baptist Church in Haliburton, starting with egg nog and carols at 4pm and followed by dinner at 5. Everyone is welcome! If you or someone you know will be without loved ones this Christmas, please contact Judith McKay at 705-286-3137 by December 15 to reserve a place at the table.

Sick of High Gas Prices?

November, 2005 - Barry Devolin, Member of Parliament for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock, is too. And he's doing something about it. He's fighting the Liberal government to lower fuel taxes. For every 1-cent increase in gasoline prices, Ottawa receives a $40 million GST bonus. The Liberal government has refused to step in and lower fuel taxes. Join Barry's fight by signing one of the petitions that are circulating around the county, or visit his website for a copy of the petition and circulate one yourself.

Don't Worry - It's the Harmless Fall Webworm!

September, 2005 - You've probably seen these around lately. And you've probably wondered if the dreaded tent caterpillar has returned. According to the Minden Times (Sept. 16, 2005), we don't need to worry. This is the harmless fall webworm. Though the webs are unsightly, the fall webworm poses no threat to our trees.

Job Opportunity

September, 2005 - Cottage Dreams is looking to hire a FUNDRAISING DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR. This is an HRSDC Contract under the Job Creation Partnership Program, permanent full time, 35-40 hours/week. A registered charity, Cottage Dreams is a cottage lending program that provides time away in a natural setting to help families recover, reconnect and rebuild after cancer treatment. Cottage Dreams connects cancer survivors and their families with the donated cottages to provide time away to help bring families back together. More...

Christian Education Now Available in Haliburton County

September, 2005 - A new elementary school opened its doors this fall. Tall Oaks Christian Academy is located at the site of Medeba Adventure Learning Centre in West Guilford. Applications are now being accepted for students in Kindergarten to Grade 8. Tall Oaks uses the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum to provide a Bible based, child focused, goal oriented, individualized learning environment. Spaces are limited. For more information, please call 705-457-9163 or visit www.talloakschristianacademy.com.

Garden Party Supports the Hospital

August, 2005 - On Wednesday, August 24, Twisted Pine Studio on Head Lake in Haliburton hosted the Artful Garden. Visitors tasted food & wine, viewed and purchased art, and supported the hospital. The studio grounds were the perfect venue for a garden party and the weather couldn't have been better. Wine was supplied by Fielding Estate Winery in Beamsville and delicious appetizers were provided by Bonnie View Inn, Franka's Delectables & Wigamog Inn. Visitors also enjoyed music by Ed De Silva and the Highlands Brass Quintet.

Second Annual Rail Trail Relay

August, 2005 - The second annual Rail Trail Relay took place on Saturday, August 20. Ten teams took part in the 36 km race from Kinmount to Haliburton. Variety was the theme of the day: the six legs of the race ranged from 2.5 km to 10.9 km and teams ranged in size from one to seven. Runners were as young as 7 and as "young at heart" as 69. There were teams with large age spans and teams of teenagers and 60-somethings only. Serious runners finished the relay in 2.5 hrs while other teams, running for fun, took up to 3:20 to finish. Thanks to the ATV Association for helping out and to Sue Shikaze for organizing a great race.

The UV Index - It's 13 Years Old!

June, 2005 - On May 27, 1992, Canadians tuned into their morning weather forecast and found something entirely new: the "UV Index". Using a simple numerical scale, Environment Canada scientists had succeeded in developing a system to bring information on the strength of the sun's UV rays directly into Canadian homes on a daily basis. UV (ultraviolet) rays are the invisible burning rays of the sun which can cause sunburn, cataracts and skin cancer. Messages developed by Health Canada to encourage "sun-wise" behaviour accompanied the new UV forecast. Canadians could now plan their day, knowing not only the temperature and rainfall, but also whether to take precautions against UV. By 1996, public awareness of the Index had risen to 91%, and 51% of Canadians indicated they took extra precaution when the UV Index was high. Sales of sunscreen had sky-rocketed and "UV" had become a household word. More...
(Courtesy Environment Canada)

Summer is for Reading

July, 2005 - Did you know that your local library can get almost any book for you? If you're looking for a specific book and it isn't available at your branch, they will do their best to find it for you. The InterLibrary Loan service provides access to materials which can be loaned from virtually any library in Ontario, Canada or around the world. All for the cost of a (free) library card! Now that's service! You can call your branch or request books electronically. For branch hours and phone numbers, to search for or request books, and a whole lot more, visit the Haliburton County Public Library website.

"Hotel of the Year" Award Goes to Pinestone

July 4, 2005 - Delta Pinestone Resort has been named Delta Hotel's 2004 "Hotel of the Year" following the recent Leadership Conference held at Sun Peaks Resort, British Columbia. Each year, four major awards are issued recognizing most improved guest satisfaction, most improved employee satisfaction and most improved profitability. The "Hotel of the Year" award is bestowed upon the hotel or resort property whose improvements in all key areas were significantly realized. Congratulations!

Elementary Teachers End Job Action

April 18, 2005 (Lindsay) - Everything should be back to normal today. After nearly a month of job action work-to-rule sanctions, Trillium Lakelands District School Board's elementary teachers are finally returning to regular work schedules. Since March 21, elementary teachers have been involved in a work-to-rule campaign which precluded their participation in administrative duties during the work day and meetings outside of the school day. Full story...

Teachers Work-to-Rule Moves to Phase Two

April 1, 2005 - The Trillium Lakelands Elementary Teachers Local has been in a legal strike position since the end of February and initiated strike action in the form of a work-to-rule campaign on March 21, 2005. Today, this work-to-rule has escalated to phase two. Teachers are no longer carrying out administrative functions. This means that they may not attend any meetings or board-planned workshops occurring outside the school day. As well, teachers may also decide not to participate in fundraising activities including collecting money for lunches, milk, or book orders. The Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) is committed to achieving a settlement that will meet the teachers' needs and also fit within their approved budget. For more information, visit the TLDSB website at www.tldsb.on.ca (click on Job Action Updates) or call their hotline at (705) 324-5300, ext. 500 or 1-877-565-0157, ext. 500.

Kids These Days! (aren't they awesome?)

March, 2005 - According to The Echo, students in the Trillium Lakelands District School Board raised a whopping total of $74,499 for victims of the Boxing Day tsunami in Southeast Asia. Haliburton Highlands Secondary School students were the top fundraisers with a total of $7,200 - all raised in five days! Kudos to our students!!!

Snow Day!

Monday March 7, 2005 - The Trillium Lakelands District School Board made a good call this morning and cancelled all school buses in the county. A heavy snowfall warning has been issued for the area, along with a risk of freezing rain. A strong Alberta clipper is expected to bring 15-25 cm of snow today and tonight. If you have to be on the road today, use extreme caution. Travelling conditions will rapidly deteriorate and become hazardous. Heavy snow may cause low visibility at times. Kids, get out and enjoy it!

Dorset Snowball Writing Contest Winners

February, 2005 - Kudos to the 25 young writers and poets who submitted their work to the Dorset Snowball Writing Contest. On Saturday, February 19, the winners, runners-up and honourable mentions read their winning entries to the public. The largest number of entries was in the youth poetry category, and the 18 poems have been published in an anthology called The Dorset Snowball Young Writers' Poetry Collection 2005. Here are the winners:

• Winner - The Mysterious Candy Thief by Elizabeth de Roode, Huntsville
• Runner Up - A Good Day Gone Bad by Mikaela Charlebois, Carnarvon
• Honourable Mention - C'est Difficile Pour Etre Une Barbie by Elizabeth de Roode, Huntsville

• Winner - Winter by Kelsey Crowe, Minden
• Runner Up - The World is an Evil Place by Hannah-Laura Bargold-Geissler, Bracebridge
• Runner Up - Here by Erin Charlton, Huntsville
• Honourable Mention - I Like the Fire by Jazzmine VanVeld, Dorset
• Honourable Mention - Forest to My Ears by Matt LeeChee, Calgary
• Honourable Mention - Diamontes by Julie Forget, Chapleau
• Honourable Mention - Colour Poem (White) by Laura Scott, Chapleau

• Winner - Lovely by Katie DeVries, Huntsville

• Winner - Songbird by Emilie Berry, Huntsville