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County Closeup: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Elizabeth Oakley | Canoe FM
At more four thousand kilometers in size, Haliburton County is home to just as manystories. Every person living here has issues, interests and life lessons and CanoeFM ishere to share them. County Close-up. Bringing the stories in Haliburton County to life!
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The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 4 days ago8 min
Minden Hills Firefighters Resign
A group of volunteer firefighters in Minden Hills have resigned as a direct result of serious and ongoing concerns involving leadership, safety and the overall direction of the Minden Hills Fire Department.In an exclusive interview, CanoeFM has learned that the problems have existed for more than a year, but came to a head in March when a long-serving firefighter was demoted then later fired.Recently, Canoe FM obtained documents containing allegations from former firefighters about workplace conduct, including alleged insults, inappropriate behavior, racial comments, favoritism and concerns about leadership. Both told Canoe FM they believe conditions have deteriorated over the past year, during Chief Don Kruger's tenure.The three firefighters who quit the department on March 30thare Hasan Wiso, Pat Kitcheman, and Jarrod Lawrence. Cody Withey, a volunteer firefighter for eight years who had also served as interim deputy chief, was demoted in October of 2025 and terminated in March. According to documents obtained by Canoe FM, he was accused of undermining leadership. And on Wednesday, September 9th, Dylan Cosh, another captain with the department, submitted his letter of resignation as well.
- 4 days ago9 min
Kicking the Carbon Habit in our Homes
Chris Weissflog has spent the last 20 years helping people reduce their carbon footprint by designing and building homes, cottages, restaurants and other businesses that are environmentally sound, affordable and sustainable. That's why Environment Haliburton is thrilled to host him at an upcoming seminar on how to reduce carbon emissions in our homes. The seminar takes place this Saturday, September 12that 10 am at the Haliburton Museum.Susan Hay, President of Environment Haliburton and Weissflog sat down with CanoeFM recently to talk about how just making a few changes in your home can help reduce carbon emissions, thereby lessening the impact of climate change.
- 4 days ago9 min
KDHSF Upcoming Fundraiser
Back in 1995, when the Kinmount District Health Services Foundation was created, it didn't have professional recruiters filling its ranks. Instead, it had passionate, driven members, including Restivo-Galea's mother, who wanted to establish a medical clinic in Kinmount with a full-time doctor to serve the community. They worked hard, knocking on doors, making calls and never giving up.When the first physician they recruited settled in town and began seeing patients, the small group knew they were on to something and the annual fundraising event helps ensure people here have high quality medical care close to home.KDHSF as it's known, is hosting the 28thAnnual Journey for Health Community Fundraising Event on Saturday, September 19thfrom 9 am to noon. Start the day with a pancake breakfast, walk, run or jog the rail trail and raise money for physician recruitment.Kim Restivo-Galea, secretary for KDHSF, is excited the event is once again taking place this year and invites everyone to take part in the fun for a vitally important cause. She sat down with CanoeFM to explain why the foundation's mission is as strong as the day it began.
- 4 days ago7 min
Artist Pantry
Emma Warburton is the kind of person who can take the seed of an idea and make it blossom. That's exactly what's she's done in opening The Artist Pantry in Minden. You see, Warburton is a painter and when she moved to Haliburton County, she was shocked to learn that this area, despite being such a thriving artist community, didn't have a store that sold the supplies she and other artists need for their creations. Local artisans, and Warburton herself, had to order their supplies online or travel to nearby cities to find what they need.Now, thanks to the help of her parents, Warburton has opened her own store, specializing in high-quality art supplies. Born out of a clear need, the store stocks a wide array of supplies, from specialty paper to watercolor, acrylic and oil paints, brushes, pencil crayons and everything in-between. Warburton hopes the store is the answer for local artists in search of the materials for their creations.Warburton sat down with CanoeFM and a local artist to talk about what the store has to offer and why it will fill the void for creatives here.
- 4 days ago6 min
Advanced Care Paramedics
In mid-August, the County of Haliburton announced the deployment of its first frontline advanced care paramedic or ACP. The program is expected to expand over time to a total of three ACPs. Every ambulance in Haliburton County is staffed by highly trained primary care paramedics (PCPs) who provide exceptional care for the community. The addition of advanced care paramedics means on-site interventions can now be performed that could not be carried out before, such as intubation, and the administration For residents and visitors, this means an additional layer of advanced clinical care is now available within Haliburton County.Mike Slatter, Chief of the Haliburton Paramedic Servic, who has been in the Chief role for the last year and a half, is grateful for County Council's leadership and the foresight of the union in bringing advanced paramedic care to the region.Slatter and ACP Shawn Foster sat down with CanoeFM to talk about how the new advanced paramedic program will make a difference locally.
- 4 days ago8 min
Film crew at Minden Whitewater Preserve
The secret may have gotten out, but Dave Gillespie, the Director of the Minden Whitewater Preserve, isn't saying a word. He's not going to spill any tea on juicy details about action heroes or shooting schedules.But what he will share, is what it means to attract both the attention and rental fees of a big television production company that's come to Minden to film a wildly successful franchise series, giving the Preserve the ability to reinvest in the facility, trails and the river itself.On August 17th, the Municipality of Minden Hills sent out a media release, notifying the public that JRS5 TV Productions Ltd. would be filming scenes for ‘Honcho' here from August 27thto September 2ndand that there would be road restrictions and delays as a result. They added that campgrounds and trails in the area would be closed until filming concluded.And while many locals suspect the filming is part of the popular Reacher series, which is known to shoot throughout Ontario, Gillespie cannot and will not substantiate the rumors but says it's the largest production hosted by the Preserve in its nearly 50-year history.Located on the Gull River, the Minden Whitewater Preserve is a hidden gem – a mecca of sorts for both high-caliber and recreational kayak and canoeing enthusiasts. It's home to some of the most challenging runs found in Ontario and is a preferred destination for whitewater enthusiasts of all skill levels.It's also known for its beautiful surroundings, hiking trails and serenity. So, it's no surprise that when a television production company chose to scout the area, they fell in love with it and began working on plans to use the river as the backdrop for the upcoming season of the show.Gillespie sat down with CanoeFM recently to talk about how the production company's rental of the Preserve will have long-reaching impact.
- 3 weeks ago12 min
Gooderham Childcare Centre
Anyone with children who lives in Haliburton County knows childcare is not easy to find here. In fact, the waiting list for licensed centre-based childcare has more than 1,451 kids on it and the average time to secure a spot is three years.That's why Amber McDuff and her husband Justin Dadic decided to take matters into their own hands and do something to help those struggling to find childcare. The couple opened Gooderham Childcare Group in early July and since then, has been doing all they can to bring more area children into their care. But there's a problem.Despite meeting all the requirements for licensing, McDuff's centre has not been included in the provincial childcare subsidy program that drops the average cost from $70 per day to $22 per day. The program, entitled Canada-wide Early Learning & Child Care, (or CWELCC), is administered locally by the City of Kawartha Lakes Social Services.McDuff and Dadic are losing about $2 thousand dollars a month because the lack of subsidies means most parents in the area can't afford the $70 per day fee. The couple opened an ice cream shop behind the childcare centre in May to offset costs. While that venture has proven both popular and profitable, it can't sustain the centre. It's a Catch-22 that is both frustrating and upsetting to the couple who simply want to help out other parents like themselves.
- 3 weeks ago10 min
Governance Affordability Study
For two months this summer, Haliburton's current two-tier government structure has been studied by the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN). Now, as residents prepare to cast their votes in the upcoming municipal elections, the public is being invited to a series of meetings that explain what's on the table and why.Concern over mounting financial pressures on the county and its lower-tier municipalities led Haliburton County council to enact the study by EORN. The report provides options for enhanced long-term sustainability and analyzes four potential governance models.And while the report is available for residents to read at any time, officials thought public information sessions to explain the different models and the advantages and disadvantages of each would help everyone understand that doing nothing is not an option. That's why a series of meetings are taking place August 25ththrough August 31rst in all four municipalities, so questions can be asked and answered in an open forum.Gary Dyke spoke with CanoeFM recently to discuss the study and its next steps. He said the financial realities of the current structure are what drove the study and the results are out for everyone to consider prior to heading to the polls.
About County Closeup
At more four thousand kilometers in size, Haliburton County is home to just as manystories. Every person living here has issues, interests and life lessons and CanoeFM ishere to share them. County Close-up. Bringing the stories in Haliburton County to life!
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