Community Living Walking the Picket Line

HHHS ER Wait Times

Emergency room wait times in Ontario have increased by 67 per cent in the past five years, a new report has found.The study, by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, found that 90 per cent of patients waited 4.5 hours for an initial assessment at ERs across Ontario in 2024 and 2025, up from 2.7 hours five years prior.And while the report goes on to state the rise in ER wait times is directly tied to a flawed funding model by the Province, at Haliburton Highlands Health Services, treating patients in a timely and effective manner is a delicate balance made more challenging by daily and seasonal fluctuations in ER visits.Victoria Miscio, Interim Chief Nursing Executive, for HHHS recently sat down with CanoeFM to explain how patients are cared for in the ER, the systems in place that prioritize treatment and to dispel the myth that it's first come, first served.

Community Living Walking the Picket Line

The picket lines are up in Haliburton County as more than 300 full and part time Community Living Trent Highlands staff have entered into a legal strike after the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and the Ontario Government failed to come to an agreement on the latest contract offer.Community Living Trent Highlands operate two homes in Haliburton and additional outreach services across the county for developmentally challenged youth and adults. Homes and outreach services are also delivered in Peterborough and the City of Kawartha Lakes. More than one thousand clients are served by the organization.Community Living staff have been in a legal strike position since last fall. After the Friday midnight deadline came and went, the union began preparing to strike. Picket lines are now up in all three communities served by Community Living Trent Highlands and local members were seen picketing near the library in Haliburton on Monday. Teresa Jordan, Executive Director for Community Living Trent Highlands spoke with Canoe FM Monday afternoon to explain what led the organization and its 300 full and part time staff to reluctantly walk off the job.

Art Centre Foundation waiting for approval

It's been a long road for the Haliburton Highlands Arts Centre Foundation, but the organization is hoping that within the next six months to a year, their plan to build a world-class performing arts space will become a reality.Recently, the group finalized the site plan as part of their application to the Municipality of Dysart. Getting to this stage has taken years of work and a steadfast commitment, but now it's a game of wait and see. The HHACF came into existence in 2018 and since then, numerous people have donated their time and energy to the goal of a new performing arts space here in Haliburton.Since then, it's been all about moving the project through the municipality of Dysart for rezoning. Recently, with the help of a consultant in Peterborough, the HHACF completed a site plan in its application for approval and have been told the review is underway. Clipperton says this can take between six to 12 months but the group is optimistic.

Canada Post Eliminating Home Delivery

Canada Post recently announced its plan to convert all home delivery addresses to community mailboxes. In a statement detailing the plan, provided to CanoeFM, the Crown Corporations says taking this action will quote "ensure it can meet the evolving needs of Canadians in a financially sustainable way," end quote.Starting later this year, Canada Post will eliminate door-to-door mail delivery to 136 thousand residents across the country. Then, over the next five years, it will convert approximately four million addresses that still receive door-to-door delivery to community mailboxes.Since 2025, the federal government has financially bailed out Canada Post three times, to the tune of $2.72 Billion dollars. Canada Post's decision to end home mail delivery comes as a result of year over year financial losses, a drastic drop in mail volumes, labor disputes, rising operational costs and stiff parcel delivery competition. The Crown Corporation says eliminating door-to-door mail delivery will save nearly $400 million dollars a year.CanoeFM went to the street to find out how locals are reacting to the end of home mail delivery.

Humans Of Haliburton Book

Susan Tromanhaser credits her father for passing on his curiosity for people and willingness to just ask questions. It's been the thread that's woven through her life both professionally and personally, she says.And it's that curiosity that's kept her busy for more than three years documenting the lives of locals here in Haliburton County in a weekly column for the Highlander newspaper. The column, entitled ‘Humans of Haliburton Highlands' invites readers to learn more about the people in their community, their life stories, their loves, losses and their humanity.After interviewing more than 150 people, Tromanhauser felt it might be a good idea to publish a coffee-table-style book that compiles many of the stories of the people she's met. So, she's done exactly that, with a book launch scheduled for Saturday, June 6thfrom 1 to 3 pm at the Corner Gallery in Haliburton.Tromanhauser, who spent her professional career as a principal for the Niagara School Board then at Brock University training teachers, sat down with CanoeFM recently to talk about what inspired her to publish her new book, ‘Humans of Haliburton Highlands'.