"Do what we can, summer will have its flies." ...Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Canada Day!

There's lots to do in the Haliburton Highlands this Canada Day week, and all summer long!
* Cool off in one of our more than 600 lakes!
* Enjoy some of our many hiking and cycling trails (see www.trailsandtours.com)
* Try out the new mountain bike trails at Sir Sam's, now open for summer! See www.sirsams.com.
* Walk in the Clouds at Haliburton Forest (www.haliburtonforest.com).
* Be entertained with exciting summer theatre (Annie opens June 29 for ten performances - see www.highlandssummerfestival.on.ca)

For more great summer activity ideas, visit our Events page and our Things to See & Do page.

OPP Golden Helmets Coming to Minden!

On Saturday July 4, 2009, at 2:00pm, the OPP Golden Helmets Precision Motorcycle Team will be coming to the Village of Minden. 2009 marks the 100th anniversary of the Ontario Provincial Police and also the Sesquicentennial (150th) year of the Village of Minden. This precision motorcycle team was formed in 1963 and travels throughout the Province of Ontario giving exhibitions of superb riding skills at fairs, festivals and parades. The twenty-member team is comprised of OPP officers on regular duties who ride Harley Davidson Police Special motorcycles. During the 30-minute performance, the riders take their machines through a series of complex patterns which are intended to demonstrate the manoeuvrability of the machines and the skill of the riders. This is a free family event. Sections of the Bobcaygeon Rd will be closed to accommodate the event. For more information on the golden helmets please visit the OPP website.

Minden Fringe

Fun, quirky and 100% original, the Minden Fringe returns to Wintergreen Pancake Barn on July 11 and 18, 2009. Enjoy four rib tickling performances by local writers and performers. Both evenings start with dinner at 7pm. After dinner, the Fringe impresario will take the audience in hand for an evening of unexpected and undeniably awesome theatrics. Fay Martin's one-act play, Oh Annie, will be first up on July 11. Her show, directed by Emily Stonehouse, features Renee Archibald as Annie Angus, Kate Hall as Mrs. A.H. (Mable) Hartle, and Lindsey Hawley as Miss Rose Baker in a merry romp through Minden high society in 1922. After intermission, Shelley King will bring her new one-woman show to the Wintergreen loft. King is well known locally as a puppeteer, story teller, clown and expressive arts facilitator at Fleming College. On July 18, Minden Fringe will feature the supremely funny Brigitte Gall in a new one-woman show followed by two of the county's favourite story tellers, Jim Blake and Fay Wilkinson. Ryan Dawson will be back in the driver's seat as this year's artistic director. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased by calling Wintergreen at 705-286-3202 or via email. Last year's Minden Fringe festival was a sold out success so get your tickets early!

Summer Movies at the Molou!

The Molou Theatre in Haliburton has reopened for the summer of 2009!

June 24 to July 7
Transformers - Revenge of the Fallen    6:30pm and 9:15pm

Rainy Day Matinees - If it's raining, call to confirm an afternoon showing 457-2637.

Hot Ticket Tuesdays - Tuesdays, all day, all seats $5.50.





Welcome Back to
Summertime Movies in Haliburton!
www.molou.ca

When Boating, Think Safety First

May 25, 2009 – The Ontario Provincial Police would like to remind boaters to “Think Safety First” when out enjoying the lakes and rivers of Ontario. To enhance your chances of a safe return, never overload your boat and never go out if foul weather is in the forecast. Ensure that all occupants are properly wearing their lifejackets or Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) and that the required safety equipment is in the vessel before leaving the dock. Cold water immersion is a major contributing factor to marine fatalities this time of the year. Wearing a lifejacket or PFD will greatly increase survival times and increase your odds of being able to be pulled from the water or to swim to safety. In 2008, the OPP investigated 30 marine fatalities, 75% of which were a result of people not wearing a PFD. Already in 2009, on OPP patrolled waterways, four people have died in four separate marine incidents, the most recent two fatalities occurring this past weekend. In each of these fatalities, the victims were not wearing a PFD. Marine fatalities are preventable. Before going out onto the water, Think Safety First and wear your lifejacket or PFD. It could save your life.

We've Had Our Say ...

... and now we wait. April 19 was the deadline for providing feedback on the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN)'s recommendation to close the one obstetrical bed at the Haliburton Hospital. Many took advantage of this 60-day consultation process and let the LHIN know how they feel about losing this vital service in our community. If this recommendation goes ahead, women in our community will be forced to travel 1.5 hours or more to give birth. Dr. Norm Bottum, who has cared for pregnant women and their newborns in Haliburton for many years, and Rebecca Weeks-Toth, who recently received funding to open a midwifery practice in the Haliburton area, are proposing a shared practice arrangement which will allow as many women as possible to give birth in their community. This will increase the number of births in the region, thus making the Haliburton bed more sustainable and also ensuring that competent, trained obstetrical providers are available for both elective and emergency births (which will happen regardless of whether or not the bed is available).
Click here for more information about the Clinical Services Plan and the consultation process. Click here to view the report.

Seniors: Need a Ride?

In February, 2009, Community Care Haliburton County announced the arrival of their new agency van. Community Care would like to help seniors who live in remote, rural areas of our county, to get into town to do their weekly shopping, banking, prescription pick up, etc. There may even be time to stop for a bite to eat. Community Care would like to bring this 7-passenger van to your "neck of the woods". Gather your friends and neighbours and carpool with Community Care. If you, or someone you know, may be interested in this service, please contact Judy at 457-2941 or by email. Community Care wants to help our seniors get to where they need to go.