For Immediate Release
Minden, ON
Wednesday March 4, 2026
4:00 PM
Release #26-14
SUBJECT: Load Restrictions (Half Loads) in Effect March 6, 2026
Please be advised that Spring Half Load Restrictions will be in effect on all the Township of Minden Hills Highways and Roads beginning on Friday March 6, 2026.
Half-load restrictions limit vehicle weight loads to five tonnes per axle in order to protect roads during the spring thaw. Persons contravening this regulation may be prosecuted under Section 122 of The Highway Traffic Act.
Please watch for and obey posted signage.
For more information please visit www.mindenhills.ca for accurate updates.
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Contact Information:
Public Works Administration Office
Township of Minden Hills
PO Box 359, 7 Milne Street
Minden, ON K0M 2K0
admin@mindenhills.ca
News
Daylight Savings Time March 8th
Daylight saving time will begin this year on March 8, at 2 a.m. local time as the clock springs forward to 3 a.m. local time. While we might lose an hour of sleep by “springing forward,” it also marks the day when evenings grow brighter, mornings feel a little earlier, and everyone is reminded that spring is on the way.
Haliburton Highlands Wins Impact Award
Media Release
March 2, 2026
Hike Haliburton Festival given prestigious award by provincial organization
The Haliburton Highlands received not one but two significant accolades at a recent awards gala hosted by Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) in recognition of the County’s Hike Haliburton Festival.
On Feb. 25th, 2026, FEO announced the annual hiking event held in the Haliburton Highlands was the winner of an Achievement Award, which highlights festivals and events that stood out in the previous year.
Hike Haliburton was the winner of the FEO Impact Award, given to a festival with an operating budget of $100,000 or less.
According to criteria set out by FEO; the Impact Award recognizes the achievement from a festival/event that embodies the best ideas to advance cultural diversity and inclusion at events, or empowering marginalized demographics to participate, or increases the social impact of events within your community, region or the Province of Ontario, or being a leader in regards to truth & reconciliation in the Indigenous community.
Selected out of a competitive field of nominees, Hike Haliburton was recognized with the award due to the expanded programming the 2025 fall edition had, which included two Indigenous led events, both hosted by Jared Big Canoe.
“In 2025, the festival expanded its Indigenous-led components with support from a $25,000 federal grant, which helped launch a new medicine walk & storytelling session, and cultural interpretation led by Indigenous knowledge keepers. These experiences quickly became some of the most in-demand offerings of the festival, consistently praised by participants for their insight, authenticity, and deep connection to the land,” stated the award nomination application.
“The federal funding made it possible to properly support Indigenous partners, develop the new programming, and build long-term relationships. Participants expressed that these guided experiences gave them a richer understanding of local history, traditional ecological knowledge, and cultural teachings. Due to overwhelming interest, the County is now planning to integrate Indigenous programming in our future editions of the festival.”
The award was presented to Haliburton County tourism coordinator Eric Casper during a gala event held during FEO’s annual conference in Kitchener.
“We are incredibly honoured to receive this Impact Award from Festivals and Events Ontario for Hike Haliburton,” said Angelica Ingram, manager of tourism for the Haliburton Highlands. “This recognition speaks to the passion and collaboration that goes into creating an experience that is not only active and inspiring, but also meaningful.”
PO Box 399 11 Newcastle Street, Minden, ON K0M 2K0 | (705) 286-1333
In addition to the achievement award, Hike Haliburton was also recognized as one of the top 100 Festivals in Ontario. Hike Haliburton was included in a list of outstanding events that excel within the industry.
“Submissions from FEO members were received for consideration in the fall of 2025 and were judged by an independent panel of judges. Festivals and events of all kinds from every corner of Ontario were represented in the submissions – from community festivals to internationally recognized events,” read a press release issued by Festival and Events Ontario.
Hike Haliburton is a free, bi-annual event held in Winter and Fall, across Haliburton County. The fall edition was established more than 20 years ago, as a way to promote the vast network of hiking trails across the county. The event is currently organized by the County’s Tourism department, and hikes are guided by local volunteers. The multi-day event attracts visitors from across Ontario, as well as local residents, who can participate in various levels of hikes, either on foot or snowshoes.
Haliburton County Warden Dave Burton was delighted with the recognition and extended his appreciation to the staff and volunteers who help execute the festival year over year.
"Since its inception, Hike Haliburton is a festival that continues to expand and evolve, resulting in an outstanding initiative that draws residents and visitors alike to the region to explore our trails and natural beauty,” said the Warden. “Being recognized with an Impact Award is a well-deserved recognition of the dedication and hard work that goes into making this event a success year after year.”
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For more information please contact:
Dave Burton
Warden, County of Haliburton
dburton@highlandseast.ca
March Break Drop-In Program at the Minden Hills Cultural Centre
For Immediate Release
Minden, Ontario
Monday, March 2, 2026
10:00 AM
Release # 26-13
Subject: March Break Drop-in Program at the Minden Hills Cultural Centre
Families are invited to join us at the Cultural Centre for March Break Drop-In Programs at Nature’s Place from Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 20, 2026. Each day will feature a mini discovery session followed by hands-on activities. Programs run from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. They are open to all ages (recommended for children 5–12), and admission is by donation.
Program Schedule:
Monday, March 16 – Animal Detectives: Participants will identify specimens from our hands-on animal skull collection.
Tuesday, March 17 – Wildlife Tracks and Clues: Learn how to identify wildlife tracks and uncover clues left behind by local animals.
Wednesday, March 18 – All About Wolves: Explore wolves, their habitat, and how they shape their environment.
Thursday, March 19 – Incredible Insects: Discover fascinating display cases of native insects and enjoy interpretation by a local entomologist, Baz Conlin.
Friday, March 20 – Creatures of the Night: Investigate nocturnal wildlife and how they adapt to life in the dark.
We look forward to welcoming families for a fun, engaging week of discovery and hands-on learning at Nature’s Place. The Minden Hills Cultural Centre is located at 176 Bobcaygeon Road, Minden, Ontario. For more information, visit the Cultural Centre’s social media calendar page: https://www.facebook.com/mindenculturalcentre/
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Contact Information:
Minden Hills Cultural Centre
176 Bobcaygeon Rd
Minden, ON K0M 2K0
705-286-3763
Email
Kinmount Doctor Closing Her Practice After Only One Year
This is a story from CanoeFM’s Local Journalism Reporter, Elizabeth Oakley.
More than 400 patients in the region will soon be without a family physician after Dr. Mimi Van
Der Leden officially closes her Kinmount practice in May.
Patients impacted by the closure learned about it via phone messages and mailed letters last
week, causing many to take to social media expressing their frustration and anger.
Dr. Van Der Leden accepted the position at the Kinmount District Health Centre in December
2024, and began seeing patients in February 2025. No reason was given for the physician’s
closure of her practice.
Canoe FM spoke with Lois O’Neil-Jackson, Chair of the Kinmount District Health Centre
Foundation earlier today. She said the Foundation is saddened about Dr. Van Der Leden’s
departure but could not provide a reason, other than suspecting that it ‘was not a good fit’ for
her there.
O’Neil-Jackson said the Foundation, created more than 20 years ago, remains committed to
bringing quality healthcare staff to the community. She added the Board is working with both
the County of Haliburton and City of Kawartha physician recruiters for Dr. Van Der Leden’s
replacement. That could include possibly bringing a nurse practitioner on board at the
Kinmount health centre.
Dr. Van Der Leden will continue to see patients in person until April 29 th , after which
appointments will be by telephone only. She will officially close her practice on May 15 th .
In the meantime, O’Neil-Jackson recommends local residents orphaned by the closure of Dr.
Van Der Leden’s practice to visit Healthcare Connect to find a new primary healthcare provider
at Ontario dot ca backslash healthcareconnect.
CanoeFM’s County Closeup will provide a more fulsome story on the closure of the medical
practice and its impact on the community and patients later this week.
To read more stories by Elizabeth Oakley go to County Closeup on Canoe FM.
OPP – Three Words Could Save Your Life
THREE WORDS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE
(PETERBOROUGH COUNTY, ON) - Did you know that three words could help save your life? You just have to know 'what3words'.
On Wednesday February 25, 2026, officers from the Peterborough County OPP received a call regarding a snowmobile rider and their passenger who while riding on a trail, lost control after hitting a bump which sent them into a tree. Both parties were thrown from the snowmobile sustaining injuries that required assistance and medical attention. When asked for their location, neither were able to recall the last intersection they passed and had no way to describe where they were. Officers, EMS and Fire were dispatched to a general area, but it took significant effort and over 30 minutes to finally locate them. Fortunately, their injuries were non-life-threatening, and they were assisted of the trail by EMS where they received medical treatment.
Since December of 2020, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Provincial Communications Centres (PCCs) have been using the app 'what3words' to help people in need when they are not able to describe, or do not know where they are.
Emergencies can happen anywhere, from an accident along an unmarked stretch of road to an incident at a specific building entrance or industrial area. In an emergency situation, identifying precisely where help is needed is critical in order to get resources to the scene quickly. However, this can be near impossible for a caller to do if they get into trouble in an area with no address, no memorable landmark or an address that simply isn't good enough to accurately describe where they are. In these moments, emergency services are forced to waste precious time and resources trying to locate the person in need of help. At best, this can be frustrating, and at worst it can waste crucial minutes that could mean the difference between life and death.
Through its global mapping system, the app (what3words) labels every three squared metres with a unique three-word location string which can be converted into latitude and longitude coordinates for entry into the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system in use at the PCCs. What3words is a free application for iPhones and Android devices that works off the cellphone's Global Positioning System (GPS) or offline without mobile data if the caller already has the mobile app downloaded on their cellular device.
If you're planning to go out on the trails for a hike, ATV or snowmobile ride, are going to go out on the water this summer for a boat ride, or just want to be able to easily describe where you are, take a minute to download the what3words app. Knowing exactly where you are can greatly assist us in being able to get to you in a time of need.
For more information on the what3words app and the possible uses, visit their website at https://what3words.com/
To serve our province by protecting its citizens, upholding the law and preserving public safety.
The Peterborough County OPP values your contribution to building safe communities. If you have information about suspected unlawful activity, please visit Crime Stoppers at: stopcrimehere.ca or call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
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