Monday, March 31, 2014
Crown
Filtering
Day 4, first gathering of sap. 12.5 gallons (47 litres) from 55 taps. Some trees producing very little. Filter out any spiders, moths, detritus before starting to boil. No dripping at 10:30 am.
Time to uncover the firewood, which is under several feet of snow.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Day 3 of maple sap
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Maple syrup, small production
For the next few days, specifics of making maple syrup will be shown. Today is day zero. No sap has started to run.
Make sure evaporator is clean. Use sulfamic acid, which is used for stainless steel. It comes in a powder and is available from Camp Can Aqua, a source for all maple syrup making supplies.
This evaporator holds 11 gallons of sap.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Walter Kidd
Kidd's Corners
Fact or Fiction? Haliburton County's Robin Hood
Everyone knows the legend of Robin Hood and his hiding out in Sherwood Forest from the authorities. Well, Cardiff Township had such a character (or so it was said) and his name was Walter Kidd. Kidd was trained to be a lawyer back in merry-Old England, but chose to live in the backwoods of Haliburton County instead. He settled along the Burleigh Road at a spot later called Kidd's Corners. His first mission was to build a school so his family and neighbours could enjoy the higher path of learning. Kidd's School still exists today, in Highland Gove as a museum to pioneer times.
(more on the 1890's, deer hunting regulations, enforcement and the fugitive Kidd later)
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Community Announcement
Come out to a Musical Afternoon on Sunday April 6, from 2 to 4 pm.
Location: Highland Grove Community Center (Library)
Refreshments served
Location: Highland Grove Community Center (Library)
Refreshments served
More Local History
Valerie Smith has produced a second publication about the local history of our area. "History of Wilberforce Elementary School and Surrounding Communities". This publication is located in the public library in Highland Grove.
The following descriptions of Cardiff and Highland Grove are given by Valerie.
Communities of Today
Cardiff is a former mining community; the mines opened in 1956 and closed several years later. The chief mineral being mined in Cardiff was uranium. Cardiff is located on Highway 118 between the towns of Bancroft and Haliburton. The Cardiff Elementary School is a small school. The community also has a Municipal Office/Public Library, Post Office, Fire Hall, General Store/Liquor Outlet/Restaurant, Royal Canadian Legion Hall, a Catholic and United Church, as well as an outdoor pool which is popular during the summer. It has over 200 homes and it is the only hamlet in Highlands East with full municipal water and sewer. The entrance to the town site off Highway 118 is marked with a large metal sculpture of a dragonfly.
Highland Grove was once a thriving community that supported three stores, a cheese factory, a blacksmith shop, two schools and two churches. Beginning in 1890 the IB&O railway served the transportation, supply and communication needs of Highland Grove's residents and businesses (the hamlet's first telephone was installed at the railway station). A Post Office first opened in 1897. Elmer Hughley, one of the earlier postmasters explained that Highland Grove was so named because it boasted the highest point of elevation in the County. On one side of a nearby hill, water flows in the direction of Haliburton and on the other towards Bancroft's York River.
The following descriptions of Cardiff and Highland Grove are given by Valerie.
Communities of Today
Cardiff is a former mining community; the mines opened in 1956 and closed several years later. The chief mineral being mined in Cardiff was uranium. Cardiff is located on Highway 118 between the towns of Bancroft and Haliburton. The Cardiff Elementary School is a small school. The community also has a Municipal Office/Public Library, Post Office, Fire Hall, General Store/Liquor Outlet/Restaurant, Royal Canadian Legion Hall, a Catholic and United Church, as well as an outdoor pool which is popular during the summer. It has over 200 homes and it is the only hamlet in Highlands East with full municipal water and sewer. The entrance to the town site off Highway 118 is marked with a large metal sculpture of a dragonfly.
Highland Grove was once a thriving community that supported three stores, a cheese factory, a blacksmith shop, two schools and two churches. Beginning in 1890 the IB&O railway served the transportation, supply and communication needs of Highland Grove's residents and businesses (the hamlet's first telephone was installed at the railway station). A Post Office first opened in 1897. Elmer Hughley, one of the earlier postmasters explained that Highland Grove was so named because it boasted the highest point of elevation in the County. On one side of a nearby hill, water flows in the direction of Haliburton and on the other towards Bancroft's York River.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Snowmobile accident in Harcourt Park
Quintenews, reports, Monday March 24, just before 7 am Sunday, a snowmachine hit a tree near Allen Lake in Harcourt Park. One male driver is dead and a female was flown to hospital with life threatening injuries.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Some editorials regarding Armatec initiative
Four letters to the editor in the Tuesday, March 18, 2014 Haliburton County Echo were headed:
a) Let Cooler Heads Prevail
b) Louder things than Armatec
c) Armatec environmentally friendly?
d) Armatec in best interest of country
Some of the 'Armatec in best interests of country' are included below.
To the editor,
It became abundantly clear, at least to me, after Monday night's zoning committee meeting at the Haliburton Legion, that the present Dysart township council in not the least bit interested in three things for sure: (1) Job creation for the benefit of township taxpayers, (2) Doing everything they can to help save the lives of Canadian soldiers in combat (3) A significant increase in tax revenue for municipal coffers.
I'm having trouble getting my head around this. The zoning committee had a chance to accommodate Armatec's request.
Armatec guaranteed at the meeting five to 15 jobs for the area's local population (how many jobs were lost in Harcourt when Martin's Mill shut down?) not including construction jobs and spin-offs (hotel, meals, supplies, etc) once underway. Dysart's planning committee voted (unanimously) to recommend to full council that council not approve this zoning change thus killing these five to 15 jobs locally, possibly saving some lives and I guess they don't need the tax revenue either.
In latter conversation with one of these planning committee members (and councillor) he indicated there was some 1500 people opposed (99 per cent not even local and only a handful in favour). How many go to a meeting to oppose something they are in favour of?
The people oposed to this lost any shred of their credibility after their rude, ignorant, juvenile and holligan behaviour at the information meeting held in Harcourt last week. They used every tactic they could, including lies, gross exaggerations and worse in an attempt to bully the town council into turning this down when in fact, they haven't a clue, really, what they are talking about."
(9 more paragraphs finish the letter to editor)
It sounds like a great 'hair on fire meeting'. So unCanadian!
a) Let Cooler Heads Prevail
b) Louder things than Armatec
c) Armatec environmentally friendly?
d) Armatec in best interest of country
Some of the 'Armatec in best interests of country' are included below.
To the editor,
It became abundantly clear, at least to me, after Monday night's zoning committee meeting at the Haliburton Legion, that the present Dysart township council in not the least bit interested in three things for sure: (1) Job creation for the benefit of township taxpayers, (2) Doing everything they can to help save the lives of Canadian soldiers in combat (3) A significant increase in tax revenue for municipal coffers.
I'm having trouble getting my head around this. The zoning committee had a chance to accommodate Armatec's request.
Armatec guaranteed at the meeting five to 15 jobs for the area's local population (how many jobs were lost in Harcourt when Martin's Mill shut down?) not including construction jobs and spin-offs (hotel, meals, supplies, etc) once underway. Dysart's planning committee voted (unanimously) to recommend to full council that council not approve this zoning change thus killing these five to 15 jobs locally, possibly saving some lives and I guess they don't need the tax revenue either.
In latter conversation with one of these planning committee members (and councillor) he indicated there was some 1500 people opposed (99 per cent not even local and only a handful in favour). How many go to a meeting to oppose something they are in favour of?
The people oposed to this lost any shred of their credibility after their rude, ignorant, juvenile and holligan behaviour at the information meeting held in Harcourt last week. They used every tactic they could, including lies, gross exaggerations and worse in an attempt to bully the town council into turning this down when in fact, they haven't a clue, really, what they are talking about."
(9 more paragraphs finish the letter to editor)
It sounds like a great 'hair on fire meeting'. So unCanadian!
Local History
The publication by Valerie Smith, 'Harcourt's Sons and Daughters', 2003, which is available from the library in Highland Grove, offers insights into how families survived in this area in its early days of development. This information would be great for teenagers to see how their grandparents, and great grandparents survived!
A few paragraphs when Valerie interviewed her mother Doreen (Townsend) Oakes are given below.
"Our meat consisted of chicken and pork as we had own chickens and pigs. There was of course venison and fresh fish, which Dad put on the table. We had a butcher that came around from which we could get beef. The butchers had insulated trucks in which there was a big supply of meat. We would usually purchase a quarter of a cow at a time, as we had no place to keep it frozen. In the fall when the venison was brought into the home Mom would preserve it. She did the same process as when she did down the berries. She would sterilize the jars on top of the wood stove in the canning pan. She would cut the venison up into small pieces, pack the venison into jars and season with salt and pepper. Most of the time the venison would make its own juice, however, if it did not come right up to the top she would put in a little bit of water. The jars were sealed and put in a boiling water bath on top of the stove and they remained there for about three hours boiling. She would take the jars off the stove, take them out of the boiling pan of water and tightened down the tops securely. The jars were cooled and then once again the had to be carried down the ladder to the fruit cellar below the house. The wood stove was kept stoked up during the caning process in order to keep the water boiling. Boiling water, hot jars and heat from the wood stove made for a very exhausting job when doing preserves.
At our local store, which was about a mile and half from our place in Harcourt, we would get sugar, cereal, flour, tea, coffee, salt, dried prunes, apples and raisons and all the things you would in a Christmas cake. The flour and sugar came in 100-pound bags and often Dad would buy cases of raisins and prunes. When Dad went to town he would also buy large pieces of bologna, peanut butter and margarine. All this he would carry home.
Our own butter we made. We had our own cows from which we had our milk. The milk was put through the separator, the cream came to the top. We took the cream and put into a church and churned it until the butter broke away from the milk. The remaining milk was known as buttermilk. The butter was scooped and you had to mix it until all the waer and everything was mixed out of it and put into pints which made a pound of butter.
Mom made our own soap. She would collect the tallow (fat) from the pigs and cows. She would render it out and then she would put lye wiith it. She would heat it up and she would put it into a square pan. Once this cooled she would proceed it cut it into bars. The soap that whe made was which we washed our clothes and use for our personal care as well. The smell was terrible."
There is much more good reading in this publication.
A few paragraphs when Valerie interviewed her mother Doreen (Townsend) Oakes are given below.
"Our meat consisted of chicken and pork as we had own chickens and pigs. There was of course venison and fresh fish, which Dad put on the table. We had a butcher that came around from which we could get beef. The butchers had insulated trucks in which there was a big supply of meat. We would usually purchase a quarter of a cow at a time, as we had no place to keep it frozen. In the fall when the venison was brought into the home Mom would preserve it. She did the same process as when she did down the berries. She would sterilize the jars on top of the wood stove in the canning pan. She would cut the venison up into small pieces, pack the venison into jars and season with salt and pepper. Most of the time the venison would make its own juice, however, if it did not come right up to the top she would put in a little bit of water. The jars were sealed and put in a boiling water bath on top of the stove and they remained there for about three hours boiling. She would take the jars off the stove, take them out of the boiling pan of water and tightened down the tops securely. The jars were cooled and then once again the had to be carried down the ladder to the fruit cellar below the house. The wood stove was kept stoked up during the caning process in order to keep the water boiling. Boiling water, hot jars and heat from the wood stove made for a very exhausting job when doing preserves.
At our local store, which was about a mile and half from our place in Harcourt, we would get sugar, cereal, flour, tea, coffee, salt, dried prunes, apples and raisons and all the things you would in a Christmas cake. The flour and sugar came in 100-pound bags and often Dad would buy cases of raisins and prunes. When Dad went to town he would also buy large pieces of bologna, peanut butter and margarine. All this he would carry home.
Our own butter we made. We had our own cows from which we had our milk. The milk was put through the separator, the cream came to the top. We took the cream and put into a church and churned it until the butter broke away from the milk. The remaining milk was known as buttermilk. The butter was scooped and you had to mix it until all the waer and everything was mixed out of it and put into pints which made a pound of butter.
Mom made our own soap. She would collect the tallow (fat) from the pigs and cows. She would render it out and then she would put lye wiith it. She would heat it up and she would put it into a square pan. Once this cooled she would proceed it cut it into bars. The soap that whe made was which we washed our clothes and use for our personal care as well. The smell was terrible."
There is much more good reading in this publication.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Brief History of Harcourt Park
The Highland Grove library has a great book on the history and development of Harcourt Park, called, 'Harcourt Park, Fifty Years of Stewardship and Beyond' written by Alan Wargo and contributions from numerous people.
A few of the interesting facts:
-privately owned, 6900 acres mostly in Township of Dysart
-544 individuals or familes own or lease cottages
-all cottages on lakes
-community centre, tennis court, playground, marina/store
-established 1960's
-self governing
-some of the responsibilities of the board of directors include: fish managment, newsletter, treasurer, roads, fire marshall, recreation, aesthetics, resources, security, environmental quality, website, municipal regulations.
Struggles:
"Maintaining privacy in the face of increased ATV and snowmobile useage and unauthorized fishing by non-members is an ongoing struggle."
This book really celebrates the many volunteers with pictures and names who have established a very unique Park.
A few of the interesting facts:
-privately owned, 6900 acres mostly in Township of Dysart
-544 individuals or familes own or lease cottages
-all cottages on lakes
-community centre, tennis court, playground, marina/store
-established 1960's
-self governing
-some of the responsibilities of the board of directors include: fish managment, newsletter, treasurer, roads, fire marshall, recreation, aesthetics, resources, security, environmental quality, website, municipal regulations.
Struggles:
"Maintaining privacy in the face of increased ATV and snowmobile useage and unauthorized fishing by non-members is an ongoing struggle."
This book really celebrates the many volunteers with pictures and names who have established a very unique Park.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Armatec vs Benoir Lake: round 2
The above heading was taken from the front page of The Bancroft Times, Thursday March 6, 2014 with the article by Barry Hendry.
A few of the paragraphs are given below to capture the feelings of the meeting.
There was applause from the packed crowd at the Branch 129 Royal Canadian Legion in Haliburton when Dysart et al Planning Committee Chairman Steven Pogue announced, "We are prepared to recommend to council that it refuse the (application) OP Amendment."
Then he added "Council can ignore our recommendation or ask for more studies. We are not council."
Councillor Pogue addressed the crowd after two hours of open debate on the request for an Official Plan Amendment from the owners of the 2,300 acres above Benoir Lake. With an amendment the owners would accept an offer from Armatec Survivability so the company can conduct tests that include exploding charges, in the 85.8 decidel range, near armoured vehicles and driving said vehicles on a test track.
Pogue gave his reasoning for the recommendation saying. "We've heard your concerns and our concern is the OP is a high level document that sets priorities. I've spoken to the other councillors (on this committee).
Pogue added, "The Benoir Lake residents have said it's not compatable with their neighbourhood.
(this blog will add more information as it becomes known)
A few of the paragraphs are given below to capture the feelings of the meeting.
There was applause from the packed crowd at the Branch 129 Royal Canadian Legion in Haliburton when Dysart et al Planning Committee Chairman Steven Pogue announced, "We are prepared to recommend to council that it refuse the (application) OP Amendment."
Then he added "Council can ignore our recommendation or ask for more studies. We are not council."
Councillor Pogue addressed the crowd after two hours of open debate on the request for an Official Plan Amendment from the owners of the 2,300 acres above Benoir Lake. With an amendment the owners would accept an offer from Armatec Survivability so the company can conduct tests that include exploding charges, in the 85.8 decidel range, near armoured vehicles and driving said vehicles on a test track.
Pogue gave his reasoning for the recommendation saying. "We've heard your concerns and our concern is the OP is a high level document that sets priorities. I've spoken to the other councillors (on this committee).
Pogue added, "The Benoir Lake residents have said it's not compatable with their neighbourhood.
(this blog will add more information as it becomes known)
Sunday, March 2, 2014
A cottager's comment
A concerned cottager forwarded the following comment to the appropriate officials at the municipality regarding the possibility of a military testing facility in the Elephant Lake-Benoir area.
.................................................................................................................
Subject: Public planning meeting
...............................................................................................................
The blog welcomes all comments concerning this issue.
.................................................................................................................
Subject: Public planning meeting
Please be
advised that we strongly object to any land usage of military nature in the
Elephant/Benoir lakes area. In the future these meetings should be scheduled at
a time of year more convenient for persons of seasonal residence(those most
affected by such usage) ie.May-Nov.
The blog welcomes all comments concerning this issue.
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