Four thousand-two hundred trees will be planted throughout Haliburton County through the partnership of Patient News Publishing with Haliburton Highlands Stewardship Council through the Council’s Tree Planting Program. Patient News Publishing…is committed to environmental stewardship in all facets of their business operations. In addition to their current use of 100% FSC certified paper, Patient News Publishing has made a further commitment to planting trees with HHSC. The Haliburton Highlands Stewardship Council, a community organization comprised of generous local volunteers, dedicate themselves throughout the year to promote and support responsible stewardship of natural resources in Haliburton County, and deliver programs such as the Tree Planting Program.

The Tree Planting Program is designed for Haliburton landowners who are interested in reforesting their properties, restoring or enhancing biodiversity, preventing shoreline erosion, or simply creating wildlife habitat in their woodlots and shorelines with trees native to Haliburton’s seed zone. Patient News Publishing, in a generous effort to contribute to the stewardship of Haliburton’s natural resources while offsetting their environmental costs, is – in addition to planting trees – subsidizing 50% of every landowner’s tree order!

If you would like more information, or would like to apply by the deadline of March 15th, please contact Tracey with the Stewardship Council at 705-286-5205 or or hhsc.intern@gmail.com or to download the application online visit www.ontariostewardship.org/haliburton.

Southern Ontario Short Term Weather 3.5-6.10

Welcome to the first weekend of March!

From some of today’s Southern Ontario webcam photos it looks like there’s (been) a thaw in parts of Southern Ontario. Definitely in Reach Harbour and in Haliburton.

And so yep (I checked), this big thaw in the Haliburton Highlands area and other areas is continuing through next week!

The spring transition is always such an active, shifting weather time.

Haliburton Highlands – Maple Lake Long Term Weather

Short-term weather Haliburton Highlands. Tonight–Friday night was clear and with low of 11°F or so. Chilly!

Sunny skies will greet you both waking up and through the day on Saturday temperatures will be mild, climbing  to 43°F with sunny skies lasting until early afternoon. The temperature steadily declines until at midnight it is expected to be clear and 27°F . Then a big change occurs. Around 1 a.m. fog moves in with patchy fog with denser fog  mixed in in certain areas. Temperatures will be around 27 °F.

Sunday morning through mid-day will be sunny with nice temperatures going from 29°F up to 43°F during the day until a shift around 6 pm with clear skies moving to variable periods of cloudiness and temperatures falling to 26°F overnight on Sunday.

Haliburton Highlands Long Term Weather Forecast 3.5-3.12.10

Haliburton Highlands Weekend Weather and Long Term Weather Forecast – 3.05.10 – 3.12.10

Lake Nipissing Sunset (3.5.10) North Bay, Ontario, Canada (northwest of the Highlands)

Monday, expect cloudy periods but still above normal ‘thaw’ temperatures of 41°F. The overnight low on Monday is forecast to be 26°F. There’s a pattern of freeze overnights and thaws during the daylight hours for most of the week so watch out for ice patches–all potentially dangerous ice, actually.

Tuesday willy be sunny with a high of 36°F and an overnight low of 17°F. It seems the nights are normal but the daytime temps are above, right?

Wednesday is the second of at least a four of sunny days in a row (1). Expect the high on Wednesday to be 36°F and the low temp overnight–same as last night– 17°F.

Thursday is sunny with a high of 34°F and an overnight low of 18°F.

The beginning of next weekend is starting off on a sunny note with a high of 41°F. Overnight lows will be 26°F.

Have a great week!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of AccuWeather. All opinions are 100% mine.

Maple Lake Ontario sunset

Ah, the weather. Any day now it will act nicely and then another day and so on until there may be a string of lovely days. The catch? Right now the calendar says that it is only early March. But too late–we will have been lulled into the notion that spring! is! here! Even though I know better, I will get on the bandwagon too, pounding the drums of joyousness in solidarity. I’ll probably even go for a spin in my Mustang GT convertible, top down.

If only it would stay this way, continuously moving closer to better weather. But rudely,  reality does intrude. We don’t like to think such thoughts but when the inevitable occurs we are bummed because “the weather sucks.” And it seems to suck more because we’ve enjoyed such delicious samples of the yumminess that is spring only to get  a strong  shove back into reality.

Yes, reality. It seems much more than a concept when it rains for a week straight and you’ve just about forgotten what the sun looks like.
Not that anyone needs reminding, but for me, I will continue to relish the good days, acknowledge the “bad” and try not to let thinking about the “weather” monopolize too much of my time–which brings me to the AccuWeather website. I use an online weather resource every single day–at least a couple times each day because I live in an area where winter weather is not to be trifled with. During a Midwestern winter you need to be dressed properly, your car needs to be fully winterized, you have to know how the weather is impacting traffic–there are so many considerations one must take into account before walking out the front door. The AccuWeather site can help me with each concern so I can feel confident that my family and I are fully prepared to take on whatever Mother Nature send our way.

At the newly redesigned AccuWeather site it is super easy to find what you want to know because the site has been redesigned with ease of use a top priority, whether it is tabbed browsing, a clean, low-clutter page or a variety of new lifestyle areas like one I especially enjoy–Weather and Home and Garden. I didn’t expect to find helpful information about Home and Garden Shows but there is was. Nice touch, AccuWeather!

The Dorset Recreation Centre has announced a new day for it’s FREE Moms & Tots Playgroup.

The Moms and Tots Playgroup is now meeting on Tuesdays from 10am to 12pm.

All infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children and their caregivers are welcome to to participate in this free weekly program.
Playgroup is a time for some fun and socializing with other kids & adults. Toys, books, crafts and more are provided free of charge by the Dorset Recreation Centre. The Moms and Tots Playgroup is self run so please bring your own beverages and snacks.

For more information, call Cheryl at 705-766-0874.

Dorset Recreation Centre
1051 Main Street, Box 99 Dorset

Email: drc@algonquinhighlands.ca

This is a non-sponsored post done as a community service for the Haliburton Highlands.
Special thanks to the fine folks who author the What’s Happening This Week! newsletter.

Sidney Crosby wins gold for Canada. (Photo credit: Doug Mills/New York Times)

The depth and breadth of hockey’s place in Canadian culture can be hard to fathom beyond the borders. But it now might be heard, echoing from the north, thanks to a 3-2 overtime victory over the United States in the final event of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

To hear Canadians tell it, the hockey gold medal has come home, where it belongs.

Canada did not win as many medals as it had hoped at these Olympics, which closed on Sunday night, but it won more golds (14) than any country in history. The last, an emphatic exclamation point on the 2010 Vancouver Games, will be collectively cherished more than any other.

This, after all, is a country whose $5 bill has a scene of children playing hockey on a pond, with a quotation from the short story “The Hockey Sweater,” by Roch Carrier:

“The winters of my childhood were long, long seasons. We lived in three places — the school, the church and the skating rink — but our real life was on the skating rink.”

Hockey, the Canadian poet Richard Harrison once said, “is the national id.”

Continue reading this article at the The New York Times.

Roberto Luongo w/ victory flag (Photo credit :NYTimes/Stalknecht)

Team Canada Olympic hockey team wins gold/ Photo credit: Doug Mills, NY Times

It is really hard not to gloat.

The men I live with were rather smug about Canada’s loss to the U.S. earlier in the competition. They felt quite sure that the US had a lock on the gold.

There was never a doubt in my mind that Canada would take home the hockey gold. The world’s record 14 gold medals  for Canada is the fudgey chocolate icing on my Nanaimo bar.

Feb 26th, 2010- It’s been the stormiest week of the year so far for Southern Ontario.
Read on to see what else Mother Nature has in store for this weekend and the upcoming first week of March, 2010.

Haliburton Highlands Weekend Weather 2.26.10

Weekend Weather Forecast Haliburton Highlands - Maple Lake 2.26-27.10

Welcome to your weekend!

This evening Friday expect cloudiness with clear breaks and a temperature of 29°F. Overnight there will be scattered flurries with a rather mild low of 27°F.

Saturday morning calls for continued scattered flurries with a temperature of 29°F. Scattered flurries continue through Saturday afternoon. It will be unseasonably warm with temperatures climbing to 34°F. Saturday overnight expect variable cloudiness with a few flurries and a low of 26°F.

Haliburton Highlands – Maple Lake Long Term Weather 02.28–03.05.10 (below)

Haliburton Highlands Long Term Weather Forecast 2.28 - 3.5.10

Variable cloudiness returns on Sunday with temperatures still on the warm side at 34°F. Overnight, expect temps to slip to 26°F.

Variable cloudiness opens the month of March on Monday.  The high temperature is forecast to be 29°F.  The overnight low is expected to be 24°F.

Tuesday ushers in cloudy periods and a high of 32°F.  The overnight low will drop to 22°F.

Wednesday returns to a familiar theme of variable cloudiness and a high of 29°F.  The overnight lows continues to be lower as the week progresses. Expect Wednesday’s nighttime low to be 18°F.

Thursday will be a sunny day!  High temps on Thursday are forecast to be 24°F. The low overnight drops to 11°F.

Friday will be mainly sunny day with a high of 27°F and an overnight low of 13°F.

Have a great week!

Be sure to CLICK to enlarge the web cam photos below taken today Friday, February 26, 2010

Photo courtesy of the Haliburton Highlands Tourism Dept.

Weekend Winter Trail Report Haliburton Highlands (CLICK to enlarge)

Weekend Winter Trail Report Haliburton Highlands Pt. 2 (CLICK to enlarge)

Ski Conditions defined (CLICK to enlarge)

Working on weekend and long term weather forecast–will be posted soon!

Photo: http://www.xcottawa.ca/articles.php?id=356

Each winter a series of races take place in locations throughout Ontario that collectively form the Ontario Cup series.

Each district of Cross Country Ontario hosts a race at one of it’s member club sites.

Races typically run on weekends with Saturday races being of the ‘Classic’ style and Sunday races being of the ‘Free’ or ‘Skate’ style.

There are age categories for the participants in each race that may include midget-aged boys and girls, juvenile aged boys and girls, junior aged boys and girls, junior aged men and women, and senior men and women.

Points are awarded based on finish results of each race. These points are used to as selection criteria for high performance team selections and awards.

This winter, Southern Ontario District is proud to support two Ontario Cup races. On January 16 & 17, Arrowhead Nordic and the community of Huntsville will be hosted the Ontario Winter Games. Ontario Cup #2 took place that weekend.

On the weekend of February 27 & 28, Haliburton Nordic Ski Club will host Ontario Cup #5. Both events promise to be a great showcasing of Nordic skiing in southern Ontario. Take the opportunity to go and watch, participate, or volunteer to help out.

Glebe Park Haliburton
Contact: County Visitor Info Centre
Tel: 705-286-1777 or 1-800-461-7677,
Email: tourism@county.haliburton.on.ca

This is a non-sponsored post in support of the Haliburton Highlands.

Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir win freedance Olympic Gold for Canada 2.22.10

VANCOUVER — Theirs has long been an almost uncanny alchemy — great parts platonic love and respect — and on Monday the mix was potent enough to transform a beautiful 14-year partnership and endless personal sacrifices into an Olympic gold medal.

It wasn’t so much magic on a grand scale, because implying sleight of hand or smoke and mirrors would not do justice to the intricate, romantic free dance program that sent Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir flying to the top of the podium at Pacific Coliseum. Quite simply, their heartfelt performance and technical mastery over ice dancing’s ever more difficult elements — the lifts and spins and twizzles — set the bar too high even for their young friends and training mates, Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who settled into silver, a rather distant six points behind.

“What a night, what a week for us,” said Moir. “We knew it was in us, but to get out there on the Olympic ice and perform, and execute like that; it’s a feeling that I’ve never had.”

“It was just about skating together and skating from our hearts and enjoying the moment for us and skating for the two of us,” said Virtue. “We’re so proud to be Canadian and do it for the nation. This is absolutely Canada’s medal.”

Continue reading this story: SOURCE

Scott Weir & Tessa Virtue win Olympic Gold for Canada - 2.22.2010

Haliburton Highlands Weekend Weather 2.20.10

The weather for West Guilford/Haliburton Highlands Saturday morning will be cloudy with sunny breaks with a temperature of 22°F. By Saturday afternoon expect mainly cloudy skies and temperatures rising to 29°F. Saturday evening will have cloudy periods with a temperature of 15°F and overnight Saturday it will be clear with a low temperature of 11°F.

Expect a 30% chance of precipitation throughout Saturday.

Scattered flurries continue through Sunday morning and afternoon with a high temperature of 18°F.

Sunday will be a mainly sunny day with the high forecasted to be  29° F .  Overnight Sunday, expect mainly clear skies with a low temperature of 6°F.

Haliburton Highlands – Maple Lake Long Term Weather 02.21–02.26.10 (below)

Haliburton Highlands Long Term Weather Forecast 2.21-2.26.10

Looking at the traditional workweek on Monday you can again look for a partly sunny /variable cloudy day with a high of 26°F and a low temperature of 6°F.  Overnight snow accumulation should be 1 -2 inches.

Tuesday, expect light snow with a high temperature of 29°F.  The low temperature overnight will be 20°F. Snow accumulation should be close to 2 inches.

Wednesday brings a few flurries and a high of 34°F.  The overnight low will  be 18°F.  Snow accumulation should be less than one inch.

Thursday, expect scattered flurries with a high temperature of 24°F.  The low will be 15°F. Snow accumulation should be 1 -2 inches.

Friday brings more snow–expect 2-3 more inches– with a high of 24°F and an overnight low of 15°F.

Have a great week!

Please click the thumbnails for full size Haliburton Highlands Weekend Winter Trail Report – Feb.19-21, 2010

Please click the thumbnails for full size photos.

(Above) Blue Mountain Ontario – 2.19.10

Calabogie Ski Resort- 2.19.10

Kincardine Harbour sunrise

Reach Harbour, Lakefield – 2.19.10

Chapleau River Sunset (2.17.10)

Indian River, Port Carling

Niagara Falls  – 2.19.10