Shape Your HC Survey: We want your feedback! Learn more Household hazardous waste and electronics dropff event: April 30 Learn more Tourism Network Meeting: Building
an authentic experience (April 25) Shape Your HC Survey: We want your feedback! Learn more
Haldimand County is committed to investing in programs and partnerships that contribute to the vibrancy and health of its communities. In addition to offering Community Partnership Program capital grants, Community Beautification grants and related supports, Haldimand County provides support to community groups and individuals who wish to lead community clean-up activities.
The County provides supplies like gloves, garbage/recycling bags, pickers, brooms, vandalism wipes and other items to those who wish to lead a community clean-up day(s). The County will also coordinate for waste to be picked up once the clean-up is complete!
Anyone seeking further information about Haldimand County’s Clean and Green Program is encouraged to call 905-318-5932, ext. 6119 or e-mail Haldimand County’s Community Development & Partnerships Division at cdp@haldimandcounty.on.ca.
The Heritage Centre in Cayuga is pleased to host six programs throughout the month of April.
Our Victorian Past: April 5 at 6:00 p.m. This presentation takes a look at the Victorian era. Characterized by a class-based society, it was a time of great change in Canada and Haldimand County.
Historic Kitchen Gardens: April 6 at 1:00 p.m. Experience a hands-on workshop examining the history of kitchen gardens. Our ancestors depended on their gardens for food and medicine. Participants will learn how gardens were strategically planted to eliminate pests and what plants grew together in harmony. These handy hints will help you plant your own garden.
Here Comes Peter Cottontail: April 12 at 6:00 p.m. This talk will take a look at the history of Easter and the various ways we celebrate.
Ancestors in the Attic: April 13 at 1:00 p.m. Using the Archives and online resources, this hands-on workshop will help participants find their long-lost ancestors.
Royal Residences: April 19 at 6:00 p.m. Continuing with the Royal theme, this talk looks at the residences in which members of the Royal Family have lived through the generations. Take a virtual walk in the footsteps of the Royals and explore the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and more.
Long May She Reign, Queen Elizabeth II: April 20 at 1:00 p.m. This presentation features the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born April 21, 1926 and ascended the throne in 1952, becoming Queen of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms. She was hailed by newspapers as a fairy-tale queen.
Cost for all programs is $10 per person and pre-registration is required. Register online at Link.HaldimandCounty.ca or in person at the Haldimand County Administration Building, 53 Thorburn Street South, Cayuga.
For more information about programs and activities, contact the Heritage Centre at 905-318-5932 ext. 6613 or email heritagecentre@haldimandcounty.on.ca.
Haldimand Museums are pleased to announce an exciting line-up of programming, events and exhibitions for April.
The Heritage Centre in Cayuga kicks things off on April 5 with its newest exhibit: Long May She Reign, a celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s seventy years on the throne. The exhibit runs until June at the Cayuga Library + Heritage Centre located at 19 Talbot Street in Cayuga.
Trivia Nights for Haldimand Museums are back at Shelly’s Family Dining in Kohler. Join the fun April 6 for Hop Along Trivia – an evening of trivia in support of Haldimand Museums. Cost per person is $30 and includes a 3-course dinner, prizes, trivia contest and more. To register, contact Shelly’s at 905-518-0024. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Beginning April 9, the Haldimand Photography Club returns to Edinburgh Square Heritage and Cultural Centre for its annual exhibition. Enjoy the work of talented local photographers highlighting a blend of wildlife, landscapes and portraiture images. Visit the exhibit at 80 Caithness Street East in Caledonia.
Children are invited to a special Easter Workshop on Saturday, April 9 at the Wilson MacDonald Memorial School Museum. The workshop is for children ages 5-12 years. The cost is $28.25 per child and pre-registration is required. Wilson MacDonald Memorial School Museum is located at 3513 Rainham Road in Selkirk. Register online at Link.HaldimandCounty.ca or in person at the Haldimand County Administration Building, 53 Thorburn Street South, Cayuga.
Don’t miss your chance to visit Child’s Play – A Century of Toys, 1850-1950 at the Edinburgh Square Heritage & Cultural Centre. This exhibit is only available until March 31. This exhibition presents the history of toys and how they reflect the broader picture of industrial and socio-cultural change. This exhibition explores how toys were used to influence and impart social messages on children; it is intended to be an intergenerational experience, encouraging discussion between adults and children.
Four in-person public consultations are scheduled for April 4 and 5 as Haldimand County continues developing its long-term Community & Recreation Facilities Strategy. The drop-in sessions are scheduled as follows:
Monday, April 4; 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at Cayuga Memorial Arena, McSorley Room Monday, April 4; 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Caledonia LIONS Community Centre Tuesday, April 5; 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at Jarvis Lions Community Centre Tuesday, April 5; 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Dunnville Community Lifespan Centre
All sessions will be hosted in keeping with pandemic-associated public health guidelines at that time.
“Haldimand County received 2,000 responses to the community survey about this initiative,” says Mayor Ken Hewitt, “which is likely the greatest response received to any public consultation we’ve done in recent years. This just confirms to Council the importance of this issue to residents and users of our community and recreation facilities and services.”
The Strategy — which focuses on facilities that support activities such as aquatics, sports, health, wellness, arts and culture — is being developed in consultation with Monteith Brown Planning Consultants of London, ON.
“Now that we’re able to host public engagement sessions again, we’re hoping residents who may not have had an opportunity to take the survey will come out to see what might be possible and share their thoughts,” adds Hewitt.
While the Strategy will be strongly informed by public input about recreation preferences, it will also include recommendations about financial feasibility of potential locations and types of facilities. This might include repurposing existing sites or facilities or entering into partnerships to address service and programming preferences and trends.
Find out more about the project on the County’s website or contact us at RecStrategy@HaldimandCounty.on.ca if you have questions or want to provide input into the process.
Haldimand County’s Community Paramedic Program continues to make an impact locally, and thanks to $4.3 million from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, the program will continue – fully-funded – for the next 2.5 years.
The Community Paramedic Program was initiated in March 2021 with the goal of connecting vulnerable or homebound patients to health and community services. Since its launch, the program has grown to serve 160 clients across Haldimand who would otherwise experience challenges accessing vital services.
The program’s primary focus is helping at-risk individuals and older adults remain at home longer and maintain independence while waiting for long-term care. Without the support of community paramedics, many of these individuals would wind up in hospital due to their inability to access care.
Regular home care visits, medication checks and ongoing monitoring of medical conditions by community paramedics help mitigate medical complications for these residents and reduce the likelihood of severe conditions requiring 911 response and hospitalization.
“We are incredibly proud of our community paramedic team and grateful to the province for additional funding that will help us reach more residents in need,” stated Jason Gallagher, Haldimand County’s Manager of Emergency Services and Fire Chief.
“Whether we are visiting someone to perform a medication check, administer IV fluids, take blood, teach them how to use their glucose monitoring system or something else, community paramedics are a vital lifeline to many who lack a support system,” Gallagher noted.
Residents who feel they may benefit from the Community Paramedic Program should speak with their primary care physician and request a referral. There is no cost to eligible individuals, and at-home visits will be scheduled based on an individuals’ needs (e.g. weekly, bi-weekly, monthly).
More services will be introduced to the Community Paramedic Program in the coming months and shared with the community as they become available.
Individuals who would like to learn more about services offered may contact 905-318-5932 ext. 6113.
Haldimand County is developing a long term Customer Experience and Communications Strategy and is asking for public input to identify priorities to improve the quality of customer service delivery.
Customer experience covers a broad spectrum of interactions with Haldimand County, including items such as calling customer service for information, registering for a program, booking a facility, making a payment, or reporting a concern.
From March 14 to April 14, 2022, Haldimand County residents are asked to complete the Shape Your HC Survey to share their feedback.
The survey will help set a baseline for current customer experience levels within Haldimand County and identify top priorities for growth and improvement. This information will allow Haldimand County to establish guidelines and key performance metrics for customer service. The strategy will be strongly informed by public and stakeholder input.
“It’s important to us that residents have a positive experience when dealing with all divisions within Haldimand County,” stated Trish Cardwell, Manager – Customer Experience and Communications. “We currently service a wide demographic of people and want to prioritize meeting their expectations, whether that means receiving a call-back within a set period of time or being able to access more information online. Knowing what is most important to our residents is the first step in designing a Customer Experience and Communications Strategy to meet their needs.”
Residents are asked to visit HaldimandCounty.ca/Connect/ShapeYourHC/ to complete the survey online, or are welcomed to fill in a physical copy at any branch of the Haldimand County Public Library or the Haldimand County Administration Building located at 53 Thorburn Street South in Cayuga.
Haldimand County is introducing property tax eBilling to its growing list of online services. Residents can now sign up for eBilling at www.HaldimandCounty.ca/ebills/ and get property tax bills delivered straight to their e-mail inbox starting this July.
Residents that sign up will also be the first to receive information on how to set up their online property tax account – another feature that will soon be launched.
The new eBilling service makes it more convenient for residents to access their property tax information and reduces Haldimand County’s environmental footprint by significantly decreasing the amount of paper used.
The move to eBilling will also result in significant cost savings related to printing and mailing.
The introduction of property tax eBilling was made possible through funding provided by the Provincial government through the Municipal Modernization program, which intends to help municipalities find efficiencies and implement new initiatives to digitize, streamline programs and services.
Property tax eBilling is the first initiative to be launched utilizing this funding, and others will be introduced over the coming months. Ultimately, residents will be able to access their property tax information, receive correspondence and make payments from a single point of contact, 24/7.
Digitizing the county’s popular Community Guide/PlayBook and making it easier to navigate program registration information online is another facet of the project that is currently underway.
The Province’s contribution to Haldimand’s modernization projects under the current implementation stream is approximately $94,250.
Residents who wish to learn more about the county’s online services are encouraged to visit HaldimandCounty.ca and explore the options under ‘myHC’.
Residents who need assistance signing up may also call Haldimand County Customer Service at 905-318-5932 or visit any library branch.
Learn how to make delicious no-bake date squares and a refreshing mango lassi with Chef Rabiya through Haldimand County Public Library’s virtual cooking class. On Friday, March 18 at 4:00 p.m, join Chef Rabiya from Rabi’s Grand Kitchen in Caledonia via Zoom.
Young chefs and families will be responsible for purchasing their own ingredients where they can follow along with Chef Rabiya as they create a delicious snack. Registration is required at a cost of $5.00 per family.
Haldimand County Council reviewed and approved the 2022 Tax Supported Capital Budget on March 3, 2022. The Tax-Supported Capital Budget outlines $35 million of infrastructure investment in 2022, with a total tax-supported infrastructure investment of $310.4 million over the next 10 years. In total, 313 new tax-supported capital projects have been scheduled for the 2022 calendar year.
The 2022 Capital Budget is heavily focused on infrastructure renewal with notable expenditures in areas such as roadway improvements, bridge and culvert rehabilitation and enhancements to corporate, community and recreation facilities.
2022 Capital Budget Highlights:
$19 million towards roadway and active transportation improvements such as paving, road reconstruction, tar and chip resurfacing, gravel road conversion, sidewalk/curb replacements, street lighting as well as bridge/culvert rehabilitations, replacements and other structure-related projects (e.g. retaining walls)
$2.8 million towards accelerating the gravel road conversion program. All gravel roads will be converted to tar and chip by 2023 and the program will be completed in 2025 when the second coat of tar and chip is applied to the final road
$4 million towards fleet and equipment maintenance/replacements, including the purchase of multiple new emergency services and winter control vehicles
$3.8 million towards community partnership projects and enhancements to parks, trails, arenas, pools, museums and libraries
$855,000 towards tree conservation and reforestation initiatives
In recent years the County has deliberately increased its investment in capital to ensure that existing facilities are updated, new facilities desired by the community are added and that a funding plan is in place to minimize tax impacts. Money is set aside every year to ensure that when assets need repairs or replacing, funding is available.
“The 2022 Capital Budget balances current priorities with future needs and further positions Haldimand for growth. Through diligent asset management practices and financial planning principles, staff have developed a budget that ensures our strong financial position is maintained, and our residents and business owners continue to receive high quality programs and services,” said Haldimand County Mayor Ken Hewitt.
“We, like many other municipalities, have faced significant financial pressures as a result of COVID-19, and I am proud of the capital program we have developed under challenging circumstances.”
Similar to past years, the capital levy, funded by property taxes, will increase by about $725,500 or about 1% of the overall municipal levy. The total municipal levy for 2022 will be determined once the 2022 Tax Supported Operating Budget is approved by Council.
The 2022 Tax Supported Operating Budget will be presented to Council on the following dates:
• March 31 & April 1*, 2022 – 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Haldimand County Administration Building Council Chamber (*if required)
Haldimand County has raised the Ukrainian flag at its administration building to show support for the nation currently besieged by attacks from Russia.
The flag-raising request was initiated by Council in response to the events unfolding across Ukraine, and in support of community members who are personally impacted by these tragic circumstances.
“Haldimand County stands with Ukraine and wishes for a peaceful, hasty resolution. Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine and their loved ones,” said Mayor Ken Hewitt.
