Haliburton County, Ontario

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Haliburton County
The Haliburton Highlands
Motto: A Natural Work of Art
Location of Haliburton County
Location of Haliburton County
Country  Canada
Province  Ontario
Incorporated 1874 as a Provisional County
County seat Minden Hills
Municipalities
Area [1]
 - Land 1,554.2 sq mi (4,025.27 km2)
Population (2006)[1]
 - Total 16,147
 - Density 10.4/sq mi (4.0/km2)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)

Haliburton is a county of Ontario, Canada, known as a tourist and cottage area for its scenery and for its resident artists. Minden Hills is the county seat. Haliburton County was established in 1983, but had existed as the Provisional County of Haliburton since 1874. Haliburton County and the village of Haliburton, are named after Thomas Chandler Haliburton, author, statesman, and the first chairman of the Canadian Land and Emigration Company.

Haliburton is a village on Head Lake inside Haliburton County which is its namesake. The county also contains the village of Minden, as well as the smaller communities of Wilberforce, Gooderham, Irondale, Cardiff, West Guildford, Eagle Lake and Fort Irwin. The county borders Algonquin Park on the north.

The county is serviced by two hospitals, one in Haliburton and one in Minden. Both are administrated by Haliburton Highlands Health Services.

Contents

[edit] Municipalities

[edit] Geography

Haliburton County is dubbed the "Haliburton Highlands". This is in part attributed to its similarity to the Scottish Highlands, and the Scottish ancestry of the founding population. The Haliburton Highlands region is also one of the higher points on the Canadian Shield,[2] ranging from 1066 ft ASL at the Stanhope International Airport[3] to 1450 ft ASL at Sir Sam's Ski Resort in Eagle Lake.[4]

Lakes

Haliburton county is spotted with many rivers and lakes, included endorheic lakes fueled by natural springs. Some of the major lakes are as follows:

[edit] Economy

Haliburton County's economy is dominated by tourism, due to the regions many lakes and rivers. The ratio of properties occupied in the summer months, to properties occupied year-round is 3 to 1.[5] Employment primarily caters to the needs of this seasonal population, including residential construction, resorts, services and retail.[6] The region is unique in the sense that there is no resource, industrial, or agricultural base[citation needed]. Because of the nature of the economy, the unemployment rate of the area is 8.4%, exceeding the provincial average. This grows to 35% in the winter months.[7] Consequently, Haliburton County is the poorest jurisdiction in the Province of Ontario, with per capita earnings of $32 709 in 2005.[8]

[edit] Education

Haliburton County is part of the Trillium Lakelands District School Board.

Elementary

Minden Hills

  • Archie Stouffer Elementary School - Grades K-8

Dysart et al.

  • Stuart W. Baker Elementary School - French Immersion, Grades K-4
  • J. Douglas Hodgson Elementary School - Grades 4-8

Highlands East

  • Cardiff Elementary School - Grades K-8
  • Wilberforce Elementary School - Grades K-6

Secondary

  • Haliburton Highlands Secondary School - Grades 9-12

Post-Secondary

Adult Education

Private Education

  • Frost Centre Institute (former Leslie M. Frost Natural Resource Centre)
  • Tall Oaks Christian Academy - Grades K-8

[edit] Arts and culture

The Haliburton Highlands is home to a thriving arts community. The County is dotted by galleries, both public and private, offering events, programs and workshops to the public. Artists’ studios can be found in almost every community, many offering public demonstrations, small galleries, and classes. There are murals and public sculptures in the downtowns of most communities, as well as in park settings such as the Haliburton Sculpture Forest, and the River Walk in Minden.

Heritage is also a focus in the County, with established museums in Carnarvon, Dorset, Haliburton, Minden, and Wilberforce, as well as many fledgling museums emerging in some of the smaller communities. Many buildings throughout the County are designated heritage sites by the province, and many others undergoing preservation through the interests of the public.

The performing arts also receive much attention. Haliburton Highlands Secondary School has strong drama and music programs, showcasing their talents throughout the year to the public. As well, the Highlands Summer Festival presents a wide array of theatre offerings throughout the summer, showcasing the talents of local and seasonally local actors and musicians. Numerous indie bands perform throughout the County, with open mic events being held at a number of establishments.

[edit] Notable people

[edit] In Popular Culture

[edit] Forest fire protection history

The former Dysart fire tower was erected in 1956 on a hill by the east side of Haliburton village just off Highway 118. Its 100 foot frame still stands, but the towerman's cupola has since been removed. It was erected by Ontario's former Department of Lands and Forests (now the MNR) as an early detection to protect the local forests from fire. This tower was put out of use in the late 1960's when aerial detection systems were put in place. It was one of the County of Haliburton's many towers that were part of the former Lindsay Forest Fire District. Other towers included: Harburn, Eyre, Green's Mountain, Harvey, Cardiff, Digby, Lutterworth, Sherbourne (St. Nora), Dorset and Bruton. When a fire was spotted in the forest a towerman would get the degree bearings from his respective tower and radio back the information to headquarters. When one or more towermen from other towers in the area would also call in their bearings, the forest rangers at headquarters could get a 'triangulation' read and plot the exact location of the fire on their map. This way a team of forest firefighters could be dispatched as soon as possible to get the fire under control. There was a Department of Lands and Forests headquarters stationed in Minden, Ontario and at St. Nora Lake (later the Leslie Frost Centre), which offered forest ranger training from 1945 onwards.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Community highlights for Haliburton". Government of Canada. 2006. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CD&Code1=3546&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=Haliburton&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=35&B1=All&Custom=. Retrieved on 2007-12-28. 
  2. ^ The Atlas of Canada [1]
  3. ^ Stanhope Int'l Airport [2]
  4. ^ Go Ski [3]
  5. ^ Statistics Canada [4]
  6. ^ Minden Times [5]
  7. ^ Minden Times [6]
  8. ^ Statistics Canada [7]

[edit] External links

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See also

Coordinates: 45°05′N 78°30′W / 45.083°N 78.5°W / 45.083; -78.5

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haliburton_County,_Ontario"
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