Haliburton County

History

It was originally organized in 1874 as the Provisional County of Haliburton, with townships being withdrawn from other counties and districts:

It became Haliburton County in 1983, and consists of the following municipalities:

Communities in the county include Haliburton, Minden, Wilberforce, Gooderham, Irondale, Cardiff, West Guilford, Eagle Lake and Fort Irwin.

Geography

Haliburton County is dubbed the "Haliburton Highlands". The Haliburton Highlands region is also one of the higher points on the Canadian Shield, ranging from 1,066 feet (325 m) at the Haliburton/Stanhope Municipal Airport to 1,450 feet (440 m) above sea level at Sir Sam's Ski Resort in Eagle Lake.

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:

Demographics

Historic populations:

Economy

Haliburton County's economy is dominated by tourism, due to the region's many rivers and lakes. The ratio of properties occupied in the summer months, to properties occupied year-round is about 3 to 1. Employment primarily caters to the needs of this seasonal cottage country population, including residential construction, resorts, services and retail.One particularly successful resort at the time was the Wigamog Inn Resort. Years ago it catered to hundreds staying on site during the summer months, and was a prime location being only a minutes walk from the lake. It closed permanently around 2009 - 2010, and has only recently been purchased by Gary Bouwmeister, owner of Bouwmeister Landscaping.

The creative economy is alive and well in Haliburton. The Haliburton County Development Corporation (HCDC) is currently working on a project called Innovative Haliburton to bring attention to the creative economy in Haliburton, as well as, partnering with Haliburton County Economic Development to advance the creative economy in eastern Ontario. In 2009, HCDC formed a creative economy committee to look at ways to: encourage innovative people who already have an attachment to the area to move and run their business here, support new and existing businesses in the county that work in the creative economy, showcase local businesses that are successfully engaged in the creative economy, support our local governments to engage in planning that will help attract new businesses. In 2013, The Creative Economy Committee's name was changed to the Economic Innovations Committee to better describe the roles of the committee as a seed organization, helping the county to prosper through innovation and enabling the youth of the county to better understand the opportunities that are being created in the new economy.

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

Education

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

Elementary

Minden Hills

Dysart et al.

Highlands East

Secondary

Post-Secondary

Adult Education

Private Education

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. The county is home to the renowned Haliburton Sculpture Forest, a unique outdoor collection of sculptures by Canadian and international artists.

The Highlands are also home to the renowned Haliburton School of The Art + Design (HSAD) of Fleming College. Students come from across Canada as well as internationally to immerse themselves in the unique art offerings of the Haliburton Campus. There are art certificates in Glassblowing,Photo Arts, Artist Blacksmithing, Painting and Drawing, Digital Image Design, Jewellery Essentials, Fibre Arts, Sculpture, Ceramics as well as the Visual and Creative Arts Diploma. HSAD also offers over 300 courses in the Spring-Summer program which attracts nearly 3000 students of all ages to the area during the busy tourism season. Many local artists are involved in the school as part-time faculty. The Haliburton Campus also offers a post-graduate certificate in Expressive Arts. The Campus also has an emphasis on eco-friendly education and offers certificates in Sustainable Building and Construction, and Sustainable Renovation. The Sustainable Building and Construction program was the first of its kind in Canada and its success has had a positive impact locally, as the programs have built the R.D. Lawrence Place at the Minden Hills Cultural Centre, the 4Cs Thrift Store in Haliburton, the Kinark Outdoor Centre in Minden and, in the Summer of 2013, the new Library in Wilberforce. The Renovation program revitalized the Haliburton Highlands Museum.

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.

Haliburton is also home to the Creative Business Incubator. The incubator provides entrepreneurs with a flexible, affordable space; ready access to business support assistance and coaching, broadband service and an environment conducive to entrepreneurial growth. The incubator is a project of the Haliburton County Development Corporation.

Notable people

Media

Haliburton County is served by three newspapers, The Haliburton Echo, The Highlander and The Minden Times, and two radio stations, 100.9 Canoe FM and 93.5 The Moose.

In popular culture

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 (30 m) 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 1960s 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.