Haliburton County, Ontario

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Haliburton County
The Haliburton Highlands
Motto: A Natural Work of Art
Location of Haliburton County
Location of Haliburton County
Country Flag of Canada Canada
Province Flag of Ontario Ontario
Incorporated 1874 as a Provisional County
County seat Minden Hills
Municipalities
List
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 industry 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, West Guildford, and Eagle Lake. 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 the service sector based on tourism due to the regions many lakes and rivers, mainly due to people visiting vacation homes in the summer months, whose properties outnumber permanent residents 3 to 1[5]. Employment in this region primarily caters to the 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. Because of the nature of the economy, the area has a high rate of unemployment at 8.4% exceeding the provincial average, which skyrockets in the winter months to 35%[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

[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.

Certain scenes were filmed on location at Camp Wanakita and Kilcoo Camp for the Disney Channel Original Movie, Camp Rock, starring the Jonas Brothers.

[edit] Notable people

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Community highlights for Haliburton. Government of Canada (2006). 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

v • d • e
Subdivisions of Ontario
Regions
Counties
Districts
Regional municipalities
Durham · Halton · Muskoka · Niagara · Oxford · Peel · Waterloo · York
Single-tier municipalities
Separated municipalities
See also

Coordinates: 45°05′N, 78°30′W