Looking for laid-back resort-style living with no crowds? Haliburton the perfect retreat for artsy, relaxed lifestyle
HALIBURTON VILLAGE and Haliburton County derive their name
from author Thomas Chandler Haliburton, who wrote the popular Sam Slick stories
in the mid 1800s. Haliburton was chairman of the Board of Directors of The
British Land and Immigration Company in Britain, which was responsible for
developing most of the area before it became incorporated into a Provisional
County in 1887.
THE FORMER DYSART fire tower was erected in 1956 on a hill
by the east side of the village just off Highway 118. Its 100-foot frame still
stands, but the cupola has since been removed. It was erected by Ontario’s
former Department of Lands and Forests to act as an early-warning system.
LAKE KASHAGAWIGAMOG, one of the largest lakes in the
Haliburton area, gets its name from the native word for ‘long and winding
waters.’ For the record, the lake is 16 kilometres long and about one kilometre
wide.
Haliburton is a pretty village in the scenic Haliburton
Highlands, the breathtaking landscape of hills and lakes that has inspired many
a would-be artist to open a studio and start painting.
The village is the largest community in Dysart et al,
bordering Algonquin Park, and probably the only municipality in Canada
whose name is so long it must resort to Latin to shorten it up. Little wonder —
its official name is Corporation of the United Townships of Dysart, Dudley,
Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde. Quite a
mouthful.
Dysart et al, along with Highlands East and the Townships of
Algonquin Highlands and Minden Hills, is officially a municipality in the vast
Haliburton County, which will host the 2011 Ontario Senior Winter Games.
Surrounded by Head Lake
In these parts, though, when someone says Haliburton, they
generally mean the village cut out of the forest in the mid-1800s. Surrounded
by Head Lake, which flows into the larger Lake Kashagawigamog on the village’s
doorstep, Haliburton retains the traditional cottage town flavour. No need to
dress up for dinner around here.
While winters are quiet, the streets and shops can get
crowded in summer, much to the chagrin of locals who are forced to stand in
line at the bank, the grocery store and the Tim Hortons. But they don’t really
mind, since the local economy relies on tourism, along with forestry, for its
survival.
The majority of Dysart et al’s population of just under
6,000 lives in or around the village of Haliburton. It’s on the outskirts,
along Lake Kashagawigamog, that you’ll find several summer lodges, resorts,
cottages and, recently, upscale adult lifestyle communities. The area is
quickly becoming a four-season resort favourite for its unspoiled beauty and
privacy.
This is Group of Seven territory
Shopping and entertainment are never far away, however —
it’s just a short eight-kilometre drive from Wigamog Road to the village
centre. Here you’ll find several art galleries, including the Rails End Gallery
and Arts Centre, located in Haliburton’s heritage railway station. The late 19th-century
station was restored by the Haliburton Highlands Guild of Fine Arts as a
tribute to the village’s rail history. Story has it that members of the Group
of Seven stepped off the train at Haliburton Station on one of their painting
tours.
Art is celebrated here each July with the Haliburton Art
& Craft Festival at Head Lake Park. The work of more than 100 artists and
artisans from across Ontario are featured.
The village is proud to be home to the Fleming College
Haliburton School of the Arts, famous for its 15-week intensive in-studio
certificates and its extensive summer programming. The campus is also home to
environmental education, such as the unique Sustainable Building Design and
Construction program, which shows students hands-on how to build a community
structure from the ground up using sustainable materials and methods.
There's nothing like a scenic Haliburton Highlands drive
Take a scenic drive just northwest of the village and you’ll
find The Art Hive in the historical Welch’s General Store. The store is now
headquarters to the Maple Lane Artisans Collective, a group of Haliburton
County artists and artisans who display and sell pottery, fabric art, music,
ironwork, sculpture, jewelry and more onsite.
Be sure to visit the Haliburton Sculpture Forest in Glebe
Park, on the north shore of Head Lake, where you can enjoy nature and view a unique
outdoor collection of sculptures by Canadian and international artists. The
trails in the Sculpture Forest are designed for all seasons — walking, biking
and skiing.
While there, visit the Haliburton Highlands Museum, located
in a pioneer village-type setting, and filled with local history.
If you’re looking for a place to cool off, there are several
beaches in the area. You can swim in a different lake each day: there are
beaches at Kashagawigamog Lake, Drag Lake, Haliburton Lake, Eagle Lake and Pine
Lake.
For boaters, there are at least a dozen public launches to choose from
near the village. If you don’t have a boat, there are cruises available. Don’t
be surprised if you spot a heron or a loon or two. The lakes of Haliburton
Highlands are that kind of place. They’re also great for bass, muskie and
walleye fishing.
Watch the wolves after a canopy tour or dog-sledding
In the winter, the area’s lakes turn into the perfect
skating rinks. You can even strap on your cross-country skis and head out on
your favourite lake to investigate the many small islands.
A little farther afield, the Haliburton Forest and Wildlife
Reserve, about 35 kilometres north of
the village, is a year-round tourist attraction where the emphasis is on a
sustainable environment. Go dog-sledding in the winter and take a walk in the
tree canopy in the warmer weather. The wolf centre is fantastic: watch from
behind a glass window as the pack roams freely in a 15-acre enclosure, one of
the largest of its kind in the world. If you’re lucky, you’ll be there in time
to watch the wolves wolf down dinner.
There are a number of cottages and executive
homes on the resale market on the outskirts of Haliburton, ranging in price
from about $185,000 for a modest cottage to $2.8 million for a luxurious
retreat complete with docks and guest cabin. If you’re looking for a permanent
home right in the village, a recently listed bungalow — one of the only in-town
waterfront homes for sale — with three-bedrooms and 1,188 square feet of space
on the lake was priced at $359,900.