Minden Hills

Minden Hills
—  Township  —
Municipal office
Minden Hills
Coordinates: 44°56′N 78°44′W / 44.933°N 78.733°W / 44.933; -78.733Coordinates: 44°56′N 78°44′W / 44.933°N 78.733°W / 44.933; -78.733
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
County	Haliburton
Settled
Incorporated
Government
– Type	Township
– Reeve	Barb Reid
– Federal riding	Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock
– Prov. riding	Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock
Area[1]
– Land	847.76 km2 (327.3 sq mi)
Population (2006)[1]
– Total	5,556
– Density	6.6/km2 (17.1/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code	K0M
Area code(s)	705
Website	www.mindenhills.ca

Minden

Minden Hills is a township in, and the county seat of Haliburton County, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the geographical townships of Snowdon, Lutterworth, Anson, Hindon and Minden. It is usually referred to as Minden, after its largest community. Minden Hills had a permanent population of 5,556 people in the Canada 2006 Census. ^[1]

Minden

Minden, the primary residential and commercial centre of the township, is located just off Highway 35 (44°55′34″N 78°43′33″W / 44.92611°N 78.72583°W / 44.92611; -78.72583 ).

After originally being surveyed in 1858, Minden was named after a town in the North Rhine-Westphalia federal state in Germany. The Minden community has been around since April 1 1859, prior to which the settlement was originally called Gull River ^[2][3]. The original settlers were drawn to the region via the Bobcaygeon Road (an original colonization road) because of its timber resources. The town lies on the banks of the Gull River and during the 19th and 20th centuries, loggers used this river to move timber to sawmills downstream.

Since the 1940s the town has become an increasingly popular summer destination given its close proximity to larger cities in southern Ontario. The population grows dramatically during the summer months as a result of tourism. The Minden Times and the County Voice are the local newspapers, and the local post office on Water St. services residents with lock boxes and three rural routes.

The Minden Hills Cultural Centre is home to the Agnes Jamieson Gallery, named after Dr. Agnes Jamieson, the first female coroner in Ontario, which houses the largest known collection of André Lapine's work. Both lived in Minden during part of their lives. The Cultural Centre is also home to the Minden Hills Museum which includes seven heritage buildings, including a school, a blacksmith shop and a church. R.D. Lawrence Place, an interactive learning centre celebrating the author Ron Lawrence, is also located here.

Minden is home to one of the OCA's most prestigious camps, Onondaga. Located on Rackety Trail off highway 35, Onondaga was established in 1918.

Other communities

The township also includes the smaller communities of Blairhampton, Brady Lake, Buller, Carnarvon, Deep Bay, Dutch Line, Gelert, Hindon Hill, Howland, Ingoldsby, Irondale, Kilcoo Harbour, Lochlin, Lutterworth, Miners Bay, Moore Falls and Pine Springs.

Demographics

Population trend:^[4]

• Population in 2006: 5556 (2001 to 2006 population change: 4.6 %)
• Population in 2001: 5312
• Population in 1996:
  • Anson, Hindon and Minden (township): 3459
  • Lutterworth (township): 927
  • Snowdon (township): 950
• Population in 1991:
  • Anson, Hindon and Minden (township): 3239
  • Lutterworth (township): 899
  • Snowdon (township): 852

Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 2397 (total dwellings: 6220)

Mother tongue:^[1]

• English as first language: 89.6 %
• French as first language: 2.0 %
• English and French as first language: 0.2 %
• Other as first language: 8.2 %

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Stats Canada 2006 Community Profile - Minden Hills, Ontario.
2. ^ Murray, Florence B. 1963. Muskoka and Haliburton 1615-1875: A Collection of Documents. Florence B. Murray, Ed. The Champlain Society for the Government of Ontario, University of Toronto Press
3. ^ Item Display - Post Offices and Postmasters - ArchiviaNet - Library and Archives Canada
4. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census

External links

• Township of Minden Hills website
• The Minden Times website
• Archivia.net - Minden Post Office
• Haliburton County Studio Tour, which also encompasses the Township of Minden Hills
• Minden Hills Cultural Centre website