Otonabee

Otonabee-South Monaghan
—  Township  —
Municipal office in Keene
Otonabee-S. Monaghan
Coordinates: 44°14′N 78°14′W / 44.233°N 78.233°W / 44.233; -78.233Coordinates: 44°14′N 78°14′W / 44.233°N 78.233°W / 44.233; -78.233
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
County	Peterborough
Settled
Incorporated	January 1, 1998
Government
– Type	Township
– Reeve	Dave Nelson
– Federal riding	Peterborough
– Prov. riding	Peterborough
Area[1]
– Land	349.22 km2 (134.8 sq mi)
Population (2006)[1]
– Total	6,934
– Density	19.9/km2 (51.5/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code	K0L 2G0
Area code(s)	705
Website	www.osmtownship.ca

Otonabee-South Monaghan is a township in central-eastern Ontario, Canada, in Peterborough County. It is located along the Trent-Severn Waterway.

Communities

The township comprises the communities of Assumption, Bailieboro, Bensfort, Bensfort Bridge, Blezard, Cameron, Campbelltown, Drummond, Hall Landing, Indian River, Jermyn, Keene, Lang, Mathers Corners, Pengelly Landing, Pleasant Point, Stewarts Hall, Villiers, Wallace Point and Zion.

Keene was ranked "prettiest town in Canada" by Harrowsmith Country Life magazine. It has interesting shops, artisans, gardens, and history, with fishing and camping or resorts close at hand.

Geography

The Serpent Mounds.

The main attraction in the area is the Serpent Mounds Campgrounds and Historical Site. It has an effigy mound in the shape of a snake, constructed as an earthwork nearly 2,000 years ago by indigenous peoples of the Hopewell culture. Formerly a Provincial Park, the government returned the site to the Hiawatha First Nation as a historically significant burial ground for the Native people.

In addition to the mounds and campgrounds, the park also has a groomed beach for swimming and several kilometers of walking and biking trails. Another popular pastime in the area is fishing. Rice Lake is known to many as a great spot for some boating and fishing. There are also several resorts with water access points.

Education

Keene has a school of approximately 600 students called North Shore Public School. This school is the main elementary school for families in Keene, as well as those on outlying farms. North Shore is a feeder school for Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School, and has a longstanding tradition of producing excellence in athletes and academic students. South Monaghan Public School, located in Bailieboro, is another elementary school in the township. A feeder school of Crestwood Secondary School is in Peterborough.

Transportation

The area is served by the small Keene/Elmhirst's Resort Airport and Keene/Elmhirst's Resort Water Aerodrome.

Attractions

Lang Pioneer Village Museum is a living history museum located in the hamlet of Lang. Lang Pioneer Village is owned and operated by the County of Peterborough and is open to the public from approximately mid-May to mid-September. In addition to the regular season, Lang Pioneer Village offers various education programs and hosts a number of popular special events throughout the summer and fall seasons.

Demographics

According to the 2001 Statistics Canada Census:

• Population: 6,669
• % Change (1996 – 2001): 1.3
• Dwellings: 2,688
• Area (km²): 349.47
• Density (persons per km²): 19.1

According to the 2006 Statistics Canada Census:^[1]

• Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 2567 (total dwellings: 2851)
• Mother tongue:
  • English as first language: 93.1 %
  • French as first language: 0.9 %
  • English and French as first language: 0 %
  • Other as first language: 6.0 %

Population trend:^[2]

• Population in 2006: 6934 (2001 to 2006 population change: 4.0 %)
• Population in 2001: 6669
• Population in 1996:
  • Otonabee (township): 5447
  • South Monaghan (township): 1302
• Population in 1991:
  • Otonabee (township): 5368
  • South Monaghan (township): 1259

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Statistics Canada 2006 Census - Otonabee-South Monaghan community profile
2. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census