Kinmount, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Kinmount is a village with a population of approximately 500, located on the Burnt River
in Ontario
, Canada
. The village is now part of the City of Kawartha Lakes
. The village's hinterland
covers large sections of both Haliburton
and Peterborough
counties for which it is a shopping and cultural centre. Prior to the formation of the City of Kawartha Lakes, Kinmount was the seat
of Somerville Township
.
but is now primarily based on tourism
. The village is an important source of supplies for summer cottagers in the area and, consequently, becomes nearly dormant in winter. One of Kinmount's primary businesses and tourist draws is the Highland Cinemas — a first-run movie theatre with a movie poster and equipment museum.
The local post office
, at 4078 County Rd 121, offers lock boxes and services one rural delivery route.
), after the river which flows through the village. In 1859, it was renamed Kinmount by Mrs. Malcolm Bell, after Kinmount, Scotland.
Kinmount is notable for being one of the first sites of Iceland
ic settlement in Canada. Although the group moved to Manitoba
after two years, their story is told and their presence commemorated by an Ontario Historical Plaque. A memorial paying tribute to the early settlers was erected there in September 2000. Over 500 people gathered for the dedication including the Foreign Minister of Iceland and the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada.
The Victoria Railway connected Kinmount with Lindsay and Haliburton. The line was absorbed by Canadian National Railways as the Haliburton subdivision. Passenger service ceased in 1960, freight service ended in 1978 and the line was abandoned in 1981.
Kinmount most recently gained national attention in the summer of 2004, when they became the first Ontario village to actively canvas a family physician to move to their community. The grass-roots campaign
included leaflets, posters, and newspaper ads throughout the province.
Burnt River (Ontario)
The Burnt River is a river which flows from its source at Miskwabi Lake in Highlands East, Haliburton County south into the Kawartha Lakes region. It empties into Cameron Lake in the City of Kawartha Lakes, part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. The town of Burnt River is located near its southern...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The village is now part of the City of Kawartha Lakes
Kawartha Lakes, Ontario
The city of Kawartha Lakes is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. Although called a city, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontarian county and is mostly rural....
. The village's hinterland
Hinterland
The hinterland is the land or district behind a coast or the shoreline of a river. Specifically, by the doctrine of the hinterland, the word is applied to the inland region lying behind a port, claimed by the state that owns the coast. The area from which products are delivered to a port for...
covers large sections of both Haliburton
Haliburton County, Ontario
Haliburton is a county of Ontario, Canada, known as a tourist and cottage area in Central Ontario 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...
and Peterborough
Peterborough County, Ontario
Peterborough County is located in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is projected to reach a population of 159,840 by 2031, according to the Ontario Ministry of Finance's Ontario Population Projections Update...
counties for which it is a shopping and cultural centre. Prior to the formation of the City of Kawartha Lakes, Kinmount was the seat
Seat (legal entity)
In strict legal language, the term seat defines the seat of a corporation or organisation as a legal entity, indicating where the headquarters of this entity are located...
of Somerville Township
Somerville Township, Ontario
The Township of Somerville was a municipality located in the north-eastern corner of the former Victoria County, now the city of Kawartha Lakes.- Communities :*Burnt River*Kinmount*Union Creek*Baddow*Dongola...
.
Economy
The economy of Kinmount once relied on forestryForestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
but is now primarily based on tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. The village is an important source of supplies for summer cottagers in the area and, consequently, becomes nearly dormant in winter. One of Kinmount's primary businesses and tourist draws is the Highland Cinemas — a first-run movie theatre with a movie poster and equipment museum.
The local post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, at 4078 County Rd 121, offers lock boxes and services one rural delivery route.
History
Kinmount was originally named Burnt River (a name now used by a nearby villageBurnt River, Ontario
Burnt River is a hamlet located in the middle of the former Township of Somerville, in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada. The community is on the Burnt River.-History:...
), after the river which flows through the village. In 1859, it was renamed Kinmount by Mrs. Malcolm Bell, after Kinmount, Scotland.
Kinmount is notable for being one of the first sites of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic settlement in Canada. Although the group moved to Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
after two years, their story is told and their presence commemorated by an Ontario Historical Plaque. A memorial paying tribute to the early settlers was erected there in September 2000. Over 500 people gathered for the dedication including the Foreign Minister of Iceland and the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada.
The Victoria Railway connected Kinmount with Lindsay and Haliburton. The line was absorbed by Canadian National Railways as the Haliburton subdivision. Passenger service ceased in 1960, freight service ended in 1978 and the line was abandoned in 1981.
Kinmount most recently gained national attention in the summer of 2004, when they became the first Ontario village to actively canvas a family physician to move to their community. The grass-roots campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
included leaflets, posters, and newspaper ads throughout the province.