The Victoria Railway was a 55.52-mile (89.35 km) long Canadian railway that operated in Central Ontario . Construction under Chief Engineer James Ross began in 1874 from Lindsay, Ontario , with authority to build through Victoria County to Haliburton, Ontario , to which it opened on November 24, 1878 ( 1878-11-24 ) . The line is best known as having been built by a large group of Icelandic immigrants, who found the Kinmount winters too rough, and so they all moved to Gimli, Manitoba . The line became part of the Midland Railway of Canada and then later part of the Canadian National Railways . The line was abandoned completely by the early 1990s.
50-617: The Victoria Railway was originally planned as the Lindsay, Fenelon Falls, and Ottawa River Railway, which was chartered in 1872. The line ran north from Lindsay through the former Victoria County and continued onwards to join a then prospected line of the Canadian Pacific Railway near the town of Mattawa . Soon after the gauge was changed from a narrow to standard gauge, and the railway was renamed "The Victoria Railway." The railway initially met significant opposition from
100-529: A $ 20,000 bridge over the Fenelon River , and a 133-foot bridge over the Burnt River . Work on the railway was interrupted twice by financial depression in 1875 . The railway was largely constructed by an immigrant community of 300 Icelandic men, women, and children who settled Kinmount in 1874. However, alongside the financial depression in 1875, dysentery demoralised construction efforts. This led to
150-452: A November 2003 local plebiscite, but the provincial and municipal governments have not taken any steps since the vote to initiate de-amalgamation. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Kawartha Lakes had a population of 79,247 living in 32,708 of its 38,947 total private dwellings, a change of 5.1% from its 2016 population of 75,423 . With a land area of 3,033.66 km (1,171.30 sq mi), it had
200-601: A Transport Canada certified airport, has 24-hour radio operated lighting and provides access to key points throughout Ontario. Kawartha Lakes Municipal Airport is located one nautical mile west north west of Lindsay. It offers a card lock fuel system and can be used by both private and commercial airplanes. Towns and villages in City of Kawartha Lakes are interconnected by rivers, lakes and streams that can be best navigated May to October. The Trent-Severn Waterway , which extends from Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay in
250-551: A branch of The Grand Trunk Railway Literary and Scientific Society in Lindsay, including a full public library. The GTR was merged into the Canadian National Railways in 1923. (The Maynooth Sub. was added to Lindsay’s control in 1931, then at its peak as a railway centre.) In the meantime Bobcaygeon interests had applied for, and in 1890 obtained, a charter for the Lindsay, Bobcaygeon & Pontypool Railway (LB&P) from Burketon Jct. (west of Pontypool) on
300-468: A direct Lindsay – Peterborough connection (hitherto via Millbrook Jct.). In Lindsay, a new entry from Omemee was then decided upon, and a bridge was built over the Scugog River at the east end of Durham St. The track now came along just south of Durham to Cambridge Street, where it curved north to connect with the former Victoria Railway on Victoria Avenue. A new station (Lindsay’s third) was built at
350-446: A fire was spotted in the forest a towerman would get the degree bearings from his respective tower and radio back the information to headquarters. When one or more towermen from other towers in the area would also call in their bearings, the forest rangers at headquarters could get a 'triangulation' read and plot the exact location of the fire on their map. This way a team of forest firefighters could be dispatched as soon as possible to get
400-530: A pilot project rural bus route serving part of City of Kawartha Lakes ended service. The rural bus stopped in Lindsay, Dunsford, Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, and Cameron. Most school children are bussed to elementary and high school. TOK Coachlines (formerly called CanAr Bus Lines) offers service between Toronto and Haliburton with several stops in City of Kawartha Lakes, however this service will be discontinued on January 31, 2024. The last Canadian National Railway (CN) train to run through City of Kawartha Lakes
450-914: A population density of 26.1/km (67.7/sq mi) in 2021. In the 2016 census, the population of the Lindsay urban area was 20,713, up from 20,291 in 2011. Ethnic Origins 2021 Only ethnic groups that comprise greater than 1% of the population are included. Note that a person can report more than one group In 2021, Kawartha Lakes was 93.7% white/European, 3.4% visible minorities, and 2.9% Indigenous . The largest visible minority groups were South Asian (0.9%), Black (0.8%) and Chinese (0.5%). 53.8% of Kawartha Lakes residents were Christian in 2021, down from 68.8% in 2011. 28.3% were Protestant , including 12.7% United Church , 7.0% Anglican , 3.3% Presbyterian and 2.5% Baptist . 15.6% were Catholic , 5.8% were Christian n.o.s, and 4.1% belonged to other Christian denominations or Christian-related traditions. Non-religious and secular residents were 44.5% of
500-451: A rural county jail, businesses and people of Kawartha Lakes, as well as regular programming and events. The collection consists mainly of personal and private papers, photographs, and objects in the range of 50,000 total items. Lindsay has a 150th anniversary song, entitled A Song For Lindsay. It was written and performed by recording studio owner Bob May, and local high-school student/vocalist Bethany Rees. One of Lindsay's popular landmarks
550-462: Is mostly rural. It is the second largest single-tier municipality in Ontario by land area (after Greater Sudbury ). The main population centres are the communities of Lindsay (population: 22,367), Bobcaygeon (population: 3,576), Fenelon Falls (population: 2,490), Omemee (population: 1,060) and Woodville (population: 718). The Kawartha Lakes area is situated on the traditional territory of
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#1732775741338600-546: Is the old burnt down mill. Ontario's former Department of Lands and Forests (now the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources ) ran one of its 17 forest fire districts from Lindsay. Formed in 1946 The Lindsay Forest Fire District served as the headquarters for the protection and study of forests in Haliburton, Victoria, Durham, Peterborough and Northumberland Counties. The Lindsay office was also responsible for
650-667: Is the only hospital in Lindsay. It was founded on November 20, 1902 by James Ross, who died on September 20, 1913. On April 14, 2005 the hospital finished a major renovation. A new dialysis unit was opened in 2008. Through direction from the Hockey Hall of Fame the history of the world's oldest stick was traced through the Lindsay Public Archives to verify the stick was carved between 1852 and 1856 by Alexander Rutherford Sr. of Fenelon Township near Lindsay. This stick sold for $ 2.2 million at an auction. Scenes from
700-526: Is the steward of a permanent collection of over 160 pieces, including pieces by A. J. Casson , Jack Reid , Robert Harris , and Norval Morrisseau . The Kawartha Lakes Museum & Archives, located in the former county jail on Victoria Avenue, is the only museum and archive in Kawartha Lakes that has a mandate to serve the entire city's population and interests and open year round. Collecting since 1957, it has exhibits that detail 19th century life in
750-720: The Anishinaabeg , Huron-Wendat and more recently, the Haudenosaunee peoples. The city's name is from the Kawartha Lakes . Kawartha is an anglicization of Ka-wa-tha (from Ka-wa-tae-gum-maug or Gaa-waategamaag ), which was coined in 1895 by Martha Whetung of the Curve Lake First Nations . It meant "land of reflections" in the Anishinaabe language , according to Whetung. The word
800-569: The City of Kawartha Lakes . This act was implemented by the Victoria County Restructuring Commission, led by commissioner Harry Kitchen. Despite a general opposition from residents of the area, the provincial government pushed forward with the amalgamation, which officially came into effect on January 1, 2001. By a narrow margin (51% for, 49% against), the citizens of Kawartha Lakes voted to de-amalgamate in
850-593: The 2018 election. The mayor and councillors are elected for four-year terms, as mandated by the Government of Ontario for all municipalities in the province. The mayor of Kawartha Lakes is Doug Elmslie and Deputy Mayor is Charlie McDonald. The Deputy Mayor is a special appointment for one of the 8 councillors and is elected each year by members of Council at a Regular Council meeting in December. For purposes of electing representatives both provincially and federally,
900-636: The CPR’s then main MontrealToronto line, north to Lindsay. Construction began in 1901, and the line opened in 1904. The LB&P ducked under the GTR at the Scugog River bridge, following the east bank of the river to a station at Caroline Street (Lindsay’s fifth). The last train to Bobcaygeon was in 1957. To commemorate the 150th Anniversary, a monument was carved in front of the old town hall on Kent Street, by chainsaw carver Gerald Guenkel, of Omemee . It shows
950-647: The Icelandic immigrants all moving to Manitoba in September 1875. Construction picked up once again however with the arrival of steel, despite financial restraints on the project. The railway received more funding when president of the project, George Laidlaw , secured a grant of $ 8,000 per mile from the Ontario provincial government and a bonus $ 3,000 per mile from the Canada Land and Emigration Company, which owned much of Haliburton County. The largest obstacle to
1000-798: The Shining Waters Railway continue about returning passenger rail-service to the Midtown Toronto to Havelock line with a stop in Pontypool. The Trans Canada Trail which is situated on the old rail line from Uxbridge , continues to be a possibility for commuter service to Toronto and Pearson Airport, from the Highway 7 bridge via Uxbridge and the GO Transit Stouffville Line . There are several private taxi services in City of Kawartha Lakes licensed by
1050-550: The Victoria Rail Trail public recreational trails . Lindsay, Ontario Lindsay is a community of 22,367 people ( 2021 census ) on the Scugog River in the Kawartha Lakes region of south-eastern Ontario , Canada. It is approximately 43 km (27 mi) west of Peterborough . It is the seat of the City of Kawartha Lakes (formerly Victoria County ), and the hub for business and commerce in
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#17327757413381100-599: The Whitby, Port Perry & Lindsay Railway (WPP&L). In 1881, the Midland Railway acquired the neighbouring smaller railways and built two links important to Lindsay. One was between Wick (Blackwater) Jct., and Cresswell (Manilla Jct.) in early 1883 for a direct route between Lindsay and Toronto (hitherto via Lorneville Jct.); and the other ("the Missing Link") between Peterborough and Omemee in late 1883, for
1150-636: The city is within the riding of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock . Its Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) is Laurie Scott of the Progressive Conservative Party , elected in 2018. Its federal Member of Parliament (MP) is Jamie Schmale of the Conservative Party, who was elected in 2015. Mayors of Kawartha Lakes include: The Kawartha Lakes area has a humid continental climate with warm, sometimes humid summers and cold snowy winters. The snowier areas are typically
1200-543: The decree of the Honourable Christopher Finlay Fraser , then Ontario Commissioner of Public Works . Construction began with the segment between Lindsay and Kinmount, where derooting large pine stumps posed significant difficulty to the labourers. In addition to this, multiple bridges needed to be constructed between the two towns. This included a 200-foot bridge over Distillery Creek, a 500-foot bridge and 3000 foot fill at McLaren's Creek,
1250-467: The fire under control. Most of these towers were put out of use in the late 1960s when aerial detection systems were put in place. Kawartha Lakes The City of Kawartha Lakes ( 2021 population 79,247 ) is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario , Canada. It is a municipality legally structured as a single-tier city; however, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontario county and
1300-655: The first snowfall occurs earlier than November, though the snow usually melts within a short period of time. Temperatures start to increase again in late February and last from late-June to mid-September. The Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services operates the Central East Correctional Centre . Trillium Lakelands District School Board operates secular public schools: Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board operates public Catholic schools: Private schools: Ross Memorial Hospital
1350-555: The former Grand Trunk Railway of Canada. Mixed freight/passenger train service ran until September, 1960. CN applied for abandonment in 1978. The Canadian Transport Commission approved the line's abandonment in 1981, and most of the line being taken up in 1983; a final short section south of Kent St Lindsay was taken up in October 1992. The entire length of the line is now the Haliburton County Rail Trail and
1400-483: The importance of locomotives to Lindsay’s history. CKLY-FM plays a classic hits format branded as Bounce 91.9 . It was formerly known as 910 CKLY on AM. Peterborough's Global Television affiliate CHEX-TV covers the region daily with its Newswatch news programs. The municipality also draws intermittent news coverage from CTV Toronto and A-Channel Barrie . Lindsay is in a humid continental climate zone with warm, humid summers and cold winters. On occasion
1450-651: The late 19th century, local photographers Fowler & Oliver worked out of the Sunbeam Photo Gallery. It was also the home to Sir Samuel Hughes , the Canadian Minister of Militia during the First World War . The Victoria Street Armouries were built during this time. In 2001 Lindsay's town government was officially dissolved and merged, with Victoria County into the new City of Kawartha Lakes . The first railway to arrive in Lindsay
1500-419: The maintenance and manning of the 13 fire tower lookouts within its boundaries. The towerman's purpose was as an early detection to protect the local forests from fire. The district's towers included: Harburn, Bruton, Eyre, Glamorgan (Green's Mountain), Harvey, Cardiff, Digby, Lutterworth, Sherbourne (St. Nora), Dorset, Clarke (Ganaraska Forest), Haldimand (Northumberland Forest) and Methuen (Blue Mountain). When
1550-408: The mills, and it was known as Purdy's Mills. In 1834, surveyor John Huston plotted the designated town site into streets and lots. Local lore claims that during the survey, one of Huston's assistants, Mr. Lindsay, was accidentally shot in the leg and died of an infection. He was buried on the riverbank and his name and death were recorded on the surveyor's plan. The name Lindsay remained as the name of
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1600-660: The movies Meatballs (1979) and A Cool Dry Place (1998) were filmed in Lindsay. In 2001, Lindsay played host to an episode of the OLN Reality Series Drifters: The Water Wars as they passed through the Trent-Severn Waterway . The Kawartha Art Gallery, located on the 2nd Floor of the Public Library, is the only public art gallery in Lindsay, and by virtue of amalgamation, the City of Kawartha Lakes. It
1650-557: The north, is part of the waterways in City of Kawartha Lakes. Five locks, Bobcaygeon 32, Lindsay 33, Fenelon Falls 34, Rosedale 35, and Kirkfield 36 are part of the Trent-Severn National Historic site and operated by Parks Canada . Coboconk is noted as being Canada's fresh water summit with waters flowing two different directions. It is the highest navigable point in Canada from which it is possible to reach
1700-649: The old swing-bridge across the Scugog River at Lindsay and Colborne Sts. was dismantled in 1887, and the former Midland Railway route across Victoria Jct. and through what is now the Lindsay airport was abandoned when the new direct line from Lindsay out to Midland was built in 1907. The Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) took over the Midland in 1884, and Lindsay became a division point for the GTR’s 8th (Belleville, Peterborough and Port Hope), 9th (Midland and Coboconk) and 10th (Scarboro Jct., Whitby and Haliburton) Districts. The GTR operated
1750-433: The ones closer to large lakes, and snow usually ranges from 150 cm to 200 cm in a year in most areas. Prior to 2001, Victoria County consisted of 13 separate townships and 6 incorporated communities, each with their own local governments: Incorporated Township Name (Population centres): The township of Laxton, Digby and Longford is an amalgamation of the once individual townships of Digby and Laxton, and half of
1800-562: The original Longford Township. The separate township of Longford is uninhabited, though dotted with abandoned logging towns. In 2000, just prior to amalgamation into the city of Kawartha Lakes, the township of Verulam and the village of Bobcaygeon were amalgamated into the Municipality of Bobcaygeon/Verulam, and the separate townships of Carden and Dalton amalgamated into the Township of Carden/Dalton. Kawartha Lakes Municipal Airport ,
1850-473: The population, up from 30.3% in 2011. 1.7% of the population belonged to other religions and spiritual traditions, up from 0.9% in 2011. The largest non-Christian religion was Hinduism (0.4%). Kawartha Lakes is governed by a City Council consisting of the Mayor and one councillor from each of the City's wards. From 2001 to the 2018 election, there were 16 wards and councillors, but this was changed to 8 wards for
1900-594: The project came when a large rock cutting and a sinkhole four miles north of Kinmount interfered with the final 22 miles of the railway. The 56 miles of rail from Lindsay to Haliburton village finally opened to traffic on November 26, 1878. Howland Junction was the junction of the Victoria Railway with the Irondale, Bancroft and Ottawa Railway (IB&O). It was the southern terminus of the IB&;O. The site
1950-497: The region. The Township of Ops was surveyed in 1825 by Colonel Duncan McDonell, and Lots 20 and 21 in the 5th Concession were reserved for a town site. The same year settlers began to come to the region, and by 1827, the Purdys, an American family, built a dam on the Scugog River at the site of present-day Lindsay. The following year they built a sawmill , and in 1830, a grist mill was constructed. A small village grew up around
2000-467: The south end of William Street in 1883, at which time the King at St. Paul Street station was abandoned. The new station burned in 1885, and the former union station was taken back into use until 1890 when a grand new two-storey station was built (Lindsay’s fourth), that lasted until 1963. The union station was demolished around 1890. A freight shed was built on the site, which was destroyed by fire in 1954. (It
2050-544: The town by government approval. Lindsay grew steadily and developed into a lumbering and farming centre. With the arrival of the Port Hope Railway in 1857, the town saw a period of rapid development and industrial growth. On June 19 of the same year, Lindsay was formally incorporated as a town. In 1861, a fire swept through the town and most of Lindsay was destroyed with hundreds of people left homeless. It took many years for Lindsay to recover from this disaster. In
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2100-506: The town of Peterborough while Lindsay and the unincorporated village of Fenelon Falls, supported the project enthusiastically. Municipal blockades against the railway were removed in 1874 by making Fenelon Falls an incorporated village and creating the Provisional County of Haliburton out of the northern townships of Peterborough and Victoria counties. With funds allocated the railway construction in Lindsay on August 5, 1874, by
2150-591: The world. There are no water taxis operating in City of Kawartha Lakes. Boat and houseboat rentals are available. The following King's Highways pass through the city: The following multi-use trails pass through the city: Because of the largely rural composition of the City of Kawartha Lakes, public transportation is very limited. The City of Kawartha Lakes has public bus transit in the town of Lindsay only (known as Lindsay Transit), running four lines of hourly service Monday to Saturday from 7am to 7pm, and Sunday from 9am to 4pm (except holidays). On June 21, 2015
2200-754: Was at the PHL&;B/Midland station at St. Paul and King Streets. In 1877, it applied to the Town of Lindsay to extend its railway down Victoria Avenue to Glenelg Street to connect with the WPP&;L (see below), where a brick station (Lindsay’s second) was built on Victoria Ave between Glenelg and Melbourne Streets to serve the two railways as a union station. Lindsay’s third railway was the Port Whitby & Port Perry Railway, extended from Port Perry to Lindsay in 1876, reaching Albert Street, Lindsay on June 15, 1877 as
2250-434: Was later changed by tourism promoters to Kawartha , meaning "bright waters and happy lands." Prior to its restructuring as a city, the area was known as Victoria County . The city was created in 2001, during the ruling provincial Progressive Conservative party's " Common Sense Revolution ". Through provincial legislation, the former Victoria County and its constituent municipalities were amalgamated into one entity named
2300-554: Was on the Lindsay - Uxbridge line which ceased operation in 1990. The last passenger train to run through the City of Kawartha Lakes was No. 189 with Budd Car VIA 6104 from Havelock to Toronto Union Station over Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) lines on January 14, 1990. CP freight trains continue to operate through the City of Kawartha Lakes on the Havelock Subdivision (MP 133.23 - MP 143.22) which passes through Pontypool (MP 139.1) High-level discussions organized by
2350-592: Was originally a flag stop on the Victoria Railway known as Kendrick's, and took its name from nearby Kendrick's Creek. When William Myles built his horse-drawn wagonway , the Myles Branch Tramway, this interchange point with the Victoria Railway became known as Myles Junction. The place was renamed to Kinmount Junction following the collapse of Myles' business operations in the area, then once again renamed Howland Junction. The line became part of Canadian National Railways in 1923 with its acquisition of
2400-517: Was renamed the Port Hope Railway in 1869. Lindsay’s second railway began as the Fenelon Falls Railway in 1871, changing its name to the Lindsay, Fenelon Falls & Ottawa River Valley Railway, and then to the Victoria Railway. It reached and terminated at Haliburton in 1878. At its Lindsay end, it connected with the original Midland Railway route on William Street North at "Victoria Junction" in 1875, and its original Lindsay terminus
2450-456: Was replaced by another freight shed, demolished in 2006.) In 1887 the Midland Railway made Lindsay its operational headquarters. A large freight yard was built south of Durham between Lindsay and Hamilton Sts, and the Port Hope engine house was dismantled and rebuilt in Lindsay as a running shed, together with the attendant shops, on the east side of Albert St. south of Durham. In the meantime
2500-532: Was the Port Hope, Lindsay & Beaverton Railway (PHL&B), originally chartered in 1846 as the Peterborough & Port Hope Railway. The first train arrived at the St. Paul and King Streets station (Lindsay’s first) on the east side of the Scugog River on October 16, 1857. In 1871 it continued on over the Scugog River across a swing-bridge, gained height on the west bank, and then headed west out to Beaverton . It
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