This exhibit, produced by the staff of the Haliburton Highlands Museum, depicts the ever-changing downtown core of Haliburton Village. It is hoped that it will entice viewers to visit the Museum and experience our displays. The Museum staff endeavours to utilize the collection to preserve and promote Haliburton's heritage. We encourage an interest in local history, and pay tribute to the sacrifices of our forebears. The public is welcome to visit the Haliburton Highlands Museum to find out more about the region's past.
The heart of downtown Haliburton has developed over the years from an unpaved track fronted with a scattering of log and frame buildings in the 1860s to the paved thoroughfare of today, lined with modern edifices. The initial streetscape focused on the area's humble beginnings as an agricultural settlement, soon evolving into one which served the needs of a thriving lumber town. As lumbering waned and the tourism and cottaging industries developed in the years following World War II (post-1945), the downtown core altered accordingly.
The mixed commercial-residential Highland Street has since given way to a progressive commercial strip. This layout continues to evolve as the area becomes home to an increasing number of senior citizens and retirees, and the streetscape develops accordingly to serve these changing needs.
