Haldimand County is a rural city-status

single-tier municipality A unitary authority is a type of local authority in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Unitary authorities are responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed ...

on the

Niagara Peninsula The Niagara Peninsula is an area of land lying between the southwestern shore of Lake Ontario and the northeastern shore of Lake Erie, in Ontario, Canada. Technically an isthmus rather than a peninsula, it stretches from the Niagara River in the ...

Southern Ontario Southern Ontario is a Region, primary region of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. It is the most densely populated and southernmost region in Canada, with approximately 13.5 million people, approximately 36% o ...

, Canada, on the north shore of

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( ) is the fourth-largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and also has the shortest avera ...

, and on the Grand River. Despite its name, it is no longer a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

by definition, as all municipal services are handled by a single level of government. Municipal offices are located in

Cayuga Cayuga often refers to: * Cayuga people, a native tribe to North America, part of the Iroquois Confederacy * Cayuga language, the language of the Cayuga Cayuga may also refer to: Places Canada *Cayuga, Ontario United States * Cayuga, Illinois ...

. The county is adjacent to Norfolk County, the

County of Brant The County of Brant (2021 population 39,474) is a single-tier municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario. Although it retains the word "county" in its name, the municipality is a single-tier municipal government and has no upper tier. The C ...

, the City of Hamilton, the townships of

West Lincoln West Lincoln is a township in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. Main urban areas are located along the former provincial Highway 20. The administrative centre of West Lincoln is the community of Smithville, situated halfway between Hamilt ...

and Wainfleet, and the

Six Nations reserve Six Nations (or Six Nations of the Grand River) is demographically the largest First Nations reserve in Canada. As of the end of 2017, it has a total of 27,276 members, 12,848 of whom live on the reserve. The six nations of the Iroquois Confederacy ...

History

Haldimand's history has been closely associated with that of neighbouring Norfolk County.

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...

was created in 1791 by being separated from the old Province of Quebec, Haldimand was created in 1798 as part of the

Niagara District The Niagara District was a historic district in Upper Canada. Created in 1798 from the Home District, it existed until 1849. Historic evolution The District was formed by an Act of the Parliament of Upper Canada in 1798, and was described as con ...

. It was named after Sir

Frederick Haldimand Sir Frederick Haldimand, KB (born François Louis Frédéric Haldimand; 11 August 1718 – 5 June 1791) was a Swiss military officer best known for his service in the British Army in North America during the Seven Years' War and the America ...

, the governor of the

Province of Quebec Quebec is Canada's largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, New Brunswick to the southeast and a coastal border ...

from 1778 to 1785. In 1844, the land was surrendered by the Six Nations to the

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...

in an agreement that was signed by the vast majority of Chiefs in the Haldimand tract. In 1974, Haldimand was incorporated as a town by the amalgamation of the villages of Cayuga, Hagersville and Caledonia and the townships of Oneida, Seneca, North Cayuga, South Cayuga and parts of Rainham and Walpole. In 2001, Haldimand was enlarged by amalgamating with Dunnville and half of Nanticoke. Beginning in February 2006, a land dispute by native protesters began near Caledonia over a housing development being built on the outskirts of town, which members of the nearby Mohawk Six Nations people claim is rightfully their land. The issue reignited again in February 2020, when Mohawk protesters blocked off Highway 6 again in protest of McKenzie Meadows.

Communities

The population centres in Haldimand are

Caledonia Caledonia (; ) was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to refer to the forested region in the central and western Scottish Highlands, particularly stretching through parts of what are now Lochaber, Badenoch, Strathspey, and possibly as ...

Dunnville Dunnville is an unincorporated community located near the mouth of the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada, near the historic Talbot Trail. It was formerly an incorporated town encompassing the surrounding area with a total popul ...

, Hagersville, Jarvis and

. Part of the

Six Nations Reserve Six Nations (or Six Nations of the Grand River) is demographically the largest First Nations reserve in Canada. As of the end of 2017, it has a total of 27,276 members, 12,848 of whom live on the reserve. The six nations of the Iroquois Confederacy ...

is within the geographic area of Haldimand County, but is independent of the county. Most of Haldimand is agricultural land, although some heavy industry, including the former Nanticoke Generating Station, is located here. Smaller communities within the municipality are Attercliffe Station, Balmoral, Bodri Bay, Brookers Bay, Byng, Canborough, Canfield, Cheapside, Clanbrassil, Crescent Bay, Decewsville, Empire Corners, Featherstone Point, Fisherville, Garnet, Hoover Point, Kohler, Little Buffalo, Lowbanks, Moulton Station, Mount Carmel, Mount Healy, Nanticoke, Nelles Corners, Peacock Point, Port Maitland, Rainham Centre, Selkirk, Sims Lock, South Cayuga, Springvale, Stromness, Sweets Corners, Townsend, Willow Grove, Woodlawn Park and York. The ghost towns of Cook's Station, Cranston, Dufferin, Erie,

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, Lambs Corners, Lythmore, Sandusk, Upper, and Varency are also located within Haldimand.

Historic townships

Haldimand County's area of 309,300 acres was formed from part of the land grant to the Six Nations in 1783. The County was purchased by treaty and opened for general settlement in 1832. It was first settled by white veterans of

Butler's Rangers Butler's Rangers (1777–1784) was a Loyalist provincial military unit of the American Revolutionary War, raised by American loyalist John Butler. Most members of the regiment were Loyalists from upstate New York and northeastern Pennsylvania. T ...

established there by

Joseph Brant Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York and, later, Brantford, in what is today Ontario, who was closely associated with Great Britain du ...

. A large number of Germans were among the first settlers. *Canborough, area . Granted in 1794 by Joseph Brant to John Dochstader of Butler's Rangers. Purchased by Benjamin Canby in 1810 for £5,000, he named the village site "Canborough. Community centre: Canborough, Darling and it touches Dunnville *Dunn, area . Opened for settlement in 1833. Community centre: Dunnville *Moulton, area . Landowner Henry John Boulton named the township from the Boulton family seat in England. *North Cayuga, area . *Oneida, area . Joseph Brant granted a 999 year lease of part of Oneida and Seneca townships to Henry Nelles, of Butler's Rangers and his sons, Robert, Abraham, William, Warner and John. Community centres were: Caledonia, Dufferin and Hagersville. *Rainham, area Community centres: Balmoral, Selkirk, Rainham Centre and Fisherville. *Seneca, area . Community centres: York and Caledonia *Sherbrooke, area , the smallest township in Ontario. Opened in 1825 and named from Sir

John Coape Sherbrooke General Sir John Coape Sherbrooke, (29 April 1764 – 14 February 1830) was a British soldier and colonial administrator. After serving in the British army in Nova Scotia, the Netherlands, India, the Mediterranean (including Sicily), and Spa ...

, a Governor-General of Canada. The Township was granted by the Indians to William Dickson (a lawyer) as a professional fee. Community centres: Stromness and Port Maitland. *South Cayuga, area . *Walpole, area . Community centres were: Hagersville, Jarvis, Selkirk, Cheapside and Nanticoke.

Climate

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. It is headquartered in ...

, Haldimand County had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

Ethnicity

Only ethnic groups that comprise greater than 1% of the population are included. Note that a person can report more than one group.

Languages

As of the 2021 census, there were 47,190 citizens that spoke English only, 15 that spoke only French, 1,530 that spoke both official languages and 130 that spoke neither.

Religion

As of the 2021 census, there were 29,380 citizens identifying as Christian and 18,200 as non-religious and secular perspectives.

Local government

The city is within the federal electoral riding of Haldimand—Norfolk and within provincial electoral riding of Haldimand—Norfolk. Current Mayor: Shelley Ann Bentley Previous Mayors: * 2010–2022: Ken Hewitt * 2004–2010:

Marie Trainer Marie Elaine Trainer (April 9, 1946–October 31, 2024), was the mayor of Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada from 1991 to 2000 and from 2003 to 2010, after having been defeated on October, 25th 2010 by Ken Hewitt. Hewitt finished with 6,984 votes, T ...

* 2000–2004: Lorraine Bergstrand

Healthcare

Healthcare in Haldimand County is overseen by Haldimand-Norfolk Health and Social Services. Hospitals in Haldimand County include Haldimand War Memorial Hospital in

, and West Haldimand General Hospital in Hagersville.

Policing

Policing in the county is provided by the Haldimand detachment of the

Ontario Provincial Police The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is the State police, provincial police service of Ontario, Canada. The OPP patrols Provincial highways in Ontario, provincial highways and waterways; protects Government of Ontario, provincial government buil ...

located in

Fire services

Fire services in the county is provided by the Haldimand County Fire Department which was created in 2001 following the separation of Haldimand and Norfolk. The department currently consists of 11 stations located strategically throughout the county. With almost 300 firefighters and 40 fire apparatuses, it is one of the largest volunteer fire departments in Ontario. The department consists of: * Station 1 – Caledonia * Station 2 – Hagersville * Station 3 – Jarvis * Station 4 – Cayuga (Headquarters) * Station 5 – Canfield * Station 6 – Canborough * Station 7 – Lowbanks * Station 9 – Dunnville * Station 11 – South Haldimand * Station 12 – Fisherville * Station 13 – Selkirk

Education

Public Schools in Haldimand County are administered by the

Grand Erie District School Board The Grand Erie District School Board (GEDSB, Originally known as Haldimand Norfolk Brant (English-language Public) District School Board No. 23 prior to May 1998) is a school board that has legal jurisdiction over Norfolk County, Haldimand Coun ...

. These schools include: *

Caledonia Centennial Public School The Caledonia Centennial Public School is an elementary school located in Caledonia, Ontario, Canada, North of the Grand River on 110 Shetland St. The school teaches grades Junior Kindergarten to 8. The current principal is Colleen Kelly. The ...

(

) *Oneida Central Public School (

) *River Heights Public School (

) *JL Mitchener Public School (

) *Hagersville Elementary School ( Hagersville) *Walpole North Elementary School ( Hagersville) *Mapleview Elementary School (

) *Thompson Creek Elementary School (

) *Rainham Central School (Fisherville) *Jarvis Public School ( Jarvis) *Seneca Central Public School (York)

Catholic Education

Catholic Schools in Haldimand County are administered by the

Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board The Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (BHNCDSB, known as English-language Separate District School Board No. 51 prior to 1999) is a separate school board in Ontario, Canada. The school board is the school district administrat ...

. These include: *St. Patrick's Catholic School (

) *Notre Dame Catholic School (

) *St. Stephen's School (

) *St. Michael's School (

) *St. Mary's School ( Hagersville) *Jarvis Community Christian School ( Jarvis)

Transportation

The

Southern Ontario Railway The Southern Ontario Railway is a shortline railroad in the province of Ontario, owned and operated by Genesee & Wyoming Canada Inc., the Canadian subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. It operated of track from Brantford to Nanticoke, Ontario, ...

operates in southwestern Haldimand. Highways that travel through Haldimand include

Ontario Highway 3 King's Highway 3, commonly referred to as Highway 3, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario which travels parallel to the northern shoreline of Lake Erie. It has three segments, the first of which travels from ...

and

Ontario Highway 6 King's Highway 6, commonly referred to as Highway 6, is a Ontario Provincial Highway Network, provincially maintained highway in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. It crosses a distance of between Port Dover ...

. Several intercity bus companies operate routes that travel through Haldimand County, connecting it to nearby cities and towns. Although, driving is the most common way to get around in Haldimand County, as public transportation options are limited.

Protected areas

*Haldimand Conservation Area *Selkirk Provincial Park *Taquanyah Conservation Area *Hedley Forest Conservation Area *Canborough Conservation Area *Ruigrok Tract Conservation Area *Oswego Conservation Area *Byng Island Conservation Area *

Rock Point Provincial Park Rock Point Provincial Park is a park located on the north shore of Lake Erie near the mouth of the Grand River in the Carolinian zone of southwestern Ontario. It occupies an area of . Habitats within the park include wetlands, forests and dune ...

* Mohawk Island National Wildlife Area

Attractions

* Townsend Planned Community (1970) * Nanticoke Generating Station

Natural Landmarks

*Canadian Heritage Grand River *Grand Valley Trail *Byng Island Conservation Area and Pool *Seneca Park & Rotary Riverside Trail

Activities

* Toronto Motorsports Park (Dragway Park) *

Jukasa Motor Speedway The Jukasa Motor Speedway (formerly known as Cayuga Speedway and the Cayuga 2000 Speedway) was an auto racing track located near Cayuga in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada. Famous stock car drivers including Dale Earnhardt, Matt Kenseth, Bobb ...

*Grand River Dinner Cruises * Killman Zoo *Caledonia Fair *Kinsmen Park and Caledonia Lions Pool

Heritage

* Grand River Bridge and

Dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

* Cayuga Library & Heritage Centre * Edinburgh Square Heritage and Cultural Centre * Wilson MacDonald Memorial School Museum *

Haldimand House Haldimand House is an historic building in Caledonia, Ontario that is one of the oldest in the town. At the time of its construction it was the first in Haldimand County to receive a hotel license and was also the first commercial building in Ha ...

Oasis Drive-In The Oasis Drive-In is a restaurant located in Caledonia, Ontario Canada, at 22 1/2 Argyle Street South. It opened in 1927 and is considered to be Ontario's and ''likely'' Canada's oldest Drive-In restaurant. The restaurant is open seasonally from ...

* Caledonia Old Mill *Indiana Ghost Town *Ruthven Park National Historic Site Mansion and Park *Cottonwood Mansion * Caledonia Grand Trunk Station * No. 6 RCAF Dunnville Museum *Port Maitland Outer Range Lighthouse and Pier *Canadian Drilling Rig Museum * Mohawk Island Lighthouse (abandoned)

Notable people

* Birthplace of Canadian Olympic high jump medalist

Ethel Catherwood Ethel Catherwood (April 28, 1908 – September 26, 1987) was a Canadian Olympic athlete. Biography Born in Hannah, North Dakota, United States, Ethel Catherwood was raised and educated in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, where she excelled ...

. * Birthplace of Canadian Women's Hockey Gold Medalist

Becky Kellar-Duke Rebecca "Becky" Kellar (born January 1, 1975) is a women's ice hockey player. She played for Burlington Barracudas in the Canadian Women's Hockey League. Kellar played defence for the Canadian women's team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. ...

. * Birthplace of

Spud Johnson James Ralph "Spud" Johnson (December 1856 – February 1928) was a 19th-century Major League Baseball player for three seasons, two for the Columbus Solons of the American Association and one season for the Cleveland Spiders of the National Le ...

Major League Baseball player. * Birthplace of Boston Bruins' Nathan Horton, who won the Stanley Cup in 2011. * Birthplace of Dallas Stars Head Coach Peter DeBoer. * Birthplace of Los Angeles Kings goaltender

Cam Talbot Cameron Talbot (born July 5, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also played for the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, ...

. * Birthplace of Peter Robertson, inventor of the Robertson screw. * Birthplace of Andrew Campbell, former Toronto Maple Leafs Defenseman. * Birthplace of Allan Roy Edwards, former Detroit Red Wings goaltender. * Birthplace of Wilson Pugsley MacDonald, a Canadian lyrical poet most famous for his work "Out of the Wilderness". * Birthplace of the late NHL goaltender

Ray Emery Raymond Robert Emery (''né'' Nichols; September 28, 1982 – July 15, 2018) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for eleven seasons, between 2003 and 2015. Emery was chosen 99th over ...

, who won Stanley Cup in 2013. * Birthplace of

Marty McSorley Martin James McSorley (born May 18, 1963) is a Canadian former professional hockey player, who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1983 to 2000. A versatile player, he could play both the forward and defense positions. He was also hea ...

, retired NHL player. * Birthplace of

Neil Peart Neil Ellwood Peart ( ; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian and American musician, known as the drummer, percussionist, and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush (band), Rush. He was known to fans by the nickname "the Profe ...

, drummer of the Canadian rock group Rush.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Subdivisions of Ontario Cities in Ontario Former counties in Ontario Single-tier municipalities in Ontario Populated places disestablished in 1974 Southwestern Ontario Populated places on Lake Erie in Canada