Hastings Highlands

Hastings Highlands is a township municipality in the northern part of Hastings County, Ontario, Canada. It is a local-government entity rather than a commercial consumer brand. The municipality was created on January 1, 2001, through the amalgamation of the former townships of Bangor, Wicklow and McClure, Herschel, and Monteagle. Its administrative and commercial centre is Maynooth, situated near the junction of Ontario Highway 62 and Highway 127, north of Bancroft. The township covers approximately 966.58 square kilometres and contains a dispersed network of rural, lake-oriented and settlement communities. In addition to Maynooth, these include Baptiste, Bell Rapids, Birds Creek, Centreview, Graphite, Greenview, Hickey Settlement, Hybla, Lake St. Peter, Maple Leaf, Maynooth Station, McAlpine Corners, McGarry Flats, Monteagle Valley, Musclow, Purdy, Scotch Bush, Scott Settlement and York River. The area is characterized by extensive forest, lakes and low-density rural development, including Big Mink Lake and other recreational water bodies. Hastings Highlands provides municipal administration and local public services for its residents and communities. Its identity and economic activity are closely connected to rural living, outdoor recreation and seasonal tourism. Lake St. Peter is specifically associated with tourism, supported by the lake, Lake St. Peter Provincial Park, local accommodation and services, and an Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs trail passing through the community. Summer lake use and winter snowmobiling are important elements of the township’s recreational profile. The municipality also has a transportation and settlement history connected to the former railway network. Maynooth Station was built in 1907 by the Central Ontario Railway and later became part of the Canadian Northern Railway system, which was subsequently incorporated into Canadian National Railway. The railway line serving the area was abandoned in 1984; part of the former track bed is now used as a hiking trail. According to the 2021 Canadian census, Hastings Highlands had 4,385 residents, up 7.5 percent from 4,078 in 2016. The population occupied 2,007 of 3,529 private dwellings, and the municipality had a population density of approximately 4.5 residents per square kilometre. English was the predominant first language, reported by 93.3 percent of residents, while French was reported by 1.3 percent and other first languages by 4.6 percent. The township remains an active municipality whose public identity is based on local governance, rural communities, lakes, forests, heritage infrastructure and access to outdoor recreation.

Hastings Highlands is a relatively recent municipal creation, but its territory contains communities and infrastructure with histories that predate the current township. The municipality occupies the northernmost part of Hastings County and developed through a combination of rural settlement, resource-related activity, transportation links and lake-based recreation. A notable part of the area’s transportation history is Maynooth Station. The station was constructed in 1907 by the Central Ontario Railway to serve the Maynooth area. The railway was later acquired by the Canadian Northern Railway and eventually became part of the Canadian National Railway system. The line connected settlements in the region and supported movement through an otherwise sparsely populated landscape. Rail service and infrastructure remained part of the area’s historical identity even after the relevant railway section was abandoned in 1984. The former track bed has since been adapted for use as a hiking trail, preserving a recreational trace of the railway corridor. The present-day township was incorporated on January 1, 2001. Its formation resulted from the amalgamation of the Township of Bangor, Wicklow and McClure, the Township of Herschel, and the Township of Monteagle. The amalgamation brought several established rural areas and settlements under one municipal government. Maynooth became the administrative and commercial centre, benefiting from its location at the intersection of Highway 62 and Highway 127 north of Bancroft. Hastings Highlands includes numerous small communities spread across a large geographic area. These communities include Baptiste, Bell Rapids, Birds Creek, Centreview, Graphite, Greenview, Hickey Settlement, Hybla, Lake St. Peter, Maple Leaf, Maynooth Station, McAlpine Corners, McGarry Flats, Monteagle Valley, Musclow, Purdy, Scotch Bush, Scott Settlement and York River. Their dispersed pattern reflects the township’s rural character and the importance of local settlement centres rather than a single dense urban area. The physical environment has increasingly shaped the municipality’s public profile and local economy. Hastings Highlands contains many lakes, including Big Mink Lake, while Lake St. Peter has a particularly visible tourism role. Lake St. Peter’s community is supported by recreational boating and lake tourism in warmer months, winter snowmobiling, Lake St. Peter Provincial Park, a general store, a restaurant, churches and postal services. An Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs trail passes through the community, linking the area to the wider regional trail network. In the 2021 Canadian census, Hastings Highlands recorded 4,385 residents, compared with 4,078 in 2016. Its large land area of approximately 966.58 square kilometres produces a low population density of about 4.5 residents per square kilometre. The demographic profile is predominantly English-speaking, with smaller French-speaking and multilingual populations. Today, Hastings Highlands functions as an active township municipality combining local public administration with rural community life, seasonal tourism, outdoor recreation and heritage landscapes.

• 2021

  2021 population recorded

  [1]Hastings Highlandsen.wikipedia.org

  The 2021 Canadian census recorded 4,385 residents in Hastings Highlands, a 7.5 percent increase from 2016.

• 2016

  2016 population recorded

  [1]Hastings Highlandsen.wikipedia.org

  The municipality recorded a population of 4,078 in the 2016 Canadian census.

• 2001

  Hastings Highlands incorporated

  [1]Hastings Highlandsen.wikipedia.org

  The township was incorporated on January 1 through the amalgamation of Bangor, Wicklow and McClure, Herschel, and Monteagle.

• 1984

  Railway section abandoned

  [1]Hastings Highlandsen.wikipedia.org

  The railway line associated with Maynooth Station was abandoned. Part of the former track bed was later used as a hiking trail.

• 1907

  Maynooth Station constructed

  [1]Hastings Highlandsen.wikipedia.org

  The Central Ontario Railway built Maynooth Station to serve the Maynooth area and surrounding settlements.

A rural Ontario township focused on local governance, community services, lake and forest recreation, and small-community tourism.

1. 1Hastings Highlandsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Municipality of Hastings Highlands official websitehastingshighlands.ca