cbe report final_hr - Haliburton County Community Cooperative Inc

LITERATURE REVIEW
Cultural landmarks can be the key to rural areas for economic and tourism
development and sustainable living in the country. Many rural towns suffer economic
decline. Tourism can create a market for new businesses and services. Developing tourism in
a rural area can establish community pride for which to build a stronger municipal economy.
Tourism Development in Rural Areas
Lack of fertile land due to the prominence of Canadian Shield has frustrated
farmers in the Highlands East since the times of early settlement. Many people followed the
promise of free land north only to find the land non-arable: “[fertile] land in the more
southerly townships had already been bought up so that anyone who wanted to have his
own farm had to look further north and the Province’s attempt to settle the northern
Townships by offering free land was irresistible to many.” (Bates, 2007)
Controversial mining options create division and have detrimental environmental risks,
which outweigh the potential benefits in best case scenarios. In Highlands East: “Mining has
never had a significant impact on the economy of the community, its potential has certainly
been investigated...and found that it was not economically feasible.” (Bates, 2007)
Lumber and logging has been an economic strength of the area in the past:
Some who became settlers first came to work for the lumber companies that were
operating in the area at that time and stayed long-term – making Glamorgan their home.
When the IB&O was constructed, some of those who came to work on it stayed and
established their homes here.” (Bates, 2007) Tourism however tends to provide more
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