It rains even in the beautiful Haliburton Highlands. And that’s a good thing, for it allows them to remain green and lush and helps keep the fire risk low so that you can enjoy your bonfires at night! Here are two activities you can do when inclement weather hits and you can’t enjoy the beach at your waterfront cottage.

The Occurrence, established 2018 

The Occurrence is a 100% Canadian owned and operated jigsaw puzzle manufacturing company located in the beautiful Haliburton Highlands. It is run by co-founders Michel J. Bainbridge and Brigitte Gall. They design, print, cut, and box in their Haliburton location – no outside of Canada manufacturing partners here. Images are true photographic-quality prints using museum-grade pigment inks on Satin paper, and glued with archival adhesive onto 100% recycled Eska board. At present, they offer high quality jigsaw puzzles in 77, 192, 504, and 1008 pieces. 

The breathtaking artwork is inspired by Michael’s photos from his decade-long career as an award-winning mineral photographer and influenced by the couple’s passion for Canadian geology, geography, and collective cultural history. Their goal is to appeal to fellow science nerds and like-minded art geeks. They also produce custom puzzles for those wanting a personalised puzzling experience. 

Take a tour of the factory and pick up a couple of puzzles to entertain yourself inside  while still enjoying the beauty of the Haliburton Highlands vicariously through the stunning artwork. Doing a puzzle is a fun, entertaining pastime for the entire family! 

Michael and Brigitte would like to encourage everyone to puzzle responsibly, and take this opportunity to remind you that if your 72 hour preparedness kit does not include a jigsaw puzzle, then you, my friend, are not fully prepared. https://www.theoccurrence.ca

  

Haliburton Highlands Museum

The Museum was founded in the Haliburton Highlands Pioneer Museum in 1967, as a Canadian Centennial project to commemorate the early pioneers of the area. The Museum was originally housed in the old Reid House (built 1882), which was located on Park Street in the town plot of Haliburton. This house was chosen because it was one of the older homes in the village and it coincidentally just happened to be for sale at the time. The circumstances proved ideal. Included with the purchase of the house by the Rotary Club was the Reid Barn, which was ideal for display of lumber tools and implements. The Museum soon outgrew the confines of this little house, and by the mid 1970s, the Museum was looking for a new site. In 1978 the plans were released for the present building; it was built in 1978-79, with the official opening occurring in 1980, on the Dominion Day weekend. In the Spring of 1979, during the construction of the new Museum building, the old Reid House was moved up to Glebe Park. Divested of its showcases and similar display props, it was refurbished as a period home. The Reid Barn was not stable enough to withstand the move, so it was demolished at that time. 

In subsequent years a log barn, house and small building housing a forge were added to the Museum grounds in order to depict life in a more rustic and rural setting. 

The main gallery facility houses numerous thematic exhibits relating to the first inhabitants of the region, the native peoples, who were followed by the first influx of lumbermen and settlers. It seems difficult to believe today the area was promoted for its agricultural possibilities by the Canadian Land and Immigration Company who purchased ten townships in the surrounding area. Unable to wrest a living from the poor soils, the settlers turned to logging and trapping to supplement their meagre lot.

The Haliburton Highlands Museum was created for the purpose of providing education, inspiration, and aesthetic enrichment for all people, especially those within the boundaries of Haliburton County. The Haliburton Highlands Museum will fulfil its obligation to collect, preserve, research, house, exhibit and interpret all those objects of cultural and historical value that will reflect local heritage and development from its prehistoric past down through the more recent past. 

Spend a few hours reliving the past of the beautiful Haliburton Highlands. You’ll be glad you did! https://www.haliburtonhighlandsmuseum.com