Harcourt Park

This article is about the cottage park in Canada. For the park in Hong Kong, see Harcourt Garden. For the abandoned place in Shropshire, see Rutunium.

Harcourt Park is a non-profit cottaging corporation in Ontario, Canada, composed of 6,900 acres (28 km²) of land, 18 lakes, and 600 surveyed properties that are individually leased in favour of private ownership. Established in 1959 by the Sumcot Development Corporation, Harcourt Park was designed to provide its residents with the unique opportunity to experience a cottage lifestyle within an unspoiled, protected environment.

Ownership

Ownership of property within the park is titled to Harcourt Park Inc., and is subject to private lease, granting a membership in the corporation, a single vote, and the eligibility to become a member on the volunteer Board of Directors in charge of managing the corporation's business. Annual lease fees are used to provide services within the Park, including road maintenance, fish stocking, community events, and security. Only eight lakes in the Park have cottages, and of them, only four permit motorized watercraft: Big Straggle Lake, Little Straggle Lake, Allen Lake, and Kennaway Lake. Personal watercrafts such as Jetskis and SeaDoos are prohibited.

Facilities and trails

The Harcourt Park General Store and Marina, located on Little Straggle Lake, serves as a local grocery store, hardware store, and marine mechanic. Nearby, the Harcourt Park Community Center serves cottagers' many recreational and social needs. A network of over 50 kilometres (31 mi) worth of trails extends its way through Harcourt Park, including the northern terminating end of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs’ "E" Trail.

Environment

Harcourt Park is a part of the Haliburton County topographical region of Ontario. Situated along the edge of a watershed, spring and rain water are exclusively fed into its lakes, which empty into either the Trent River or the Madawaska River systems. Due to extensive logging of the region in the early portion of the twentieth century, the majority of Harcourt Park's interior is newgrowth maple; along with a scattering of fir, hemlock, cedar, and birch. Wildlife within the Park is extensive and diverse because of its proximity to Algonquin Park and its relative isolation, and includes black bears, moose, white-tailed deer, coyotes, otters, beavers, and a number of other smaller mammals, birds, insects and reptiles. A variety of fish are found within the Park's various lakes, including smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, lake trout, and rainbow trout. Harcourt Park is protected from further cottage development and owns all logging rights, ensuring the natural habitats within it remain protected.

Location

Harcourt Park is located near the small Village of Harcourt along the remote northeastern border of Haliburton County, with the Town of Bancroft being the closest nearby community with a population exceeding one thousand. Harcourt Park is approximately 240 kilometres (150 mi) northeast of Toronto, and approximately 250 kilometres (160 mi) west of Ottawa.