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Nearly 150 years ago, Huntsville began as an isolated wilderness settlement founded by Captain George Hunt. As infrastructure was built, more and more people came to visit. Some over land via the famous Muskoka Road, where you still feel a sense of nostalgia traveling the switchbacks through rugged hills and towering jack pines. Others came by rail with the opening of the Ontario and Junction Railway in 1886. And still others came by water once the lock system was built on the Muskoka River, and took steamboats to surrounding resorts. No matter how they arrived, each person discovered something new – something fascinating about this curious little town. Some found reason to stay, and Huntsville began to grow into something much more – a collection of artisans and crafts people carving out their space in Canada’s culture.
One of these people was legendary Canadian artist Tom Thomson who discovered Huntsville and Algonquin Park (just minutes from downtown) in 1912. Like many of today’s visitors, Tom was looking for an escape from his job as a graphic artist in Toronto. Tom came back again and again to this beautiful place that had captured his imagination, and spent most of his time here after 1914. He brought friends with him, and together they created a style that would define a nation’s identity on canvas for the first time. Many of these friends would join Tom as members of the Group of Seven, Canada’s greatest artists. Sadly, Tom would never see their first exhibit. He drowned in Canoe Lake, in the park that he loved in 1917.
Since then, Huntsville has continued to grow and change. And today, it is still a thriving community, filled with art, life and wonder. In 1971 the town amalgamated with the surrounding Townships. Though the town’s size is officially 700 sq/km, it’s heart can still be found in the scenic downtown core. It’s a five-block stretch of brick buildings that people come to visit throughout the year. The town has grown in population as well to more than 18,000 permanent residents. And it continues to grow as more and more companies, start-ups and corporations are drawn to the local culture. But unlike other towns, its growth is natural. New homes and development nestle into the rocks and trees, on hills and lakes. Despite everything that’s happened, all the history it’s seen, and the brilliant future ahead of us, the curious little town remains largely unchanged. |
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Throughout the year, there are special days in Huntsville, when time stops and something incredible happens. Whether it’s art showcased among rocks and trees, a town lit up like millions of fire flies on a summer evening or music drifting from the downtown to the lakes of Algonquin, Huntsville’s special events are full of wonder and excitement. See on the right for upcoming dates, and plan your escape to adventure today!
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