Burnt River, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Burnt River is a hamlet located in the middle of the former Township of Somerville
, in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Ontario
, Canada
. The community is on the Burnt River
.
At the time, there was a Shell
gas station located in the centre of the village, across the road from the current post office. A gentleman arriving in his Model T Ford smashed into the gravity-fed gas pumps and severed the lines connected to the above-ground gasoline storage tank. The gasoline was almost immediately ignited, and flowed like a river, down the main street engulfing everything it touched in flames, until it poured into and spread across the fast-moving river.
Fire equipment was virtually unheard of in the little hamlet at this time, and although there was a well-organized fire brigade, there was little that could be done to save the town, until the 2 o'clock train arrived. The train was stopped across the main crossing, shielding half the town, while the water in the tender was used to extinguish the remaining flames on the south side of the crossing. If you look carefully, you can see the modern construction on one side of the village, while dwellings on the other half consists of older wood and stone masonry.
According to local legend, there were 18 miles of "Burnt River" stretching from there to Cameron Lake
. Shortly after this, the Post Office changed its name to "Burnt River," and the former village of "Rettie's Bridge" to the north became known as "Kinmount
."
and aggregates are continuing industries in and around Burnt River.
Shipments of pine from the Somerville Pinery continued by rail until circa 1982 when operations on the Haliburton Subdivision of the Canadian National Railway
was abandoned by Railway Transport Committee order. The line and its rails and appurtenances were removed and sold for scrap in the summer of 1983.
Today, that rail line has been preserved as a recreational trail reaching from Lindsay all the way to Haliburton.
Burnt River can be reached by travelling Ontario Highway 121
north from Fenelon Falls
, County Road 44 east from Coboconk
or Hwy 121 south from Kinmount. The population of Burnt River in 2005 was 250 people.
Infamous cult leader Roch Thériault
once had a commune in the area. His brutal story was immortalized in a film called "Savage Messiah".
Somerville Township, Ontario
The Township of Somerville was a municipality located in the north-eastern corner of the former Victoria County, now the city of Kawartha Lakes.- Communities :*Burnt River*Kinmount*Union Creek*Baddow*Dongola...
, in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The community is on the Burnt River
Burnt River (Ontario)
The Burnt River is a river which flows from its source at Miskwabi Lake in Highlands East, Haliburton County south into the Kawartha Lakes region. It empties into Cameron Lake in the City of Kawartha Lakes, part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. The town of Burnt River is located near its southern...
.
History
Originally settled in the 1830s, the first name of the community was "Rettie's Crossing," after a local settler's family. Another town further upstream was called "Rettie's Bridge." Mixed-up mail shipments continued until some time in the 1920s, when an unfortunate accident occurred.At the time, there was a Shell
Shell Canada
Shell Canada Limited is the subsidiary of Dutch-based Royal Dutch Shell and one of Canada's largest integrated oil companies. Exploration and production of oil, natural gas and sulphur is a major part of its business, as well as the marketing of gasoline and related products through the company's...
gas station located in the centre of the village, across the road from the current post office. A gentleman arriving in his Model T Ford smashed into the gravity-fed gas pumps and severed the lines connected to the above-ground gasoline storage tank. The gasoline was almost immediately ignited, and flowed like a river, down the main street engulfing everything it touched in flames, until it poured into and spread across the fast-moving river.
Fire equipment was virtually unheard of in the little hamlet at this time, and although there was a well-organized fire brigade, there was little that could be done to save the town, until the 2 o'clock train arrived. The train was stopped across the main crossing, shielding half the town, while the water in the tender was used to extinguish the remaining flames on the south side of the crossing. If you look carefully, you can see the modern construction on one side of the village, while dwellings on the other half consists of older wood and stone masonry.
According to local legend, there were 18 miles of "Burnt River" stretching from there to Cameron Lake
Cameron Lake (Ontario)
Cameron Lake, Ontario is one of the Kawartha Lakes and is a lake bordering the town of Fenelon Falls and is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. The lake is some 6.7 kilometres long by 3.5 kilometres wide and is quite deep, reaching 15 metres in places...
. Shortly after this, the Post Office changed its name to "Burnt River," and the former village of "Rettie's Bridge" to the north became known as "Kinmount
Kinmount, Ontario
Kinmount is a village with a population of approximately 500, located on the Burnt River in Ontario, Canada. The village is now part of the City of Kawartha Lakes. The village's hinterland covers large sections of both Haliburton and Peterborough counties for which it is a shopping and cultural...
."
Modern Times
Burnt River is home to two churches, a post office, a branch of the City Of Kawartha Lakes public library, a general store, and a community centre. Many cottagers enjoy the tranquil waters of nearby Four Mile Lake. Farming, forestryForestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
and aggregates are continuing industries in and around Burnt River.
Shipments of pine from the Somerville Pinery continued by rail until circa 1982 when operations on the Haliburton Subdivision of the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
was abandoned by Railway Transport Committee order. The line and its rails and appurtenances were removed and sold for scrap in the summer of 1983.
Today, that rail line has been preserved as a recreational trail reaching from Lindsay all the way to Haliburton.
Burnt River can be reached by travelling Ontario Highway 121
Ontario Highway 121
King's Highway 121, commonly referred to as Highway 121, was a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that was transferred to the counties in which it lay on January 1, 1998 and in 2003...
north from Fenelon Falls
Fenelon Falls, Ontario
Fenelon Falls is a village in Ontario, Canada, part of the city of Kawartha Lakes. Nicknamed the "Jewel of the Kawarthas," it has a population of 1,800 permanent inhabitants, which swells in the summer due to tourism and cottaging. Fenelon Falls is home to lock 34 on the Trent-Severn Waterway...
, County Road 44 east from Coboconk
Coboconk, Ontario
Coboconk is a community in the city of Kawartha Lakes, in the south-central portion of the Canadian province of Ontario. The village lies at the junction of Highway 35 and former Highway 48, on the northern tip of Balsam Lake, the highest point on the Trent–Severn Waterway...
or Hwy 121 south from Kinmount. The population of Burnt River in 2005 was 250 people.
Infamous cult leader Roch Thériault
Roch Theriault
Roch "Moïse" Thériault was the leader of a small religious group based near Burnt River, Ontario, Canada. Between 1977 and 1989 he held sway over as many as 12 adults and 22 children, he had 26 children when he passed, fathering the other 4 during visits in prison from some of the "wives"...
once had a commune in the area. His brutal story was immortalized in a film called "Savage Messiah".