Lindsay, Ontario, a community of 22,367 people according to the 2021 census, is nestled on the Scugog River in the Kawartha Lakes region of south-eastern Ontario, Canada. Located approximately 43 km west of Peterborough, Lindsay serves as the seat of the City of Kawartha Lakes and is a bustling hub for business and commerce in the region.
The history of Lindsay, Ontario dates back to 1825 when the Township of Ops was surveyed by Colonel Duncan McDonell. The town grew steadily around the mills and became a lumbering and farming centre. The arrival of the Port Hope Railway in 1857 marked a period of rapid development and industrial growth for Lindsay. However, a fire in 1861 destroyed most of the town, leaving hundreds homeless. It took many years for Lindsay to recover from this disaster. In the late 19th century, local photographers Fowler & Oliver worked out of the Sunbeam Photo Gallery. Lindsay was also home to Sir Samuel Hughes, the Canadian Minister of Militia during the First World War. In 2001, Lindsay's town government was officially dissolved and merged with Victoria County into the new City of Kawartha Lakes.
The first railway to arrive in Lindsay was the Port Hope, Lindsay & Beaverton Railway (PHL&B), originally chartered in 1846 as the Peterborough & Port Hope Railway. The first train arrived at the St. Paul and King Streets station on October 16, 1857. Lindsay’s second railway began as the Fenelon Falls Railway in 1871, changing its name to the Lindsay, Fenelon Falls & Ottawa River Valley Railway, and then to the Victoria Railway. It reached and terminated at Haliburton in 1878. Lindsay’s third railway was the Port Whitby & Port Perry Railway, extended from Port Perry to Lindsay in 1876. In 1887 the Midland Railway made Lindsay its operational headquarters. A large freight yard was built south of Durham between Lindsay and Hamilton Sts, and the Port Hope engine house was dismantled and rebuilt in Lindsay as a running shed, together with the attendant shops, on the east side of Albert St. south of Durham.
Lindsay, Ontario is in a humid continental climate zone with warm, humid summers and cold winters. Temperatures start to increase again in late February and last from late-June to mid-September.
The Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services operates the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ontario.
Lindsay, Ontario is rich in culture and history. The world's oldest hockey stick was traced through the Lindsay Public Archives to verify the stick was carved between 1852 and 1856 by Alexander Rutherford Sr. of Fenelon Township near Lindsay. This stick sold for $2.2 million at an auction. The Kawartha Art Gallery, located on the 2nd Floor of the Public Library, is the only public art gallery in Lindsay, and by virtue of amalgamation, the City of Kawartha Lakes. The Kawartha Lakes Museum & Archives, located in the former county jail on Victoria Avenue, is the only museum and archive in Kawartha Lakes that has a mandate to serve the entire city's population and interests and open year round.
Lindsay, Ontario has a 150th anniversary song, entitled A Song For Lindsay. It was written and performed by recording studio owner Bob May, and local high-school student/vocalist Bethany Rees. One of Lindsay's popular landmarks is the old burnt down mill.
Lindsay, Ontario is surrounded by several charming towns including Oakwood, Little Britain, Omemee, Fenelon Falls, Downeyville, Dunsford, Bobcaygeon, Port Perry, and Peterborough.
Ontario's former Department of Lands and Forests ran one of its 17 forest fire districts from Lindsay. Formed in 1946 The Lindsay Forest Fire District served as the headquarters for the protection and study of forests in Haliburton, Victoria, Durham, Peterborough and Northumberland Counties. The Lindsay office was also responsible for the maintenance and manning of the 13 fire tower lookouts within its boundaries. Most of these towers were put out of use in the late 1960s when aerial detection systems were put in place.
