Canadian Land and Emigration Company

The Canadian Land and Emigration Company was an English company formed in 1861 to promote the sale of lands in the Province of Canada, most of which would later form the Municipality of Dysart et al in Haliburton County.

In 1859, the Crown Lands Department in the Province of Canada advertised a block of land for sale, comprising the townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Gilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre, Clyde, and Longford. The purpose was to promote rapid settlement of the newly created townships in the district through private enterprise.

The Company, whose first Chairman was Thomas Chandler Haliburton, was formed in April 1861 under the British , and acquired the above lands later that year, through the intermediary of an association formed by Richard Bethell, Samuel Gurney and George Lyall. Among its investors (who were approached by John Beverley Robinson to participate in the venture) were Sir Francis Bond Head, Henry Kingscote and Hugh Edmondstone Montgomerie. Special legislation was passed by the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada in 1865 to facilitate the Company's operations in the Province.

Lengthy negotiations were carried on between the Company, and the Department of Crown Lands concerning the selection of townships and the terms of sale. The Department agreed to pay for the survey of the outlines of the townships, but the Company had to pay for the survey within the townships and their subdivision into lots.

Of the ten townships purchased by the Company, Longford was located in the County of Victoria, while the others were then a part of Peterborough County. These, along with other townships of Peterborough County, Victoria County and Nipissing District, were incorporated as the Municipality of Haliburton in 1874, which later became the Provisional County of Haliburton.

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