Otonabee–South Monaghan

Otonabee–South Monaghan
Township (lower-tier)
Township of Otonabee–South Monaghan
Municipal office in the hamlet of Keene
Otonabee–South Monaghan
Coordinates: 44°14′N 78°14′W / 44.233°N 78.233°W / 44.233; -78.233Coordinates: 44°14′N 78°14′W / 44.233°N 78.233°W / 44.233; -78.233
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
County	Peterborough
Incorporated	January 1, 1998
Government
• Type	Township
• Reeve	Dave Nelson
• Federal riding	Peterborough
• Prov. riding	Peterborough
Area
• Land	347.58 km2 (134.20 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	6,660
• Density	19.2/km2 (50/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code	K0L 2G0
Area code(s)	705
Website	www.osmtownship.ca

Otonabee–South Monaghan is a township in central-eastern Ontario, Canada, in Peterborough County. The township, located along the Trent-Severn Waterway, was formed on January 1, 1998, through the amalgamation of Otonabee and South Monaghan Townships.

The township comprises the communities of Assumption, Bailieboro, Bensfort, Bensfort Bridge, Blezard, Cameron, Campbelltown, Drummond, Hall Landing, Indian River, Jermyn, Keene, Lang, Mathers Corners, Pengelly Landing, Pleasant Point, Stewart Hall, Villiers, Wallace Point and Zion.

The hamlet of Keene was ranked "prettiest town in Canada" by Harrowsmith Country Life magazine. It has interesting shops, artisans, gardens, and history, with fishing and camping or resorts close at hand.

The main attraction in the area is the Serpent Mounds Campgrounds and Historical Site. It has an effigy mound in the shape of a snake, constructed as an earthwork nearly 2,000 years ago by indigenous peoples of the Hopewell culture. Formerly a Provincial Park, the government returned the site to the Hiawatha First Nation as a historically significant burial ground for the Native people.

In addition to the mounds and campgrounds, the park also has a groomed beach for swimming and several kilometers of walking and biking trails. Another popular pastime in the area is fishing. Rice Lake is known to many as a great spot for some boating and fishing. There are also several resorts with water access points.

Keene has a school of approximately 600 students called North Shore Public School. This school is the main elementary school for families in Keene, as well as those on outlying farms. North Shore is a feeder school for Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School. South Monaghan Public School, located in Bailieboro, is another elementary school in the township. A feeder school of Crestwood Secondary School is in Peterborough.