Wilberforce is a village in the Municipality of Highlands East, on the eastern side of Haliburton County. Its history goes further back than most cottage-country towns. The story starts with the Wilberforce Colony of 1829, settled by free Black Americans and later by Irish immigrants — a chapter of Canadian history still remembered locally. First called Pusey after a railway president, the village grew up around the railway built to serve the Irondale iron mines. It is also home to Ontario’s first Red Cross Outpost, a nationally recognized heritage site.
There’s lake country in every direction: Dark Lake, Pusey Lake, Wilberforce Lake, and Wilbermere Lake offer fishing, boating, and swimming. The surrounding forest holds snowmobile, ATV, and hiking trails, so the area works well in all four seasons. The long-running Wilberforce Agricultural Fair is a fixture of community life.
The village itself is well equipped for its size — a general store, restaurant, pharmacy, gas station, library, medical centre, public school, and fire hall. Nearby communities include Cardiff and Highland Grove within Highlands East, with Bancroft a straightforward drive to the east and the village of Haliburton to the west.
Property here breaks down into village homes, lakefront cottages, and rural acreages — a mix that suits year-round living, retirement, and four-season recreation. Village properties tend to suit buyers who want to walk to the store, library, and medical centre, while the lakes and acreages suit those after quieter, more private settings. Buyers looking at rural listings in Highlands East should confirm well and septic details, as is normal for unserviced country property in this part of Ontario.
If Wilberforce’s mix of history, lakes, and village services appeals to you, Wade Kovacic, Sales Representative with CENTURY 21 Granite Realty Group Inc., Brokerage, can walk you through what’s available. Contact Wade to talk about village homes, waterfront, or acreage in the area.
