James Cooper Lookout Trail

Geographic location: Part of Lots 16 & 17, Con 4 Stanhope

Current address: 1251 North Shore Road

Date range:

Interesting facts:

The townships of Haliburton County were originally established as a farming settlements but the predominance of endless rock and myriad stony outcroppings made farming difficult.

On what’s now known as North Shore Road, there were a few moderately successful farms in the middle of which was a high, rocky bluff that dominated the surrounding landscape.

Jim Cooper was born and raised in West Guilford and was by all accounts a kind, industrious and community-minded man.

After leaving military service, he owned and ran the garage in West Guilford for many years, later moving into real estate and development work with his business partner Earl Pitts. Among Cooper & Pitts’ many projects was an idea to develop cottage lots along the west side of Beech Lake however, the road at that time went along the shoreline.

To facilitate their development, they set out to buy up those moderately successful farms and move the road to where it is now, so that the cottage lots they were creating could have private frontage. They replaced the original shoreline road with the current North Shore Road in 1968.

Historically, that high, rocky bluff had long been an informal lookout popular with adventurous souls who would scramble their way up a rough path to take in a spectacular view of Maple, Beech, Boshkung and 12-Mile lakes. Before being named in honour of Jim Cooper, it was known simply as the Beech Lake Lookout.

In 1976 Cooper-Pitts Properties Limited donated that high, rocky bluff to Stanhope Township for use as public land with ample room for parking and picnicking. The conditions of the donation included the development of a “Look-Out Park within five (5) years from the date of convergence to the Municipality".

The conditions also called for the creation of a the first 1000’ feet of road to the top, to be paid for by the township; however, that proved too challenging and costly at the time, and the condition was later removed from the deal. It took until 1980 for the donation to be finalized.

In 1988, Cooper and Pitts dissolved their business partnership and both men moved on to other ventures. For Cooper, one of those many adventures was stonework, and his work still dots the area in such forms as the pillars at the municipal office driveways.

At the lookout, Cooper built a stone cairn with steps to a viewing platform. It was in the shape of a Mountie, who pointed to the municipal complex below. Sadly, the cairn was destroyed by vandals many years later, but a municipal plaque honours the two men.

The James Cooper Lookout remains a popular spot for hikers as part of Algonquin Highlands’ formalized trail system.

Cooper was recognized for his contributions with the Stanhope Citizen of the Year award in 1998. He passed away in 2000.