October 9, 2005
Hello from Caledon, Elora & Guelph:
Fall Colours, Ghosts and
Ghouls
Fall is one of the most beautiful seasons in Ontario, and after
last weeks early fall colour tour
through the Kawarthas east of Toronto, it was time yesterday
to check out the areas west of Toronto. My husband and I set off
on the highway, left the 401 at Mississauga Road and drove north
into rolling agricultural farmland. Our first interesting village
along the way was Glen Williams, a little hamlet outside of Georgetown,
whose former sawmill now houses more than 30 artists and artisans.
We headed north along the scenic Credit River and drove up onto
the Niagara Escarpment and literally stumbled over the Cheltenham
Brickworks, a now abandoned brickmaking factory dating back to 1930
that utilized the area's clay soil to manufacture bricks for Toronto's
housing boom. Abandoned industrial buildings always hold a strange
fascination for me, and they offer great opportunities for curious
photographers.
Not far away is another very unique area, the Cheltenham Badlands,
a unique geological formation of weathered terra cotta hued rock,
that originated as a result of deforestation and overgrazing during
the early 1900s. It's a fascinating landscape of undulating hills
of red clay with greenish stripes, due to the soil's red and gray
iron oxide content.
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Cheltenham Brickworks |
Abandoned still life |
Badlands |
The 800-kilometre-long Bruce Trail that goes all the way from Niagara
Falls to the tip of the Bruce Peninsula snakes through this region,
and there are several entry points close by. The Niagara Escarpment
is a truly unique habitat and home to 300 bird species, 53 mammals,
36 reptiles and amphibians, 90 fish and 100 varieties of special
interest flora including 37 types of wild orchids. UNESCO named
Ontario's Niagara Escarpment a World Biosphere Reserve in 1990.
It's a popular spot among hikers and naturalists.
We headed east and down the Niagara Escarpment again and drove
north in its shadow to the Forks of the Credit area and the quaint
little village of Belfountain. This popular excursion destination
was founded in the 1820 by Scottish and Irish immigrants, many of
whom worked in local quarries, railroads, mills and tanneries. Today
the village has souvenir shops, a beautiful country store, a spa,
and an ice cream parlour.
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Fall decor |
Leaves are turning |
Belfountain General Store |
From Belfountain we drove westwards through the town of Erin into
Wellington County, an area of fertile farmland, punctuated by rivers,
gorges, small lakes, and golf courses. Our next stop on this country
drive was the little town of Fergus, a town known for its Scottish
Heritage which Fergus celebrates every year, usually during the
second week of August, with the Fergus Scottish Festival. During
this three-day event, visitors from all over the world enjoy all
aspects of traditional Highland Games with a wee bit of modern flare
tossed in.
Fergus has a number of historic buildings in the downtown area,
and a major draw in this little town is the Fergus Market, housed
in the historic Beatty Brothers Farm Implement Manufacturing building
which overlooks the Beatty Dam and dates back to the 1830s. The
foundry was the first industrial location in Fergus and today houses
a diverse collection of merchants, food retailers, and artisans.
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Fergus Post Office |
Wellington County Museum |
Just outside Fergus is the Wellington County Museum and Archives.
The museum stands majestically overlooking the once mill-laden Grand
River. Built of locally quarried limestone in 1877 as the House
of Industry and Refuge, this landmark structure then provided shelter
for the "deserving poor", the aged and the homeless for
almost a century. The museum now gives visitors an opportunity to
experience the cultural legacy left by the intrepid settlers to
this vast county of rolling hills, stony fields, deep gorges and
quaint villages.
Another few kilometres down the road is the country town of Elora,
one of Ontario's favourite weekend excursion destinations. Elora
is situated in a beautiful nature area with glacial rock formations,
and its most stunning geological feature is the Elora River which
plunges over a number of rapids into the spectacular Elora Gorge.
The mill sitting at the top of the gorge, aptly called the Elora
Mill, has been turned into an upscale fine dining restaurant and
country inn with 32 guest rooms.
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Elora Marketplace |
The beauty of colour |
Elora Church |
The Elora Gorge features several kilometres of 80-foot cliffs,
caverns, rapids and quiet pools. During the summer, hiking along
the cliffs and inner-tubing through the gorge are favourite pastimes.
Hiking trails start right at the Elora Mill. During the winter months
visitors indulge in cross-country skiing and scenic nature walks
through the area. The Grand River also provides excellent opportunities
for fly-fishing, canoeing and kayaking.
The Elora-Cataract trail crosses 47 kilometres of scenic countryside.
Between Fergus and Elora the trail passes by the Elora Quarry Conservation
Area, an abandoned quarry that is a favourite spot for a refreshing
dip. The quiet farmland around Elora is perfect for long country
bike rides, and numerous golf courses round out the activities on
offer.
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Ghouls galore |
Giant spiders |
Monsters anyone? |
During our visit yesterday, Elora was nicely dressed up for Halloween
- a variety of ghouls, ghosts, spiders, monsters and witches adorned
the buildings, balconies and lamp posts along the town's main streets.The
town also offers a variety of shops, antique stories, galleries
and diverse dining establishments. Horse-drawn coach rides throughout
town are also a popular activity for tourists.
Not far from Elora you can visit Ontario's last remaining covered
bridge in Montrose, and you'll have a chance to explore Old Order
Mennonite Country. Summer brings a variety of festivals to this
area, including the Elora Festival which is a one-month musical
showcase of internationally acclaimed musicians and singers.
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Main Street Elora |
Elora architecture |
Elora shopping |
About 15 minutes south of Elora is the major city of this area:
Guelph is a university and manufacturing city with a population
of more than 100,000. Its diverse economy also includes high technology
enterprises and today Guelph is one of the fastest growing economic
regions in all of Canada. Similar to Fergus and Elora, Guelph was
founded by Scottish settlers in the 1820s at the junction of the
Eramosa and Speed Rivers. The University of Guelph Department of
Scottish Studies links academic research to the community of those
with Scottish ancestry.The city features many trails for hiking,
biking, skiing and horseback riding and a variety of riverside dining
establishments.
Guelph's most stunning architectural feature is the impressive
Church of Our Lady Immaculate, a Gothic-Revival structure begun
in 1877 and completed in 1888. The twin towers, more than 200 feet
high, were not completed until 1926. The Church of Our Lady Immaculate
is one of Ontario's largest and most impressive churches.
This time we didn't have a chance to explore Guelph in detail as
it was getting late afternoon and we had to head back. But there
will be another time for exploring this beautiful, historic city
and other surrounding communities. But our little excursion out
of the city was a perfect Saturday getaway for exploring the history
and countryside just outside of Toronto.
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Downtown Elora with the Elora Mill |
Church of Our Lady Immaculate - Guelph |
Useful Links:
The Niagara
Escarpment's Official Website
Fergus
and Elora Tourism Information
The Fergus
Market
Elora Information
Information about
Guelph
Related Articles:
Exploring Lake Ontario's
Waterfront Trail
A driving tour through the Niagara
Wine Region
Exploring Peterborough and the
Lake Country
A Fall Country Driving Tour through
the Kawartha Lakes Region
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