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For more than 45 years, one thing has remained the same… The trust our community places in us.

While retirement living has evolved over the decades, our commitment to creating a warm, welcoming community where residents feel supported, respected, and truly at home has never changed.

It’s why so many Orangeville families continue to turn to Avalon Retirement Lodge when the time is right. We remain proud of the trust our community has placed in us, striving to continue to earn it every single day. When you’re ready, we’re here.

Avalon Retirement Lodge 355 Broadway, Orangeville, ON L9W 3Y3 It’s Worth a Conversation 519-941-3351 6

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CONTENTS

32 FEATU R ES 32

ROSEMARY HASNER

AU T U M N ’ S P E R S I S T E N T G U E S T S Leaves of every shape and shade are underfoot this time of year, but the honey locust leaflets aren’t content to stay there BY TO N Y R E Y N O L D S A R E YO U R E A DY ? Voting in this October’s election may look a little different in some municipalities depending on where you live – here’s our guide to make sure your voice is heard BY B E T H A N Y L EE

AG I N G G E T S A M A K EOV E R The new fitness culture is about staying strong enough for real life BY A N N A L EE B O S C H E T TO

A L B E R TA B O U N D A former Caledon resident on moving back to her hometown of Calgary BY GA I L G R A N T

T H E D R AW O F A N E W A R T S E A S O N Bold exhibits, small galleries, indie studio tours and more fill autumn with vibrant ways of seeing BY EM I LY D I C K S O N

A NEW CHAPTER In his first novel, Ken Weber draws on his decades as a special-education pioneer to ask what makes us different – and what brings us together BY J EF F R O L L I N GS

G UA R D I A N S O F T H E G R AV E S T O N E S Three dedicated volunteers nurture Caledon history by ensuring that local cemeteries continue to tell the stories of their community BY A N T H O N Y J EN K I N S

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www.amica.ca/peelvillage reimagined SENIOR LIVING

t Amica, life is anything but ordinary. Indulge in premium amenities and inspired cuisine crafted by Red Seal chefs. Explore passions new and old through enriching programs designed to spark joy. And do it all with the confidence that flexible, professional care is always within reach. This is senior living that inspires — every day, in every way. Visit Amica Peel Village, only minutes from Caledon, and experience the difference firsthand with a complimentary lunch and personalized residence tour.

Dining That Delights Enriching Activities

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Ask about our limited-time move-in incentives.

www.amica.ca/peelvillage TO LEARN MORE SCAN THE QR CODE or VIST AMICA.CA/PEELVILLAGE 223 MAIN ST. S., BRAMPTON

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905-460-0080

A M I C A . C A / P E E LV I L L A G E

CONTENTS

DEPARTM EN TS 18

CONTRIBUTORS

LETTERS

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE Sculptor Briony Douglas B y JA N I C E Q U I R T

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FIELD NOTES Embrace Halloween, celebrate the harvest and catch big musical stars on stage this autumn BY EM I LY D I C K S O N 69

FENCE POSTS A day in this writer’s life BY DA N N EED L E S FOOD AND DRINK Visit local breweries, blend your own za’atar and bite into Erin’s famous apple fritters BY EM I LY D I C K S O N

MEET THE MAKER A father-son team of Mono car enthusiasts creates a unique automobile BY TO N Y R E Y N O L D S MADE IN THE HILLS Handmade games, painterly coasters and hand-dyed cotton rope bowls BY EM I LY D I C K S O N A DAY I N T H E L I F E A Mono actor shares what it’s like to star in a world debut BY JA M E S G ER U S

COUNTRY LIVING 101 Who’s in charge here? BY TO N Y R E Y N O L D S

H E A DWAT E R S N E S T Playing the long game BY B E T H A N Y L EE

AT H O M E I N T H E H I L L S A place to hang their hats BY JA N I C E Q U I R T

W H AT ’S O N A calendar of autumn happenings

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F I N D A N A DV E R T I S E R

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B AC K S T O R Y The mayor of Mono Centre BY DYA N N E R I V ER S

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EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

Tralee Pearce A S S O C I AT E EDITORS

Dyanne Rivers Emily Dickson ART DIRECTOR

Kim van Oosterom

WRITERS

REGIONAL S A L E S M A N AG E R S

Anna Lee Boschetto James Gerus Gail Grant Anthony Jenkins Bethany Lee Dan Needles Janice Quirt Tony Reynolds Jeff Rollings

Roberta Fracassi Victoria Johansen O P E R AT I O N S M A N AG E R

Cindy Dillman A DV E R T I S I N G PRODUCTION

Marion Hodgson

PHOTOGR APHERS

EVENTS & C O PY E D I T O R

Erin Fitzgibbon Rosemary Hasner Todd Korol Pete Paterson

Janet Kerr D I G I TA L E D I T O R S

Elaine Li Barbara Fletcher

I L L U S T R AT O R S

Shelagh Armstrong Ruth Ann Pearce Jim Stewart

O N O U R C OV E R

Ontario by Diana Hillman, more on page 50

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It is distributed through controlled circulation to households in the towns of Caledon, Erin, Orangeville, Shelburne, Creemore and Dufferin County.

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Building a Better Future Through Wealth and Security

www.fcfcorp.ca Growing up in a household where life revolved around our family’s financial services business, First Capital Financial, I came to understand early on the importance of money in people’s lives. Not as an end in itself, but as a means to an end – financial security and the peace of mind that comes with that. I saw how my Dad helped his clients with their money, allowing them to return their focus to things that really mattered to them – like family, friends, faith, health and hobbies. So the financial world wasn’t really about money, but about people. This understanding was key to my decision to pursue a degree in Integrated Business and Humanities at McMaster University. The program combined my two passions, and taught me that capitalism contributes to social well-being through innovation, employment and wealth. So businesses exist to serve people, not the other way around. People first, in other words, and this begins with financial literacy for everyone.

First Capital Financial is a multi-disciplinary, multi-generational wealth and risk management firm that is deeply client-focused and dedicated to delivering an exceptional client experience. “Know Your Money” isn’t just a phrase we use every day – it’s a philosophy that guides every conversation and plan we create. We take pride in using innovative products and strategies that are foundational to building and preserving wealth, while ensuring every client feels informed, supported and confident in their financial decisions. I look forward to the opportunity to connect with you – to understand your life’s plans, and to be part of your journey ahead.

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New pencils. New teachers. A crispness in the air. Autumn’s back-to-school energy is upon us, fuelled by the swirl of teachers, kids and parents homing in on the school central to their lives. But even those of us long past our own school years – I, for one, am in denial that my 40-year high school reunion is well within view – feel the vibrations of the season. For some, September is an early New Year, with its clean slates, fresh routines and the promise of, just maybe, finding a better version of ourselves. Even if those versions bomb. I have a vivid memory of reinventing my fashion persona one September – into The Girl Who Wears French Berets – in Grade 7 (or was it 8?) at Mono-Amaranth Public School. What I hadn’t factored into my grand plan was Mother Nature’s habit of unleashing a heat wave the first week of school. As I sat at my cramped desk, perspiring under my thick, creamcoloured wool beret, even my teacher’s sweet suggestion that I might consider removing the hat failed to land. I was committed to the bit. I’m sure she was bracing herself for a heat-induced fainting spell. I made it through the day, but the beret did not endure. And the following September, I tried my next schtick. Thankfully, trying something new isn’t just for kids. If we’re brave, we can evolve indefinitely. At least that seems to be the hopeful message of many stories in this issue – they’re full of next chapters, new beginnings and so much purpose. Jeff Rollings catches up with longtime In The Hills contributor Ken Weber, who, after penning dozens of magazine columns and books, has exited his comfort zone and written his first novel – fittingly for September, a book set in a 1951 schoolhouse. Gail Grant writes about her decision to pull up stakes and move from Caledon to Calgary. If that weren’t enough, she also made the life-changing decision to join others in an independent living residence for seniors. One look at her beaming face in the photo accompanying the piece and it’s clear how she feels about her leap of faith. Elsewhere, we learn about septuagenarians and octogenarians hitting small-town gyms to lift weights and work out in ways previously unfamiliar to them – renewing their commitment to health. And Bethany Lee writes about getting that memo, too. She is on the strength-training bandwagon in what a friend dubbed her “second half.” Cheers to that. Here’s to more big moves, more time at the gym – and sticking with it – and, maybe, fewer sweaty days in ill-chosen wool berets.

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CONTRIBUTORS

MEET ANNA LEE BOSCHETTO, JEFF ROLLINGS AND GAIL GRANT – THREE OF THIS ISSUE ’ S WRITERS

Anna Lee Boschetto

Jeff Rollings

Gail Grant

Anna Lee blends a career in health-care communica tions with a lifelong love of storytelling, wellness and active living. Her recent In The Hills stories have explored the joy of night hiking in “Night Moves” and the inaugural Dufferin Film Festival in “Lights! Camera! Action!” Fitness has always been a lifestyle for her, whether training for her next marathon, strength training to stay injury-free or practising yoga to stay flexible. An avid downhill skier, she knows the offseason work makes every winter adventure better. For this issue, she explores how local residents are redefining fitness after 50, finding new goals and new reasons to keep moving. She lives in Bolton with her family and is happiest on the trails, at a race start line, or enjoying a good coffee after a workout.

Jeff has been writing for In The Hills since 2006, con tributing stories on a wide range of subjects including population growth, mental health, homelessness, environmental issues like water bottling – and even a piece about the Avro Arrow. In this issue, Jeff introduces us to former In The Hills contributor Ken Weber’s new novel, an adventure set in 1950s small-town Ontario called When Misfits Meet. Jeff’s other main focus has been stories about local people, including more than 90 profiles for In The Hills’ annual Local Heroes series. Jeff is professionally trained in and still works as a civil and environmental engineering and planning technologist, primarily serving the land development and aggregate industries. He lives in an idyllic pond-side cottage in central Caledon.

Gail’s essay in this issue was penned from two time zones west. For more than 12 years, Gail wrote Over the Next Hill, her much-loved column exploring the complexities of aging gracefully. In late 2025, she bid farewell to Caledon and returned to her Alberta roots, a topic that inspired her essay. “Mentally adjusting my clock to connect with friends has been a nuisance,” admits Gail. “Pre-dinner chat time in Caledon is at my mid-afternoon activity time in Calgary. And my Ontario group is likely tucked under the covers when I’m ready to hash over the nightly news.” Now that she’s out west, Gail is tuning in to the Alberta political scene, which, she says, takes time, effort and thought. “But without hesitation, I’ll be casting my ‘Canada First’ ballot in the fall. Onward.”

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LETTERS

www.suzannelawrence.ca

Small planes, big dreams

I want to say that I love your magazine In The Hills. It is always great reading and provides so much information about Dufferin-Caledon that I might never have known about. It has helped my family discover new places and things, and goings-on in the community for us to take part in. Thank you for a wonderful and informative read, always. — Barb B, East Garafraxa

In defence of local conservation authorities

Town and Country Real Estate guided by local knowledge, discretion,

Conservation authority consolidation is a misguided concept [“Explainer: Ontario’s Conservation System Faces a Major Overhaul,” summer ’26]. Fixing some current issues of inconsistencies in CA capacity to deliver programs or fee structures makes sense. Taking years to amalgamate up to seven CAs into one new regional CA with no lower-tier municipal representation or voices on these very large bodies does not make sense, will slow current activities including permitting, and will result in harm to our watersheds. — Rob Messervey, Pickering

and the conviction that a decision this significant deserves more than a transactional response.

C L A R I F I C AT I O N

A listing in the summer edition of Showcase of Fine Homes included errors. Lilactree Farm sits on 99 acres in Mulmur. The corrected listing appears on page 88 of this issue.

www.suzannelawrence.ca

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Pros and cons of bigger bins In response to the “Recycling woes” letter to the editor [Letters, summer ’26], I remember feeling exactly the same when the large wheeled bins for recycling, garbage and organic waste were introduced here years ago … in the middle of winter! Now I love these bins with the big wheels. They are easy to manoeuvre and I don’t put my recycling out until it’s full. That silly little green bin drove me nuts! It was heavy and I had to lift it into a wheelbarrow to get it to the road. The blue bins were a disaster on windy days. Now I can pull both bins to the road at the same time. I’m 78 and have a long unpaved driveway too, so I know where you are coming from! Give it a try. You may end up seeing the advantage. I am sure the workers like the bins being mechanically dumped. Also many people now leave their bins at the end of the drive and drop things off from their car on their way out. Yes, it seemed like an eyesore at first but it has become almost a status symbol showing one cares about the community. Also if you have a legitimate disability, there is help. — Peggy Dickey, Caledon The blue bins now hold a remarkable (and heavy) amount of recyclable material. My gravel driveway is 250 metres long – uphill both ways – so I made an adjustment and hope this suggestion will help others. The blue bin and garbage bin must be placed on the far side of my gravel road for collection. I placed my blue bin by my driveway close to the road, and every few weeks I load it with the contents of my old blue bin. This week I hauled the filled large bin to the far side of the road, snugly beside my garbage bin. The theory is that the total weight of the two bins will discourage the wind from flinging my garbage bin, cover off, into the road ditch (as happens often, especially in winter). It worked. Others may find this tactic useful. — Charles Hooker, East Garafraxa

We welcome your comments! For more reader commentary, or to add your own thoughts on any of the stories appearing in this issue, please visit inthehills.ca. You can also send your letters by email to tralee@inthehills.ca. Include your name, address and contact information. In The Hills reserves the right to edit letters for publication.

P E T E PAT E R S O N

Still crying over my lost dream, but reliving all the moments through your story [“Long Runway, Small Plane, Big Sky,” summer ’23, inthehills.ca]. Thanks for that. — Evelyn Elliott, Guelph

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www.discovererin.ca Erin

Discover Erin. Slow down. Look around.

From charming downtowns and historic streets to scenic trails, agri-tourism and outdoor adventure, the Town of Erin is a place made for wandering. Enjoy local flavours, outdoor experiences and the simple pleasure of taking things a little slower. Visit for the day or stay a while; you’ll quickly see why visitors return and locals are proud to call the Town of Erin home.

What’s on this Fall: • Sept 16, 2026: Erin’s Scarecrow Festival • Sept 19, 2026: Arts By The Pond • Sept 26, 2026: Hometown Harvest on Main St. • Oct 9-12, 2026: Erin Fall Fair

To discover more events, go to:

www.discovererin.ca

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RURAL COMMONS COWORKING Professional shared office space in the heart of Erin. We offer hot desk, boardroom and private office rentals with membership & day pass options. Pre-book your space today at: www.ruralcommons.ca/coworking 92 Main St, Erin • ruralcommons.ca • hello@ruralcommons.ca • 519-838-6564

RURAL COMMONS RETAIL Our heritage building, located on Main St in the Village of Erin, houses a collective of independently owned & operated retail shops. Stationery • Florals • Kid Essentials Coffee Bar • Eco Home & Vintage

92 Main St, Erin • ruralcommons.ca • hello@ruralcommons.ca • 519-838-6564

A locally owned homebuilder, Dalerose focuses on building innovative new homes and giving new life to existing homes in Dufferin, Caledon and Wellington, striving to deliver beauty and lasting value.

Custom er Design/Build/Remodel

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Urban style meets country charm Start your adventure at Tailwinds! Use the Elora Cataract Trailway to cycle or hike to diverse community attractions. Return to your well-appointed room and recharge with a delicious breakfast. Come visit soon!

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Family owned and operated since 1946!

An old fashioned bakery in the heart of downtown Erin. Breads, pastries, cakes, pies, doughnuts, light lunches. Seasonal faves, wholesale and retail available. 78 Main Street 519-833-2326 Wednesday to Saturday 8 to 6 Sunday 8 to 5 Closed Monday and Tuesday

Custom Pond Construction Waterfalls & Stone Features Hardscaping & Excavation Expert Craftsmanship Third-generation Experience

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ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

Clockwise from left • The Guitar: wood and metal, 20' tall • “The Inaugural Six” PWHL x Royale: hockey sticks and wood, 6' × 4' × 4', 300 lbs Teddy Bear: fabric and stuffing, 20' long • The Gum Shoe: foam, 4' tall

BR I ON Y DOUGL A S Wonder doesn’t have to disappear when we grow up, according to Briony Douglas. The Erin-based sculptor’s large-scale creations – think giant cowboy boots, a guitar the size of a house, and Brobdingnagian sneakers – are rooted in nostalgia, pop culture and a sense of play. Take the 500-pound rope elephant she made for Holt Renfrew. Or her first permanent public sculpture, a massive train car unveiled in St. Thomas in August. Douglas uses all manner of materials, including roofing nails, bottle caps and hockey sticks to make pieces up to 25 feet tall. Two buzzy hockey-themed pieces are a Heated Rivalry mosaic and a helmet commemorating the inaugural six Professional Women’s Hockey League teams. Douglas says after a decade of work, she’s left behind limiting notions of what art should be. “I create art to make people happy, including myself.” www.brionydouglas.com

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FIELD NOTES

EM B R A C E H A L LOW E E N, C E L E B R AT E T H E HA RVE ST A ND C ATC H B I G MU S I C A L S TA R S ON S TAG E T HIS AUTUMN B Y E M I LY D I C K S O N

A lonely farmhouse, abandoned by its owners. A rural town, rocked by rumours of ghosts. An urban transplant from Richmond Hill who dealt with his own fair share of things that go bump in the night. All of these are woven together in Christopher Dodd’s book, Unseen Thing: The Mulmur Hills Poltergeist, which takes a closer look at the local tale of the Dobson Spook Farm of 1930, along with other hauntings. “I’ve always been interested in ghostly folklore, but I was never a true believer – more of a healthy skeptic with an open mind,” says Dodd, a science teacher who bought a property in the area in 2014 only to find out he was in fact descended from Mulmur Irish pioneer farmers. “The strange events at our Richmond Hill home made me realize that unusual things can happen to ordinary people … things that aren’t always easily explained.” Out in September, it’s a fitting read in advance of Halloween.

While on the topic of ghosts – don’t be alarmed by the sight of hundreds of witches wandering the streets of Erin on October 23 – it’s the annual Witches Walk, a fundraiser for the Headwaters Health Care Foundation. Enjoy a spooky stroll on Erin’s Main Street with Halloween décor, shopping and live entertainment. Don’t forget your broomstick.

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Keep little hands busy with fun arts and crafts at the Museum of Dufferin, including Pumpkin Patch activities on September 23 and Turkey Time Thanksgiving-themed crafts and sensory play on October 7. Anyone over 16 can try their hand at making fall garlands on October 2 and 3, and polymer clay autumn earrings on October 22. Interested in making your own zine for creative freedom and self-expression? Join the BZS Zine-making workshop with artist and illustrator Malachi WatsonNarcisse at the Peel Art Gallery Museum and Archives on September 24, with the theme “What does this land mean to you?”

Using a braid stand and yarn, Shiemara Hogarth will teach participants how to create a keychain via the kumihimo technique.

Then on November 21 try your hand at the Japanese art of kumihimo at PAMA. It’s a technique that involves interlacing strands of thread or cord on a stand to create colourful braids. Led by Brampton Library and Brampton Arts Organization’s 2026 Artist in Residence, Shiemara Hogarth, participants will learn the fundamentals of the craft while creating their own handmade piece.

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I N T U N E FO R FA L L Intimate village halls set the stage for big talent during Clearview Township’s Small Halls Festival. This year’s event features Séan McCann of Newfoundland’s Great Big Sea at the Creemore Station on the Green on September 18, plus film screenings, a professional hypnotist, whisky tastings and dinner theatre at various venues. Visit the Small Halls Festival website for schedules and tickets. Enjoy timeless classics such as “Sundown,” “If You Could Read My Mind,” and other beloved Gordon Lightfoot hits when Gord’s Gold takes the stage at Orangeville’s Town Hall Opera House on September 18. This tribute band faithfully recreates the legendary Canadian singer-songwriter’s warm folk-rock sound and unforgettable storytelling. For tickets, visit www.gordsgoldlive.com

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In September, Séan McCann of Great Big Sea, above, plays in Creemore. And comic Michael McCreary, left, hits the stage in Orangeville.

Hitting the stage Starting at 13, self-described “AspieComic,” actor, author and TEDx speaker Michael McCreary has built a career around finding humour in his neurodivergent life. The Hockley Valley native presents his acclaimed show, Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic, based on his 2019 book of the same name, at the Orangeville Town Hall Opera House on September 20. The event is hosted by the Dufferin Arts Council. Visit their website for tickets. Fun fact: McCreary was recognized as one of In The Hills’ 25 Under 25 recipients in 2018. What are the chances that two small-town Canadian kids would both end up on Broadway playing the role of Frankie Valli, the iconic falsetto frontman for The Four Seasons, in the smash hit Jersey Boys? Jeff Madden and Adrian Marchuk bring their incredible story to Theatre Orangeville from September 25 to 27 in How We Got to Jersey: A Tale of Two Frankies, where they sing all the favourites, including “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man” and “Sherry.” Then in October catch Theatre Orangeville’s production of Love Is for Poor People | Or You Can Do Nothing, two witty one-act plays that tell very different, but delightfully offbeat stories. In the first, a glamorous woman reflects on her life from the perspective of her younger self. And in the second, a chance remark at the dentist sends a young man on an unexpected path. This double bill runs from October 15 to November 1. Famous U.K. historian and thriller author Ben Macintyre sits down with journalist Michelle Shephard on the Town Hall Opera House stage October 4 to discuss his new non-fiction book, Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War’s Most Extraordinary Spy. Tickets available at BookLore or the Opera House box office.

G E T OU T FO R T H E DAY The spirit of the season will fill Erin’s Main Street during Hometown Harvest on September 26, with local vendors, sidewalk sales, musicians and buskers, plus fun and games for the whole family. Fall fairs are also gearing up, including the Shelburne District Fair from September 18 to 20, the Bolton Fall Fair from September 25 to 27 and the Erin Fall Fair from October 9 to 12. The Splitrock Narrows Nature Reserve in Mono gets busy for Bruce Trail Day on October 4 with music, barbecue and children’s activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit dufferinbrucetrailclub.org for info. Also on October 4, the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club will have music, crafts and family-friendly hikes from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Seecaledonbrucetrailca. Turn to A Calendar of Autumn Happen ings (page 96) for more outdoor ideas.

FO R H O R S E LOV E R S

If you work with horses and feel traditional approaches don’t always deliver, discover new equine health innovations at the Evolution in WholeHorse Soundness Conference from October 2 to 5 at the Orangeville Agricultural Centre. This event explores the connections between hoof health, movement and nutrition, offering tools and strategies to help support healthier, stronger horses. Read more and find tickets at the Canadian Equine Hoof Care Association website.

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Streams Community Hub cele brates its 10th anniversary October 6 and will be raising funds for youth arts programming with The Good Old Fashioned Telethon. This live event on Rogers tv Dufferin-Caledon and YouTube features performances, entertainment and campaigns for their ongoing One of 1,000 donor program, which asks donors to give just $10 a month. Watch for the grand prize, a trip to St. Lucia.

FI N D T H OS E H I DDEN GEM S The hunt is on at Antiques & Vintage: Orangeville, a oneday extravaganza arriving at the Orangeville Fairgrounds on October 3. Watch for vintage furniture and décor, collectibles and unexpected treasures from yesteryear.

SA L A M A N DER S A R E B ACK I N B EL FOU N TA I N After a brief hiatus, the Belfoun tain Salamander Festival is back on the calendar with a full day of family fun at the Belfountain Village Church on October 3. The long-running community event is in recognition of the endangered Jefferson salamander that lives in Belfountain’s lush forests. If you’re interested in volunteering, visit belfountain.ca.

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Soccer, football, basketball and even giant pong are all part of the fun at the 2026 Motionball Marathon of Sport taking place September 12 at the Caledon East Community Complex. The inclusive event brings together participants of all abilities, with teams paired alongside one or two local Special Olympics athletes to compete, connect and raise funds for the Special Olympics Canada Foundation. In related news, congratulations to Shelburne’s Yazmine WilsonDaponte who represented Canada at the Special Olympics Unified Football World Cup held in July in Paris. Team Canada went up against Slovakia, Egypt and Hong Kong, finishing fourth overall and picking up a Women’s Fair Play Team Award. Brava! From Shelburne to Paris: Yazmine Wilson-Daponte proudly represented Team Canada, one of 12 women’s teams that competed for the Unified Football World Cup title.

Read more about the Jefferson salamander on Don Scallen’s blog, Notes From The Wild, at inthehills.ca

J U M P I N TO T H E DAT I N G P OOL Single and ready to mingle? Ditch the apps and make real connections with weekly speed dating on “matchmaker Mondays” at the Lightcaster Taphouse + Eatery in Orangeville. “I think what makes it different from an app is that you know within a few minutes if there’s a spark,” says owner Melanie Horton, who runs the new brew pub with her husband, Brad. “You can actually hear someone’s laugh, see their personality, and have a real conversation instead of trying to judge someone from a few photos and a bio.” The speed dating is age specific, including the 25–39 crowd, 40–54, and 55 plus, and the host uses connection cards to see if there’s a mutual match.

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FENCE POSTS

A DAY IN THIS WRITER ’ S LIFE BY DAN NEEDLES A F R I E N D O F M I N E R E C E N T LY S E N T M E I A N

Fleming’s famous daily routine, asking if my day looked anything like his. The author of the James Bond novels lived on an elegant estate in Jamaica, where the world came to his door and it seemed he punched out a bestseller every few weeks. His day started at 7:30 with a quick dip in the ocean, then a leisurely breakfast on the terrace. He wrote 1,500 words, then paused to snorkel in azure blue waters and look for lobsters. He returned to the terrace for a seafood lunch and a few pink gins. Then a nap and another 500 words, one more swim and a few “powerful drinks” on the terrace before dinner with friends and bed at 10:30. Rinse and repeat. “Sounds just like you, doesn’t it?” quipped my friend. Yes and no. Perhaps not quite so idyllic, although I, too, live in a beautiful setting, in the lee of the Niagara Escarpment, within sight of the azure blue waters of Georgian Bay. This morning I rose just as Fleming did at 7:30, but there was no swim. We do have a duck pond, but the waters where ducks swim regularly are more emerald than azure and are not recommended for bathing. At the barn I discovered a sheep had died during the night and would need to be buried. An adult sheep weighs 175 pounds, which is over the limit my doctor has set for dead lifts. Fortunately, I have a loader tractor and was able to ferry it to the farm’s cemetery in the orchard. But with the temperature

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hovering in the mid-30s there would be no time for breakfast, leisurely or otherwise. I began straightaway to chip a hole in the heavy clay with a round mouth shovel and a crowbar. By mid-morning I had punched a sheep-sized hole nearly three feet deep when the shovel handle broke. I went back to the house to find a replacement. I ducked into the office to check the morning mail and found a plaintive note from my editor wondering if there was any chance of getting my column

The only thing that would bring pigs out of a cornfield is a jumbo box of Timbits. anytime soon, because the illustrator enjoys having more than 24 hours to think of an appropriate theme before the magazine deadline crashes in on her. There was also a message on the screen from a publisher in Los Angeles who said she had just read my latest book (a reflection on the winding path that brought me to this place in rural Ontario) and it reminded her of “the fast-paced thrillers of writers like John Grisham and James Patterson. Could we connect about your next work?” she asked. This was startling, being the first time in 50 years anyone had admired the speed of my writing. Of course, this was

just an AI-generated marketing message, but still, it made me doubt the future of a technology that can’t distinguish between me and John Grisham. Perhaps this was a theme that should be explored further, if I ever got back to the keyboard. A call from my wife from the upstairs window snapped me back to the fast-paced life of a writer: “The damn donkeys are chasing the pigs again!” I caught a glimpse of the pigs hot-footing it up the gully on the south side of the barn, squeezing through the electric fence and into my neighbour’s field of corn. I knew better than to follow them because the only thing that will bring pigs out of a cornfield is a jumbo box of Timbits. I had to go into town anyway to get a new shovel handle and perhaps a bottle of pink gin. By day’s end, I had buried the sheep, coaxed the pigs back to their pen, and filed my column, but the bestseller had made no noticeable progress. I was nibbling the last of the birthday cake Timbits when my friend joined me on the terrace to enjoy the sunset. He consoled me by noting that Fleming’s schedule might sound wonderful, but the smoking, drinking and leisurely pace eventually did take their toll. “You have to remember that by the time he was your age, he’d been dead for 20 years. Maybe just keep doing what you’re doing.” Humorist and playwright Dan Needles lives on a small farm in Nottawa.

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Autumn’s persistent guests LEAVES OF EVERY SHAPE AND SHADE ARE UNDERFOOT THIS TIME OF YEAR, BUT THE HONEY LOCUST LEAFLETS AREN’T CONTENT TO STAY THERE – THEY ARE DETERMINED TO MOVE IN WITH ME

t my front door one September morning, I saw a small leaf stuck to the glass at my eye level. It was a pale yellow leaflet from one of the honey locust trees that have been planted along the main street in town. The thornless honey locust is often planted beside sidewalks and parking lots to add a little touch of green because it can thrive in areas of urban stress. In botanist-speak, the leaves are bipinnately compound with 14 to 26 leaflets. (Did someone actually count the leaflets on a thousand thousand leaves to find an average?) The leaflet is lanceolate with a serrated margin. The leaf itself is up to 20 centimetres long and the leaflets two centimetres long, more or less. They start changing colour as August turns into September and sunlight wanes. Their yellow autumn hue reflects the sunshine for those few days when all the leaves remain attached to the branches, but once they start to fall, the leaflets separate from the leaf and huddle together in the gutter, over storm sewer grates, or mashed into messy brown and yellow on the sidewalk with bare leaf stems sticking out at all angles.

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This fate is a scruffy contrast to the honey locust’s posh neighbours around the corner from my home in Orangeville. Walnut trees, for instance, are sturdy and tall, standing firmly in their ground. As days shrink, scurries of squirrels hang on their hind feet at the ends of small branches, reaching for the ready fruit. With nuts in their forepaws, they squat on wide branches, with bushy tails curved over their backs and heads, as they bite through the bitter green endocarp to reach the sweet seed at the centre. The ground around the tree is festooned with bits of discarded walnut shells. Halfway up Second Street, there’s a red oak tree more than 200 years old. It was already a mature tree when Jesse Ketchum, an early Orangeville settler, was planning the street grid north of Broadway. Its autumn leaves are the glorious colour of red wine. There are sugar maples, too, that reach up into the sky from roots that have anchored them for well over a century. The brilliant red maple leaves stop drivers in their tracks and compel property owners to gather them in crisp, colourful piles for kids and dogs (and occasional grown-ups) to jump in and hide. This is a far cry from the fate of the honey locust leaflets that

fall along Broadway. However, there are a few more venturesome and determined. Each year these ambitious few seek a better fate and make valiant efforts to get past my front door, up the stairs and into the apartment. I think they’re looking for a warm place to weather the coming cold. They gather on the sidewalk right in front of the door or perch on the mailbox, hoping for a gust of wind as the door opens. Some even try to get through the screens on upstairs windows. Was that leaflet that stuck to my door just having a look? Or was it trying to get inside? Many of its cohorts do. Step through and the floor can be strewn with leaves that have made it past the first hurdle – the front door. They gather there, resting perhaps, gaining strength for the trek up the stairs – a straight run of 18 steps. They have no means of self-propulsion … they can’t walk, slither or swim … so they must rely on a wet shoe, a deep tread on a winter boot, or a fuzzy sock for their serrated margins to latch onto. But they make it, nonetheless. Look down the stairs toward the door in October and the stairs are often strewn with little leaflets, struggling upward.

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www.lockyerlaw.org Not all, but many do make it to the top. I have found them throughout the apartment – in front of the couch, on the ottoman, under the printer on my desk, tucked into odd corners, perhaps trying to evade the vacuum cleaner. One of them has even found its way into my shoe. Some are even more determined and even more worthy of admiration … those leaflets I see coming up from the parking lot at the back. You see, my home is in a row of buildings built a century or more ago, with retail on the main floor and apartments or offices above. For these leaves to get to the back requires considerable determination and exertion. There are no honey locusts behind the building or anywhere else close by, so somehow these little leaflets must go around – or over – the building and then climb the back stairs. Maybe they ride the wind, maybe they hitch a lift on a squirrel. I have seen heaps of walnut leftovers on the back steps, so I know the squirrels drop by. I don’t know how many leaflets make it all the way up – there are 22 steps back there – but some do. I’ve seen them inside the back door. And I do have to admire their gumption.

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P H OTO I L LU S T R AT I O N : K I M VA N O O S T E R O M

ARE YOU READY? Voting in this October’s election may look a little different in some municipalities depending on where you live. Here’s our guide to make sure your voice is heard.

BY BETHANY LEE

n Monday, October 26, 2026, municipal elections will take place in Ontario as residents across the province vote for political leadership at the local level. There are some important changes this year as some municipalities embrace online, phone or mail-in voting, or a combination of options. So, it’s never too early to get ready by ensuring you’re on the voters’ list, learning about the candidates in your area and knowing how you’ll vote. Depending where you live, your ballot may include candidates for mayor, deputy mayor, councillor, regional or county councillor and school board trustee positions. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario details in their Turn Up the Turnout report that in 2022, Ontario experienced a record-low voter turnout in municipal elections. Less than a third of eligible voters participated. Local organizations, such as the non-profit Headwaters Communities in Action, have been actively working to raise awareness about the poor turnout and to increase people’s interest in getting out to vote. For example, Volunteer Dufferin, an HCIA initiative, ran an all-ages sticker design contest. “A sticker contest is a fun way that people can have a real impact on civic engagement by doing something creative and fun. A simple ‘I Vote’ sticker has proven to increase voter turnout,” says Jennifer Payne, executive director of HCIA. What’s more, the campaign is aimed at strengthening the ties that bind neighbours together. “Your municipal council members are locals; they are your neighbours,” says Payne. “They live here and are beholden to you and other residents, not a party. You can talk to them, and they can actually do something about an issue. Voting lets you pick which of your neighbours is going to be shaping what happens in your community.” Here’s how to get ready.

VOTING AND VOTERS’ LIST To be eligible to register to vote in the municipal election, you must be 18 years of age or older, a Canadian citizen, a resident of the municipality, or a non-resident who owns or rents property in the municipality, or the spouse of an owner or tenant of property in the municipality.

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It’s best to ensure you’re on the eligible voters’ list well in advance. You can confirm, add or update your personal information for provincial, municipal and school board elections at registertovoteon.ca. Have questions or need assistance with voter registration? Help is available. Printable forms are also available for those who need them. Email Elections Ontario at info@elections.on.ca or call 1-888-668-8683 for support. Visit the Register to Vote website at registertovoteon.ca or call 1-866-242-3025. The voters’ list was prepared on September 1, 2026. If you want to add, remove or change your listed information, you must contact your municipal clerk. If you have safety concerns and having your name and address available on the voters’ list would endanger your life, health or security, you can request that the chief electoral officer redact your information. The Ontario 2026 voters’ guide provides extensive information and explanations for those wanting to take a deep dive into the system. Elections Ontario maintains three types of registers for provincial and/or municipal, district social services administration board and school board elections in Ontario: the Permanent Register of Electors for Ontario, the Register of Absentee Voters, and the Ontario Register of Future Voters for eligible individuals who are 16 or 17 years of age. (An exciting way to get municipal-minded youth engaged now, so they’re ready for the next election.) And if you’re changing your school board support for election pur poses, you must do this through the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation on their website at school-support.mpac.ca. Acceptable ID you can use to update, add or remove voter information from the voters’ list When checking, updating, adding or removing your information from the voters’ list, you must upload one piece of ID showing both your name and home address, such as a driver’s licence, utility bill, bank statement, a hospital record, a Band Council ID or another government-issued document. Absentee voters and students – what you need to know If you will be temporarily living outside Ontario during the election, DID YOU KNOW? you may still be Who pays for the election? Your municipality. eligible to vote The Ontario Municipal Elections Act, 1996, by mail through states: “The costs incurred by the clerk of a the Register local municipality in conducting an election of Absentee shall be paid by the local municipality.” Voters. Visit Elections Ontario for eligibility requirements and deadlines. Eligibility can include temporarily residing outside of Ontario, or other classifications such as being an active-duty member of the armed forces or attending an educational institution. Your last home address in Ontario determines your electoral district. There is a special rule for students living away from home while attending school. If you are a student and consider your “home” to be the place where you live when you are not attending school (that is, you plan on returning there), then you may be eligible to vote in both your “home” municipality and in the municipality where you live while attending school – provided you meet the eligibility requirements in each.

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DID YOU KNOW? While we are here, an important reminder that if you’re voting in person: you are not permitted to show your marked ballot to anyone. No voting selfies with your ballot, no pictures or videos of your ballot. The only time you may show your ballot is if someone is officially assisting you. More seriously, election laws protect the integrity of the voting process. It is illegal to vote if you are not eligible, vote more than once, interfere with ballots, or offer or accept bribes in exchange for votes.

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When planning to vote, you will need to check with your local munici pality to ensure you know your options, which may have changed since you last voted – in an effort to ensure voting is more accessible or to suit current local trends. Options for online and phone-in voting are on the rise, with many municipalities moving toward remote voting as their top option. Mean while, other municipalities have gone “old-school” with paper-only ballots. Some municipalities are providing all methods. Orangeville, for instance, is introducing more ways to vote in October. Orangeville Clerk Raylene Martell says the decision was made by council back in 2024, when planning for the election began: “We are conducting a hybrid election that also includes a paper ballot option. Orangeville has historically only offered paper ballots, and this will be our first year introducing an electronic voting option.” Orangeville reached out to the community via a survey running in August, so the election team could understand how eligible electors planned to cast their ballot. Caledon has chosen a different route and will use paper-only ballots on October 26. In the upcoming election, Caledon voters will vote by paper ballot to elect the mayor, ward and regional councillors, and school board trustees to serve during the 2026 to 2030 term, says Kevin Klingenberg, Caledon’s municipal clerk. “The Town of Caledon council was presented with several options and selected paper ballots as the only method of voting for the 2026 regular municipal and school board elections for the 2026 to 2030 council term of office. As well, there are several measures taken to improve the accessibility of the election, including our home voting program during the advance period and curbside voting at polling locations,” Klingenberg said in an email interview. Shelburne is one of the municipalities delivering phone- and internetonly voting, along with Mono, Grand Valley and others. According to

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NOW, TO VOTE

Visit the website of your municipality for information on who is running for various positions. Candidate information will be shared, but platforms and priorities will not be listed on municipal websites. Candidates typically set up websites with their campaign materials, including their priorities, viewpoints, values, professional qualifications and what they hope to accomplish over their term. For an explanation of the two-tier structure of municipal government in Headwaters, turn to Country Living 101 on page 73. You can also visit In The Hills’ continuously updated candidate tracker: Meet the Candidates: Municipal Election 2026 at inthehills.ca. To learn about panels and candidate meetings open to the public, also visit 2026 Municipal Election Events on the site.

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the Shelburne website, this provides comfort and guaranteed access 24/7. “Voters in the Town of Shelburne will once again be able to cast their vote from the comfort of their home, or anywhere they can access the internet or telephone 24 hours a day,” it reads. “The election centre will be available during the voting period to provide assistance.” These municipalities are not alone: In 2022, of the 417 municipalities eligible to hold elections, 151 (just over one-third) opted not to offer in-person voting. Voting from your couch has never been easier. Some municipalities will also include in the mix plans for additional advance voting opportunities. Be sure you know your options, and watch your municipality for details as October 26 approaches. A note on a situation in which you might not vote at all: voting will only take place if more than one person is running for a position for at least one of the offices in your municipality. If there’s no contest for any position in your riding, there is no voting. Your municipality

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AMARANTH INTERNET OR PHONE

GRAND VALLEY INTERNET OR PHONE

CALEDON IN PERSON

MONO INTERNET OR PHONE

CREEMORE INTERNET OR PHONE

MULMUR INTERNET OR PHONE

EAST GARAFRAXA INTERNET OR PHONE

ORANGEVILLE INTERNET, PHONE OR IN PERSON

ERIN MAIL-IN BALLOT

SHELBURNE INTERNET OR PHONE

In-person voting Voting can feel a little nerve-racking, so here’s what to expect if your municipality offers in-person voting. If your name is on the voters’ list, you will be required to show one piece of identification that has your name and address. Your photo and signature are not required. (We shared a number of acceptable documents above that qualify as voter identification. Be sure that the document has your address printed on it – an example of a document that is not acceptable is a Canadian passport, because you write your own address inside!) Now you are ready to vote – and maybe it’s your first time! Here’s how to mark your ballot. 1. Upon receiving your ballot from a deputy returning officer, you will go to a private area, typically a desk with a privacy screen. Make a cross or other mark on the ballot, within the space designated for the marking of the ballot, beside the name of your choice of candidate for each office listed on the ballot. 2. Fold the ballot in a manner that conceals the information. 3. Return the folded ballot to the deputy returning officer.

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As the rules state: “On receiving the ballot from the elector, the deputy returning officer shall immediately deposit it in the ballot box, in the full view of the elector.” Recyclable cardboard ballot boxes were introduced in 1988 in a provincial general election for the first time. The switch from metal to cardboard means the ballot boxes are easier to store and ship and are generally reused election after election.

THE 2022 VOTE In the last municipal election in Ontario, just 32.9% of eligible voters cast their ballots, according to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. Shelburne had the highest overall voter turnout at 36.24%. Grand Valley had the lowest, at just 22.75%. In East Garafraxa, 6.2% of voters turned out to vote for school trustees, but this is not part of the AMO figures.

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DU FFE RIN COU NT Y AMARANTH 32.86%

MONO 25.11%*

EAST GARAFRAXA N/A† *

MULMUR 36.1%*

GRAND VALLEY 22.75%*

ORANGEVILLE 26.93%

MELANCTHON 32.5%

SHELBURNE 36.24%*

S O U R C E S: A S S O C I AT I O N O F M U N I C I PA L I T I E S O F O N TA R I O / M I N I S T R Y O F M U N I C I PA L A F FA I R S A N D H O U S I N G

PE E L REGION

WE LLINGTON COU NT Y

TOWN OF CALEDON 31.73%

TOWN OF ERIN 36.11%

†ALL SEATS ACCLAIMED

*MAYOR ACCLAIMED

Mail-in voting Voting by mail offers an alternative to traditional polling stations. Where this option is available (see list on facing page), you will receive a voting kit in your mailbox. Typically, this kit will include a sheet of instructions, a declaration form (in which you must declare you are eligible to vote), a ballot, a “secrecy envelope” and a return envelope. Read through the instructions, ensure you sign the eligibility box and include this in your envelope. Vote using the ballot for your preferred candidate. Now, seal your filled-out ballot in your secrecy envelope, as indicated, and place everything inside the postage-paid return envelope. Typically, you will return your vote by mail, though some municipalities will accept your voting ballot in person during regular business hours. Online and phone voting For online or phone voting, you will receive a letter or kit in the mail with an identifying PIN or code. Don’t share your PIN with anyone. Online and phone voting options can be convenient and are probably the quickest way to vote. To vote online or by phone, go to the website or call the number provided in the kit during the voting time period stated – in many cases from 10 a.m. on October 16 to 8 p.m. on October 26. Follow all prompts, and remember, you will need to enter your unique PIN in order to vote.

THE REVEAL Election candidates will often gather with their supporters and families while they await the results. Municipalities typically report unofficial voting results on election night; however, the election results will not be official until the clerk makes the declaration. This usually happens a few days after voting day, after the clerk has had time to check the results and make sure that all votes have been counted properly. The new term begins November 15, and new councils will be sworn in by the clerk no later than 31 days after that. The newly elected and those returning will be welcomed with some pomp and circumstance in what will surely be an interesting four years before the next election day in 2030. Longtime In The Hills contributor Bethany Lee currently works in corporate initiatives in municipal government.

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Aging gets a makeover at small-town gyms A new kind of fitness culture is taking hold – less about ego, more about staying strong enough for real life.

BY ANNA LEE BOSCHETTO

alk into a gym or fitness studio these days and you might notice something new: septuagenarians or octogenarians working out at the pulldown or leg press machines. Sure, there are still the usual 20and 30-somethings pounding the treadmills, but now sweating alongside them are people of older ages. On a recent morning at Erin Fitness and Body Clinic, a bright and welcoming small-town gym on the main street in Erin, three gymgoers over 70 are working out. They’re here for different reasons – staying fit for passions such as skiing, hiking or horseback riding – but there’s also a common goal: preventing everyday tasks from becoming more difficult. That means being able to carry heavy groceries, having good balance to avoid falls and feeling confident about getting down to the floor – and back up again – without hesitation. That’s the motivation for Mary Lawson, 80, who works out here. The Erin resident, still working at an active career in the construction industry, played a wide variety of sports in her youth. But as happens for many people, activity faded into the background over the years. “I’ve always known the benefits of exercise,” she says, but

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROSEMARY HASNER

it wasn’t until the pandemic that she noticed something had changed. “I didn’t feel energetic and strong,” she says. She wanted the energy for daily trips up the 13 stairs in her century home, and to keep up with gardening and yard work. So she decided to do something about it. That meant working on regaining upper body and core strength. Supporting movement for real life is a particular focus for Christine Deemert and Sierra Tremble, who started Erin Fitness in 2015. “It’s about helping people keep doing the things they love,” says Deemert. “Whether that’s playing with grandchildren, rediscovering their favourite sport or just having the energy to get outside more.” It’s also about connectedness. People are often surprised by the sense of community that has formed at the gym, Tremble shares. “A lot of our members have become friends. It’s supportive. You can show up exactly as you are.” Rural residents can sometimes face significant barriers when it comes to fitness. Living in a small town or in the countryside often means having access to hiking trails, ski hills or open roads for cycling. However, research suggests

that beyond the physical work for some occupations – farmers, for example – rural residents aren’t getting enough exercise. That’s thanks in part to car-focused lifestyles, long distances to reach fitness facilities, poor walkability in some neighbourhoods and a lack of social support. A growing number of Headwaters gyms and studios are stepping up to fill that void. Some local churches and community centres also offer free or low-cost, all-ages options focused on weights or movement. The Mono Community Centre, for example, hosts tai chi, qigong and yoga programs. For seniors less likely to travel, Caledon Community Services runs roving fitness classes in seniors’ residences and neighbourhoods. Why work out? Stuart Phillips, a professor of kinesi ology at McMaster University, is a leading researcher in skeletal muscle health and aging. “We fail to appreciate what muscles do for us, until we can’t do certain things or mobility is reduced,” he says. Slowing muscle loss as we age – through physical activity, good diet and resistance training – is key. “It’s

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Gym co-owner Christine Deemert leads client Mary Lawson on a seated cable row exercise.

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an investment in the future you,” Phillips says. “It’s much greater than what you put in.” Muscle loss is about 1 per cent per year starting in the mid-30s for women, he explains. Changing that to 0.8 per cent by age 65 “is almost a decade’s worth of age you saved yourself.” Muscle loss shows up in small ways. Over time, you might notice a new tendency to choose the elevator over stairs, that you’re walking less, or that it takes longer to recover from activity. This isn’t just about strength, Phillips says. It’s about independence. Exercising slows all aspects of aging, he says. “The link between muscle and function is cognitive function.” Strength and power are a form of insurance as we age, he says. “Strength is the foundation for everyday tasks; power helps you recover balance, climb stairs, rise from a chair and prevent falls.” Losing either means even small setbacks can have much bigger impacts.

What is ‘functional fitness’? For Don Fysh, this notion of insurance crept in gradually. A lifelong skier and hiker, he never considered himself anything but active – until his mid70s, that is, when something shifted. “About three years ago, I was noticing difficulties with my legs,” says the Erin resident. Tests revealed spinal stenosis,

which pinches the nerves in the legs. His doctor recommended surgery or focused physical training. Fysh chose the training. He began training at Erin Fitness, with a focus on core and balance. He had to completely rethink how he trains, he says, including adding variety and new ways to move.

This, in a nutshell, is “functional fitness.” It’s not just about hitting all the lifting machines or even isolating muscle groups. It’s about training movement patterns that show up in everyday life: squatting, lifting, bending, carrying, walking, climbing stairs and getting up off the floor. At Strong Studio in Orangeville,

Move more, right at home

that with squats – sitting back and down

hinge); an upper-body push (push-ups); an

as if into a chair. As Kendal Merrill of Strong

upper-body pull (rows); stability work like

If there’s a common thread among local

Studio says, it’s one of the most effective

bird dogs, a move where you extend one

trainers, it’s this: You don’t need complicated

full-body movements for glute strength, hip

arm and the opposite leg while keeping your

routines to stay strong; you need the right

mobility and bone density.

core steady; or calf raises; finished with a

movements, done consistently. For Jon Matzov at Riverdale Fitness Mill,

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Upper body work rounds it out. Matzov recommends push-ups (on the floor, knees

core hold like a plank. Shelley Wishart from GoYoga also recom

that starts with foundational strength.

or elevated) alongside rows (pulling a

mends seated twists – sit cross-legged, one

Deadlifts (or hip hinges with weights in

weight toward your body while keeping your

hand to the opposite knee, the other behind

hand) – feet hip-width apart, hinging at the

back straight).

you, gently rotating the spine – and tree pose,

hips with a neutral spine – builds the kind of

You can easily add these to a simple

strength used to safely lift and carry. Pair

home circuit: a lower-body move (squat or

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standing tall with one foot pressed into the inner calf, to build balance and focus.

S TO C K I L LU S T R AT I O N S: O. B U LGA KOV

A simple home circuit: Deadlifts (hip hinges) with weights, squats, push-ups, bird dogs, calf raises and planks.

Finding fitness in Headwaters Wherever you live, you’ll find fitness options that reflect a community-first vibe – whether you’re lifting, stretching, rehabbing or just getting started. Anytime Fitness Bolton www.anytimefitness.ca Bird-Dog Fitness www.birddogfitness.ca Caledon Centre for Recreation and Wellness www.caledon.ca Caledon Community Services www.ccs4u.org

trainer Kendal Merrill focuses on keeping fitness accessible. The relaxed atmosphere of the boutique space is designed to be comfortable and confidence-boosting and it caters to “clients who want a more private and personalized experience.” Merrill has seen how muscle loss unfolds. It’s subtle at first. Then it slowly reshapes how people move through their day, she says. Things feel heavier. Recovery takes longer. Everyday tasks require more effort. That’s why fundamentals matter, she explains. “A squat is your go-to,” Merrill says. “It incorporates 90 per cent of your joint movement and muscle awareness – it’s an all-in-one.” Pilates and yoga, too At Purple Owl Pilates in Mono, owner Megan Fuda sees similar scenarios play out in her studio. She has witnessed people regain confidence in move ments they once found challenging, from getting out of bed more easily to standing up from a kneeling position. Class members come in looking for strength and mobility, she says, but they also gain confidence, balance, co-ordination and a greater awareness of how they move. Shelley Wishart, owner of Orange ville’s GoYoga, agrees. She says a sense of balance and calm can have the added benefit of affecting mood and how we interact with others – certainly a bonus at any age. “Any time we are moving our bodies in a particular way, and paying attention

to how we are feeling in our bodies as we move, we develop a practice that we carry with us throughout our day.” Mindfulness can help us move more comfortably or gracefully, Wishart says, and it can also translate into other things such as helping to remember where we put our keys. Strength that carries into life At Riverdale Fitness Mill in Ingle wood, trainer Jon Matzov sees people of all ages. One client is a 70-year-old woman whose fitness level he finds particularly inspiring. The gym has a community-driven, familiar and low-pressure vibe. People know each other. Conversations happen between sets. “Fitness keeps you honest with a focus on the future,” he says, “and gives you the clear observation that it is possible to still be active.” People go there to work out for different reasons. Some are rebuild ing strength after injury. Some are maintaining fitness. Some are trying to stay ahead of the decline they’ve seen in others. “A lot of people’s goals are practical, not superficial,” Matzov says. “The work we do is applicable in real life, and it’s more about effectiveness and efficiency.” That’s the plan for Willa Gauthier. A lifelong horse rider and owner of a farm located between Erin and Belfountain, she now trains with longevity in mind at Erin Fitness. There’s no debating the benefits of strength training, she says, adding

FACING PAGE: Bob Gilmore from Erin Fitness oversees client Willa Gauthier on the leg press machine while Mary Lawson works on seated cable rows. ABOVE: Gymgoer Don Fysh works on his balance and core strength with gym co-owner Sierra Tremble.

that flexibility and mobility are essential to keep doing what you love. But what if you’ve let your fitness slide? How do you begin? It’s always a good idea to speak to your doctor before starting an exercise program. Once you get the green light, it’s just about taking that first step. “The number one misconception is that you have to be fit to start,” says Caitlin Jerome, co-owner of Total Athletics Training & Rehab in Orangeville, which blends high-energy training with rehabinformed coaching. The studio trains people from their 20s through their 70s, and everyone works at their own level, says co-owner Shawn Pontone. However, the goal is the same: staying functional. “A lot of people stop moving when they feel stiff or can’t do what they did 20 years ago,” says Jerome. “Everything is modifiable based on where you are at in your fitness journey. Motion is lotion – we need to find your entry point.”

Caledon Fitness www.caledon-fitness.ca Erin Fitness and Body Clinic www.erinfitness.com Explore Yoga www.exploreyoga.ca 5 Elements Yoga School www.5elementsyoga.com GoYoga www.goyogaorangeville.com Headwaters Fitness & Racquet Club www.headwatersracquetclub.com Mono Community Centre www.townofmono.com Orangetheory Fitness Orangeville–Shelburne www.orangetheory.com Purple Owl Pilates www.purpleowlpilates.ca Riverdale Fitness Mill www.riverdalefitnessmill.com Shelburne Pilates Club www.shelburnepilatesclub.com Strong Studio, Orangeville www.strongstudio-orangeville.com The Mega Gym www.themegagym.ca

Read about Bethany Lee’s workout adventure on page 74.

Total Athletics Training & Rehab www.totalathleticsorangeville.ca

Anna Lee Boschetto is a freelance writer living in Bolton.

Trailside Yoga www.trailsideyoga.ca

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Alberta Bound BY GAIL GR ANT

’ve arrived. I’ve unpacked. I’m setting up. And I’m settling in. My new home is a seniors’ independent living residence in Calgary, a city I left behind 50 years ago for life in Ontario. And I’m discovering that this new adventure is not just a trip; it’s a process. The process has many components – and involves much decision making. The first was the decision to move west. My life in Caledon was pretty awe some. I lived in a close-knit, caring

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adult community in Palgrave where I was fortunate enough to have a number of good friends and a deep feeling of belonging. But most of what little family I have in this world lives in Calgary, and I concluded that I had spent too many years without those most precious bonds. I struggled through more than one teary parting, but with the miracle of FaceTime, I now know that it’s farewell and not goodbye, and I’ve enjoyed offer ing special friends a tour of my new

digs via the wonders of the internet. So once the decision to move west was firmly implanted, the next was equally important. Where do I want to live? Is it a house or a condo? And in which neighbourhood? Or should I perhaps take the plunge and direct my energies toward finding the right seniors’ building? Now in my 83rd year, I’m happy to report that I’m still functioning rather well, but as those who reach this age will attest, things do start to misalign,

or work only at half-speed, or stop operations altogether. While prepar ing for the prospect of deteriorating mobility isn’t a pleasant thought, it is my reality. Would it not be a better idea to establish life in an independent living building for seniors a wee bit early than to move to my own residence and upheave again in a few years? Besides, I hate to cook. I’ve lost both my initiative and my creativity in the kitchen. I was in that room (and the grocery store) because I had to be, not

TO D D KO R O L

A F T E R A H A L F - C E N T U R Y I N O N TA R I O, A C A L E D O N R E S I D E N T M O V E S B A C K T O H E R H O M E T O W N O F C A LGA R Y. WA S I T T H E R I G H T D E C I S I O N ?

Gail Grant sits at the piano in the lobby of her new home, a seniors’ residence in Calgary.

because I wanted to be, and this reality was reflected daily in the repetitive, boring meals I put on the table. The fact that meals are provided at seniors’ buildings was a huge draw. My daughter, Jen, put together a spreadsheet listing all Calgary buildings geared toward independent living for seniors, and we culled, first by city quadrant, then by district, and finally by surrounding amenities. We came up with seven possibilities, which Jen and I planned to visit over the course of a quick fly-in visit to the city, she from her Los Angeles home and me from Ontario. The first stop was the building she and I had both picked as the most likely, but strangely, it left me cold. No vibe, no “right” feeling, and the next two on our list that first day were also ho-hum. Dejected at the end of the day, I questioned whether I might have jumped the gun and truly wasn’t ready for this step. But we persevered and hit the gas the next morning, planning to make three more visits. As it turned out, that wasn’t nec essary. The minute I walked through the door of our first building of the day, the Chateau Renoir felt like home. The building’s design was undoubtedly ahead of its time when it was built 37 years ago, but its vaulted dining room ceilings and Scarlett O’Hara open curved staircase gave off a great vibe, as did each member of the welcoming, knowledgeable and accommodating staff. And it’s across the street from an entrance to the beautifully groomed and manageable 16-kilometre trail that surrounds Calgary’s spectacular Glenmore Reservoir used by kayakers and sailboaters, as well as walkers, bikers and joggers enjoying the awesome view of the Rocky Mountains clearly visible in the distance. This was it. I signed up. Then began the hard slog: the move itself. I had lived in my 1,500-square-

I am making an effort to involve myself in my new community – and discovering I’m not too old to make new friends. I’ve committed to a weekly bridge game, something I let slide some years ago, and I joined the ukulele group.

foot bungalow condominium in Palgrave for close to a quarter century. Yikes, where to begin? A chat with my investment adviser seemed like the logical first step. List ing my condo with a realtor and hiring a mover were a close second and third. After that came the gruelling busi ness of making decision after decision after decision. Each and every item of clothing, piece of paper, tool, plate, knife, fork, appliance, art piece, photo graph, chair, couch and table had to be thought about and a decision made. Does it head west, get disposed of, recycled, sold, given away or adopted? This process seemed never-ending, and I will be ever grateful to friends Tina Boyington and Bernie Rochon, who struggled through the process with me. I decided to cull much of my old furniture and start new in Calgary. But I also wanted some sense of “home” to be with me from the get-go, so along with buying a few pieces from a national furniture chain to be deliv ered in Calgary, I made sure I would have quick access to familiar area rugs and paintings at the other end. About this time, I received an email from Bella, wife of my great-nephew Alex. Though I had yet to meet her, she invited me to the Calgary family’s Thanksgiving dinner. This brought tears to my eyes. The last time I had been to my own family’s Thanksgiving was too long ago to remember.

www.bramptoncaledondv.ca I was happy to quickly find a buyer for my beloved Mini Cooper and promised myself that I’d spend the first winter of my new life carless – to see how I felt about the experience after the snow melted in the spring. Another decision made. And I flew west. Discombobulation ebbs and flows. Some days, everything clicks; other days, I wonder what on earth I’ve done. On a recent morning, I spotted a white-tailed deer on the lawn outside my window, and for a moment, the world felt familiar again: the same quiet joy I used to feel in Palgrave. Then later, a call from an old friend made me ache for that life all over again, for the community that knew me so well. It’s a whipsaw of emotions, this business of starting over. I’ve had to face the unsettling truth that this might be the last place I ever live. But I’d rather that realization nudge me to live fully here, now, than let it cast a shadow. I am making an effort to involve myself in my new community – and discovering I’m not too old to make new friends. I’ve committed to a weekly bridge game, something I let slide some years ago, and I joined the ukulele group. I’m proud to announce that I have almost mastered three chords on a cute little borrowed instrument. Maybe that’s what belonging really is: not something you find, but something you build again, one conversation, one song, one shared meal at a time. Speaking of which, I am off for another dinner I don’t have to cook. And who knows, maybe that cute guy from the ukulele group will be sitting nearby. Longtime Caledon resident and In The Hills contributor Gail Grant now lives in Calgary, where she is enjoying the next chapter of her life.

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E. CONNIE MUNSON MOODY BLUES ANALOGUE/ KODACHROME 64 RENDERED ON ACRYLIC PANEL IN FLOATING FRAME 30 × 45 IN

COURTNEY CHARD RINGMASTER WELDED STEEL 37 × 36 × 17 IN

the draw of a new art season AU T U M N ’S A R T L A N DSC A PE I S FI L L ED W I T H BO L D E X H I B I T S, S M A L L GA L L ER I ES A N D S T U D I O TOU R S ACR OS S H E A DWAT ER S

B Y E M I LY D I C K S O N

s the days grow shorter and the landscape begins to glow in a riot of colour, the arts scene in Headwaters gets busy unfurling itself. From gallery walls to community spaces and stages, art lovers can take in a vibrant lineup of exhibitions, festivals, studio tours, hands-on workshops, cultural celebrations and art sales. Consider this your guide to the creative happenings worth discovering this season.

CALEDON

There’s still time to catch the tail end of The Art of Abundance, where more than 30 Headwaters

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Arts members examine the theme of inspiration from nature and the poetic word at the Alton Mill Arts Centre, on until September 13. Up next is one of the local art scene’s most anticipated events – the Headwaters Arts Juried Fall Festival Art Show and Sale, which this year celebrates three decades of artistic excellence. Showcasing more than 50 established and emerging artists, the festival kicks off with an opening night soirée on September 17, followed by a juror’s walk on September 20 where you can learn more about why each piece was selected. In her playful new sculpture, Ringmaster, metalworker Courtney Chard captures the fluidity and energy

of an otter in motion. Other artists include painters Michele Taras, Judy Willemsma, Gita Karklins and Brian Barrer – along with textile artists Fabienne Good and Pat Hertzberg. And don’t miss Diana Hillman’s soft, yet cleareyed aerial landscape paintings. This event runs at the Alton Mill Arts Centre from September 16 to October 4. Caledon’s award-winning Culture Days events are part of a national 16-day celebration with free activities, hands-on workshops, exhibits and more. New this year is the Caledon Under the Stars kick-off event on September 25 with live music, theatre and arts-focused activities

JUDY WILLEMSMA HERITAGE FARM HOUSE ACRYLIC 36 × 48 × 1.5 IN

AMANDA KERR OWL PLATE CERAMIC 30 CM

CARLY WEIR HOW DID I GET HERE ? STAINED GLASS 26.5 × 34.5 IN

KATHY EBBINGHAUS MELANSON AWASH ACRYLIC MIXED MEDIA ON WOOD PANEL 12 × 12 IN (UNFRAMED)

GITA KARKLINS TREETOP AND MORNING SKY OIL ON CANVAS 32 × 20 × 2 IN

under the open sky. Flagship events include the Caledon Creative Arts Weekend on September 25 and 26, Caledon CultureFest on October 3, and the Caledon Studio Tour running on October 3 to 4, taking you behind the scenes to see artists at work. Mary Scattergood, one of the artists on the tour who is known for her storybook-like memory folk art, will also be holding an “art at the farm” sale at her studio in Caledon. There’s a new home for art in Belfountain with the opening of the Olde Forge Gallery. Located in what was once the hamlet’s historic blacksmith shop, this fall the space will be a hub for local artists to display their work, including Wendy

CHRISTOPHER HE CERAMIC FORTUNE COOKIE GLAZED STONEWARE 5 × 4 × 3 CM

Mitchell-Burke’s earthy, nature-inspired pottery, Kayla Jackson’s delicate rural landscapes and Sam Meandro’s sleek yet organic woodwork. Watch for hands-on workshops, too.

DUFFERIN

This autumn, the walls of the Shelburne Town Hall Art Gallery welcome many talented artists, starting with Robert Chisholm’s expressive brushwork in September and the quiet, atmospheric photography of E. Connie Munson in October. November brings five members of the Southern Ontario Visual Artists group; look closely at Lynden Cowan’s oil paintings and you’ll

often spot creatures hidden among the foliage, while Margaret Pardy’s unbelievably detailed scratchboard work captures wildlife in its element. Perfectly folded fortune cookies, whimsical bird-motif bowls and masterfully sculpted blown glass take centre stage at Earth & Fire: Clay and Glass, which returns to the Museum of Dufferin on September 19. Highlights include Christopher He’s charming ceramic fortune cookies, Carly Weir’s perplexed stained glass astronaut in How Did I Get Here?, Amanda Kerr’s cheeky owl plates and Elise Chung’s cat-lidded jars. In The Hills editor Elaine Li will present her adorable line of tiny trinkets, Little Clay Bites. Adult pottery workshops

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MICHELE TARAS FRIENDSHIP BEYOND BORDERS ACRYLIC 48 × 48 IN

FABIENNE GOOD ECHOES OF A SHIFTING LANDSCAPE PAPER 22 × 14 × 14 IN

will be offered on-site by Mono’s Claymore Ceramics, as well as free drop-in crafts for kids. Be sure to catch the Home and Heritage Photography Exhibition at the Museum of Dufferin until October 24, where 30 photographers from Ontario delve into the theme of what home truly means from diverse cultural perspectives. Then starting on November 14, Our Guiding Stories is an exhibition of artwork from local Girl Guides that celebrates the impact of the program. The museum will also display Girl Guide artifacts and historic photographs. Crazy for quilts? Step into a world of colour, pattern and intricate handiwork of the Dufferin

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Piecemakers Quilting Guild as they host Quilts at the Park at Monora Park Pavilion in Mono from October 16 to 17. Enter the raffle for a chance to take home a quilt of your own. Three spots in Orangeville allow you to shop and learn. At Dragonfly Arts on Broadway don’t be shy to stop and chat with the artists working in situ on something new. Watch Rosemarie Armstrong as she adds the final touches to paintings of wild, crashing waves, or the delicate, graceful sumi-e brushwork of Roslyn Levin. And if you’re inspired to hone your own art skills, Maggiolly Art’s upcoming classes include learning to paint Van Gogh’s Café Terrace at Night or making Celtic knot greeting

cards, and creating your own painted floorcloth. Over at Ricky Schaede Art Studio practise drawing landscapes in graphite or focus on oil painting.

ERIN

Arts by the Pond returns to Erin on September 19, featuring the grand unveiling of the Station Stop Caboose Hop, Jefferson Campbell-Cooper’s new public art installation on the Elora-Cataract Trailway, which pays tribute to the town’s railroad heritage. At the grounds of the Wellington County Library in Hillsburgh, there’s a plein air paint-out, a pop-up gallery and artisan market, a main stage of live music, and a hands-on community quilt

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project. Melissa Auchincloss’s wild and turbulent Eye of the Storm, elegantly poised portraits by Christina Clare and Rosalinde Baumgartner’s moving sculpture, Sunshine Girl, are some of the works on display. Event organiser Over Here Community Arts Adventure has teamed up this year with Erin Tree Trust, which is inviting artists to honour Henry, a stately elder American elm in Erin.

CREEMORE

Creemore Arts Fest offers a weekend of creativity, joy and inspiration from October 2 to 4, with 50+ artists on location, award-winning musicians, storytelling, horse-drawn wagon rides, hands-

on “messy fairytales” for kids, and an openair market. The marquee art show this year is A Refugium of Infinite Stories, a multimedia installation by the Odeimin Runners artist collective, which weaves together Indigenous and Black histories through storytelling and trickster figures Nanabozho and Anansi. There’s a lineup of live music and shows, including Toronto’s Sultans of String on October 3, bringing an exhilarating fusion of global rhythms that weave fiery violin and flamenco guitar. Hosted by Purple Hills Arts and Heritage Society, event locations include Station on the Green, the Creemore Log Cabin, Avening Hall and the Village Green.

In conjunction with the Creemore Arts Fest, Gallery Lagom hosts Common Ground: Fired and Found, which welcomes two artists from October 3 to 25. Cat Marchese is known for her photography of Toronto’s forgotten or abandoned “ghostly bricks,” under her label Citybonez. And Vicky Pratt Becker brings a collection of earthy ceramics. From October 30 to November 29, Kathy Ebbinghaus Melanson explores the elemental energy of water and earth through abstract paintings inspired by rivers and landscapes.

Associate editor Emily Dickson lives in Orangeville.

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A New Chapter

I N H I S F I R ST N OV E L , WH E N M I SF I TS M E E T , I N T H E H I L L S A LU M N U S K E N WE BE R D R AWS ON HIS DECADES AS A SPE C I A L - E DU C AT I O N PI O N E E R TO A SK WH AT MAKES US DIFFERENT – A N D H OW OU R CO M M U N I T Y C A N E M BR A C E U S A N Y WAY BY JEFF ROLLINGS

Ken Weber in the summer garden of the home he shares with his wife, Cecile.

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en Weber has had an illustrious career. Most In The Hills readers will know him for the 27 years he spent contributing stories about Headwaters history, and his long-running puzzle page. However, that didn’t even begin until after his retirement as a professor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Education and Institute of Child Study, where he published many academic textbooks, and was a pioneer in the field of education for special needs students. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Weber also published the FiveMinute Mysteries series, seven books each containing about 40 brief cases of murder and mayhem, all designed to be solved in about five minutes. A particular hit in Japan, the series has gone on to sell more than five million copies worldwide in 20 languages. Weber retired his In The Hills column in 2022. Now, at age 86, the prolific writer has published his first novel. Set over four months in the fall of 1951, When Misfits Meet draws together a wide collection of characters in the fictional Ontario village of Halbstadt. City boy and newly hatched teacher Owen Hesch

www.sinovi.ca arrives to much curiosity from the locals. His assignment is experimental both on his part, and that of the school board. Owen isn’t sure village life is for him, and the school board isn’t sure about what was then an unheardof concept: special education. Today there is a whole lexicon of terms used to describe special needs students, like autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia and Down syndrome. In 1951 such terms were unknown, especially in small rural schools. What clinical terms there were – the discriminatory slur “mongoloid,” for example – fell out of favour in the years following. The students in Owen’s class are trying to pass Grade 8, though many are well into their teenage years. As we get to know them, we see that while each has challenges – and some quite profound – they also have strengths and abilities waiting to be unlocked. We come to see their humanity and beyond their special needs. The book is a highly readable and entertaining look at how we all have ways we don’t fit in, and how we can be embraced by the community nonetheless. I sat down with Ken Weber in the backyard of his lovely Caledon home to talk about When Misfits Meet.

J E F F R O L L I N G S: You’ve had a

long career publishing non-fiction, and the Five-Minute Mysteries series was a series of short fictional stories. But this is your first long-format novel. What inspired that change?

K E N W E B E R : Yes, if you count

the schoolbooks I’ve written, this is my 52nd title. The truth is, I just wanted to see if I could write a novel. Enough people have read it now and convinced me that I’ve succeeded, so that makes me feel pretty good. But at the time that was the main motivation.

J R : Was there a moment when the whole thing gelled, or when you knew you had a story? K W: There was a moment when I realized I had a basic outline. I knew I wanted to set it in a country village because that’s where I grew up. And I wanted to place it in 1951. There were two reasons for that. One was that I wanted the village to be a

www.sinovi.ca

character itself as much as the people in it. And given what villages are like today, with the internet and paved roads and cell phones, they’re really variations of a city without the noise. Villages in those days were really individual and unique. The second reason was that I wanted to make a point about the evolution of special education, because that was my academic career. J R : How would you describe that evolution? K W: Not to be arrogant, but I think it’s fair to say I was one of the founders of special education in Canada. I was the founder of the Special Education department of the University of Toronto Faculty of Education, and I spent a lot of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s travelling across Canada, talking about special ed. When I was a young teacher, in the early ’60s – I started in high school – I thought that teaching was the most fun you could have with your clothes on, and just loved it.

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A Rough First Day Ken Weber’s When Misfits Meet is a novel that unfolds in the fictional village of Halbstadt, Ontario, told as the diary of first-year teacher Owen Hesch. Owen is in charge of a classroom of kids the town has quietly written off as misfits. By late October 1951, Owen has settled into the rhythms of his unusual classroom, but a new arrival is about to test them. In this excerpt, Sullivan “Sully” McDonaghSchwartz starts his first day at Halbstadt Public School, and it does not go quietly with classmates who have been together since their days in the Little Room, the school’s room for its youngest students.

Monday, October 22, 1951 Sullivan McDonagh-Schwartz began his first day at Halbstadt Public School pinned to a wall. When I walked into class, Ruthie Mae was holding him by the neck with one arm, high enough for his feet to be dangling well above the floor. His arms were spread wide, hands pressed against the wall, one of them just touching what we now call the Wittmeyer Clock. The expression on his face was a combination of shock and terror. “He called Clayton a gimp!” Harold informed me, his expression one of pure fascination, whether at Sullivan’s nerve or Ruthie Mae’s reaction, I don’t know. The rest of the class was staring in awe. Everything and everybody in the room was so quiet we could hear ourselves breathing. The strategy I had prepared to begin the day was useless now, yet I can’t believe I was this cool. “Good morning, Sullivan,” I said. “I see you’ve met Ruthie Mae. Okay, Ruthie, you’ve made your point. Please take your seat.” Ruthie Mae slowly, almost gently, lowered him to the floor, nodded to me,

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and walked to her desk and Sullivan, breathing hard, moved quickly to the closest one near him. “We have a new student in our class today, everyone,” I said. “This is Sullivan McDonagh-Schwartz.” I think we were all a bit surprised when he spoke. What he said came out plaintively. “Plea… please.” He was struggling to control his breath. “Can it be Sully? Call me Sully, please?” “Yes, of course,” I replied, after waiting long enough to imply that the request had to be mulled over. “If that’s what you want, Sully it is.” I cleared my throat. “Now, you should know … perhaps it may not seem this way to you at the moment, but in this class, we make it a point to get along, to go out of the way to be kind to one another; we …” Maybe I was overdoing it, maybe it was the drama, but as soon as I said it Norbert got to his feet, turned to face Sully, and began to sing “Jesus Loves Me,” a favourite in the Little Room when Marlea was here. Everything went on pause; there was no stopping him, and I thanked him quickly before he could begin the second verse. But then Amos stood up. He’d been noticeably still and appeared to be as interested

in events as the rest of the class, but as soon as Norbert sat down, he began to bob and weave and went over to the wall to make a minute adjustment to the clock. When that task took longer than it should, Mrs. Wittmeyer got up too and stood with him for a few seconds before gently guiding him back to their pew. Thanks to Norbert and Amos, although I’m reserving a tiny bit of credit for myself, the temperature had dropped after Ruthie Mae took her seat, and what passes for normal in the room in the back began to return. No matter how varied Sullivan’s – Sully’s – previous school experiences have been, it’s a dead certainty he’s never been in a class quite like this one. Whether that’s a plus or a minus, who knows? In the meantime, the rest of the day lay ahead. “We’re going to be singing ‘God Save the King’ now, Sull… er … Sully,” I said, “and after that, we don’t say the Lord’s Prayer aloud in this class. What we do is have a personal, silent prayer moment, each of us in our own way with our own thoughts. I suggest you use that time this morning to reflect on how you are going to apologize to Clayton. Everybody stand, please. Okay, Raymond, tune us up.”

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I don’t think young teachers today have that same experience, and I wanted to make a point about how interesting and how much fun it was to teach special kids at a time when there was very little interference. In the modern education system, there are so many administrators, so many regulations and policies, not to mention so many experts. Advocacy groups have their hands in too. And everybody talks about funding as if it’s the answer to everything.

‘In my experience, the first step to addressing special needs is a combination of goodwill and common sense, and that’s got to have the teacher at the centre.’ In my experience, the first step to addressing special needs is a combination of goodwill and common sense, and that’s got to have the teacher at the centre. When you’ve got so many administrators and so many experts and so much policy, the teacher gets moved to the periphery. In my book, the teacher, Owen, who’s the main character, is pretty much on his own with these so-called misfits, these special kids, so he has the opportunity for creativity and there’s room for common sense and goodwill. Everybody assumes that for a special needs kid there has to be a program or a special method out there somewhere. But the whole notion of a special needs child is just that: special. That kid may fit into a general category like, say, autism,

and a program may have a general view of what can and should be done, but for anything to succeed for that particular kid, it takes the teacher who sees him or her in school every day, and I was hoping to make that point in the book.

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J R : What part of the book was the most fun to write? And the most challenging?

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K W: That’s an interesting question

I haven’t thought about. I think the most fun was dealing with the women, dealing with Owen’s love affairs. I would have the same problem making a decision about which direction it will go as he does at the end of the book. As to challenging, the thing that’s so different about writing a fictional novel is you really have to create a world, and then get into it. My other writing always had borders. There were facts I couldn’t alter and I often had to make academic arguments. And there was a limited audience. With a novel you have a wider audi ence and you want everybody to be pleased. I think the hardest thing wasn’t getting into the world, but at the end of the day getting out of it and coming back to my family. I really have to give them thanks. My wife Cecile, particularly, was very understanding. Still, you have to get into the world because once you’re in it, stuff happens that begins to make sense. You know, you’re writing something and an idea occurs to you because it would be only natural for this character to behave that way, because they have become people you know. When Misfits Meet is available at BookLore in Orangeville, and online in both electronic and paperback formats. Weber will be donating all income from sales of the book to the Bolton and Orangeville food banks. Jeff Rollings is a freelance writer living in Caledon.

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Guardians of THREE DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS NURTURE CALEDON HISTORY BY ENSURING THAT LOCAL CEMETERIES CONTINUE TO TELL THE STORIES OF THEIR COMMUNITY

BY ANTHONY JENKINS

young man is wrangling a weed whacker on the grounds of Boston Mills Cemetery, the rasp of his noisy machine drowning out gentle birdsong in the cemetery’s trees. Working away, he wears grass-stained sneakers, the peak of his ball cap turned backwards despite the sharp summer sun. I wonder how much he cares about the history of this place, about the stories – the joys and sorrows – of the souls who rest beneath his feet. The only other person working here is far from young. And he definitely cares about this place. Deeply. Herb Van Arkel is 80. Standing casually in the deep shadow of one of the cemetery’s mature trees, he surveys the long shadows cast by other trees across the well-kept, undulating grounds. He’s wearing blue jeans, a

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ball cap reading “Cheltenham, Home of The Badlands” turned the right way round, and a look of contentment. Everyone else here is dead. Cemeteries are silent, solemn and accurate societal archives. On ancient stone and in old burial records, family genealogy, community history and cultural values are written. Even the dates of death inscribed on headstones, studied closely, speak to today. “We have graves; mother, father, young children, neighbours, who all passed away around the same time,” Herb notes. “Something (a communicable disease) went through the community. There wasn’t medicine like there is today.” He suggests that today’s anti-vaxxers would be wise to heed the warnings in these stones. For him, history and community

abound here, and the many tasks he undertakes at this designated heritage site are unpaid and voluntary. The town of Caledon manages 31 cemeteries across the municipality. A further 13 are not operated by the town. Four are run by a church or diocese, and nine – including Boston Mills Cemetery – are community, charitable entities administered and maintained by volunteer boards. “Administered and maintained” understates Herb’s work. He acts as secretary-treasurer, as well as chair, of the cemetery’s volunteer board. A welder by trade, and later a facility manager for the Region of Peel, he has been, by inclination, a volunteer firefighter and chair of the board of trustees of Cheltenham United Church, now closed.

the gravestones If that were not enough, he has been hands-on and heart-in at the ceme tery since 1984, doing office work (“It’s not rocket science, just good bookkeeping”), selling plots (Boston Mills remains an active cemetery); arranging for grounds maintenance, grave digging, insurance and memorial services; soliciting donations; issuing tax receipts (the cemetery is a registered charity) – and doubling as a ghost. Eerie, late-night lights and noises once reported from the cemetery were probably Herb laying a cement foundation in the basement of the old, one-room Boston Mills schoolhouse, relocated to the grounds for use as a morgue and chapel. Strolling, inspecting the cemetery’s groomed grounds – the young man is doing a good job; Herb settles for no less – he uses his boot to gently scuff dirt and grass cuttings from small flat grave markers sunk flat in the lawn (“They’re murder on the mowers”) and makes a mental note to raise one a little using limestone gravel underpinning. Who pays that small cost, among a great many? Board-run cemeteries get

no funding from municipal govern ments, though as a designated heritage site, Boston Mills can apply for town grants to pay for specific projects. But most funding for supplies and upkeep comes from charitable donations, the sale of plots and investments. “Board members realized that longterm funding was needed, so they started buying War Bonds, back in the day. That money is still sitting there (now in GICs),” says Herb. “I use the interest, when needed, to pay for things.” In addition, for some years now, a percentage of the fee for any interment or scattering of ashes must be rendered to the Bereavement Authority of Ontario, which oversees the province’s “death care sector.” The funds are placed in a trust and paid out to ensure the continuing upkeep of any ceme tery, especially those no longer active. Herb’s labours are, of course, unpaid and done out of his commitment to community service. He isn’t thinking of BAO funding or bookkeeping today. Out in the sunshine, he diligently wanders, tapping or stroking the occasional

Mature trees cast shadows across the well-kept grounds of Boston Mills Cemetery, where volunteer Herb Van Arkel has tended the grass, the graves and the history for more than 40 years.

gravestone to check that its footing remains firm before stopping at the site of the cemetery’s strangest burial and oldest plot, that of David Williams. Born in Merionethshire, North Wales, in 1794, Williams died on this very spot in 1823, when the tree he was felling to build a cabin felled him. Wrapped in the bark of the same tree, he was buried. Herb stoops to remove a few twigs from the gravesite and stands easy by it. After Williams’ death, those interred here were local residents, generations of early area farm families: the Sinclairs, the Campbells, the Wilkinsons, the Maxwells. The cemetery may be the oldest in Caledon, and the history of the area is etched into its decaying stones, some propped up by the embrace of stainless steel channels that Herb himself created and installed. He values old cemetery logs, which

record all burials, to identify those interred beneath such headstones or, indeed, those buried with no stone at all, which was sometimes done back in the day. Herb finishes his day at a new head stone under a spreading tree. “Van Arkel” it reads, marking the final resting place of an urn containing the ashes of his wife, Joyce, who died only last year. Herb dug the hole and chainsawed a few impeding roots. His name, too, is etched in the stone: “Beloved Husband” with the date – and Herb himself – to be added later. “When might that be?” he is asked. “I ask God that every day, but He hasn’t answered me ...” A little to the northwest of Boston Mills on the east side of Mississauga Road lies Blair-Belfountain Commu nity Cemetery, where Gayle Lawr is speaking. “A lot of cemeteries will allow only a flat marker, or a stone of a certain height. Here, we’re not that fussy. We allow people to be a little more creative with their monuments.” “We” is the four-person BlairBelfountain cemetery board. At 79

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and full of life, Gayle, the secretarytreasurer, is the board’s oldest member. The youngest is 60-something. Gayle is seated on a marble bench, an example of the creativity that the Blair-Belfountain board allows. One day in the future, this bench will mark the final resting place of Ron and Leslie Swackhammer, whose names are already engraved on the monument. Nearby is a similarly unique gravestone: a huge granite boulder, polished on one side and topped by a large bird of prey worked in metal. Gayle herself presents creatively: colourful eyeglasses, multicoloured “Imagine” T-shirt and magenta toenail polish that sparkles in the sun. With her in this “acre and a bit” graveyard are many family members and friends. She, too, will be buried here one day. This will never be a sad place for her. A former clerk in Bell Canada’s engineering department, Gayle has been enthusing over and volunteering here for about 30 years, bookkeeping and “neating the place up” on hands and knees, pulling weeds or picking up trash such as dried-up Christmas wreaths. Like Herb, she cares. In 1855, members of the Blair family donated what had been their family burial ground to the community of Belfountain. And in 1960, the cemetery was enlarged thanks to a donation by Harry Willis, a prominent Belfountainborn lawyer who was assembling development land in the area and who would go on to become a Tory senator. Today, Gayle is worried about who, if anyone, may follow on the board and what might become of BlairBelfountain without the TLC of people like her. Without local volunteers, the cemetery would come under the

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auspices of the Town of Caledon. “Caledon does an okay job there (at the Alton Cemetery),” she says with a shrug, “but the town doesn’t have an affection for a place like people who have family buried there and want it to look nice. For them, it’s a job. Then on to the next job. To us, it’s a labour of love. “The population of Belfountain has become more transient. People come, buy a home, live here a few years, then sell and move away. The people who lived here, you used to know from the area, you saw them, they maybe move to a nursing home, but you know they are going to be buried here. Even if they moved away, they want to be laid to rest here. It emphasizes the import ance of this cemetery to the village. “Every little board like ours is concerned for the future. We try to interest new people. But young people are not that interested. At the cemetery on a Sunday afternoon, you see only older people. Young people aren’t concerned with death and dying. People don’t own a cemetery plot in their 20s, 30s or 40s. It’s not

like it was a generation or two ago, when families would own big family plots. Things are different. “Now people bring and leave plastic flowers,” Gayle sighs in a fleeting moment of regret. Jack Gibson is 93. He was in insur ance. He lives in Palgrave. He was born there. He will die there. He will be buried there – and he knows just where: alongside his wife, Lenore, in a plot purchased long ago in Morningside Cemetery, where about 15 of his family members are buried. He has been a member of the cemetery’s volunteer board for 40 years. Like Herb and Gayle, he cares. As with Boston Mills and BlairBelfountain cemeteries, Morningside Cemetery’s board members are aging and concerned about what happens after they’re gone. “We hope that next year, or the year after that, someone might show interest and come on the board. That the board would keep operating. That has been the case for a hundred years. If not, legally, the municipality takes over.” Jack also cares about keeping a local

cemetery as the final resting place for local folk. “The board approves new plot sales and burials,” he says. “Mainly me. If you were to phone me up and say, ‘I want to be buried in Morningside Cemetery,’ I’d ask, ‘Where are you from? Who are your relatives? Why do you want to be buried here?’ You might say, ‘I love the cemetery; it’s so pretty, et cetera.’ Is that a good enough reason? “If you are down in the city, it will cost you 10, 20, maybe 30 thousand for a plot. You can see why they want to come here. (Plots in Morningside go for a small fraction of that.) I try to keep it local. What happens in the future, I don’t know. “The history of this place is import ant to me,” he says, looking slowly over the neat, orderly rows of headstones, at the symmetry of his cemetery. “I know a lot of the people that are in here. In my lifetime I knew them, or knew of them. Morningside is a nice place to come to rest.” Nearly 30 kilometres away, Greenlaw-Baker Cemetery is tiny and takes a little finding. Most, in fact, nearly all, of the drivers making haste up and down Mississauga Road are utterly unaware of it, though it lies but metres away at the intersection of The Grange Sideroad. Who cares? Well, town of Caledon staff maintain it, and though easily missed, it is neat and tidy. But it has no Herb Van Arkel, Gayle Lawr or Jack Gibson to care for it. Long listed as “inactive,” this cemetery was home to burials from 1852 to 1956. It is now the sole remaining vestige of the pioneer hamlet of Greenlaw, also known as The Grange, and its church. The

G RAV E MA RKE R S A BRIEF HISTORY

Gayle Lawr of Blair-Belfountain Community Cemetery (top left), Jack Gibson of Morningside Cemetery (top right) and Herb Van Arkel of Boston Mills Cemetery are three of the volunteers keeping Caledon’s burial grounds, and their histories, alive.

church closed in about 1900 and was demolished in about 1940. A parsonage, a blacksmith shop and possibly a small cluster of other homes and shops came and went – and the history of the community, old and not rich, has been consigned to Google for the few who might care. Be it sunny, rainy or snowy, the hamlet’s etched history is today becoming tough to read on the eroded stone comprising a jigsaw cluster of shattered markers laid flat into a cement slab by the town of Caledon, which assumed responsibility for this cemetery in 1974. Behind this, a few larger headstones battle the sumac gloom at the tip of the cemetery’s three-eighths of an acre, squareshaped lot. That’s it. A short visit here, even in summer sunshine, feels sad. But there is no time for sadness. Life has gotten busy. The dead can rest in peace. The rest of us have stuff to do. Home Depot opens at 6 a.m. It is long past 6 a.m. in Morningside Cemetery. It’s late afternoon and Jack Gibson’s day is coming to an end. He walks away slowly through the pretty, ordered rows of lawn and headstones, past those where his own bloodline lies. He does not look toward the plot at the edge of things, where he and his wife will one day be buried. Looking younger than someone in his tenth decade, Jack seems content. “This is home to me,” he says with a proud wave of a large hand. “My expectation is that the people on the board in the future would look after this place as it has been for the past one hundred years. I hope so.” Anthony Jenkins is a freelance writer and illustrator who lives in Belleville.

Cemeteries and grave markings have always reflected changing societal tastes. Places for interring the dead, they are designed for the living. Here in Headwaters, early settlers were often buried in family plots on their own homestead, their graves unadorned except for an uninscribed fieldstone or a marker fashioned from local wood. As isolated homesteads grew to hamlets, gravesites became more communal, the dead being buried beside – and sometimes under – the local church. As these graveyards became crowded and unsanitary, and hamlets grew to villages, then towns, cemeteries moved to their outskirts. Church and public cemeteries gave way to private, for-profit resting places. The grounds of these cemeteries became more managed, designed as beauty spots where the bereaved (and otherwise) can stroll, reflect, even picnic. “Memorial gardens” featuring winding paths, draping willows and shady grottos became the graveyard norm. As towns became cities and land prices rose, larger burial grounds became more functional – for ease of maintenance, with uniform grids and flat-to-the ground grave markers that aided mowing efficiency. Indeed, they came to mimic the uniform, ordered suburbs that often surrounded them. Cremation and alkaline hydrolysis, aka “aquamation” or “water cremation,” have become popular options, with urns buried or housed in above-ground niches. Ontario law allows the scattering of ashes on all unoccupied Crown lands and waterways (avoid bathing beaches, marinas and municipal intake pipes), as well as on your own property or someone else’s, with their permission. Ashes may also be scattered in conservation areas or provincial parks, though some allow this only in designated sections. Check first. And think “upwind” when planning.

Headstones, which literally indicate the location of the head of the deceased, are traditionally upright and vertical. The material used to fashion these markers has gone from wood to fieldstone to marble, all of which were relatively soft and easy to carve and buff to a pleasing sheen. But as can be seen in any old graveyard, these materials decompose with time and harsh winters. As the technology needed to etch harder stone evolved, granite, more durable and available in a pleasing range of earthy colours, replaced marble. Over time, the symbols etched into headstones also altered to reflect changing attitudes toward death and an afterlife. From century to century, they moved from the solemn, even macabre (skulls, skeletons, warnings of damna tion) to the hopeful and serene (cherubs, flowers and willows) to the extravagant (the excess of the Victorian era). Today’s digital technology has meant that headstones may now be cut into a wide range of non-geometric shapes and sizes, and inscribed with nearphotographic images such as a portrait, a favourite scene, a family photo or a meaningful image such as a letter, song lyrics or a visual nod to hobbies and achievements: pilot’s wings, a musical instrument or an artist’s brushes. Grave markers may even have a QR code on a plaque embedded in the stone so that, when scanned with a smartphone, it links to a biographical photo gallery or videos of the deceased literally speaking from beyond the grave. Or the memorial may reflect an eco-conscious life by leaving a minimal environmental footprint. “Green burials” entail no embalming and a biodegradable casket or shroud. Interment may take place in a non-landscaped “natural” site in a cemetery. Think of a meadow where the grave is marked by a bush, rock, tree or simply a GPS co-ordinate. R.I.P.

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VI S I T E I G H T LOC A L B R E W E RI E S , BLEN D YOU R OW N Z A ’ATA R AT A S P I C E WORKSHO P, A N D B I TE I N TO E RI N’S FA MOU S A P P L E F R ITTE RS B Y E M I LY D I C K S O N

y S I P, S TA M P A N D W I N Looking for road trip ideas that are as much about food and drink as they are about scenery? Headwaters Crafted Journey is a self-guided tasting adventure that takes visitors to eight local breweries, cideries and wineries. Organized by Central Counties Tourism, this passport program runs until September 30. Every stop earns a stamp, and once your passport is full you could win a grand prize or one of four runner-up prizes. And while craft beverages are the focus, the program leans into food pairings too. At GoodLot Farm & Farmstead Brewing Co., pair a pint with Alchemy Kitchen’s smoky brisket or smoked jackfruit sandwiches. Savour crisp cider alongside deep-dish quiche at Spirit Tree Estate Cidery. Badlands Brewing Company in Caledon is known for its ever-changing beer menu and big-bite smash burgers. And nachos and beer are a match made in heaven at Caledon Hills Brewing Co.’s patio in Palgrave. Cheers to that.

This fall, professional baker and culinary instructor Lauren Hambleton hosts a handson workshop that takes participants and their taste buds on a wander along ancient spice routes, all from her foodie studio near Flesherton, Red Hen Artisanale. Expect the rich scent of cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves to fill the air. During this event, A Taste of the Middle East: Flatbreads + Spice Blending Inspired by Tradition, visitors begin at three stations.

At one counter they’ll make lahmacun (lah-majoon) – a thin flatbread layered with seasoned toppings and herbs. At another, pide (pi-day) is shaped into a boat shape with edges high enough to hold toppings made later in the class. At a third station, cooks will mix spice blends, either in an old-fashioned mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Participants make three different concoctions to take home This is Hambleton’s favourite element. Za’atar relies heavily on herbs such as thyme, toasted sesame seeds and sumac, which she says creates a “citrusy, herby, nutty kind of flavour.” The baharat blend features

peppercorns, smoked paprika, nutmeg and cloves – to name just a few – and the shawarma mix combines warm essences of ground cumin, coriander and cinnamon, which makes it a versatile addition to meats and vegetables. “You get these warm flavours with Middle Eastern cooking that are really interesting and very different from other cuisines,” explains Hambleton, who began her workshops with a focus on sourdoughs before branching out to offer other culinary classes. “I just find the variety of flavours so inspiring.” Participants make the breads and spice mixes first, then the vegetarian toppings for the lahmacun will include lentils, red onion, garlic, parsley and roasted tomatoes. The pide will be topped with mushrooms, spinach, peppers and feta. This workshop is offered on multiple dates this autumn, including September 26 and November 4, though Red Hen Artisanale also has a wide variety of other classes to choose from, including how to make pasta, sourdough and pizza from scratch.

Learn to mix your own spice blends and bake two types of savoury Middle Eastern flatbread at culinary workshops held by Red Hen Artisanale.

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In the spotlight: A taste of the Middle East

A DV E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E

A SW EET NEW CHAPTER FOR A GR AND VALLEY LANDMAR K There’s a new hotspot in Grand Valley boasting house-baked bagels, a menu of sit-and-relax comfort food, and a takeout ice cream counter – all located in the town’s oldest building. The OG 1870, which opened this summer after extensive renovation, offers grab-andgo breakfast available from 5 a.m., hearty lunches like the “hot maple chicken and waffle sammie,” as well as butter tarts and other baked treats. Need soft serve fast? Visit the Tuck Yeah! Creamery Co., named after owners Joshua and Justine Tuck.

www.mrsmitchells.com F I N E D I N I N G . C A S UA L E L E G A N C E . H I S TO R I C C H A R M

Local and organic ingredients served fresh Tuesday to Saturday in Orangeville 519.307.1258 piasonbroadway.com

519.925.3627 / VIOLET HILL HW Y 89 / TUE–SUN

Thu–Mon lunch 12–4 & dinner 4–9 · Sun 4–8 519.940.3108 · Rustikrestaurant.ca 199 Broadway · Orangeville

Reserve now at monocliffsinn.ca

www.piasonbroadway.com

S PA R K L I N G PE R RY What do you do when life hands you too many pears? Make pear cider! The Pear Necessities is the first ever perry from Heartwood Cidery, delivering a refreshing blend of subtle sweetness, bright acidity and, thanks to the natural, nonfermentable sugars in pear juice, a touch of the fruit’s sweetness.

www.rustikrestaurant.ca www.monocliffsinn.ca

www.plantedcafe.ca

GUAC T H I S WAY Soft tacos with avocado crema, salsa, feta, shredded romaine and pickled red onion are a hot new dish on the lunch menu at Mrs. Mitchell’s Restaurant in Violet Hill. Available with a choice of shrimp or chicken and served with a fresh garden salad, this platter lets you make your own perfect bite, just how you like it.

SCAN TO SEE EVERY EVENT

Home to 8 exclusive Lightcaster craft beers on tap, paired with great food and unforgettable live entertainment

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FOOD AND DRINK

Bite-sized chocolate pumpkins and mushrooms by YF Patissier + Chocolatier.

Sample ice-cold craft beer from more than a dozen breweries at the second annual Craft Beer Market, returning to the Creemore Village Green on September 12. The afternoon also features live music and food, with a starter pack that includes a reusable tasting cup and three 10-ounce tasting tokens. Oktoberfest arrives in Orangeville a little bit early this year with a German-inspired celebration on Mill Street on September 19. Savour giant pretzels and sausages with sauerkraut at the Bier Garden, sample Oktoberfest beer made by Caledon Hills Brewing Co., browse a marketplace of local shops and vendors, and enjoy live music all day.

Whimsical woodland treats Inspired by the beauty of autumn, these playful pumpkins and fairy-tale mushrooms are almost too cute to eat – but it’ll be hard to resist popping one in your mouth. Handcrafted by François Rahier and Yoonhee Chang of Creemore’s YF Patissier + Chocolatier, the woodland treats are a mix of milk chocolate and white chocolate, and decorated using cocoa butter.

EARTH Y INDULGENCE It just takes a drizzle of black truffle oil to turn a simple side dish like French fries into an elevated experience. Gurinder and Amerpal Sehmi are the team behind Truffles and Circumstance, a line of truffle-infused oils, seasonings and sauces made in Bolton and crafted using real ingredients and no fake flavours. “When you’re using real truffle it just makes a world of a difference,” says Gurinder. To make dreamy truffle parmesan fries she recommends using their Black Truffle EVOO, fresh parsley, grated parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt – but to be extra decadent, she dips the fries into their Black Truffle Ranch dipping sauce.

FA M O U S F R I T T E R S

Fall squash and hot honey bruschetta, seared Wellington County beef and a Niagara peach and almond tart are just some of the dishes to expect at The Art of Harvest on September 25 at Hockley Valley Resort’s Cabin. The evening begins with season-inspired cocktails and canapes, followed by a three-course meal hosted by executive chef Sunil Nandal. Each course is paired with wine selections. Join the end-of-summer party at Sonnen Hill Brewing’s fifth annual Jive Fest on September 26, with special releases to taste, ice cream, local food pop-ups, and fun activities planned throughout the day.

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Black truffle-infused extra virgin olive oil, ranch dressing and hot sauce made in Bolton.

The famous apple fritters at Holtom’s Bakery – golden-brown on the outside, soft and filled with apple – are a longtime favourite for residents and day-trippers taking in the village of Erin’s downtown. Crafted from a cherished family recipe passed down through generations and finished with a sweet glaze, these autumn treats are also available in Orangeville at GSC Catering on Broadway.

FR OM T H E K9 K I TCH EN Beef broth freezies, sweet potato fries, pup-safe cookies and dog brews are all on the menu at Global Pet Foods in Orangeville. This special lineup of treats has been created just for man’s best friend. You can also find these canine-friendly snacks at the Bluebird Café and Grill, known for its dog-friendly patio on Orangeville’s Broadway.

Y F PAT I S S I E R + C H O C O L AT I E R / H O LTO M ’ S B A K E R Y / T R U F F L E S A N D C I R C U M S TA N C E / C O R D O B A C A F É / H A Z E L N U T S: N ATA L I A . KO R M I N A

M A R K YOU R C U L I N A RY C A L E N DA R

A DV E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E

CO F F E E WITH A C * RUNCH * Forget tossing this container. At Cordoba Café at Campbell’s Cross Farm near Inglewood, velvety, creamy dolce di caffè, a dessert made with fresh roasted espresso beans, is now served in an oat-based edible cup that you can munch on, much like a waffle cone. “It’s a fun take on food, and the cup won’t break apart before you finish,” promises owner Claudio Cordi, a Bolton resident who opened the café two years ago as an extension of his main business, the local coffee brand Cordoba Coffee.

NUTELLA… BUT MAKE IT H E A LT H Y Made with roasted hazelnuts, pure Quebec maple sugar and cacao, Hazelle is a chocolate hazelnut spread crafted with three premium ingredients and no additives or emulsifiers. This collaboration between Orangeville’s Giddy Yo and Quebec’s Hazelle Chocolat Noir delivers a Canadian-made alternative that you don’t have to feel guilty about enjoying. Available in their storefront on Coles Crescent, or shop online.

www.monocliffsinn.ca www.ospreyvalley.com/dining www.greystonesrestaurant.ca R E S T A U R A N T

L O U N G E

www.thecraftpizzabar.com 111 BROADWAY ORANGEVILLE

Monday: Closed Tuesday–Thursday: 5pm–8:30pm Friday & Saturday: 4:30pm–9pm Sunday: 12pm–2pm & 4pm–7pm 6 3 B R OA D WAY

ORANGEVILLE

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Visit our online Dining Guide and find a map that pinpoints locations and provides details for area restaurants to help you explore, taste and enjoy what local chefs have to offer.

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Honey Garlic Festival

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 11AM–3PM • PIZZA POP-UP

Wicked Shortbread, Bakery and Marketplace is now located at 17 Armstrong Street in Orangeville. We’re baking up delicious desserts and carrying your favourite local brands.

wickedshortbread.com 519-307-5400 www.wickedshortbread.com

Farmstand open Thursdays 12–7PM FROM JUNE TO OCTOBER

Festivals: Seedy Saturday (March) • Spring Fest and Plant Sale (May) • Monarch & Pollinator (August)

www.albionhillscommunityfarm.org @albionhillscommunityfarm albionhillscommunityfarm.org

www.orangevillefarmersmarket.ca

Create a Golden Impression This Holiday Season

www.giddyyo.com

Delight clients, employees, and business partners with customizable gifts featuring 100% raw, local Ontario honey. From branded honey favours to beautifully curated gift boxes, Ontario Honey Creations makes holiday gifting memorable. Corporate orders welcome. Custom branding available.

www.ontariohoneycreations.com Shop Online at OntarioHoneyCreations.com

www.spirittreecider.com YOUR GUIDE TO FRESH LOCAL FOOD

Looking for something to make with your fresh, local ingredients? Scan here to discover hundreds of delicious recipes at inthehills.ca

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HEADWATERSFARMFRESH.CA

MEET THE MAKER

S TA RTING FRO M SCRATCH Garry and Dug Smith stand with their Panache, an entirely custom version of a 1995 Chrysler concept car.

Built from the ground up by a father-son team of Mono car enthusiasts, this one-of-a-kind ride creates a sensation wherever it goes. BY TONY REYNOLDS

P E T E PAT E R S O N

S TA N D I N G S T I L L , T H E V E H I C L E

looks as if it’s moving, the air quietly slipping over its sweeping curves, shapes reminiscent of the 1930s. But this car is new, the only one of its kind. Garry and Dug Smith, father and son, wrought each curve by hand in their tidy, well-organized Mono garage. The two have been car guys for a very long time. When Garry was in high school, his friends built and raced stock cars. “I wasn’t a driver,” he says, “but I helped build the cars.” His own car was a 1954 Mercury Meteor convertible. “I customized that car, put in all-electric doors and trunk,” he says. “I put three

carburetors on it, fin heads, Frenched the tail lights … It got second prize at the Toronto Hot Rod and Custom Show. I still have the trophy.” A few years later, Garry built a hot rod from a Ford Model A coupe, and when he married his wife, Joan, that was the car the couple drove. But it would be Garry’s last build for many years. He founded a highly successful trucking business, and the long days kept him out of the garage. Dug, too, worked long hours in what became a family business, and though he didn’t modify or build cars at the time, he was passionate about them. His drives ran the gamut: Oldsmobile Toronado, Olds Delta 88, Toyota Supra,

BMW, Jaguar, Cadillac, Fiat Spider, Corvette, Porsche, another BMW … But as the business grew and changed, the two decided to move on. “We sold on April Fools’ Day and I retired,” says Garry. “That was 20 years ago.” After that, inspiration came unexpectedly. In an Atlantic City hobby shop, Garry picked up a model car he didn’t recognize: a Chrysler Atlantic. Turns out it was a one-off concept car built by Chrysler in 1995. When he got home and called Chrysler, the company told him the car was in its Michigan museum. “I drove down and took a bunch of photographs. It was drop-dead gorgeous,” says Garry. “They gave me the wheelbase and

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Millions of Years in the Making I N C R E D I B LY R A R E A N D U T T E R LY U N I Q U E F O S S I L I Z E D D I N O S AU R B O N E & O PA L I Z E D W O O D G E M S TO N E P E N DA N T S $ 3 5 0 E AC H

The Panache’s slick exterior features piercing headlights and a chic grille.

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engine specs, and all that stuff.” That was the start. In the wellequipped family garage, Garry began to experiment with designing and building a car from scratch. Dug, who had also retired, joined the project later, and the two decided that they needed some practice. “Dug bought a ’66 Chrysler Wind sor from down the road,” says Garry. Together, they redesigned the whole car, put in a Hemi 6.1 crate engine, and in 2023, entered it in the Motor ama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo in Mississauga. The car was named best in class. “Then we decided, well, let’s go for it,” says Garry. They took a 3D scan of Garry’s Chrysler Atlantic model to a local cabinetmaking company to create a body buck, a full-size skeleton of the car’s shape made from slices of fibreboard roughly six inches apart. This buck became a form for the body that they fashioned out of some 65 pieces of aluminum, shaping every curve by hand on their English wheel. This metalworking tool was first used to make armour in the Middle Ages, and although the Smiths’ wheel is more sophisticated, creating compound curves is still a painstak ing process. So they had to be precise. “We made two or three pieces for every one we used,” Dug laughs.

They also modified the shape of the car to make it unique. And it is. With a Corvette power train and extended frame, and extraordinary detail throughout, it was 10 years in the making. Along the way, the pair also formed a company: Nasty Automobiles Inc. Dubbing their creation “Panache,” Garry and Dug took the car to the Yorkville Exotic Car Show in Toronto this past June. They weren’t sure what the organizers would think of their one-off next to Bugattis, Lam borghinis, and Aston Martins, but their worries were unfounded. Flanked by two hot new Ferraris, Panache was used to promote the show. “When I was driving the car from the trailer around the corner to our spot on Bloor, people kept stopping me for questions and pictures,” says Dug. For the entire show, Panache attracted crowds three and four deep. Panache will appear next at Cobble Beach on Georgian Bay on the third weekend of September at the Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival. And in early November, Garry and Dug plan to take it to Las Vegas for the SEMA Show, an automotive aftermarket trade event organized by the Special Equipment Market Association. In the meantime, they’re looking toward their next build. Says Dug with a smile: “This time, maybe do it faster.”

MADE IN THE HILLS V I S I T I N T H EH I L L S.C A

HANDM A DE GA M E S , PA I NT E RLY COA S T E RS , AN D H A N D- DY E D COT TON R OP E B OW L S B Y E M I LY D I C K S O N

AUTUMN

ONLINE

Forget flimsy cardboard – these games are built tough for family feuds. An action sports television producer by day and self-professed “tinkerer” by night, Jerry Curnew uses beech, oak, cherry or walnut to craft Aggravation, Cribbage, Dice Baseball, Fast Track and Frustration Rummy, to name a few of his Jerox Custom Creations. “They’re really popular with people who want games for the cottage or the trailer that are durable,” says Curnew, who lives in Orangeville. For a game for grown-ups that’s low on instructions but high on fun, Left, Right, Drink! lives up to its name, sending shots in every direction. (Double-sided Aggravation, $175. Travel Xs and Os, $25, Jerox Custom Creations)

ROSEMARY HASNER

M A R B L E S A N D M AY H E M

Fall fun Keep up with what’s happening in Headwaters with What’s On.

WAV ES O F B LU E

S TO N E A S C A N VA S Inspired by Headwaters’ idyllic scenery, Natalia Rose shrinks iconic local landscapes onto 4 x 4 inch stone coasters that function as mini works of art. Rose photographs and prints her original oil, acrylic and watercolour paintings onto natural stone. “The Mono and Orangeville area is really beautiful … I just truly enjoy painting the local scenery,” says Rose, who moved to Mono five years ago to be closer to nature. Notable landmarks include the Museum of Dufferin and Mono Centre Brewing Co., as well as seasonal motifs such as autumn leaves and pumpkins. Find her work at Maple Grove Farm in Mulmur and Rock Garden Farms in Caledon East, as well as her Etsy shop. (Stone coasters, $20 each, Natalia Rose)

SOURCES Jerox Custom Creations, Orangeville. jerox.ca Maple Grove Farm, 936215 Airport Rd, Mulmur. maplegrovefarm.ca, 705-435-5386 Natalia Rose, Mono. artistnataliarose.com Natural Stitch Designs, Amaranth. naturalstitchdesigns on Etsy

Minnows and more Don’t miss Don Scallen’s Notes from the Wild!

M A PL E G R OV E FA R M T RY PY E

Swirls of sapphire, indigo and teal weave their way into the braided cotton rope bowls and baskets by husband-and-wife team Laurie Rowe-Gregory and John Gregory of Natural Stitch Designs. At their Amaranth studio, Gregory arranges lengths of white cotton rope and adds splashes of dye, sometimes scattering powdered pigment over melting ice cubes to create one-of-a-kind patterns. Once dry, Rowe-Gregory uses a heavy-duty quilting machine to stitch each piece into shape, adding flourishes such as wooden beads, Celtic knots or ceramic knobs. A self-described “blues and greens gal,” she loves watching the dyes produce subtle variations in tone. “This is why each basket really is unique,” she says, “because the dyeing process always creates something new.” (Denim Bliss Basket, $70. Midnight Mosaic Lidded Basket, $65, Natural Stitch Designs)

Pie pleasures Fill your fall with all the pies.

Rock Garden Farms, 16930 Airport Rd, Caledon East. rockgardenfarms.ca, 905-584-9461

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A DAY I N TH E LI FE

Mono actor and writer James Gerus on stage during She Holds Up the Stars.

TWO SHOWS, ONE WILD DAY James Gerus shares what it’s like for an actor to star in the world debut of Sandra Laronde’s She Holds Up the Stars at Roy Thomson Hall.

I HAD THE MOST THRILLING

experience of my career as an actor this spring. It was April of 2025 when I found out I booked a lead part in the world premiere of She Holds Up the Stars. The stage production is based on the novel by Sandra Laronde, a gifted writer, director and choreographer who is a member of the Teme-Augama Anishinaabe and grew up in Temagami. I would have to wait a year to finally put on the show at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall in April 2026, backed by the sweet sounds of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. It was only later

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that I’d realize how extra special this would be to experience. The play, designed for both kids and adults, centres around Indigenous identity with a story about family and friendship. I got to make lots of friends from the Indigenous community, and others from across Canada who came together to put on the show from early March to late April. There were several puppets central to the play, including an enormous horse operated by three accomplished puppeteers, some of them Cirque du Soleil veterans. The puppets were

created by the same puppeteers who worked on Life of Pi at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in 2024. Needless to say, this was a one-of-a-kind artistic performance to be part of. I’m happy to say I was ready. Growing up in Mono, I developed my craft from a young age at Theatre Orangeville, taking part in their summer Young Company, and the Theatre Orangeville Youth Singers, and acting in my first professional play, The Giant’s Garden, at the age of 13. All of that training led me to the pinnacle of my career to date.

While our rehearsal days ran from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Meridian Hall on Front Street, transferring to Roy Thomson Hall and performing the shows was a different beast altogether. Here is how it went the day of the premiere. 9 : 3 0 A . M . I wake up at my lovely

home away from home – my apartment in the Parkdale neighbourhood. I make breakfast and enjoy sipping on a coffee on my patio. I take the time to set my mind with some relaxed breathing and go over some notes in my script.

COURTESY OF RED SK Y PERFORMANCE

BY JAMES GERUS

1 0 :2 0 A . M . I hop onto the King

1 :2 5 P. M . Places are called and I head to stage left as I am the first actor who walks out on stage.

1 1 : 5 0 A . M . I arrive at the theatre. Actors, musicians and crew enter through the back security entrance. I say good morning to some of the producers and technicians before heading to my dressing room.

1 : 3 0 P. M . The lights dim, the audi

streetcar as it heads directly to Roy Thomson Hall.

1 2 P. M . Some actors and musicians walk onto the Roy Thomson Hall stage to warm up before the show. I enjoy going out there to mentally take in how much I have to project so people sitting at the back can hear my performance. On top of that I do some stretching to get my body nimble and ready – I don’t want to pull a muscle during the show! The Toronto Symphony Orchestra members are around us, doing warm ups on their instruments. The cast, puppeteers and stage manager meet in one of the larger greenrooms backstage where we do a run-through of the play to cement our lines and rework some blocking. Once this is done, a few of the cast members play an impromptu game of four square before heading back to our dressing rooms. 1 2 : 3 0 P. M . Time to get into my

costume. I play Thomas, the leading male role. He is a young farm boy whose dad breeds horses and is teaching him how to break them. Next to our property is a reserve and it’s here where I meet Misko, the lead of the play. Misko takes a liking to one of my horses and we learn to train the horse in a more compassionate way.

1 P. M . Time for my sound check.

Being in a theatre with over 2,500 seats, actors very much need to be mic’d up. The sound technician secures the mic on me and we test to make sure the sound is working (“Check, 1, 2”) and we’re good to go.

ence applauds, and the conductor raises his wand to get the orchestra together. A beautiful land acknowledgement is announced and then the first musical notes of the show ring out. The stunning horse puppet, and its three puppeteers, debuts first to the audible awe of the audience. I come out a few seconds later, trying to break the horse. The dialogue starts and we are off! 2 : 3 0 P. M . The show is exactly one

hour long, so it has no intermission. I am done with the first of two shows. We make our bows and head off-stage. The cast changes out of most of our costumes and lunch is served. Today it is sandwiches and wraps. We chat about the show that just took place and discuss some discoveries we made while performing.

www.monocliffsinn.ca

3 P. M . It’s back to our dressing

rooms, getting back into character and warming up our voices and bodies again as the lunch was delicious but it is weighing us down a bit. We are mic’d up again and we chat while we wait, including with the orchestra members this time.

4 P. M . The second show begins. 5 P. M . The show ends and we bow. We head backstage, get back into our regular clothes and meet as a cast. We decide to head out to Warehouse on Queen Street to reflect on the show over a drink. 1 0 P. M . I come back to my place, relax and look forward to a nice slum ber after that physical workday.

James Gerus is a novelist, screenwriter and actor who lives in Mono.

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Antiques & Vintage: Orangeville

A one-day show and sale – antiques, collectibles, vintage – 60 top dealers at the Fairgrounds

Great finds!

For one day, Orangeville becomes the epicentre of the Antiques, Collectibles and Vintage world. Sixty dealers set up indoors at the Fairgrounds. Genuine antiques and vintage items in hundreds of categories and all price ranges.

Saturday, October 3, 2026

9am –4pm, Admission $10

Orangeville Fairgrounds, Hall B 247090 #5 Sideroad Orangeville/Mono

www.antiqueshowcanada.com Dealers from all parts of Ontario, plus a few top dealers from Quebec, selling everything from vintage jewellery to antique furniture and much more. On-site ATMs, free parking and mouth-watering food truck fare.

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SYDNEY, NIC AND PATRICIA

Get information and discount coupons at

antiqueshowscanada.com Gadsden Promotions Ltd 647-236-3277

Follow the show on social @antiqueshowscanada

Can’t wait to see you!

Drop in for a feelgood visit with real humans. Every visit starts with a conversation. Our knowledgeable team is here to answer questions, solve problems, and help you make the best choices for your pet—every time.

www.canadianoutbuildings.com

Pole Barns Large & Small Buildings Garages Horse Barns Workshops Storage Buildings Excavating & Grading Permit Assistance

www.canadianoutbuildings.com www.canadianoutbuildings.com

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COUNTRY LIVING 101

WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE? If you’re confused by the two-tier structure of municipal government in Headwaters, you’re not alone. BY TONY REYNOLDS A S YO U S C H L E P YO U R H O U S E H O L D T R A S H

to the curb every week, the structure of municipal government in Headwaters probably isn’t top of mind. You just want your garbage picked up. But who is responsible for that – and for ensuring the smooth operation of the many other services that keep Headwaters communities functioning? If you have a question to ask, a pat on the back to offer or a bone to pick, who do you call? The answers to these questions aren’t always straightforward. In Canada, municipalities have traditionally been considered “creatures of the provinces.” This means that Ontario’s 444 municipalities – its regions, counties, districts, cities, towns, townships and villages – exist at the discretion of the provincial government, which can change their status and responsibilities at any time. This year, for example, the province moved to abolish the ability of Peel Region councillors to select the region’s chair by vote. When the election is held in October, the region’s chair, who also acts as the chief executive officer, will be appointed by the province – and will assume “strong chair” powers similar to the controversial strong mayor powers already granted to the heads of some lower-tier municipalities. Two-tier municipal structure Today, the terms upper tier and lower tier describe the two-tier structure of municipal government in Headwaters. Upper tier refers to the regional and county levels, while lower tier refers to the local governments of the towns and townships nestled within an upper-tier municipality. But as home to the headwaters, or source streams, of four major river systems, Headwaters (with a

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capital H) is a geographic concept, not a political jurisdiction. Politically, the area encompassed by the moniker includes 10 lower-tier municipalities that are part of three different upper-tier municipalities. With one exception, the councils of the uppertier municipalities – Peel Region and Dufferin and Wellington counties – are made up of elected representatives drawn from the lower-tier councils. The exception is Erin, where the mayor serves on both the town and Wellington County councils, but Erin’s county councillor sits only on the county council. Representatives of the lower tiers meet as the uppertier council and collaborate to make decisions and shape policies that affect their entire region or county. Dufferin County Dufferin is the only upper-tier municipality whose lower-tier municipalities lie completely within Headwaters. The county’s eight lower-tier municipalities are the towns of Orangeville, Mono, Grand Valley and Shelburne, as well as the townships of Amaranth, East Garafraxa, Melancthon and Mulmur. Each has its own council. The mayor and deputy mayor of seven of the lowertier municipalities, as well as the mayor only of East Garafraxa, also serve on Dufferin County council. Town of Caledon Though geographically part of Headwaters, Caledon is a lower-tier municipality whose upper-tier affiliation, Peel Region, also includes Brampton and Mississauga. Neither is part of Headwaters. Caledon’s mayor also serves on Peel Region council. Eight councillors make up the balance of Caledon council: each of the town’s six wards is represented

by one local councillor, and two regional councillors represent three wards apiece at Peel Region council. Town of Erin Like Caledon, the town of Erin is considered part of Headwaters, but it, too, is a lower-tier municipality, one of nine in Wellington County. Erin town council consists of a mayor and four councillors. The mayor and one county councillor represent the town on Wellington council. Division of responsibilities When you have questions about a municipal issue or service, it helps to know which tier manages what, so you can voice your concern to the right level. But in Headwaters, the tiers that look after specific services may vary from municipality to municipality. The upper-tier governments usually manage region- or county-wide services such as regional and county roads, social services, public health and garbage collection (except recycling, which is no longer a municipal responsibility). Lower-tier governments collect property taxes on behalf of both tiers and for education. And lower tiers are usually responsible for managing services such as policing, local roads and sidewalks, snow removal, libraries, arenas and some parks and trails, as well as drinking water and fire services. When things go wrong, the elected officials and staff of both municipal tiers are closest to hand. They know your community at the street level. So if your garbage is sitting uncollected – or you have another concern about a municipal service – they’re the ones to reach out to. A phone call or online search is usually all it takes to find the help you need.

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HEADWATERS NEST

STAYING STRONG IN MY SECOND HALF BY BETHANY LEE MY AUNT E VE LYN WAS A FORCE WHO LIVE D

to 99. Her advice to me when I asked her about her secrets to longevity, back in her youthful 70s, was, “A pot of coffee, strong, every morning.” And, she followed it with, “Two gin and tonics, strong, every afternoon.” It seems that longevity talk is a hot topic these days. Or maybe it always has been, but now I’m listening. As my friend Stan says, “You’re in your second half now, my dear.” He’s right. I’m in my 50s now, and my husband soon qualifies for his senior discount. We are feeling strong and healthy, but the thoughts of living a long life and how to ensure against time definitely take up space in my mind. About three years ago, I was feeling a bit fluffy and so I decided to commit to a personal trainer two times a week for in-person sessions. I didn’t really know what I was signing up for, other than weightlifting and nutritional advice. I found Josie on Instagram, liked her attitude and her coollooking gym in East Garafraxa. We met for a

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virtual consultation. “I’ll see you next week!” I said cheerily as I signed off. Those first sessions were humbling. It had been a long time since I had worked on a farm. A long time

It was still a bit of a head-shaker to realize that I had been living here with an abundance of space, sports, water and opportunity, but had been mostly sitting in a chair and losing track of time and my health. since I easily ran eight kilometres. A long time since my muscles did much of anything, if I were being honest. I still self-identified as a horseback rider, runner and active person, living in the hills. If you live here, you are active by association, right? Wrong.

The reality was, I was quite sedentary, my joints were feeling their years, and my shoes hadn’t seen a running pace for many laps around the sun. My brain was stuck in the past, and the training sessions were just the reality I needed. I held out a small weight plate in front of me and we acted out “bus drivers” – turning the plate side to side like a steering wheel. My shoulders woke up at the small weight and started screaming. (I’d later rename them “Coffee Killers” as the muscle soreness set in.) We used bands to awaken quads and glutes, and I learned proper form to protect my back and joints. I loved the fun music, and Josie and I would have some good laughs as my adrenaline kicked in during our sessions and she pushed me harder. At first, the sessions were about eating better and losing a bit of the fluff. But over time, I grew really strong and began to move the dedicated time into my longevity bucket, not the “I want to fit into that dress by winter holiday” bucket. It was still a bit of a head-shaker to realize that I had been living here in the hills with an abundance

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of space, sports, water and opportunity, but had been mostly sitting in a chair and losing track of time and my health in my core working and parenting years. (Never mind what Covid did to the space-time continuum.) The more I read about the “secrets” of longevity, the more I came to know that the heavy lifting would keep me strong and resilient in the years ahead of me. Science backs up muscle as a protective fuel tank, and to maintain it, protein has become my power move at breakfast, lunch, dinner and in-between. My further reading enhanced what I knew in my core to be true – that keeping weight down, muscle up and protein in was important, but so was rest, and sleep. I worked on getting some better sleep habits, and sought help from a naturopath in Mono to help me pursue more consistent sleep. I have become more organized with social outings, also a contributor to longevity. I’ve tried some new things, keeping my brain healthy and active; I started reading more with my fresh library card and have tried new activities. Longevity studies also show proof that staying social is important to maintain your wellness and health in the older years. So I made plans … dinner plans, day trips, vacations with friends, going to random activities like spelling bees and trivia nights. It’s not easy, working on this longevity game. It takes a real effort but I’ve come to realize that I won’t be healthy and strong just by living and existing here in the hills. It takes effort and consist ency. There are many rewards that are a part of my longevity plan that can also be enjoyed in moderation … I love a good veg out on the couch or scrolling funny Instagram reels for an hour or two. I love dinner out and a crisp glass of white wine at Adamo Estate Winery. My Aunt Evelyn probably had it right – while she enjoyed perhaps a bit too much caffeine and maybe current wisdom would have said cut back on the G and Ts, she was consistently interested in life and gardening, and was active and present. She was happy and lived independently and proudly. She joined Facebook in her 70s to keep up with the younger folks. She wrote letters and shared stories of her youth and offered sharp wisdom right up to the end of her long, well-lived life. For more on how functional fitness is taking over a gym or community centre near you, turn to page 42. Bethany Lee is a freelance writer who lives in Mono.

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AT HOME

A PL ACE TO HANG THEIR HATS Once home to Inglewood’s village butcher, this character-filled space has now been thoughtfully transformed into a stylish, welcoming home for a young family. BY JANICE QUIRT

B AC K I N O C TO B E R 2 0 1 5 , B R E A N N E

and Geoffrey Cole were house hunting with two main criteria in mind: their budget, and a location within their limits of how far they were willing to drive to and from Toronto. While exploring Caledon, they came across a dwelling in the village of Inglewood that flunked the budget

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category and barely squeaked by on distance (it’s about 42 kilometres, to be exact, about an hour’s commute). But the house made such a strong first impression they were sold. “We saw the home in October, right around Halloween. It was raining and chilly. But as soon as we walked into the house, it was warm, cozy and

inviting,” Breanne says. “It just felt right – like it had been loved for all of its 150-year lifespan.” The couple learned that when the area was settled in the 1800s, the house had belonged to the local butcher, and the property next door was his shop. This explains why the Coles’ house sits farther back and the former shop is right up

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Most landscape problems start before the first stone is placed. Surrounded by soothing grey and green tones, young Oliver enjoys a snack in his family’s cozy Inglewood living room.

against the sidewalk, storefront-style. The antique barn is also original, and the couple would love to restore it one day. For now, it offers a historydrenched focal point for anyone looking out the kitchen sink window. Geoffrey works from home as a pro fessional photographer, while Breanne works at Humber Polytechnic’s North Campus near Woodbine Mall. Both from Mississauga, the pair had barely heard of Inglewood, save for the fact the keyboardist in Geoffrey’s band

lived there. Now Breanne and Geoffrey are the village’s biggest fans and their experience inspired Breanne’s childhood best friend to move to the house across the street. After big first impressions, it was the upstairs hallway, which is long and wide enough to all but serve as an extra room, that piqued Breanne’s interest. Now the kids, Georgia, six, and Oliver, two, play there – a convenient location just outside their own rooms, which also connects to their parents’

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ABOVE: A big fan of Bob Dylan and John Mayer, Geoffrey Cole strums a tune with his daughter, Georgia, in the bar, where he keeps multiple guitars and a curated record collection. TOP RIGHT: The cottage-like home dates back 150 years and belonged, at one point, to the village butcher. Hydrangeas, lamb’s-ear and hot pink phlox complement the home’s new red front door. BOTTOM RIGHT: When Geoffrey and his band aren’t performing their monthly gig at Palgrave’s Caledon Hills Brewing Co., he stays stocked up with his own personal tap.

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bedroom and the office/sunroom, overlooking the village’s main street. “I’ve always felt that in older houses you have to live downstairs. Upstairs is just a destination to sleep,” Breanne says. “Having both the hallway and the sunroom gives us the option to truly live upstairs, too.” Because the office/sunroom also features Geoffrey’s extensive plant

collection, a fish tank and a 3D printer, Geoffrey admits that when he needs to truly focus on computer work, such as editing thousands of photos for a brand shoot or wedding, he rarely works there. (With Caledon Hills Cycling just south of the house and Coywolf Coffee directly north, the main street comings and goings are further distractions.) The office’s 3D printer, which the couple bought for fun, has been used, for instance, to create two-foot-high

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Super Mario Brothers characters and other, more conventionally beautiful items. Indeed, when combining their off-duty talents, Breanne and Geoffrey can’t be beat – the oval mirror that hangs in the dining room was a thrift store find scored on one of many Value Village hunts with Geoffrey’s mom. Breanne painted it a gorgeous antique blue, but felt it was missing a key element. She had Geoffrey 3D print a fleur-de-lis to affix at the centre top of the mirror,

and voila – French élan for less. Having close friends a few steps away made a huge difference when it came time to renovate in December 2020. “Our friend Roger Landry came to look at the job and estimated a few weeks’ work. Six months later, he was just finishing the job,” Geoffrey says. “That’s the nature of older houses – you don’t always know what you will find once you start moving bathrooms, fixing grading, demoing kitchens and levelling floors.” The couple lived

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FAR LEFT: Breanne Cole and her son Oliver step into the light in the home’s second-floor sunroom.

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with their across-the-street friends, returning home only to sleep. The new kitchen features quartz countertops and soft white shakerstyle cabinets against soothing white walls. The bold door colour is a kitchen-appropriate Cracked Pepper shade from Sherwin-Williams. The room needed a major glow-up: “We weren’t fans of the previous kitchen, especially as there was no insulation in the back of the house. But now, it’s the central gathering spot. I love to cook and entertain. We have people over all the time and they always end up around the island,” says Geoffrey. Geoffrey can often be found in the bar area, steps from the front door. The space doubles as a music room, its colour-drenched walls hung with guitars and framed photos of his favourite musicians,

TOP: The family’s tabby, Jackie Bauer – a play on Kiefer Sutherland’s TV character Jack Bauer – is a fan of the Coles’ fully renovated kitchen and its focal point, a large island. NEAR LEFT: In the dining area, a bold black chandelier frames the view to the front door.

including Bob Dylan, Mumford & Sons, John Mayer and other folk rock singers. The room is also the site of his Christmas Eve ritual: wrapping presents, enjoying a few sips a favourite whisky, and watching a recording of the 1992 Royal Rumble, largely considered one of the greatest wrestling events of all time where Ric Flair outlasted 30 men competing for the vacant World Wrestling Federation World Heavyweight Championship. (The organization has since changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment.)

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Helping you make the right move TOP: Breanne and Geoffrey share a light moment with six-yearold Georgia and her two-yearold little brother, Oliver.

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It is here that Geoffrey also practises for his monthly acoustic guitar set at the bustling Caledon Hills Brewing Company in Palgrave. “When we’re not at home, we’re usually there – we love the people and vibe.” Geoffrey produces videos and photos for the brand, too. “I keep the bar well stocked with their beer,” he laughs, referring to the mini keg in a corner of the room. Georgia and Oliver spend most of their time in the living room, trying out gymnastic moves, singing songs, and playing with trucks and planes. Their mom says the space bursts with life and is always overflowing with toys. Breanne is the manager of admissions at Humber Polytechnic (formerly Humber College) and has a background in post-secondary education communications. As a balm to her hectic career, she says she loves

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LEFT: The family’s mudroom leans into Geoffrey’s love of country music with cowboy boots and hats for all. ABOVE: Jackie Bauer and Bonnie were not paid any modelling fees for their classy pet portraits, which hang in the bathroom.

stealing a few cuddles with their two cats, tabby Jackie Bauer and black-andwhite Bonnie, in the upstairs sunroom. The Coles have imprinted their personal history on this home. Photos, maps, meaningful artwork, and illustrations of the family fill the space. One is a large floral canvas the couple won at an auction, long before they were even married, that they held on to until they had their own place. As an engagement gift, Geoffrey’s aunt framed a map with pins of their childhood homes and a heart marking their new home. The cats

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are immortalized in black and white photos in ornate frames. And Breanne points to a cartoon version of their family she received as a gift on her first Mother’s Day, after Georgia was born. One of Breanne’s favourite pieces is a land survey from a property her grandfather bought in the 1950s in Muskoka. “My grandmother had to sell it before it could be built on, but I love the history. It reflects my dream to live on the water one day.”

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TOP: Cool greys and whites create a peaceful oasis in the master bedroom, which looks out over the backyard. LEFT: When original wood work was revealed during the stairwell renovations, the Coles decided to leave the rustic risers unfinished and put new treads on each step. ABOVE: A highly personal collection of art and family gifts fills a gallery wall.

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Bookshelves hold more than the latest bestsellers. “I have my grand mother’s dictionaries and crossword books,” Breanne says. “She loved puzzles and that corner, with a chair and reading lamp perfect for a quiet moment, means a lot to me.” The mudroom leading to the back yard corrals cowboy boots and hats for every family member, and an extensive sunglasses collection. Geoffrey, a big country music fan, enjoys cowboy attire and fondly recalls childhood memories from his family’s farm in Collingwood. “Breanne got one of these hats made while we were in Denver and got our wedding anniver sary date stamped on the inside brim,” Geoffrey says. “She added a flamingo feather we found on our honeymoon in Aruba 10 years ago.” Passion projects continue outside in the front and side gardens where Breanne experiments with and refines her gardening style. “I plant what I like and think I can manage. I’ll probably move the two ‘Limelight’

hydrangeas in the front and choose something a little less massive, like an ‘Annabelle’ or snowball hydrangea,” she explains. Joining the hydrangeas in the front are phlox, lamb’s-ear and ‘Walker’s Low’ catmint. The side garden features a handful of whimsical perennials chosen for their beauty and low maintenance, includ ing coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, ‘Sweet Mademoiselle’ rose, salvia, catmint, hostas and Shasta daisies. “It’s so beautiful in the summer, but every season feels like the best and coziest. I love the feel of our home. It’s like living in a cottage,” Breanne says. Gazing around the bustling family home, she puts into words the intangible feeling of comfort and unity the family feels in what they call their humble abode. “Geoffrey and I are very sentimental people. Many of the décor pieces in the house weren’t just purchased with the sole purpose to fill an empty space. Whether they belonged to our family previously, were found during a thrifting adventure or collected throughout our relationship, these pieces are intentional. They tell the story of our lives.”

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1 6 7 3 5 M I S S I S S A U G A R OA D, B E L F O U N TA I N

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Handcrafted log & timber frame 4-season retreat. Exceptional quality, 4+1 bdrm & 3+1 bath, private 3/4-acre lot overlooking 150ft of the beautiful Beaver River. Minutes from Devil's Glen & Lake Eugenia with access to snowmobile trails. $ 1,399,000 Sarah Aston sarahaston.ca

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Lake Vernon westerly views w/ everlasting sunsets. Custom-built in 2019, this 6-bdrm, 5-bath “smart home” family cottage sits on 14+ acres w/ 658’ of natural Muskoka rock & pine-lined shoreline. O/c living & entertaining area w/ a chef’s kitchen, wood-burning stone fp, Muskoka rm w/ retractable bi-fold glass doors, & two covered waterside decks w/ automated retractable screens. Enjoy lake views from every bdrm. Full backup generator & mainland docking less than 5 mins away. This hidden gem is in a world of its own, w/ nothing left undone. $4,495,000 Call Rebecca Wallace

Private resort-style oasis on 10.17 acres! 3+1-bdrm bungalow offers stunning grdns with irrigation system and tranquil water feature. Former airplane hangar/garage with heated ﬂrs. Mins to O’ville. $1,599,000 Sarah Aston sarahaston.ca

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A gated drive through towering pines leads to a renovated farmhouse with cathedral ceilings and main-ﬂoor primary suite. Hemlock mantle, quartz counters, home automation, 2022 saltwater pool, pastoral views. $1,699,000

S TO N E R I D G E

20 treed acres of hardwoods surround this elegant bungalow with views of the Pine River valley. Slate and elm floors, stone fireplace, chef's kitchen, primary suite with heated floors. Backs onto the Bruce Trail. $1,995,000

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79 rolling acres in Mulmur, with a classic brick two-storey home behind a tree-lined approach and picket fence. Barn beams, original moldings, hardwood ﬂoors throughout. Primary suite overlooks the spring-fed pond. $2,250,000

3 4 - AC R E C A L E D O N E S TAT E

Private location close to Bolton with spacious 4-bedroom, 5-bathroom home, main-ﬂoor primary suite, 7-stall barn, workshop and rolling open acreage. Ideal for horses, hobby farming or your dream country lifestyle!

5 0 - AC R E H O C K L E Y H O B BY I S T D R E A M !

Spectacular private property with panoramic views! Custom Normerica home, soaring ceilings, ﬁnished walkout, cascading ponds, 5-stall barn and drive shed. Exceptional country living!

C O U N T R Y R OA D TA K E M E H O M E

Tucked amidst 7.5 acs of mature trees & perennial gardens, this exceptional 2.5-storey century home blends historic charm w/ modern updates. The 4-bdrm, 2.5-bathrm layout features a warm country kit w/ a woodstove & lrg island, an elegant dining rm w/ a ceiling medallion, & a 3-season sunroom. The primary suite offers a w/i closet, ensuite bathrm & circular staircase to loft area. Enjoy a wraparound porch, a massive 24'x45' det grg, heated 17'x22' workshop/studio w/ hydro & water. $934,900

BEST KEPT SECRET

Backing onto Humber River, unique 4-bedroom home on park-like lot. Modern kitchen, centre island with gas range, granite counters, open dining/living rooms with fp, large family room. Primary bedroom ensuite and w/o to balcony.

T U R N K E Y M U LT I P L E X

Outstanding investment, updated 4-plex, w/ four – 2-bdrm apts. Quality brick exterior, 60’x150’ lot. Each unit w/ o/c kit, dining/living area, 2 bdrms, full bath, ens laundry, updated cabinetry & bathroom ﬁxtures. $1,699,999

2 4 . 9 AC R E S

24.9 acs of land located at dead end rd, private setting! Easy access to paved road & local hwys, it offers a blank canvas, lots of possibilities for your future. Land is level with approx 10 acs workable, balance in mixed bush. $799,900

I T S TA N D S A L O N E

Stately home, 4000+ sq ft & massive 164’x187’ lot. Spacious principal rooms & original trim, ﬂoors & staircases, multiple w/o’s to mature yard & quaint side porch. + Full 1-bedroom in-law suite, complete with kitchen. $2,199,900

B R I N G YO U R P L A N S

Start from scratch, 8.4-acre lot. Entrance in place to beautiful rolling property, great views to the south and east. Land is open, mature trees at roadside and perimeter. Lots of wide open space for family homestead. $599,900

D E TAC H E D B U N G A L O W

Centrally located in Orangeville, impressive 52'x140' lot, double-deep det grg, steps from downtown. Features 2 bdrms, 1.5 baths, original hrdwd in liv/din rm, updated windows, 3-season sunrm, ﬁnished rec room, wet bar & workshop.

E XC E P T I O N A L B AC K YA R D R E T R E AT

Welcome to a private 1-acre paradise, a stone/brick bungalow blending luxury & comfort. The o/c main floor features a gourmet kit, great room w/ gas fp & primary bdrm w/ a 5-pc ens.The finished lower level offers a massive games rm, rec rm w/ stone fp, two bdrms, office, & 3-pc bath. Then, step outside to the ultimate oasis featuring outstanding pool, stone waterfall, covered cabana, multiple patios & lush perennial gardens. Complete w/ a 2-car garage with mezzanine storage. $1,849,900

C R AV I N G O R I G I N A L I T Y

Perfect mix of charm with modern updates. Enclosed porch, cozy living room, wood ﬁreplace, spacious dining rm, sleek & functional culinary space boasting quartz counters, center island & bright breakfast area o/l stone patio. $834,900

CO M M E R C I A L LOT

Rare ﬁnd for a 1-acre commercial lot located in Mansﬁeld, west of the busy intersection at Airport Road & County Road 17. The lot fronts on paved road and is level and open. Access to municipal water & variety of uses. $529,900

TRADE THE TRAFFIC FOR…

Room to roam, 1.8 acs, 2-storey home w/ garage & detached shop approx 40’x60’. Refreshed 3 bedrooms + bonus rm, 2-1/2 bathrms & partially ﬁn bsmt. Main ﬂr has fam rm w/ wood fp & w/o to large deck, m/f laundry & access to garage.

L I V E , W O R K , P L AY

Private 45-ac estate, log home, det coach house with 2-bdrm loft & massive 6800+ sq ft heated workshop with guest suite. Trails, 6000+ tree plantation, forest studio & ﬁbre optic internet. Great home business option. $3,499,900

7 5 AC R E S I N A M A R A N T H

Rolling, sandy loam, all workable acres with annual rotating crops. Located just 3 km south of the Town of Shelburne, exceptional property that offers a great location for a new homestead or land bank. $1,699,900

LIFE ON ONE LEVEL

1880s bungalow blending historic appeal w/ modern updates, steps from downtown. 1600+ sq ft, kit w/ Quartz counters & coffee nook, liv room w/ gas fp & m/f laundry. Deep lot 54'x188', mature trees, grdns & sprawling patio. $927,900

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8 6 - AC R E C A L E D O N E S TAT E

Tranquil setting featuring 3+1 bedrooms and bathrooms, fully ﬁnished walkout lower level leading to a resort-inspired backyard complete with a saltwater inground pool. Approx 3000 sq ft heated workshop, barn and fenced pasture. $5,499,000

MILLION-DOLLAR VIEWS

Just minutes to Alliston, this expansive walkout bungalow is set on 40 acres and thoughtfully designed to accommodate multigenerational living. Features two spacious paddocks, barn with hayloft, and separate workshop. $1,999,000

EXECUTIVE COUNTRY LIVING – 1 0 AC R E S

Stunning 6-bdrm, 6-bathrm bungalow north of King offers luxurious living with the convenience of nearby amenities. Features a barn with paddocks, spacious 35’x60’ shop, a 40’x60’ coverall, inground pool & hot tub. $2,999,000

1 0 AC R E S W I T H S H O P

Live, work, and play at this private estate in New Tecumseth. Surrounded by mature trees with a pond, i/g pool and cabana. The standout feature is the impressive 2400 sq ft det workshop, equipped with in-ﬂoor heating, 2 washrooms, ofﬁce space and vehicle hoist. $1,839,900

H O R S E FA R M – 5 0 AC R E S – CALEDON

C U S TO M B U N GA LOW – CALEDON

Extensively updated farmhouse while preserving its character. Oversized 3-car detached garage with a self-contained 1-bdrm suite. Main barn with 14 stalls and ofﬁce, 2nd barn with 3 stalls; 9 fenced paddocks and 3 round pens. $2,795,000

Exceptional home nestled on nearly 2 acres in one of Caledon's most prestigious executive enclaves. Mature trees and lush landscaping. Stunning saltwater inground pool, expansive patio, and covered outdoor kitchen. $2,199,000

B E E T O N C R E E K E S TAT E S

M O D E R N LU X U RY – A L L I S TO N

Custom bungalow on a picturesque 3.38-acre pie-shaped lot. Chef-inspired kitchen, 4 bedrooms, walkout lower level and resortstyle 15'x44' inground pool. Detached 26'x40' two-level walkout garage. Just minutes to Beeton and Tottenham. $1,798,000

Breathtaking Forest View Home, crafted by Georgio Lolos Designs with interiors curated by ABella Design Inc. This stunning property is built with an eye for elegance & functionality. A must-see property for those seeking a reﬁned yet comfortable living experience. $1,749,000

Dedicated to Serving Town & Country Properties Your REALTOR® for Life link2realestate.ca 416.919.9802 direct denise@link2realestate.ca

S C E N I C 4 - AC R E B U I L D I N G LOT

Build your dream home among mature Sugar Maples, mixed forest and backing onto farmland. Offers an existing culvert and driveway entrance access to the paved road. Peaceful setting. Close to town. MLS $799,000

B U N GA L O W O N 9 8 AC R E S – ERIN

This property offers 80+/- acres hay and cash crop farming with a 3+ bdrm, 4-bath bungalow and a walkout basement. 48 ft x 288 ft broiler barn, bank barn and a 40x80 ft drive shed with heated workshop. Paved road. MLS $3,390,000

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1 8 3 2 S T O N E FA R M H O U S E O N 1 0 AC R E S – M I LT O N

This private and picturesque property is ideal for families seeking space, comfort, and a connection to nature. This treasured 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom home blends 1800 century charm with thoughtful modern updates. Flexible main ﬂoor layout supports extended family and in-law suite. An energy-efﬁcient heat pump provides heating and cooling. Versatile outbuildings are suited for chickens and horses, with organic garden and 8 +/- acres of pasture support sustainable living. 2-car garage. Paved road close to GO and town services. MLS $1,699,900

9 8 - AC R E FA R M A N D M A N AG E D FO R E S T – R O C K WO O D This 1880 farmhouse on 30 +/- acres farmland and 66 acres of managed forest with trails, a creek, pond, remarkable natural caves. Ideal for hobby farming or outdoor enthusiasts seeking a private country retreat. MLS $2,990,000

1 1 5 + AC R E FA R M – M O F FAT

Bordering the Moffat growth boundary. 80 +/acres in hay and cash crops plus mixed forest. Long private driveway to an outstanding building site for a custom estate. Ideal for farmers, investors, or rural living with income potential. Paved road. MLS $2,999,900

R E A DY TO B U I L D 1 AC R E – E R I N

This cleared, gentle sloping lot supports a passive solar design, a ranch bungalow, a modern or contemporary home with a walkout basement for excellent natural light suitable for an in-law and secondary suites. Close to schools and GO Train services. MLS $499,000

O R GA N I C 8 3 AC R E S – M O F FAT Exceptional property with open ﬁelds, mature forest, and endless possibilities. Charming century 1-1/2-storey stone farmhouse ready for restoration or incorporation into a spectacular custom estate. Stone barn ruins add to the setting. Paved road. MLS $1,999,900

MOFFAT DUNLAP

REAL ESTATE LIMITED, BROKERAGE

905-841-7430 moffatdunlap.com Moffat Dunlap*, John Dunlap**, Nik Bonellos, Elizabeth Campbell, Courtney Murgatroyd, Sean Wynn, Mark Campbell***

*Founder, **Broker of Record, ***Sales Representative

CALEDON TRAINING CENTRE

S T O N E R I D G E E S TAT E

33-acre estate. Gated entrance, 5-bdrm stoneand-wood bungaloft. Main ﬂoor primary suite. 3-bay garage. 3000 sq ft shop. Saltwater pool, natural stone hardscaping, cabana, bar, pool house, hot tub and ﬁre pit. $5,797,000

R E G E N C Y E S TAT E , C E N T R E W E L L I N GT O N

Grand century stone home updated to today’s standards. Views over rolling orchards, 2 ponds, indoor pool. 5 bedrooms, 5-1/2 baths. Heated workshop. 11 acres. $3,795,000

SOLD

Experience the ultimate equestrian facility at this exceptional 46.5-acre horse farm, designed for both serious horse professionals and passionate equine enthusiasts. State-of-the-art equestrian complex complete with a 41-stall main barn, dedicated foaling barn, indoor arena, outdoor ring and a private training track. $12,000,000

Renovated 4-bedroom mins to Erin. 3.22 acres. Pool, stone waterfall, cabana. $1,979,000

M A P L E L A N E AC R E S , M O N O

E X PA N S I V E L A N D S , 1 7 1 AC R E S

Prime south New Tecumseth. Rolling lands. Long drive leads to bright farmhouse and restored bank barn with approved 2-storey studio. Income from solar and land rental. $4,499,000

M U L M U R ’S R O L L I N G CO U N T RYS I D E

Charming 1-1/2-storey 3-bedroom brick home. Large sunroom. Fully ﬁnished walkout basement. 3.89 acres. Close to Orangeville and Shelburne. Asking $1,075,000

C R E D I T R I V E R C O T TAG E , B E L F O U N TA I N

3 bdrm + den riverfront cottage. Very private. Entertainers’ oasis, wood-burning fp’s, entire upper ﬂoor is primary suite. Treetop creative oasis. Priceless river frontage. $2,750,000

SOLD

Original Victorian farmhouse. Large bank barn, 3-bay separate garage, maintenance garage, fenced paddocks. Miles of trails. Minutes to Orangeville. 34 acres. Investment land. $5,000,000

T H E FA I R WAY S , S T A N D R E W S R OA D, C A L E D O N

COUNTRY HOME, MONO

MAPLE LANE LOG CABIN, MONO

Stunning 25-acre country estate. 5-bedroom, 5-bath, 6400 sq ft of country luxury. Sep apt, workshop. Unobstructed views of Toronto skyline and Paintbrush Golf. $5,750,000

Elegant 4-bedroom loft bungalow. Main ﬂoor uniquely accented 2-storey vaulted ceiling. Main ﬂoor primary. Pond with waterfall. Long views over the countryside. 2.7 acres. Asking $1,385,000

Secluded retreat on 7 private acres. Tree-lined laneway, stunning perennial gardens, pond. 2 bedrooms, 1 with walkout to your own patio. $1,385,000

F OX I N G H A M , M A N S F I E L D

B E E C H G R OV E H A L L , C A L E D O N

2 H O U S E S , 5 2 AC R E S , C A L E D O N

Landmark property next to the Mansﬁeld Ski Club. Impeccably maintained century home set on 23.6 acres. Pond. Hike, bike, ski, ﬁsh and enjoy country living. $1,995,000

Luxury 10-bdrm, 8-bath, 10,000+ sq ft ranch bungalow. Separate 4 double depth bay garage with 1200 sq ft upper ﬂoor studio, + 3000 sq ft warehouse with 14 & 16 ft shop doors with separate access on Airport Road. $9,950,000

5-bedroom executive home with long views over pool, ponds and hills. Useful 2nd house + workshop with ofﬁce, bathroom and even an indoor basketball court. Pond with beach, dock and volleyball court. $3,690,000

S T O N E H O U S E FA R M

Modernized century stone built 3000 sq ft farmhouse on 30 acres. Paddocks, farmland and hardwood forest. Large organic vegetable garden, barn, insulated workshop/barn both with lifetime metal rooﬁng. $2,399,000

M O U N T P L E A S A N T FA R M , CALEDON

Reno’d 5-bdrm farmhouse. Geothermal heating & cooling system. Lrg barn w/ a 2-bdrm suite. I/g swimming pool, 4 paddocks w/ run-in shed, hydrants, walking trails. 96 acres. $4,999,000

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Your Home TEAM Advantage! Century 21 Millennium Inc., Brokerage Independently Owned and Operated

SALES REPRESENTATIVES

905.713.7233 AnnShanahan.com

9 1 3 5 S I D E R OA D 2 4 , HILLSBURGH

5204 NINTH LINE, ERIN

There may never be a more enchanting, magical property as this 21 private acres, w/ a stunning 2-acre pond, & a home set well back from the road. Home to ﬁsh, turtles, ducks & even loons, this is the tranquility you could never imagine.

This custom build home, with over 4000 sq ft of living space was designed as a vibrant atmosphere to experience sensational views from every side of the home. The rolling landscape of 79 acres are home to deer, foxes, rabbits, geese, cranes, loons and even swans.

41 DOUGLAS CRESCENT, HILLSBURGH

5868 FIRST LINE, HILLSBURGH

This home offers a pie-shaped lot, loaded with trees, perennials and privacy. Fully renovated 4-level side-split, with an abundance of bright and fresh living space with 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. Plenty of space for a growing family.

That is the way you greet your guests when you own a lush 129 acres of fertile soil and rolling hills. Welcome to the stately 1910 all brick farmhouse in all her original glory plus lovely updates. You don’t want to miss this.

4 9 WAT E R F O R D D R I V E , E R I N

5450 FIFTH LINE, ERIN

Perfectly located in this sought after executive subdivision, backing on to the tributary of the Credit River, so nothing will be built behind you. This 4880 sq ft of living space, 4-bedroom home with not just tick the boxes it will slash them!

This nearly 3000 sq ft custom bungalow is crafted to ensure the exterior meets the interior. Relaxed country warmth, with clean lines, soaring ceilings and thoughtful ﬁnishes throughout. You'll be captivated by the layout all blended in harmony.

34 MAIN STREET, ERIN

83 DOUGLAS CRESCENT, HILLSBURGH

Built in 1843 this stately old girl has not only stood the test of time, but she has grown & transformed with every owner with the current owners creating an efﬁcient masterpiece. 3 bdrms, plus a cute little nursery & 2 baths, with the enormous beneﬁt of being zoned Mixed Use.

The stunning main ﬂoor has a fresh and bright open-concept ﬂoor plan, with a modern kitchen, living and dining area. 3+1 bdrms and 2 lovely, renovated bathrooms complement the space, with a bright rec room in the basement.

jacquelineguagliardi.com 519-833-0569 • 800-268-2455

RCR Realty, Brokerage

Independently Owned & Operated

BROKER

H O R S E A N D H O M E H AV E N

SOLD

Ride, relax and reconnect on 96 breathtaking Erin acres. Stone home, 8-stall barn, indoor arena, paddocks and hayﬁelds. Chase sunsets, not schedules. Your country lifestyle starts here. $3,750,000

N AT U R E I S YO U R N E I G H B O U R Hidden beyond a tree-lined drive, this private 2-acre retreat offers birdsong, maple trees, pond views and timeless comfort. Less than an hour to the GTA, yet a world away. $1,448,000

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Elite 49-acre equestrian estate with 20-stall barn, indoor arena, paddocks and training ﬁelds. Minutes to Angelstone. Saddle up, settle in and live the horse life you've imagined. $3,098,000

C O U N T RY E L E GA N C E W I T H E Q U E S T R I A N A P P E A L IN CALEDON

A highly desired Boston Mills Road location. This beautifully maintained 12.7-acre country property offers a rare blend of privacy, vista views, natural beauty, and equestrian function. With almost 4000 sq ft of living space this board-and-batten, multi-level residence offers 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, cathedral ceilings, skylights, large picture windows, and bright, welcoming principal spaces. Outdoors, the property is equally impressive with mature trees, perennial landscaping, stone walkways, multiple decks and a covered gazebo. Equestrian features include an efﬁcient 4-stall barn, heated tack/feed area, wash stall, multiple paddocks with a water hydrant system, all thoughtfully arranged for both everyday function and comfortable country living. $2,800,000

N AT U R E ’ S D O O R I N M O N O

33 gorgeous acres with the Nottawasaga River running through it. This exceptional custom-built home offers cathedral ceilings and soaring 19ft ﬂoor-to-ceiling natural stone ﬁreplace, loft library and a serene primary suite. Enjoy the pool, gardens, trails and outbuilding with stalls. $2,649,000

YO U R P R I VAT E P L AYG R O U N D I N C A M P B E L LV I L L E

H O C K L E Y VA L L E Y VAC A N T L A N D

Gorgeous 14.5-acre parcel of rolling countryside in Mono. This property offers long panoramic views in every direction. Don’t miss this opportunity to own a piece of Mono’s scenic beauty – perfect for crafting your vision of country living. $1,099,000

W H E R E A R T , N AT U R E A N D QUIET LUXURY MEET

6 5 AC R E S I N T H E H I L L S O F M U L M U R

Fabulous country retreat conveniently located on a paved road. Century home offers 4 bedrooms plus a coach house with 2 bedrooms above 3-car garage. This exceptional property offers a private, park-like setting with scenic walking trails and tranquil ponds. $1,749,000

H E A R T , L OV E , PA S S I O N , AND FUN

Escape to this 16+ acre retreat with trails, pond & private motocross track. Immaculate & unique main home, 2-bdrm guesthouse, heated barn/ workshop, studio, 3-car garage & more. Mins to Hwy 401 & amenities. Campbellville $2,399,000

Romantic country estate on 22+ acres with 6 bedrooms and 3 baths, forested privacy and light-ﬁlled interiors with stained glass and ﬁreplaces. Inground pool, pool house/bunkie, pizza oven, barn and workshop. Erin $3,399,000

Private paradise just outside Erin! Approx 8000 sq ft total living space. Executive bungalow offers a resort-style backyard with saltwater pool, hot tub and outdoor ﬁreplace. Inside: Pure luxury! 4+2 bdrms, 7 baths. Erin $3,399,000

L U X U R I O U S C O U N T R Y E S TAT E

N AT U R E & L U X U R Y C O M B I N E D

T H E L E G E N DA R Y FA R M H O U S E P OT T E RY S T U D I O & GA L L E RY

4963 sq ft country estate approx 28 acres with breathtaking views and exquisite gardens. 9 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms. Deck overlooks inground pool and gazebo. 3-car garage, geothermal heating/cooling and carriage barn! Belwood Lake $2,499,000

Custom 2554 sq ft home on 44.49 acres with trails, spring-fed pond and Eramosa Creek. Gourmet kitchen, soaring great room, sunroom, luxury primary suite. Finished walkout basement with in-ﬂoor heat. Geothermal + natural gas. Erin $2,699,000

Unique offering on 4.78 beautifully treed acres, charming 2-bdrm log home with guest suite + sep 3-level log gallery/studio with potential as 2nd residence—all with Nottawasaga River running through. Hockley Valley $2,199,000

S E R E N I T Y B E YO N D C O M PA R E

Truly unique riverfront retreat along the Eramosa River. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms with ample living space ideal for entertaining. Inﬁnity pool, hot tub, private acreage with trails, gazebos and bridges. Once owned by renowned Canadian wildlife artist. Rockwood $2,500,000

L U X U R Y 2 5 - AC R E C O U N T R Y E S TAT E W / M U LT I G E N E R AT I O N A L L I V I N G

5800+ sq ft of beautifully ﬁn liv space, heated saltwater pool, 3-level barn, 3-car grg w/ ofﬁce, pond, paddocks & gardens. Exceptional country lifestyle just mins from Erin. Erin $4,599,000

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JOSH BERNARD

Sotheby’s International

Sales Representative and Team Leader

Realty Canada, Brokerage is independently Owned

905.510.2419 | info@bernardteam.ca 309 Lakeshore Rd E, Oakville L6J 1J3

and Operated

1 3 9 0 5 K E N N E DY R OA D C A L E D O N

Escape to a home that truly understands the meaning of "space." Situated on an expansive lot, this custom-built masterpiece offers over 3500 sq ft of thoughtfully designed living area. This isn't just a house; it's a lifestyle upgrade for families who want room to breathe without sacrificing modern convenience. The heart of the home features a stunning open-concept floor plan that manages to feel incredibly cozy despite its grand scale. Flooded with natural light through large, picturesque windows, the main level is designed for effortless connection. This home includes a rare, dedicated arts and crafts room–perfect for a home studio, classroom, or hobby space plus a 3-car garage with enough parking for the whole extended family. Whether you're hosting a holiday dinner or enjoying a quiet evening by the fire, the "dreamy country" aesthetic provides a warm, timeless backdrop. $2,499,000

Welcome to Headwaters Country CountrySpecialist.ca victoria@countryspecialist.ca 519-941-5151 Victoria Phillips and Janna Imrie

RCR Realty, Brokerage

Independently Owned & Operated

Sales Representatives

3 6 0 B LO O R S T R E E T E A S T , S U I T E 6 0 1 , TO R O N TO

Elegant Toronto condo located in the Rosedale Moore Park neighbourhood. 1518 sq ft, sun-ﬁlled rooms, eat-in kitchen with ample living and dining for entertaining. Larger than usual storage and closet space. Non-obscured, south facing, downtown views. Two capacious bedrooms, master bedroom with double closest and 4-piece ensuite. 24-hr concierge/ security. Half a block to the subway. Minutes to DVP and Lakeshore. $888,888

5 8 0 3 8 1 S I D E R OA D 6 0, C H AT S WO R T H

Welcome to this beautifully maintained, like-new 4-bedroom (3+1), 3-bathroom brick bungalow by Candue Homes, set on a peaceful and private one-acre lot in Berkeley. $975,000

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2 0 F L E M I N G AV E , B R A M P TO N At the end of a cul-de-sac with fantastic curb appeal and unique layout. Backs onto walking trails, previous railroad tracks no longer in use. $1,038,000

FIRST TIME OFFERED SINCE 1942

One of the original homesteads in Mono that has been in the same family for over 80 years! Over 99 acres, including a 65-acre hardwood and softwood forest, 30 acres of workable farmland and 5 fenced and gated acres containing the house which overlooks a spring-fed pond and multiple outbuildings: a heated greenhouse, a huge metal Quonset hut, a large detached heated garage and a wooden barn. Excellent south Mono location. Now $2,795,000

M I N U T E S TO M O U N T FO R E S T

Situated on a glorious 25 acres, this fabulous horse farm features a 6-year-old equestrian centre with 4 stalls and room for more, 80x100 indoor arena with room to extend, a separate yet attached hay storage area, multiple oak-board paddocks, a separate garage/workshop, a coverall arena for all of your toys and a beautifully maintained all-brick bungalow with a w/o bsmt. Above-ground pool, huge deck, geothermal heating and so much more! $2,499,900

Paul Richardson SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Royal LePage Meadowtowne RICHARDSONTOWNANDCOUNTRY.CA 866-865-8262 paul@richardsontownandcountry.ca

CALEDON ESCARPMENT

C A L E D O N L A N D – 5 0 AC R E S

Privacy on 24.9 acres across from Devil’s Paintbrush Golf Course. Custom 4+1 bedroom, 2.5 bath with inground pool, trails & Toronto skyline views beyond the mature trees. Central location known for hiking, cycling, skiing & golf. Mins to Caledon East. 1 hr to TO.

Exceptional setting on a quiet road near Caledon East, awaiting your dream build. Older barn in good condition, with hydro and storage space or workshop pot. Westerly views over Escarpment, rolling hills, seasonal pond, manicured trails thru/o. Drilled well.

C A L E D O N C U L - D E - S AC

C A L E D O N 2 + AC S P L U S S H O P

Immaculate 3+1-bdrm bungalow on .86 of acre lot w/ hrdwd ﬂooring & crowns thru/o, a partly ﬁn bsmt w/ sep entry & in-law potential. Fenced backyard. Hardwired generator, irrigation system. Beautiful country setting! Minutes to Orangeville & Highways 9 & 10.

A LT O N – C E N T U R Y

Built in 2003, on a paved road, on 2+ acres backing to bush, is this approx 2400 sq ft, 3+1-bdrm stone bungalow. Finished bsmt in-law suite potential w/ 2nd kit and gas fp. 2-car garage plus det 4-car garage/workshop w/ hydro. Close to Hwys 9 & 10. 45 mins to TO.

M O N O – V I C T O R I A N 4 . 3 7 AC S

Overlooking the lower Mill Pond is this 3-bdrm, 1.5-bath stone residence circa 1881. Sides and backs to forest with privacy and wildlife. Near Millcroft Inn & Spa, the Alton Mill Arts Centre, golf at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. 10 mins to Orangeville. 1 hr to TO.

This 4 bdrm with pool has views of the rolling countryside, a 70’x20’ drive shed with concrete ﬂoor + remnants of a barn foundation, trails, privacy, fruit trees. Near Hockley Valley Golf and Ski, Bruce Trail. 5 mins to Orangeville. Close to Highways 9 & 10. 90 mins to TO.

C A L E D O N B U N GA L O W

H O C K L E Y VA L L E Y – 4 . 3 7 AC S

Private, treed 2.89-ac lot featuring a pond, a stream, bush, trails. This 3+2-bdrm, 3-bath raised bungalow has geothermal htg, steel roof, vertical platform lift (elevator) & det approx 24’x30’ outbldg. An ideal property for nature lovers, hobbyists, & ext family living!

A rare opportunity! Privacy on a dead-end rd, backing & siding to conservation. Main house offers 3 bdrms, 3.5 baths + ﬁn w/o bsmt w/ 1-bdrm in-law suite & sep entry. Sep det 2 bdrm, 2 bath ideal for ext fam living. Det 2-car grg + workshop. 7 mins to Orangeville.

G L E N W I L L I A M S C U S TO M

Nestled on a quiet street; includes a gourmet kitchen, open ﬂoor plan, walkouts to the veranda and amazing primary suite in the perfect location.

R U R A L H A LT O N H I L L S C U S TO M

Private setting with main ﬂoor primary, garage loft, lower-level walkout and spectacular garden summer house for entertaining. Privacy and convenience.

R E S T O R E D V I C T O R I A N FA R M H O U S E

This grand Victorian home is beautifully restored, blending timeless craftsmanship with modern comfort. 57 private acres; a country retreat with high ceilings, original stonework, hardwood and tile ﬂooring, and countless preserved architectural details including limestone windowsills, gingerbread trim, and a dramatic spiral wood staircase. Beautifully restored bank barn for many uses and sweet stone workshop. A timeless treasure.

E R I N C U S TO M H O M E

Custom-built country estate with 9000+ sq ft on 41 private acres just one hour north of Oakville. Private entry, soaring ceilings, white oak floors, and statement fireplace. Chef’s kitchen with premium appliances and walk-in pantry. Primary suite with spa ensuite, finished lower level, separate guest suite, and 2500 sq ft heated garage. Exceptional privacy and space without compromise.

R O L L I N G H I L L S FA R M

Near Terra Cotta and Glen Williams, this iconic 49-acre country estate is a rare multi-generational retreat blending history, architecture, and natural beauty. An architecturally designed bungalow overlooks spring-fed ponds and features soaring ceilings, expansive entertaining areas, and walkouts to a stunning stone patio with outdoor ﬁreplace. A century stone home, 4 historic cabins, renovated bank barn, heated workshop, garage with loft, saltwater pool, forest trails, and lush landscaping complete this remarkable property.

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A C AL E N DA R OF AU TU MN HA P PENING S COMPILED BY JANET KERR

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I L L U S T R AT I O N S BY J I M S T E WA R T

ARTS & LET TERS

NOW – OCT 31 : ALTON MILL DAM

SEP 11 : B-JAZZED’S WORLD

you enjoy wine tasting and music in a

NOW – SEP 13 : THE ART OF ABUN

BANNERS AT PAMA Large-scale

OF JAZZ FESTIVAL: LIVE JAZZ

stunning outdoor setting. Proceeds to

outdoor installation of a direct-

& PAINT NIGHT An evening

Arts Society King. 1-5pm. Sherwood

positive pinhole photograph by

of music and creativity. No experience required. 7-9pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca

Farm, 12485 Con 7, King City. 905-

DANCE Works by 30+ Headwaters Arts

members examining the inspiration of nature and the poetic word. WedSun 10am-5pm. Free. Alton Mill Arts Centre, 1402 Queen St, Alton. 519943-1149; headwatersarts.org

Risa Horowitz. In partnership with CONTACT Photography and Alton Mill. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905-791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca

NOW – SEP 26 : HOME & HERITAGE

SEP – NOV : SHELBURNE TOWN

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION Diverse

HALL ART GALLERY EXHIBITIONS

cultural perspectives of what home truly means. Tue-Sat 10am-4pm. Free. Airport Rd & Hwy 89, Mulmur. 1-877941-7787; dufferinmuseum.com NOW – OCT 18 : TOKENS OF LOVE In this show each bloom is based on real flowers gifted to the artist. Tues-Sat 11am-5pm. Free. Women’s Art Association of Canada, 23 Prince Arthur Ave, Toronto. 416897-3010; pierapugliese.com

Sep: Robert Chisholm. Oct: E. Connie Munson. Nov: Southern Ontario Visual Artists. Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm. 203 Main St E, Shelburne. Town of Shelburne, 519-925-2600 x239; shelburne.ca

SEP 12 : BEYOND THE BASICS: IPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY Advanced

techniques to unlock the full potential of your iPhone camera. 11:30am-2:30pm. Hillsburgh Library, 9 Station St, Hillsburgh. OHCAA, 519-829-9398; overhere.ca SEP 12 & 13 : PALETTE KNIFE PAINT ING Learn various techniques to mani

833-2331; artssocietyking.ca SEP 15 : CPL SPEAKER SERIES: LONG JOURNEY HOME Caledon

author Helen Notzl recounts the adventures, relationships and discoveries that inspired her memoir. 6:30-8pm. Free, register. Cancel if unable to attend. Caledon East Community Complex, Caledon East. Caledon Library, 905-8571400 x228; caledonlibrary.com

pulate paint, texture and colour. 10am1pm. Everdale, 5812 Sixth Ln, Hillsburgh. OHCAA, 519-829-9398; overhere.ca

SEP 15, OCT 20, NOV 17 & DEC 15 :

Free. 515 Main St, Glen Williams.

SEP 13 : CABERNET & CANVAS

1 Mill St, Orangeville. Orangeville Library,

416-938-8851; williamsmill.com

Artists painting en plein air while

519-941-0610; orangevillelibrary.ca

SEP 11 : ART CRAWL AT WILLIAMS MILL Live music, food truck and

an evening of casual fun. 5-9pm.

ORANGE THREADS Share latest pro

jects and discuss good books. 1-2:30pm.

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EARTH & FIRE CLAY AND GLASS EVENT Celebrate the art of clay and glass with artisan vendors, hands-on workshops, a fundraising auction, and more!

MOD STUDIO: MAKE YOUR OWN FALL GARLAND Pick from a selection of decorations and dried botanicals from the museum gardens to craft a personal fall garland to decorate your home!

September 19, 2026 9am - 3pm

October 3rd, 2026 10am - 11am $35+ HST per person

OUR GUIDING STORIES

YARN IN THE BARN: STASH SWAP

Local Girl Guides are invited to submit artwork exploring the theme "What Guiding Means to Me." Selected works will be exhibited alongside historic Girl Guide artifacts and photographs from the MoD’s collection. Submissions Deadline: October 1 Exhibition Opening: November 14th

Join us for an evening of all things yarn! Explore textile craft demonstrations, enjoy refreshments, and bring up to three skeins of yarn to swap with fellow yarn enthusiasts! October 17th, 2026 4pm-6pm $5+ HST per person

www.dufferinmuseum.com/events TUESDAY TO SATURDAY

FOR FULL DETAILS & REGISTRATION

10AM – 4PM

WWW.DUFFERINMUSEUM.COM/EVENTS 936029 AIRPORT ROAD, MULMUR, ON (519) 941-1114 AU T U M N 2 026 / 9 7

@MUSEUMOFDUFFERIN

ABBREVIATIONS CCS

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 96

Caledon Community Services CFUW

SEP 16 – OCT 4 : FALL FESTIVAL JURIED ART SHOW & SALE A

showcase of 75 original works by 65+ ultra-talented Ontario artists in a variety of mediums. Sep 17: Opening Night Soirée (ticketed). Wed-Sun 10am-5pm. Alton Mill Arts Centre, 1402 Queen St, Alton. Headwaters Arts, 519-943-1149; info@headwatersarts.ca SEP 17 : ABSTRACT PAINTING

Join Gurdeep Singh for a handson workshop inspired by Canadian painter Jack Bush. 6:30-9pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca

Canadian Federation of University Women CMOW

Caledon Meals on Wheels DCAFS

Dufferin Child and Family Services FTP

Family Transition Place HHCC

Headwaters Health Care Centre MMCC

Mono Mulmur Citizens’ Coalition MOD

SEP 17 : AN EVENING WITH MATTEO L. CERILLI Transmasc author and

activist in conversation with Queer Village about writing, identity and queer storytelling. 7-8pm. Free, register. Orangeville Library, 1 Mill St, Orangeville. 519-941-0610; orangevillelibrary.ca SEP 19 : EARTH & FIRE: CLAY AND GLASS EVENT Captivating showcase

of craftsmanship and creativity. Vendors, kids’ drop-in crafts, adult workshops, silent auction. Access to the museum. By donation. 9am-3pm. Airport Rd & Hwy 89, Mulmur. 1-877941-7787; dufferinmuseum.com SEP 19 : EARTH & FIRE: CLAY AND GLASS EVENT WORKSHOP Wheel throwing with Sandra Sobolewski. No experience needed. 9-10am, 10:1511:15am or 1:30-2:30pm. Fee. 9am2:30pm. Airport Rd & Hwy 89, Mulmur. 1-877-941-7787; dufferinmuseum.com SEP 19 : ARTS BY THE POND & PLEIN AIR PAINTOUT A celebration of arts and the environment presented with Tree Trust Erin. Paintout 1-3pm. Fee. Compete for cash prizes up to $150 or paint for fun. Noon-5pm. Free. Hillsburgh Library, 9 Station St, Hillsburgh. OHCAA, 519-829-9398; overhere.ca SEP 19 : CULTURE DAYS: EXPLORE

Museum of Dufferin OHCAA

Over Here Community Arts Adventure PAMA

Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives PHAHS

Purple Hills Arts & Heritage Society

SEP 19, OCT 17 & NOV 21 : NOTTA WASAGA HANDWEAVERS & SPINNERS GUILD MONTHLY MEETINGS Topics TBA. We are a

supportive fibre arts community, learning together about spinning, weaving, dyeing, felting and more. 1-3pm. The Gibson Centre for Community, Arts and Culture, 63 Tupper St W, Alliston. 705-435-6991; nottguild.ca

SEP 26 & 27 : MARY SCATTERGOOD: ART AT THE FARM SALE Join the

fun! 10% off originals. Noon-5pm. Mary Scattergood Studio and Gallery, 20451 Porterfield Rd, Caledon. 416998-2008; maryscattergood.com OCT 2 & 3: MAKE YOUR OWN FALL GARLAND – AGES 16+ Use real dried botanicals. No experience required. Supplies provided. Tickets include entry to museum, archive and exhibits. Two dates: Oct 2: 2-3pm. Oct 3: 10-11am. Airport Rd & Hwy 89, Mulmur. 1-877941-7787; dufferinmuseum.com OCT 2 – 4 : CREEMORE ARTS FEST

Gallery, 20451 Porterfield Rd, Caledon. 416-998-2008; maryscattergood.com OCT 4 : AUTHORS ON STAGE: BEN MACINTYRE Celebrated historian, storyteller, thriller writer of Redwood. Moderated by Michelle Shephard. Catered reception. Proceeds to new play development. 7pm. Fee, bundle with upcoming Mary Lawson evening, from BookLore or Theatre Orangeville box office. Town Hall Opera House, 87 Broadway, Orangeville. BookLore, 519-942-3830; theatreorangeville.ca OCT 7 – NOV 8 : THE POWER OF GREY

Discover the beauty found between black and white with Karen Brown Encaustics. Wed-Sun 10am-5pm. Free. Alton Mill Arts Centre, 1402 Queen St, Alton. 519-943-1149; headwatersarts.org OCT 8 : POETRY, PAINT & THE

Music, performance, theatre and visual arts. Fri 7pm: The Chairs – A play by Eugene Ionesco. Sat 2pm: Sultans of String. Sat 7pm: Julian Taylor. Sun 11am: Creemore Community Children’s Choir. Sun 1pm: The Great Canadian Story Exchange. Station on the Green, 10 Caroline St E, Creemore. PHAHS, 705-466-9906; phahs.ca

ART Create an abstract acrylic painting inspired by your own original poetry with Michelle Gewurtz and Andrea Josic. 6:309pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905-791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca

OCT 3 & 4 : MARY SCATTERGOOD:

LATIN CELEBRATION Create an

CALEDON STUDIO TOUR Art at the

farm and in the barn! 10% off originals. 10am-4pm. Mary Scattergood Studio and

FEMALE PERSPECTIVE: ABSTRACT

OCT 10 : COLOURS IN RHYTHM:

abstract painting inspired by rhythm, colour and movement with Carla Gonzalez-Casanova. 2-4pm. Hispanic Canadian Arts and Cultural Association, PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. PAMA, 905-791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca OCT 16 & 17 : QUILTS AT THE PARK

Create one-of-a-kind artworks. 6-7pm. Caledon Library, 150 Queen St S, Bolton. PAMA, 905-791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca

Displays, members’ boutique, raffle, lunch cafe and vendors. Fri 10am-6pm. Sat 10am-4pm. Fee. Monora Park Pavilion, 500 Monora Park Dr, Mono. Dufferin Piecemakers Quilting Guild, 519-941-1202; dufferinpiecemakers.org

SEP 24 : BZS ZINE ART Zine-making

OCT 17 : FASHION ILLUSTRATION

SEP 24 : PRINTMAKING WITH PAMA

workshop with Malachi WatsonNarcisse explores identity, belonging and cultural pride. Part of Ontario Culture Days. 6-8:30pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca

TAMIL ART Discover Kolam with Tam Fam

Lit Jam in a welcoming, intergenerational, queer-positive space. Noon-4:30pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905-791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca

and curated arts market. Fri 6-10pm. Sat 1-6pm. Caledon East Community Complex, Caledon East. Town of Caledon, 905-584-2272 x4376; caledon.ca

SEP 25 & 26 : CALEDON CULTURE DAYS CREATIVE ARTS WEEKEND Fri:

music and theatre at Caledon Under the Stars. Sat: workshops, live performances

An engaging exploration of African textile traditions and history with Jacqueline Halstead. 1:30-4:30pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905-791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca OCT 17 : YARN IN THE BARN: STASH SWAP Demos, refreshments, bring up to three skeins of yarn to swap. 4-6pm. Fee. Airport Rd & Hwy 89, Mulmur. 1-877-941-7787; dufferinmuseum.com

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LET’S MAKE SOMETHING TOGETHER THIS FALL

A season of art, music, and creativity in the Town of Erin.

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 9 8

OCT 18 : CONTEMPORARY IMPRESSIONS – LANDSCAPES IN BOLD COLOUR Techniques to

embrace the journey of contemporary impressionism. 10am-5pm. Everdale, 5812 Sixth Ln, Hillsburgh. OHCAA, 519-829-9398; overhere.ca

ARTS BY THE POND

Saturday, September 19, 2026 12–5pm at the Wellington County Library, Hillsburgh Free admission · Rain or shine Come for the day – enjoy live music, artisan market, Plein Air Paintout, Caboose Hop unveiling, Tree of the Year celebration, and Community Art Project. Everyone is welcome – bring the whole family!

OCT 24 : EERIE ABSTRACT ART

Daylight creations will transform into glowing nighttime spectacles. 10:30am4pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905-791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca OCT 25 : FUSED GLASS HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS Design and craft

three ornaments using System 96 glass. No experience needed. 11:30am-2:30pm. Hillsburgh Library, 9 Station St, Hillsburgh. OHCAA, 519-829-9398; overhere.ca OCT 29 : AN EVENING OF GHOST STORIES Join storyteller Margo

MacDonald of The Haunted Walk of Toronto for eerie tales. Paranormal Q&A to follow. 7-8:30pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca NOV 1 : THE STORIES THAT DETER MINE US: AN AFTERNOON WITH R.H. THOMSON Award-winning Canadian actor, author and arts advocate explores how stories shape our understanding of conflicts. Q&A. Cash bar. Cash, no ATM on-site. 2-4pm. Fee. Singhampton Community Centre. 705-428-6230 x262; smallhallsfestival.ca

FALL CREATIVE WORKSHOPS

September–November at Everdale Farm and the Hillsburgh Library Come create with us – hands-on classes for every skill level. Space is limited – book early to save your spot.

Learn more at overhere.ca Building Community through the Power of Creativity

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NOV 7 : PAPER, THREAD & POSSI BILITY: INTRO TO BOOKBINDING

Workshop combines traditional techniques with creative upcycling! No experience needed. 12:30-2:30pm. Hillsburgh Library, 9 Station St, Hillsburgh. OHCAA, 519-829-9398; overhere.ca NOV 8 : COZY CRAFT SERIES: PUNCH NEEDLE COASTERS Develop your own simple or abstract designs in this beginner-friendly workshop. 1:30-4:30pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905-791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca NOV 11 – JAN 3 : ARTFUL GIVING HOLIDAY GIFT SHOW Unique and

special gifts for the discerning folks on your list. Nov 21: reception, 1-3pm. Wed-Sun 10am-5pm. Free. Alton Mill Arts Centre, 1402 Queen St, Alton. 519-943-1149; headwatersarts.org NOV 15 : COZY CRAFT SERIES: HAND EMBROIDERY Choose a

letter and create a personalized wall piece. 1:30-4:30pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca

NOV 4 : EXPERTS IN THE LIBRARY:

NOV 21 : COZY CRAFT SERIES:

THE POWER OF AUTHENTIC

KUMIHIMO BRAIDING Learn

STORYTELLING Photographer and

traditional Japanese braiding with Shiemara Hogarth. 1:30-4:30pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905-791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca

filmmaker James O’Connor shows how to inspire and amplify your message. 7-8:30pm. Free, register. Orangeville Library, 1 Mill St, Orangeville. 519941-0610; orangevillelibrary.ca NOV 7 : SEASONAL WRAPSODY

Show and sale of handmade items by 30+ local artisans. Demos. 9am-4pm. Fee. The Gibson Centre for Community, Arts and Culture, 63 Tupper St W, Alliston. Nottawasaga Handweavers and Spinners Guild, 705-435-6991; nottguild.ca

COMMUNIT Y FARMERS’ MARKETS

Please see websites for more details. ORANGEVILLE: Saturdays, 8am-1pm,

to Oct 17. Downtown Orangeville. orangevillefarmersmarket.ca

ORANGEVILLE WINTER MARKET: Saturdays, Oct 31-Dec 19, Jan 9-Apr 24. 87 Broadway, Orangeville. orangevillefarmersmarket.ca CREEMORE : Saturdays, 9am-1pm, to Oct 31. Creemore Station on the Green, 10 Caroline St E. creemorefarmersmarket.ca ERIN: Thursdays, 3-6:30pm, to Sep 24. Erin Fairgrounds, 184 Main St. erinfarmersmarket.ca GRAND VALLEY: Sep 18. 3-8pm. Grand Valley Agricultural Society Fairgrounds, 60 Main St N. facebook.com

NOW – DEC 31 : SENIORS HEALTH & WELLNESS – AGES 55+ Exercise,

education, therapeutic recreation and crafts. Free. Brampton: Mon 9:30-11:30am. Snelgrove Place, 12065 Hurontario St N. Caledon: Mon 1-3pm. Mayfield Senior Living, 12600 Kennedy Rd. Caledon East: Tues 9:30-11:30am. Caledon East Apartments, 20 Walker Rd. Alton: Tues 1-3pm. Pinnacle View Apartments, 9 McClellan Rd. Bolton: Wed 1-3pm. Stationview Apartments, 25 Stationview Pl. Thur: 10am-noon. Lunch $5. The Exchange, 55 Healey Rd, Unit 10. Fri: 9:30-11:30am. Riverview Terrace Apartments, 121 Glasgow Rd. Fri: 1-3pm. Jane Street Apartments, 60 Jane St. CCS, 905-584-2300 x230; ccs4u.org NOW – ONGOING (TUESDAYS) : BUCKSTOWN CAFÉ Drop in for refreshments, cards, table games and monthly speakers. 10am-noon. Free. Palgrave United Church, 34 Pine Ave, Palgrave. 905-8800303; palgravekitchen.org NOW – ONGOING : FREE RESIDENT 65+ MEMBERSHIPS Caledon residents

65 years and older can sign up for free memberships to support heathy aging and community well-being. caledon.ca

SEP 8 – OCT 1 : OUR GUIDING

SEP 12, OCT 17 & NOV 21 : BOLTON

STORIES Local Girl Guides are invited

KIN CLOTHING TOONIE SALE

to submit artwork exploring “What Guiding Means to Me.” Selected works will be exhibited with Girl Guide artifacts. Submission deadline: Oct 1. Tues-Sat 10am-4pm. Airport Rd & Hwy 89, Mulmur. 1-877-941-7787; dufferinmuseum.com

All items $2. Proceeds to local projects. Held in the President’s Building. 10am1pm. Albion & Bolton Fairgrounds, 150 Queen St S, Bolton. Bolton Kin, 416-904-4841; boltonkin.com

www.phahs.ca/creemore-arts-fest

SEP 13, OCT 17 & NOV 8 : WHOLE SEP 8, OCT 13 & NOV 10 : ORANGE VILLE & DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY MEETINGS Sep 8:

Redefining Four Seasons Interest with Native Plants. Flower show. Oct 13: A Gardener’s Winter. Nov 10: Joys and Hazards of a Large Country Garden. AGM. Guests welcome, free parking, door prize, bring a mug for refreshments. 6:30-8:30pm. Orangeville Seniors Centre, 26 Bythia St, Orangeville. orangevillehort.com

VILLAGE ORIENTATION Tour the farm

and ecoresidence. All welcome. 1pm. Fee. 20725 Shaws Creek Rd, Caledon. 519-941-1099; wholevillage.org

www.phahs.ca/creemore-arts-fest

SEP 8 – NOV 12 (TUESDAYS OR THURSDAYS) : TOWN OF MONO QIGONG Balance, relaxation and

well-being. Tues 9:30am or Thur 6pm. Register online. Mono Community Centre, Mono. 519-941-3599; townofmono.com SEP 8 – NOV 10 (TUESDAYS) : TOWN OF MONO TAI CHI INTERMEDIATE

Build on your Tai Chi foundation with flowing movements and techniques. 10:45-11:45am. Mono Community Centre, Mono. 519-941-3599; townofmono.com SEP 28 – NOV 9 (MONDAYS OR WEDNESDAYS) : TOWN OF MONO YOGA Move, stretch and unwind.

Mon 9:30-10:30am or Wed 7-8pm. Mono Community Centre, Mono. 519-941-3599; townofmono.com SEP 11 : HEADWATERS IN WONDER LAND GALA Cocktails, culinary

delights, live and silent auctions, dancing and games. Proceeds to HHCC. 5pmmidnight. Fee. Hockley Valley Resort, 793522 3rd Ln Mono. Headwaters Health Care Foundation, 519-9412702 x2303; hhcfoundation.com SEP 12 : HONEY GARLIC FESTIVAL

Buy garlic and farm-fresh food, pizza truck on-site. 11am-3pm. Free. 16555 Humber Station Rd, Caledon. albionhillscommunityfarm.org

SEP 15 : BINGO NIGHT Join us

for prizes, pizza and fun! 6-8pm. Free. 8 Nancy St, Bolton. 905-8572615; boltonunitedchurch.com SEP 15, OCT 20 & NOV 17 : CHRIST CHURCH COMMUNITY SUPPER Enjoy

a meal and good company. All welcome. 5-7pm. Free. 22 Nancy St, Bolton. 905857-0433; christchurchbolton.ca SEP 15, OCT 20 & NOV 17 : CALEDON SENIORS CENTRE MEN’S LUNCHES

Sep 15: Chicken and chips. Oct 20: Macaroni and cheese. Nov 17: Meatball subs. 11am1pm. Fee, call to register. 7 Rotarian Way, Bolton. 905-951-6114; caledonseniors.ca SEP 16, OCT 14 & NOV 11 : CALEDON SENIORS CENTRE SPECIAL LUNCHES Sep 16: Sausage on a bun. Oct 14: Meatloaf, call by Oct 9. Nov 11: Grilled cheese. Pick-up 11:45am, dine-in noon. All welcome. Fee. Local delivery available. Call two days prior to register. 11:45am-1pm. 7 Rotarian Way, Bolton. 905-951-6114; caledonseniors.ca

www.phahs.ca/creemore-arts-fest

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SEP 16 & OCT 21 : CREEMORE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY MEETINGS Sep 16: Fall flower, fruit and

vegetable show. Meeting: Wonderland – The Garden in Winter. Oct 21: Interesting Natives in the Village Green. 7pm. Station on the Green, 10 Caroline St E, Creemore. Creemore Horticultural Society, 705-466-3170; creemorehort.com SEP 16, OCT 21 & NOV 18 : CFUW HEADWATERS MEETINGS Sep 16:

Meet & Greet. Special events, guest speakers, refreshments and interest groups. Membership fee. 7-9pm. The Centre Art Gallery & Café, 375 Hansen Blvd, Orangeville. cfuwheadwaters.com SEP 17 : TAKE BACK THE NIGHT

Speakers, resources, 2 km walk and candlelight vigil honouring those impacted by gender-based violence. 5:307:30pm. Mel Lloyd Centre, 167 Centre St, Shelburne. HHCC, DCAFS, FTP, 519-9424122 x243; familytransitionplace.ca SEP 19 : ORANGEVILLE OKTOBER FEST A taste of Bavaria with great food, live music, local shopping and festive fun. Noon-11:30pm. Mill St, Orangeville. Downtown Orangeville, 519-942-0087; downtownorangeville.ca SEP 19 : CALEDON SENIORS CENTRE BINGO & LUNCH Quiche. Check-in

9:30am, Bingo 10am, lunch at noon. Cost includes three Bingo cards, lunch and prizes. Fees, call to register by Sep 17. 9:30am-1:30pm. 7 Rotarian Way, Bolton. 905-951-6114; caledonseniors.ca SEP 19 & 20 : CULTURE DAYS OPENAIR DISCOVERY Get hands-on with

objects from our teaching collection. Weather dependent. Sat 10am-noon. Sun 1-3pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905-791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca SEP 24, OCT 29, NOV 26 & DEC 17 : CANCER SUPPORT GROUP

www.smallhallsfestival.ca

Peer-led support group for those journeying with cancer. 1pm. Free. 346255 15 Sdrd, Mono. 519-941-0972; highcountryunited.weebly.com SEP 25 & NOV 20 : CALEDON SENIORS CENTRE MONTHLY DINNERS Sep 25:

Lasagna. Psychic medium fundraiser,

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don’t have to be 55+ to attend, 7-9pm. Nov 20: Shepherd’s pie. Pick-up 5:15pm, dine-in 5:30pm. All welcome. Fees. Local delivery available. Call two days prior to register. 5:15-7pm. 7 Rotarian Way, Bolton. 905-951-6114; caledonseniors.ca

OCT 1 & NOV 5 : CALEDON SENIORS CENTRE LUNCH & LEARN Oct 1:

Treasure Your Bones. Nov 5: Longevity and the New Journey of Retirement. Sandwiches. Fee, call to register. 11am-1pm. 7 Rotarian Way, Bolton. 905-951-6114; caledonseniors.ca

SEP 26 : TOWN OF MONO ALL CANDIDATES MEETING Ask questions, learn the priorities of our candidates. 10am-noon. Hockley Historic Community Hall & Church, 994174 Mono-Adjala Tnln, Mono. MMCC, monomulmur.com SEP 26 : FALL RURAL ROMP

Self-guided tour to farms, markets, nurseries, and local food and beverage businesses in Centre Wellington, Erin, Guelph/Eramosa, Puslinch and Guelph. 10am-4pm. Free. Taste Real, 519-837-2600 x2614; wellington.ca SEP 26 : AUTUMN SOLSTICE VENDOR MARKET Shop local artisans, crafters and small businesses. 11am-4pm. Free. 17272 Mt Wolfe Rd & Hwy 9, Caledon. 905-880-5002; blackhorsetheatre.ca

OCT 2 : TUFF THERAPEUTIC RIDING FOUNDATION CLOTHING SALE

Curated selection of new, gently used, high-end clothing. Proceeds to program for youth at risk. 9am-9pm. Free. Jewel View Farm, 4458 Con Rd 4, Adjala, Loretto. 705-220-6823; tuffriding.com OCT 2 – 5 : EVOLUTION IN WHOLEHORSE SOUNDNESS CONFERENCE

Bodywork, veterinary sports medicine, hoof care, podiatry and nutrition. Oct 2: Meet & Greet social. Oct 5: Exclusive, members/supporting membersonly day of podiatry demos. OAS Event Centre, 247090 5 Sdrd, Mono. Canadian Equine Hoof Care Association, canadianequinehoofcare.com OCT 3 : CALEDON CULTURE DAYS

SEP 26 : HOMETOWN HARVEST

Sales, open houses, live music with local youth buskers. Fall décor and scarecrows. 11am-3pm. Downtown Erin. Erin Chamber of Commerce, erinchamber.ca

CULTUREFEST International cuisine, performances, crafts and activities that celebrate our global cultures. 3-10pm. Free. Humber River Centre, 28 Ann St, Bolton. Town of Caledon, 905-584-2272 x4376; caledon.ca

SEP 27 : UPPER CREDIT HUMANE SOCIETY OPEN HOUSE Behindthe-scenes tours, delicious food, face painting, raffles and more. Noon4pm. Upper Credit Humane Society Shelter, 5383 Trafalgar Rd, Erin. 519-833-2287; uppercredit.com

OCT 3 : HARVEST BAZAAR & BAKE SALE Café, bake and craft tables,

WUC draws, vendors, quilt and artisan displays. 9am-2pm. Westminster United Church, 247 Broadway, Orangeville. 519941-0381; westminsterorangeville.ca

SEP 29, OCT 27 & NOV 24 : HEAD

OCT 3 : DUFFERIN FARM TOUR

WATERS NATURE MONTHLY

Self-guided tour offers farm-related activities, commodity displays, animals and local produce to purchase. 9am4pm. Admission: non-perishable food donation or cash for the food bank. dufferinfarmtour.com

MEETINGS Sept 29: TBA. Oct 27:

Grasslands National Park. Nov 24: Invasive Species. 7-9pm. Orangeville Seniors Centre, 26 Bythia St, Orangeville. 519-217-2645; onheadwatersnature.ca

OCT 3 : MULMUR TOWNSHIP

OCT 4 : BOLTON UNITED 150TH

ALL CANDIDATES MEETING Meet

ANNIVERSARY Join us for our

your candidates for the upcoming municipal election. 10am-noon. Mulmur Township Office, 758070 2nd Ln E, Mulmur. MMCC, monomulmur.com

celebration worship and homecoming

OCT 3 : DOORS OPEN AT PAMA

Explore the spaces and collections that bring our community’s history to life. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905-791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca OCT 3 : BELFOUNTAIN SALAMANDER FESTIVAL Local entertainment, kids’

activities, vendors, local artisans. 11am-4pm. Free. Belfountain Village Church, 17258 Old Main St, Credit Valley Conservation Park, Belfountain. Belfountain Community Organization, 519-927-3204; belfountain.ca OCT 3 : SINGHAMPTON SHOW & SHINE Classic cars, trucks and

antique tractors, BBQ, beer tent and live music. Proceeds to the Outdoor Rink at Singhampton Park. Singhampton Firefighter’s Association, Singhampton Hall volunteers. Rain date: Oct 4. 10am-2pm. Singhampton Park, Church St, Singhampton. 705428-6230 x262; smallhallsfestival.ca OCT 3 : ANTIQUES & VINTAGE ORANGEVILLE Items from 60+

vendors, many categories, all price ranges. ATMs on-site, food trucks and free parking. 9am-4pm. Fee. OAS Event Centre, 247090 5 Sdrd, Mono. Gadsden Promotions Ltd, 647-2363277; antiqueshowscanada.com

lunch. 10am-1pm. 8 Nancy St, Bolton. 905-857-2615; boltonunitedchurch.com OCT 4 : EMPTY BOWLS HEAD WATERS Choose a donated handmade

bowl, a local donated soup paired with fresh bread, keep the bowl in memory of those less fortunate. Proceeds to regional food programs. 11:30am-4pm. Fee. Alton Mill Arts Centre, 1402 Queen St, Alton. 519-938-2092; annranderaad.com OCT 6 : THE GOOD OLD FASHIONED TELETHON Live on Rogers TV

Dufferin-Caledon, Channel 63. Tune in as we celebrate our journey and lives impacted. 6-9pm. Streams Community Hub, 289-203-8202; streamshub.org OCT 7 : CLIMATEPROOFING OUR COMMUNITY Interactive discussions,

hands-on demos and information tables hosted by community partners. 9am-noon. Free. Humber River Centre, 28 Ann St, Bolton. ecocaledon.org OCT 8 : CPL SPEAKER SERIES: FROM CURIOSITY TO CONFIDENCE – AI

Richard Khan gives a practical, plainlanguage introduction to ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. 6:30-8pm. Free, register. Cancel if unable to attend. Caledon Library, 6500 Old Church Rd, Caledon East. 905-8571400 x228; caledonlibrary.com OCT 10 : CREEMORE HORTI CULTURAL SOCIETY

OCT 3 : PUMPKINFEST Inflatable attractions, live entertainment, vendor market and pumpkinthemed games for all ages. Noon4pm. Free; fee for inflatables. Natasha Paterson Memorial Park, 340 Gordon St, Shelburne. 519-2784578; shelburnerotaryclub.com OCT 4 : PET BLESSING A special

outdoor service. All pets on a leash or in a carrier. 2-3pm. St. James Anglican Church Caledon East, 6025 Old Church Rd, Caledon East. 905584-9635; stjamescaledoneast.ca

SEPTEMBER 16 - OCTOBER 4, 2026

FLORAL PUMPKIN SALE FUNDRAISER Please join

us. 9am-1pm. Creemore Village Green, 181 Mill St, Creemore. 705-4663170; creemorehort.com OCT 10 : CPL SPEAKER SERIES: CHARGE AHEAD – EXPLORING ELECTRIC VEHICLES Kenneth Bokor

provides education and awareness. 1-2pm. Free, register. Cancel if unable to attend. Caledon Library, 225 Dougall Ave, Caledon. 905-8571400 x228; caledonlibrary.com

A Celebration of Art, Culture & Community

ALL EVENTS AT THE HEADWATERS ARTS GALLERY LOCATED IN THE ALTON MILL ARTS CENTRE 1402 QUEEN STREET WEST • ALTON, ONTARIO

www.headwatersarts.org For Soirée tickets & Fall Festival information:

HEADWATERSARTS.ORG

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OCT 16 : THE HARVEST EUCHRE

OCT 23 : ERIN WITCHES WALK

TOURNAMENT Enjoy an evening of

Halloween décor, shopping and live entertainment. Don’t forget your broomstick! Proceeds to Headwaters Health Care Foundation. 6:30pm. Down town Erin. Sarah Majeski, instagram.com

friendly competition. Register online. 6-11pm. Mono Community Centre, Mono. 519-941-3599; townofmono.com OCT 17 : BOO! ON BROADWAY & BEYOND A giant Halloween

playground with dozens of spooky, fun, family-friendly activities packed into one thrilling day. 9am-1pm. 519942-0087; downtownorangeville.ca OCT 17 : CALEDON HORSE TACK

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2026

www.dufferinfarmtour.com EXPERIENCE FARMING UP CLOSE

SWAP Two buildings of new and used horse equipment for sale: Caledon Village Place, 18313 Hurontario St, Caledon Village, and the Agricultural Hall on Caledon Fairgrounds, 18297 Hurontario St, Caledon Village. 10am3pm. Caledon Agricultural Society, 519-925-3461; caledonfair.ca

OCT 23, 24, 30 & 31 : HAUNT IN THE PARK Wander 6,000 sq. ft. of haunted hallways, forests and corn fields with 60+ actors. Oct 24: 10am-2pm: Daylight event, less scary. Oct 23, 24, 30 & 31: 7-11pm: Fright experience. Free, donations for Shelburne Food Bank, food or monetary donations accepted. Shelburne Fiddle Park, Dufferin Cty Rd 11, Shelburne. 519-925-1534; hauntinthepark.com OCT 24 : ECOCALEDON REPAIR CAFÉ

Team of skilled volunteer Fixers try to give your broken items a second chance. 10am-2pm. Caledon Seniors Centre, 7 Rotarian Way, Bolton. ecocaledon.org OCT 24 : HAPPY HALLOWEEN VENDOR MARKET Shop local artisans, crafters and small businesses outdoors with us. 11am-4pm. Free. 17272 Mt Wolfe Rd & Hwy 9, Caledon. 905-880-5002; blackhorsetheatre.ca OCT 24 : ELBOWS UP WHISKY NIGHT – AGES 19+ Curated Canadian

OCT 17 : CALEDON SENIORS CENTRE LUNCH & BID EUCHRE TOURNAMENT

Lasagna. Check-in 11:30am, lunch at noon. Tournament starts 1pm. Prizes and more! Fees, call to register by Oct 15. 11:30am-4:30pm. 7 Rotarian Way, Bolton. 905-951-6114; caledonseniors.ca OCT 18 : EXPERTS IN THE LIBRARY: HOMESTEADING: IS IT THE LIFE

Explore art, craft, and creativity through workshops at the Alton Mill

www.altonmill.ca

1402 QUEEN STREET WEST, ALTON • ALTONMILL .CA • 519.941.9300

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STYLE FOR YOU? Join author and educator Aly Nickling-Riddle for an honest and practical look. 2-3:30pm. Free, register. Orangeville Library, 1 Mill St, Orangeville. 519941-0610; orangevillelibrary.ca OCT 22 : TRAVEL DIARIES: TUK TUKS TO CRATERS Joe Mullins shares highlights and photos from his journey through Guatemala. 6:308pm. Free, register. Cancel if unable to attend. Caledon Library, 6500 Old Church Rd, Caledon East. 905-8571400 x228; caledonlibrary.com

craft whisky nosing featuring selections from Canadian distilleries, expertly paired. Cash bar, mocktails, silent auction. Cash, no ATM on-site. 7-10pm. Fee. Singhampton Community Centre, Singhampton. Small Halls Festival, 705428-6230 x262; smallhallsfestival.ca OCT 29 : GHOST STORIES OF ORANGEVILLE WITH THE MUSEUM OF DUFFERIN A spooky evening of local legends and haunted history. 6:30-8pm. Free, register. Orangeville Library, 1 Mill St, Orangeville. 519941-0610; orangevillelibrary.ca NOV 1 : MONO MULMUR CITIZENS’ COALITION ANNUAL MEETING

Senator Robert Black, P. Ag. (Hon.) shares his expertise on soil health. 1-3:30pm. Free. Mono Community Centre, Mono. MMCC, monomulmur.com NOV 4 : CPL SPEAKER SERIES: THE VALUE CRISIS & OUR COMMUNITY

Author Andrew Welch shares framework for understanding human value systems

MANSFIELD OUTDOOR CENTRE FOREST SCHOOL NATURE ENRICHMENT PROGRAM Where learning comes alive in the heart of nature. 300 acres of forest, meadow, and river valley — guided by Ontario Certified Teachers connecting curriculum to real-world discovery. and their connections. 6:30-8pm. Free, register. Cancel if unable to attend. Caledon Library, 35 Station St, Alton. 905-857-1400 x228; caledonlibrary.com

1-2pm. Free, register. Cancel if unable to attend. Caledon Library, 6500 Old Church Rd, Caledon East. 905-8571400 x228; caledonlibrary.com

NOV 5 : TRAVEL DIARIES: INSIDE

NOV 7 : SINGLE MALT WHISKY

NORTH KOREA Craig Rowland presents

photos and videos of his once-in-alifetime cross-country tour. 6:30-8pm. Free, register. Cancel if unable to attend. Caledon Library, 150 Queen St S, Bolton. 905-857-1400 x228; caledonlibrary.com NOV 6 : FALL FOR CALEDON MEALS ON WHEELS Food, entertainment

and a few surprises. 6-10pm. Fee. Early bird before Sep 13 saves $25. TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, 18821 Main St, Caledon. 905-857-7651; cmow.org NOV 6 & 7 : COMPASSION CARING TOGETHER FAMILY INFORMATION FAIR Learn about Alzheimer’s Society,

Hospice, Telecheck and Dufferin County Support Services, and more. 2-4pm. Free. Dufferin Oaks LongTerm Care Home, 151 Centre St, Shelburne. Family Council for Dufferin Oaks, Dennis Cox, 519-306-1112. NOV 6 – 8 : THE UDDER TOURNA MENT Watch over 30 women’s hockey teams compete. Proceeds to Bethell Hospice Foundation. Fri: noon-midnight. Sat 8am-midnight. Sun 8am-3pm. Caledon East Community Complex, Caledon East. The Udder Tournament Committee, facebook.com NOV 7 : CALEDON SENIORS CENTRE CRAFT & BAKE SALE, SILENT AUCTION Nearly new, book sale and

much more. BBQ, refreshments and tea room. 8am-1pm. 7 Rotarian Way, Bolton. 905-951-6114; caledonseniors.ca NOV 7 : CPL SPEAKER SERIES: CHARGE AHEAD – EXPLORING ELECTRIC VEHICLES Kenneth

Bokor provides education and awareness of the EV marketplace.

DINNER – AGES 19+ Whisky sampling

paired with Scottish-inspired fare. Silent auction. Cash, no ATM on-site. Scottish attire encouraged, but not required. 6-8:30pm. Fee. Singhampton Community Centre, Singhampton. 705428-6230 x262; smallhallsfestival.ca NOV 14 : 3R’S CHRISTMAS BAZAAR

Shop local from talented artisans and crafters for festive gifts. 10am-4pm. Monora Park Pavilion, 500 Monora Park Dr, Mono. 519-941-3599; townofmono.com

PROGRAMS RUN SEPT TO MAY GRADES 1–6

NOV 14 : CONSECRATION OF ST. JOHN’S CHURCH EAST ORANGEVILLE Presided by Bishop

Robertson and Chancellor Margaret Creal. Former parishioners welcome. Reception to follow. 11am-5pm. St. John’s Church East Orangeville, 3907 Hwy 9, Caledon. 519-941-1950; stjohnsorangeville.ca NOV 14 – MAR 27 : OUR GUIDING STORIES Selected artworks,

Girl Guide artifacts and historic photographs. Tues-Sat 10am-4pm. Airport Rd & Hwy 89, Mulmur. 1-877941-7787; dufferinmuseum.com NOV 16 – 21 : OPERATION CHRIST MAS CHILD DROP-OFF Shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items are sent around the world to needy children. Nov 16-20: 9am-4pm. Nov 17: 9am-4pm, 5:30-8pm. Nov 21: 9amnoon. Broadway Pentecostal Church, 556 Broadway Ave, Orangeville. Cindy Reale, 416-697-9999; samaritanspurse.ca NOV 20 – 22, 27 – 29 : JOY + LIGHTS

BRUCE TRAIL DAY

Enjoy live musical performances as you wander through the forest, join a treasure hike, take part in a children's music circle, explore our biodiversity seed garden and relax with some free bbq. Splitrock Narrows Nature Reserve 755437 2 Line EHS, Mono Sunday October 4th 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

www.dufferinbrucetrailclub.org dufferinbrucetrailclub.org

FESTIVAL Live entertainment, family

fun, tree lighting, Santa Claus Parade and the Very Merry Holiday Market. Fri 4-8:30pm. Sat 11am-7pm. Sun 11am-3pm. 519-942-0087; downtownorangeville.ca

No pre-registration required. Admission is free.

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‘‘Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic’’ An Evening of Comedy with Michael McCreary

Since ‘AspieComic’ Michael McCreary was celebrated in In The Hills as one of ‘25 Under 25’ local young people to watch, he’s been featured on CBC’s Laugh Out Loud, performed at the Winnipeg and Halifax comedy festivals, appeared in two TV series, been nominated for a 2026 Canadian Screen Award, and toured his wry wit across North America. Now he’s coming home for one very funny night!

Sunday, September 20, 7pm Orangeville Town Hall Opera House petepaterson.com

Tickets $40

www.dufferinarts.com DufferinArts.com

PRESENTED BY DUFFERIN ARTS COUNCIL

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NOV 21 : CHRIST CHURCH CHRIST

SEP 25 – 27 : GRAND VALLEY FALL

MAS BAZAAR Bake sale with delicious

FAIR Grand Valley Agricultural Society Fairgrounds, 60 Main St N, Grand Valley. 226-979-3724; grandvalleyfallfair.ca

homemade treats, variety of local vendors and our popular Nearly New Room. 9am-1pm. Free. Christ Church Anglican Bolton, 22 Nancy St, Bolton. 905-857-0433; christchurchbolton.ca NOV 21 : CALEDON SENIORS CENTRE LUNCH & EUCHRE TOURNAMENT

Sausage on a bun. Check-in 11:30am, lunch at noon. Tournament starts 1pm. Prizes and more! Fees, call to register two days prior. 11:30am-4:30pm. 7 Rotarian Way, Bolton. 905-951-6114; caledonseniors.ca NOV 21 : BETHELL HOSPICE HOLIDAY BAZAAR Gently used treasures, vintage finds, home-baked treats, seasonal greenery and handcrafted gifts. Proceeds to Bethell Hospice Foundation. 9am-3pm. Knox United Church, 2976 Charleston Sdrd, Caledon Village. bethellhospice.org NOV 21 : NUTCRACKER GALA Includes

a gourmet dinner, entertainment, and live and silent auctions. Proceeds to the Shelburne Food Bank. 6-10pm. Fees. Shelburne Golf & Country Club, 516423 Cty Rd 124, Melancthon. 519278-4578; shelburnerotaryclub.com FALL FAIRS

Please see websites for more details. SEP 4 – 6: ORANGEVILLE FALL FAIR

Orangeville Agricultural Centre, 247090 5 Sdrd, Mono. Orangeville Agricultural Society, 519-942-9597; oaseventcentre.ca SEP 17 – 20: BRAMPTON FALL FAIR

Brampton Fairgrounds, 12942 Heart Lake Rd, Caledon. 905-843-0210; bramptonfair.com SEP 18 – 20: SHELBURNE FALL FAIR

Shelburne & District Fairgrounds, 200 Fiddlepark Lane, Shelburne. facebook.com/shelburnefallfair SEP 25 – 27: BOLTON FALL FAIR

Albion & Bolton Fairgrounds, 150 Queen St S, Bolton. boltonfair.ca

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OCT 9 – 12: ERIN FALL FAIR Erin

Agricultural Society Fairgrounds, 190 Main St, Erin. erinfair.com

KIDS NOW – ONGOING : DCAFS PROGRAMS & WORKSHOPS Community resources

for child and youth mental health, child welfare, developmental support services and behaviour solutions. 655 Riddell Rd, Orangeville. 519-941-1530; dcafs.on.ca SEP 8 – NOV 26 : EVERY CHILD READY TO READ WITH EVERYONE – AGES 5 & UNDER Songs, stories and rhymes help engage kids in reading and learning. Tues: 275 Alder St. Thur: 1 Mill St. 10:30-11am. Orangeville Library, 519-941-0610; orangevillelibrary.ca SEP 9 – NOV 27 : EVERY CHILD READY TO READ WITH BABIES – UP TO 18 MONTHS Interactive

activities give kids a jump-start to reading. Wed: 1 Mill St. 1-1:30pm. Fri: 275 Alder St. 10:30-11am. Orangeville Library, 519-941-0610; orangevillelibrary.ca SEP 11, OCT 9 & NOV 13 : TEEN ADVISORY GROUP – AGES 13 TO 17

Local youth share ideas on teen programs, services and collection. Earn volunteer hours. 4-5:30pm. Orangeville Library, 275 Alder St, Orangeville. 519-941-0610; orangevillelibrary.ca SEP 14 – ONGOING (MONDAYS) : MOM & BABES YOGA FITNESS

Please join us. 11am-noon. Free. Bolton United Church, 8 Nancy St, Bolton. boltonunitedchurch.com

SEP 19 – OCT 31 : DOWNEY’S PUMP KINFEST Outdoor fun, 40+ attractions,

great food and entertainment. Tickets must be purchased online in advance. No tickets sold on-site. Last admission 4pm. 9:30am-5pm. Fee. Downey’s Farm Market, 13682 Heart Lake Rd, Caledon. 905-838-2990; downeysfarm.com SEP 21 – NOV 30 : AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS AT STREAMS From art

and theatre to music and more, there’s something for every young creator. MonFri 4-8pm. 305 Col. Phillips Dr, Shelburne. 289-203-8202; streamshub.org SEP 23 : EXPERTS IN THE LIBRARY: THE CONNECTION BETWEEN NATURE & CHILDREN’S HEALTH

Brayden Plummer, head of Outdoor Education at Mansfield Outdoor Centre, gives insight. 7-8:30pm. Free, register. Orangeville Library, 1 Mill St, Orangeville. 519-941-0610; orangevillelibrary.ca SEP 28, OCT 26 & NOV 23 : AFTER SCHOOL CLUB – AGES 7 TO 12 Drop

in for fun DIY activities, crafts, science experiments and games. 4:30-5:30pm. Orangeville Library, 1 Mill St, Orangeville. 519-941-0610; orangevillelibrary.ca OCT 17 : SPOOKTACULAR AT THE BOOSEUM Create a unique creature using

abstract art techniques. 10am-3:30pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905-791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca OCT 24 : HALLOWEEN AT THE BOOSEUM Create a ghostly craft, test your senses with mystery boxes and more! 10am-4pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca OCT 24 : HALLOWEEN ON THE FAIRGROUNDS Come in costume.

Pumpkin carving, s’mores, haunted maze, crafts, music and more! 4-8pm. Caledon Fairgrounds, 18297 Hurontario St, Caledon Village. Caledon Agricultural Society, Caledon Village Association, 519-927-3557; caledonvillage.org OCT 25 : TOWN OF MONO HALLO WEEN PARTY Games, crafts, treats and

more. 3-5pm. Mono Community Centre, Mono. 519-941-3599; townofmono.com

MUSIC SEP – NOV: LIVE MUSIC AT ROSE THEATRE Please check the website.

Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800; tickets.brampton.ca SEP 9, 16 & 23 : ACHILL CHORAL SOCIETY OPEN REHEARSALS If you love to sing, bring your vocal chops and enthusiasm. All voices welcome. 7-9pm. Westminster United Church, 247 Broadway, Orangeville. achill.ca

HARVEST MOON

SEP 12 : MUSIC IN THE MEADOW – A FUNDRAISER FOR THEATRE ORANGEVILLE – AGES 18+ Classic songs, familiar country favourites and singalong hits. Bring lawn chair or blanket. Food and free cold drinks available. Dry event. No alcohol or pets permitted. Proceeds to Theatre Orangeville’s professional productions and youth programs. 2-5pm. Fee, includes tax receipt, at Theatre Orangeville box office. Address on ticket purchase. theatreorangeville.ca

Art at the Farm and in the Barn!

We are looking forward to this year’s Autumn Sale. Saturday & Sunday, September 26 & 27, Noon–5pm and the Caledon Studio Tour, October 3 & 4, 10am–4pm

10% off originals at both events.

www.maryscattergood.com Studio: 20451 Porterfield Road, Caledon 416-998-2008 maryscattergood.com

SEP 19 : GOODGRASS OLD SCHOOL JAMBOREE Some of Ontario’s

best bluegrass musicians alongside different genres of music! 6-11pm. Fee. Everdale, 5812 Sixth Ln, Hillsburgh. GoodLot Farm and Farmstead Brewing Co, 519-927-5881; goodlot.beer SEP 25 – 27 : HOW WE GOT TO JERSEY – A TALE OF TWO FRANKIES High-energy look at the Broadway smash Jersey Boys with Adrian Marchuk and Jeff Madden. Live band and photo/video projections. Fri Sat 7:30pm. Sun 2pm. Town Hall Opera House, 87 Broadway, Orangeville. 519-942-3423; theatreorangeville.ca SEP 26 : PORTUGUESE FADO MUSIC NIGHT The rich emotions, stories and sounds of Portugal’s beloved musical heritage, Q&A. 2:30-3:30pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905-791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca OCT 2 : CALEDON CHAMBER CONCERTS PRESENTS Rebekah Wolkstein (violin) and Joe Phillips (guitar). 7:30-9:30pm. Fee. St. James Anglican Church Caledon East, 6025 Old Church Rd, Caledon East. 905-8380888; caledonchamberconcerts.com

www.volunteerdufferin.ca/election2026

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In-Home Care That Keeps Seniors Independent

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P R E V I O U S PAG E

NOV 14 : CALEDON CHAMBER

OUR SERVICES • Personal care available 24/7 • Companion care • Overnight care • Hospital-to-home • Respite care • Registered footcare nurse available for in-home visits

519-942-9101

www.orangeville.comfortkeepers.ca Orangeville.comfortkeepers.ca Serving Orangeville, Caledon and surrounding areas

CONCERTS PRESENTS Bach’s

Long Walk in the Snow with Tom Allen (narrator), Loti Gemmell (harp), Rebekah Wolkstein (violin) and Michael Bridge (accordion). 7:30-9:30pm. Fee. St. James Anglican Church Caledon East, 6025 Old Church Rd, Caledon East. 905-8380888; caledonchamberconcerts.com NOV 19 : BRAMPTON FOLK CLUB

Intimate concert experience with Capture the Moment. 7-8:30pm. PAMA, 9 Wellington St E, Brampton. 905-791-4055; pama.peelregion.ca NOV 21 : WESTMINSTER’S COFFEE HOUSE: A CANADIAN EXPERIENCE

Music performed by local musicians of all ages. Refreshments provided. 7-9pm. Fee. Westminster United Church, 247 Broadway, Orangeville. 519-9410381; westminsterorangeville.ca SEP 18 – NOV 7: SMALL HALLS FESTIVAL – MUSIC EVENTS

Fee. Cash only. No ATM. 705-4286230 x262; smallhallsfestival.ca SEP 18 : SINK OR SWIM WITH SÉAN MCCANN – AGES 19+ The

Shantyman of Great Big Sea’s new show. 7pm. Creemore Village Green. SEP 19 : DAYNA REID – AGES 12+

Powerhouse vocals, one-of-a-kind lyrics and line dancing. 6pm. Duntroon Hall. OCT 3 : SHANE CLOUTIER – AGES 19+ Heartfelt music and powerful

storytelling. 8pm. Sunnidale Corners Community Centre. NOV 5 : SONGWRITERS THAT ROCK –

www.environmentalpestcontrol.ca DON’T MISS AN ISSUE

Former resident, regular visitor, weekender? Subscribe and get In The Hills wherever you live! Call 519-216-9894 or scan.

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ALL AGES Romney Getty, Laura Somers,

Motes & Oats and Jess Bowman. 7pm. Nottawa Memorial Community Centre.

OUTDOOR NOW – NOV 8 (SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS) : MAPLE SYRUP FARM

foot and on the assigned route. Map provided. Unscramble the final message for your badge. Dufferin Hi-Land Bruce Trail Club, dufferinbrucetrailclub.org SEP 12 : MOTIONBALL MARATHON OF SPORT CALEDON Compete and

connect while playing with Special Olympics athletes. Swag, light breakfast, lunch and refreshments, personal fundraising link, after-party. Proceeds to Special Olympics Canada Foundation. 9am-3pm. Caledon East Community Complex, Caledon East. motionball.com SEP 17 : FORE HONEYWOOD GOLF TOURNAMENT Shotgun start

(scramble). Lunch, golf carts, swag bags, on-course contests. Raffle and prizes. Rain or shine! Proceeds to Honeywood Arena Renovation Fund. Shelburne Golf & Country Club, 516423 Cty Rd 124, Melancthon. Fore Honeywood Golf Committee, mulmur.ca SEP 19 : BIRDING WORKSHOP: FALL MIGRATION Spot migrants and

understand fall movement. Walk up to 3 km of flat trails. Dress for weather and/ or bugs. Bring binoculars. 7:30-9:30am. Fee. 937365 Airport Rd, Mulmur. 705435-4479; mansfieldoutdoorcentre.ca SEP 26 : BRAMPTON TOUGH RUN Take on 5 km of bootcampstyle obstacles on your own or with a team. Staff supervision. 9:30am-noon. Fee. Chinguacousy Park, 9050 Bramalea Rd, Brampton. City of Brampton, brampton.ca SEP 27 : CALEDON SENIORS CENTRE WALK FOR HEALTHY LIVING Proceeds

to programs that help older adults stay active, connected and engaged. 10am-2pm. 7 Rotarian Way, Bolton. 905-951-6114; caledonseniors.ca OCT 4 : DUFFERIN HI-LAND CLUB

sugarbush and museum tours. Tasting flights. 10:30am or 12:30pm. 9467 Erin East Garafraxa Tnln, Hillsburgh. 519-216-0699; elliotttreefarm.ca

BRUCE TRAIL DAY Music, treasure hike, biodiversity seed garden and free BBQ. 10am-2pm. Split Rock Narrows Nature Reserve, 755437 2nd Ln EHS Mono. dufferinbrucetrailclub.org

NOW – DEC 31 : MULMUR 175 END-

OCT 4 : CALEDON HILLS BRUCE

TO-END CHALLENGE – ALL AGES

TRAIL DAY – ALL AGES Live music,

Complete this 41.1 km journey in sections or end-to-end. All checkpoints on

stories, hands-on shaker making, bird-box building, family-friendly hikes

EXPERIENCE & TASTING Guided

WHAT TICKLES THE HEART OF A CANADIAN BOOK LOVER?

Visit us online For up-to-date listings between issues, and for more details, go to inthehills.ca/events. To submit your community, arts or nonprofit event: Select “What’s On” from the menu bar at inthehills.ca. That will take you to the listings page. Select “Add Your Community Event” and complete the easy form. Submit by Friday, October 16, 2026 for the winter (November) issue. We reserve the right to edit submissions for print and web.

inthehills.ca

on-site. Ticket price includes lunch and dinner for all competitors. 10am-6pm. Fee. Creemore Station on the Green, 10 Caroline St E, Creemore. 705-4286230 x262; smallhallsfestival.ca OCT 25 : BOLTON ROTARY HAUNTED HILL WALK/RUN Wear your costume!

1 km Fun Run: 9:30am. 5 km run/walk: 10am. Food, games and prizes. Net proceeds to The Exchange and local youth organizations. 9am-1pm. Free, cash/tap donations or dry goods appreciated. Caledon Centre for Recreation and Wellness, Bolton. Bolton Rotary, 416804-2300; rotaryhauntedhill.com OCT 25 : HIKE THE BRUCE – ALL

outdoor fire, trails, visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus! No reservations required. Dogs on a leash. 9am-5pm. Free. 9467 Erin East Garafraxa Tnln, Hillsburgh. 519-216-0699; elliotttreefarm.ca

THEATRE & FILM SEP 12, 13, 18 & 19 : ONE-ACT SHOW CASE Experience several shows each

night on the same stage! Fri 8:15pm. Sat 2:15 & 8:15pm. Sun 2:15pm. Dinner theatre: Sat 6:30pm. Fee. 18365 Hurontario St, Caledon Village. 519-9275460; caledontownhallplayers.com SEP 13, 19, 20, 25 – 27 : FILTHY RICH BY GEORGE F. WALKER Will a washed-

VIEW: SMALL HALLS EDITION – AGES 19+ Race, challenges and prizes.

Costumes encouraged! Cash bar. No ATM

Celebrated historian, storyteller, thriller writer

A cracker-jack spy story about one man's courage. Moderated by Canadian journalist, Michelle Shephard

FARM Gift shop, Maple Syrup Museum,

OCT 17 : AMAZING RACE CLEAR

BEN MACINTYRE

NOV 1 : MONORA PUMPKIN TRAIL

EXPERIENCE AT ELLIOTT TREE

FIGHT CANCER Hike for yourself or a loved one. 5-7:30pm. Fee. Caledon Ski Club, 17431 Mississauga Rd, Caledon. Headwaters Health Care Foundation, 519-941-2702 x2303; hhcfoundation.com

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 7PM

The Spy and the Traitor, Agent Sonya, Prisoners of the Castle

NOV 14 – DEC 23 : CHRISTMAS TREE

OCT 8 : HEADWATERS HIKE TO

Presented by BookLore & Theatre Orangeville

AGES All abilities. Meet at 1pm sharp. Dress for the weather, bring your own water and snacks. Free parking. Free, register. 1-3pm. Singhampton Community Centre, Singhampton. 705428-6230 x262; smallhallsfestival.ca

Take an evening stroll and enjoy hundreds of glowing, community-carved pumpkins. 6:30-10pm. Monora Park Pavilion, 500 Monora Park Dr, Mono. 519-941-3599; townofmono.com

and more. A fun and inclusive time inspired by an Indigenous perspective. 9am-2:30pm. Free. Riverside Woods Nature Reserve, 713377 1st Line EHS, Mono. Access via 5 Sdrd. GPS 43.59916, -80.070494. caledonbrucetrail.ca

TWO OF THE BIGGEST AUTHORS FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM Authors on Stage

up writer turned detective find his man in this comic thriller? Fri Sat 7:30pm. Sun 2pm. Fee. 72 Trafalgar Rd, Hillsburgh. 519855-4586; centurychurchtheatre.com

DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED MARY LAWSON Canadian-born, England-based, Bookernominated Crow Lake, A Town Called Solace, The Other Side of the Bridge A gorgeous novel set in Canada's north country. Moderated by former CBC journalist, Bernadette Hardaker

Tickets available at BookLore 519-942-3830 or Theatre Orangeville Box Office 519-942-3423 PROCEEDS TO NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT STAY AFTER FOR A CATERED RECEPTION

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LINK DIRECTLY TO OUR ADVERTISERS AT INTHEHILLS.CA ACCOMMODATION 23

Tailwinds Bed & Breakfast

ARTS, CULTURE & THEATRE 33

Alton Mill Arts Centre

104 Alton Mill Arts Centre 41

Dragonfly Arts on Broadway

DANCE 41

Academy of Performing Arts

DENTAL 111

Dufferin Dental Hygiene

DINING

103 Headwaters Arts Fall Festival

111

Opening Night Soirée

Expressions Card & Gift

Home for the Holidays Gala

Rural Commons

The Magpies’ Nest, Alton Mill Arts Centre

100 Over Here Fall Creative Workshops 102 Small Halls Festival 106 The Good Old Fashioned Telethon

Greystones Restaurant & Lounge

Lightcaster Taphouse

Mono Cliffs Inn

Mrs. Mitchell’s Restaurant

Peter Cellars Pub

Pia’s on Broadway

Plant.ed

Rustik Local Bistro

Spirit Tree Estate Cidery

The Busholme Gastro Pub

BEAUTY & FITNESS

The Craft Pizza Bar & Italian Eatery

Erin Fitness

The Craft Pizza Bar & Italian Eatery

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Henning Salon

The Globe Rosemont

Orangetheory Fitness

Purple Owl Pilates

106 Dufferin Arts Council 107 Mary Scattergood, Folk Artist 97

Museum of Dufferin

100 Over Here Community Arts 41

Ricky Schaede Art Studio

ART SUPPLIES 40

Maggiolly Art Supplies

AUTO 4

Jaguar & Land Rover Brampton

BOOKS 109 BookLore

BUILDERS, ARCHITECTS & DEVELOPERS

Hear Well Be Well

Hannah’s of Erin

Omega Alpha Pharmaceuticals

Scented Drawer Fine Lingerie Boutique

HEATING & COOLING

Seconds Count Hospital Thrift Store

FENCING McGuire Fence

Bryan’s Fuel

HOME DÉCOR & FURNISHINGS 40

Framed X Design

Granny Taught Us How

Heidi’s Room

RBC Dominion Securities, S. Roud

Sproule’s Emporium

Two Brothers at Osprey Valley

SGN Investments, S. Nixon

Steddy Styles Design and Staging

EVENTS

FIREPLACE SALES & SERVICE

106 An Evening of Comedy with

Michael McCreary 72

Antiques & Vintage Show and Sale, Orangeville Fairgrounds

109 Authors on Stage

Ferguson Fine Homes

105 Bruce Trail Day

JDC Design Build

Post Structures

Caledon Fireplace

FLOWERS

116 Orangeville Furniture

HOME IMPROVEMENT & REPAIR 84

Alex Kozak Gravel Driveways & Concrete

All-Mont Garage Doors

Orangeville Flowers

Bright Skylights

Suzanne Gardner Flowers

Cairns Roofing

CBG Homes

Cedarport Window & Door Centre

Celtic Carpet

CM Roofing Solutions

Culp Restoration

Earthwood Elements

Ideal Windows

Kurtz Millworks

LS Custom Contracting

Manax Plumbing

FOOD, DRINK & CATERING 66

Albion Hills Community Farm

Caledon Studio Tour

Giddy Yo

Creative Arts Weekend

Holtom’s Bakery

101 Creemore Arts Fest

Ontario Honey Creations

Culture Days

Orangeville Farmers’ Market

CultureFest

Orangeville Farmers’ Market

104 Dufferin Farm Tour

Rock Garden Farms Rosemont General Store and Kitchen

Elliott Tree Farm Maple Syrup Farm Experience & Tasting

Erin Fall Fair

Son of A Chef Bakery

NAK Cabinetry & Tile

Erin Hometown Harvest on Main St

Spirit Tree Estate Cidery

North Terrain Gravel Driveways

Erin’s Scarecrow Festival

The Chocolate Shop

River Ridge

103 Headwaters Arts Fall Festival

Wicked Shortbread

Roberts Roofing

Juried Art Show & Sale

YF Patissier Chocolatier

115

Synergy Exteriors

Club Ned

107 Headwaters Communities in Action

Dalerose Country

Headwaters Food & Farming Alliance

Dr. Richard Pragnell

Gallery Gemma

Two Brothers at Osprey Valley

100 Arts by the Pond

Caledon Community Services

Amorettos

Shades of Home

Classic Renovations

111

HEALTH & WELLNESS

COMMUNITY SERVICES

A.M. Korsten Jewellers

First Capital Financial, J. Weiler

107 Art at the Farm and in the Barn

Canadian Outbuildings

CHILDREN’S SERVICES

Whitfield Green Energy

Tin Roof Café

Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation

BMO Nesbitt Burns Wealth Management, N. Meek

Caledon Build

FASHION & JEWELRY

GREEN ENERGY

CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS

GIFT & RETAIL SHOPS

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SEP 20 : FUNNY, YOU DON’T

Independent Care Designed Around You

LOOK AUTISTIC – AN EVENING OF COMEDY WITH MICHAEL

Personalized experience from a skilled local hygienist

MCCREARY Celebrated as In The

Hills’ one of “25 Under 25” local young people to watch, the self-described “AspieComic” has toured widely in Canada and the U.S. 7-9pm. Fee. Town Hall Opera House, 87 Broadway, Orangeville. dufferinartscouncil.com SEP 20 : WE LEND A HAND DOCU MENTARY SCREENING Story of

40,000 teenage girls who volunteered on Ontario farms during and after WWII. Two screenings: noon and 3pm, Q&A. Vendor market featuring local female farmers and artisans. 11am-4pm. Fee. Dunedin Village Hall, 8994 Cty Rd 9, Dunedin, 705-4286230 x262; smallhallsfestival.ca SEP 25 – 27, OCT 1 – 4 : THE WRITER (PG) BY NORM FOSTER Familial bonds

in the spotlight of dementia provide delightfully comical and satisfyingly sentimental clarity. Thur Fri 8:15pm. Sat 2:15 & 8:15pm. Sun 2:15pm. Fee. 17272 Mt Wolfe Rd & Hwy 9, Caledon. 905-880-5002; blackhorsetheatre.ca OCT 5 : MONDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES Film tba. See website for

our other season dates and film titles. Fee, cash only, at the door or Booklore. Galaxy Cinemas Orangeville, 85 5th Ave, Orangeville. mondaynightmovies.ca OCT 8 : THAT HYPNOTIST GUY COMEDY SHOW – AGES 19+ Hilarious improvisation, twists and plenty of family-friendly comedy. Complementary appetizers. Cash bar. No ATM onsite. 7-9pm. Fee. Nottawa Memorial Community Centre, Nottawa. 705428-6230 x262; smallhallsfestival.ca OCT 15 – 18, 21 – 25, 28 – 31, NOV 1 :

OCT 17 : QUEEN MILLI OF GALT BY GARY KIRKHAM: A STAGED READING – AGES 19+ Witty and touching exploration of unexpected love with an unexpected former king. Cash bar. 8pm. Fee. Dunedin Village Hall, 8994 Cty Rd 9, Dunedin. 705-4286230 x262; smallhallsfestival.ca OCT 30 : MEDIUM TO BLOODY DINNER THEATRE Join the Collingwood

Improv Artists for a chaotic evening as they try to contact Houdini. Cash bar. No ATM on-site. Reserve your table. 6-10pm. Fee. Creemore Station on the Green, 10 Caroline St E, Creemore. 705428-6230 x262; smallhallsfestival.ca NOV 7, 8, 13 & 14: JACK OF DIAMONDS BY MARCIA KASH & DOUGLAS E. HUGHES Comedy.

OR YOU CAN DO NOTHING BY

of witty one-act plays delivers two sharply observed and delightfully offbeat stories. Sun Wed 2pm. ThurSat 7:30pm. Oct 22: 2pm. Oct 29: 11am & 7:30pm. Oct 31: 4pm. Fee. Town Hall Opera House, 87 Broadway, Orangeville. 519-942-3423; theatreorangeville.ca

Cost savings without compromising top-notch care An environment tailored to your needs, whether relaxing or fun Modern equipment and techniques Dental insurance accepted and billed directly

www.dufferindentalhygiene.com Book an appointment online dufferindentalhygiene.com Call or text 519.217.7227

Dufferin Dental Hygiene Dufferin_Dental_Hygiene 48 Centennial Rd Unit 18

(Located in Healthwise Physiotherapy)

WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS FOR TEETH CLEANING, POLISHING, WHITENING, FLUORIDE APPLICATION AND ORAL HYGIENE EDUCATION

Former jeweller bilks his clients out of their savings and pandemonium ensues. Fri 8:15pm. Sat 2:15 & 8:15pm. Sun 2:15pm. Dinner theatre Sat 6:30pm. Fee. 18365 Hurontario St, Caledon Village. 519-9275460; caledontownhallplayers.com

CARING COMMUNITY STARTS HERE

NOV 14 : STREAMS WORD OF MOUTH MONOLOGUE COMPETITION Talented

youth share powerful stories, build confidence and showcase their creativity. Seating is first come, first served. 3-5pm. Grace Tipling Hall, 203 Main St E, Shelburne. Streams Community Hub, 289-203-8202; streamshub.org NOV 20 – 22, 26 – 29 : OLD LOVE BY NORM FOSTER (PG) Three decades

and several meetings. Thurs Fri 8:15pm. Sat 2:15 & 8:15pm. Sun 2:15pm. Fee. 17272 Mt Wolfe Rd & Hwy 9, Caledon. 905-880-5002; blackhorsetheatre.ca

LOVE IS FOR POOR PEOPLE/ STEWART LEMOINE This double bill

Flexible scheduling, increased availability, short waiting times

NOV 21, 22, 28, 29, DEC 5 & 6 : GREETINGS! BY TOM DUDZICK

A Jewish atheist fiancée, Catholic parents and an intellectually disabled younger brother meet on Christmas Eve and turn their worlds upside down in this comedy. Sat Sun 2pm. Fee. 72 Trafalgar Rd, Hillsburgh. 519-8554586; centurychurchtheatre.com

We’re here for you. When you need a hand up, make CCS your first call.

#TogetherWeCan

A caring Caledon begins with a community that believes in its power to create lasting impact.

www.ccs4u.org

HEALTH JOBS LIFE

ccs4u.org

1-833-552-278 | 905-584-2300

N OV E M B E R 27, 2 0 26 R OYA L A M B A S S A D O R E V E N T C E N T R E

T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E Benef it in support of Caledon Community Services

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MOVING SERVICES 75

LANDSCAPING & GARDENING 9

Headwaters Landscape Design & Construction

Hill’N Dale Landscaping

It’s In The Shed

Leaves & Petals Garden Maintenance

Downsizing Diva

OFFICE SPACE 22

Rural Commons

PEST CONTROL 108 Environmental Pest Control

PET SUPPLIES & SERVICES

River Ridge

Sinovi Masonry & Stonescapes

Tumber Landscape Design & Build

Erin Trailside Veterinary Services

Wilson Excavating

Global Pet Foods

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POOLS & SAUNAS 86

D&D Pools & Spas

Mill Lane Saunas

Wilson Excavating

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES 33

Corporation 84

Van Harten Land Surveyors – Engineers

Animals in Motion Rehabilitation Services

Lockyer Law Professional

REAL ESTATE 81

Century 21 Millennium Inc. Ann Shanahan Team

Century 21 Millennium Inc. Mary Klein, Kaitlan Klein

Chestnut Park Real Estate Sue Collis, Sarah MacLean

Coldwell Banker, Ronan Realty Britton Ronan, Marc Ronan

Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd. Hilary Matthews

Moffat Dunlap Real Estate Moffat Dunlap, John Dunlap, Nik Bonellos, Elizabeth Campbell,

Bosley Real Estate

Courtney Murgatroyd, Sean Wynn,

Velvet Alcorn & Lindsay Alcorn

Mark Campbell, David Warren

ReMax Realty Specialists Inc.

Sigrid Doherty 88

ReMax In The Hills

Jennifer Unger, Carmela Gagliese-

Royal LePage Credit Valley

Rita Lange 90

Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty

Paul Richardson 89

Royal LePage RCR Realty Doug Schild, Chris Schild

Royal LePage RCR Realty

Sutton-Headwaters Realty Jim Wallace, Rebecca Wallace, Sarah Aston

Royal LePage RCR Realty

TOURISM & TRAVEL 99

Central Counties Tourism

Orangeville BIA

Town of Caledon

Town of Erin

Suzanne Lawrence

SCHOOLS & EDUCATION

Royal LePage RCR Realty

Suzanne Lawrence

105 Mansfield Forest School

SENIORS’ SERVICES

WEDDINGS

Royal LePage RCR Realty Victoria Phillips, Janna Imrie

Denise Dilbey 95

Sotheby’s International Realty Josh Bernard

Matt Lindsay

Scoles, Sean Anderson 94

Jacqueline Guagliardi

Chris Richie, David Waters, Dale Poremba, Karen Caulfield,

Royal LePage RCR Realty

HFFA Farm to School

Royal Le Page RCR Realty

AMICA Senior Lifestyles

Wayne Baguley

Avalon Retirement Lodge

Royal Le Page RCR Realty

108 Comfort Keepers

Wayne Baguley

TREE SERVICES

Elliott Tree Farm

Mrs. Mitchell’s Restaurant

Headwaters Homecare

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BACK STORY

THE M AYOR OF M ON O CENTRE photo in about 1910, he was in his mid-30s and clearly wished to portray himself as a gentleman of substance. Wearing a threepiece suit, a white shirt with a starched collar, and a carefully knotted tie, he also carried a bowler hat, a symbol of sartorial sophistication. But the pièce de résistance was the long, elegant coat, with its ample fur collar. At the time, Archie, a stonemason by trade, was already a force in Mono Centre, the Dufferin County village where he was born and grew up. By his late 20s, he had joined the Freemasons, becoming a member of Orangeville’s Harris Lodge No. 216. Acceptance into this fraternal organization was often considered a mark of status in the community. Freemasons are expected to behave ethically, though not all, of course, live up to this standard. They are also dedicated to self-improvement and to honouring the organization’s long history and secret rituals, as well as to supporting one another and their community, often through charitable works. Archie took these commitments seriously. Throwing his hat into the political ring, he was elected deputy reeve of Mono Township in 1922. After taking a break from politics, he was persuaded to return in 1931 and served on the township council till he retired in 1939, perhaps because he was already suffering from the illness that caused his death in 1940. By then, he was known affectionately as “the mayor of Mono Centre,” and his fulsome obituary in the Orangeville Banner noted “his faculty of making friends and holding them.” These friendships “extended far beyond the confines of his home community and his township.” Not surprisingly, then, Archie’s funeral was attended by luminaries from Mono and farther afield. His interment in the Burns Cemetery was conducted with full Masonic honours, and as a final tribute, his many friends made sure a headstone – proudly inscribed with Freemasonry’s traditional symbols – commemorated this man whose life had left an indelible mark on his community. — DYA N N E R I V E R S

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