The Great Ontario Communities Series (Buckhorn)

 

During the past few years Judi and I have visited over 150 Ontario community festivals and events. The majority have been planned and managed by dedicated community volunteers. As a salute to these wonderful communities and their hard-working residents, I will be writing a series of blogs entitled “Great Ontario Communities”. These blogs describe the communities we have visited and will tell you about some of the interesting things we have experienced and the people we have met. The fourth article will be about Buckhorn, the home of the Buckhorn Fine Art Festival.

BUCKHORN – I have written about Buckhorn before. It was one of four communities featured in my recent “Friendly Places” Blog. Judi and I love Buckhorn. In fact, we lived for a few years about 10 km south of Buckhorn on Chemung Lake. During that time, we became very familiar with the community of Buckhorn and its people. Buckhorn is a 20-minute drive north of Peterborough and is located at Lock 31 on the Trent-Severn Waterway. I think Buckhorn may be best known for it annual Fine Art Festival. From this wonderful festival many other events have sprung, especially ones that are held at the Buckhorn Community Centre! Here is a list of some of them: Dinner Theatre (held in the spring and fall), Spring Craft Show (held in May), Canada Celebrations (held July 1), Fiesta Buckhorn (held in July), Buckhorn Fine Art Festival (held in August), Harvest Craft Show (held Thanksgiving Weekend) and In the ‘Nick’ of Time (held in late November). Other great events are held in the region and add to the popularity of the area. A few include the Buckhorn Maplefest held at the McLean Berry Farm in March. It’s hard to believe that so many great events can be run by a community of so few people. But then again, that’s the charm of this community, dedication and enthusiasm! It never ceases to amaze me, when I talk to one of the many volunteers, of just how much energy they possess! People and events is not all that Buckhorn offers. Not surprising there are several great art galleries located in the area, including Bayside Boutique and Art Gallery, the Whetung Ojibwa Centre and Gallery-on-the-Lake. The area is also home of several well-known artists, including internationally recognized and collected, Michael Dumas. If it’s fishing or boating that you are interested in, Buckhorn is located between two fabulous lakes, Lower Buckhorn to the east and Upper Buckhorn to the west. These two lakes are great because they form part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. This versatile area has a lot of other things to see and do. There is the City of Peterborough 35 km to the south and Bobcaygeon 24 km to the west. No matter what time of year you choose to visit Buckhorn, you will never be at a loss for something to do.

The Great Ontario Communities Series (Brockville)

 During the past few years Judi and I have visited almost 150 Ontario community festivals and events. The majority have been planned and managed by dedicated community volunteers. As a salute to these wonderful communities and their hard-working residents, I will be writing a series of blogs entitled “Great Ontario Communities”. These blogs describe the communities we have visited and will tell you about some of the interesting things we have experienced and the people we have met. The third article will be about Brockville, located in the along the banks of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

BROCKVILLE – Whenever Judi and I drive to eastern Ontario, we try to include the City of Brockville in our itinerary. We love exploring Brockville’s unique picturesque waterfront downtown and its rich historic architecture. Brockville is known as the “City of the 1000 Islands” and is located along the banks of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The city, named after the British General Sir Isaac Brock, is one of the oldest cities in Ontario. This “loyalist” area was first settled in 1785 by hundreds of American refugees. They later became known as “United Empire Loyalists”.  To find out more about this historic city, I would recommend that you visit the Wikipedia website/Brockville (Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brockville)

Brockville has a wonderful main street full of interesting and attractive shops to investigate. Judi and I love to have dinner at the “New York Restaurant”. This is an established “Chinese cuisine” restaurant with great food and attentive service. To get to Brockville from Cobourg, Judi and I normally travel the 401 Highway to Gananoque and then take the 1000 Island Parkway to Brockville. This scenic route runs parallel to the St. Lawrence and overlooks the many fabulous island homes and cottages. On clear summer days the river is teaming with pleasure boats! Once you leave the Parkway, the road that leads to the historic downtown is lined with gracious century homes. There is plenty to do in Brockville with its great parks, interesting attractions and wonderful special events. Their parks include the St. Lawrence Park, Centeen Park and Hardy Park; attractions include 1000 Island and Seaway Cruises, the Brockville Museum and Canada’s Oldest Railway Tunnel. Brockville festivals and events include the 1000 Island Jazz Festival (held in May/June), the Brockville Riverfest (held in July), the Brockville Ribfest (held in August) and the Thousand Island Writers Festival (held in October). To find out more about Brockville, visit the city’s website. 

The Great Ontario Communities Series (Bracebridge)

 During the 15 years Judi and I have visited over 200 Ontario community festivals and events. The majority have been planned and managed by dedicated community volunteers. As a salute to these wonderful communities and their hard working residents, I will be writing a series of blogs entitled “Great Ontario Communities”. These blogs describe the communities we have visited and will tell you about some of the interesting things we have experienced and the people we have met. The second article will be about Bracebridge, located in the Muskokas.

BRACEBRIDGE – Like Bobcaygeon, I have been visiting Bracebridge for many years. First when we had a cottage in Baysville and now because our friends Ross and Cathy have a cottage nearby. Although Judi and I haven’t been to a festival or event (yet) in Bracebridge, I thought I would include it for two reasons. The first is likely obvious if you have small children and have traveled to Santa’s Village. Santa’s Village has been Santa’s summer home for over 50 years. Children of all ages love to visit the Village to enjoy their amusement park and Sportsland. My other reason for including Bracebridge is that this is the home base of Sunset Cruises and the M.V. IDYLLWOOD. If you have read my previous blogs, you will know that Sunset Cruises is owned and operated by Captain Randy Potts and that he currently has one boat in service, the Idyllwood. You will also know that he is in the process of restoring the historic PEERLESS II. This boat roamed the Muskoka Lakes for many years delivering gas and oil to the area’s cottagers. Randy is now turning the Peerless II into his second cruise ship. I will be writing more about Randy and his restoration this coming spring! The Town of Bracebridge is located in the “Heart of the Muskoka”. The Muskoka River runs through the town and flows into Lake Muskoka. This leads into cottage country and a lot of summer fun! Bracebridge is the “hub” for summer cottagers. This is where they meet, eat and buy groceries and other supplies. The town caters, not only to the needs of its 16,000 permanent residents, but to its 1000’s of transient cottagers and visitors. The downtown shops that line the main street are plentiful and fun to explore. The side streets hide many interesting attractions, including the Woodchester Villa (an Octagonal House Museum) and the Muskoka Rails Museum. Special events also add to the town’s charm. Festivals and events include Summerfest (held in early July), Art in the Heart (held on summer weekends), Bracebridge Highland Games (held in mid-August) and Santafest at Santa’s Village (held in mid-December).

The Great Ontario Communities Series (Bobcaygeon)

 

Over the years I have been able to travel throughout North America. During these travels I have visited many fascinating places! I believe that very few of the places I have visited rival Ontario’s great communities! During the past few years Judi and I have visited almost 200 Ontario community festivals and events. The majority have been planned and managed by dedicated community volunteers. As a salute to these wonderful communities and their hard-working residents, I will be writing a series of blogs entitled “Great Ontario Communities”. These blogs describe the communities we have visited and will tell you about some of the interesting things we have experienced and the people we have met. The first article will be about Bobcaygeon, the picturesque town located in the heart of the Kawartha Lakes.

BOBCAYGEON – We visited this community this summer to attend their Wine and Food Festival. The Festival was held at the Kawartha Settlers’ Village. Although this was our first “festival” visit to Bobcaygeon, it certainly wasn’t our first visit to the town or area. To be truthful, Judi and I are very familiar with the town as we have visited it many, many times both for pleasure and for business. That is why this is such a great place to start our new series! Bobcaygeon is located along the Trent-Severn Waterways, north east of Lindsay. National Historic Lock 32 sits in the middle of the downtown area. Two Kawartha Lakes border the town, Pigeon Lake to the east and Sturgeon Lake to the west. Judi and I have spent many restful days by this beautiful lock. The downtown is full of delightful retail shops and restaurants. Bobcaygeon is also the home of many retirees. It seems to be the perfect mix of cottage country charm and “big city” appeal. The city of Peterborough is less than an hour’s drive away while Toronto can be reached in two hours. There is plenty to do into the area, especially during the summer and fall months. In addition to lots of fishing and boating, there are many special events, including the Bobcaygeon Wine and Food Festival, the Victoria County Studio Tour and the Bobcaygeon Festival of Trees. 

Should I Tell You?

 

Did you ever do one of those “bone-headed” things that make you want to “crawl” into a deep dark “cave” and not come out for a year or so? One of those “things” happened to me a few months ago when Judi and I visited Prescott and their St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival! If you have read any of my other articles about this Festival, you will know that the play, “The Taming of the Shrew” was moved from its normal outdoor venue to an indoor venue. The reason given was that there were thunderstorms on the distant horizon! I found this difficult to believe because it was sunny and bright in Prescott! However, in the “bright” sun we drove to the Church where the play was now to take place. I parked our car and we walked to the church to join the waiting line. Eventually we were ushered into the church and the play began. We became entrenched in the play! Part way through, however, I looked up at the high windows of the church and saw flashes of lightning! The STORM was upon us and I was humbled! By the time the play was over and we were exiting the church, the storm was over and the rain had stopped. Our walk back to the car was dry and uneventful. I remotely unlocked the car door and opened it. The door felt too light! I wondered why until I looked inside and realized that I had left my window OPEN! The whole driver’s side was drenched! I now had the prospect of a 3 ½ hours drive home on a soaking wet seat! I want to tell you that my “behind” and other parts were cold and “wrinkled” by the time we reached home!

P.S. My new address is at the “Bat Cave” … I’ll see you in a year or so!!!

Why Not Share?

 Festivals and events are great fun and present a wonderful opportunity to share! It’s simple really, make sure when you decide to go to an event that you share your experience with someone else! This includes telling your friends and family about a great festival or events that you have visited or, better still, invite someone to go with you. Festivals and events can be much more enjoyable when shared with loved ones or friends! Because Judi and I visit so many events through the year, it’s impossible to take people with us all the time. However, when we do it always makes the event seem more memorable! Over the years we’ve gone with a number of different friends and family. I think the first was to the Toronto Zoo’s Spring Toad Festival. We went to this one with my daughter and her family. The fun that the grandchildren had was awesome! Since then we have visited the Bala Cranberry Festival with our friends Ross and Cathy and their young daughter, the Polar Bear Festival in Campbellford with my brother Chuck and his wife, Flo and their friends, Wilf and Win, the Beaches Jazz Festival with my son, Travis and his wife Ina and to the Canadian International Military Tattoo in Hamilton with my sister Barb. There were more times, but you get the idea. Sharing these events with our family and friends was a wonderful experience! So, if you are going to go to a festival or event I urge you to invite someone else to go with you! If not family or friends, invite a senior in your community. Most seniors love outings like this and make wonderful companions. They will have a great time and you will be rewarded by having a more memorable visit!

Making the Most… (Part 2)

 

Here are a few ideas.

• See if there is a fun park close by or an interesting attraction close by and then check it out
• Try taking a unique route home. One that you haven’t traveled before. There may be interesting towns and landscapes along the way.
•  Stop along the way and visit unique and fun shops
• Depending on the time of year and the region you are traveling, there may be other things to interest you. For example, if you are traveling in the Niagara region or Prince Edward County there are lots of vineyards to explore. If you are in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, there are many beautiful farms and quaint hamlets to investigate
• If you’ve planned ahead like Judi and I do, you will have packed a picnic lunch. Find a scenic place to stop, relax and eat. If you have also packed some games for the kids, this would be a good time and place for them to “blow off steam” and have some fun
• Make arrangements to visit friends or family along the way back home

Some of the ideas outlined above may take a little pre-planning, but I think you will be glad that you took my advice! It’s not that you are looking for a “bad” festival or event. It’s just that you are aware of the possibility! Whatever you decide to do, make the most of your day!