It’s about a two-hour drive from Cynthia Peters’s 35 acre farm in Prince Edward County to her old office in Toronto. The view, however, is a world apart. While her downtown corner office where she worked looked onto a busy street scene, today she can gaze upon a field of home-grown vegetables and the farm she calls home.

Peters is the owner and founder of From the Farm Cooking School in Prince Edward County, where she teaches classes from April to November, and introduces city folk to the charms of country living and the culinary arts. Her classes are held in her sunny heritage kitchen that has both a professional 48” propane range and a Mennonite wood bake oven.

How did she make the leap from city to country? Very slowly, but surely. Cooking was always her passion, something that’s evident in the more than 700 cookbooks in her collection, including one that dates back to the 1700s. “I like to read cookbooks like other people read novels,” says Peters. But before making any big moves, she went back to school and got her personal chef’s diploma. When she and her husband found an old farmhouse in Prince Edward County, they decided it was time to make the move. She dove into the business full time and has never looked back. “I thought this was the perfect opportunity to take my previous life of knowing how to organize and launch a company, and marry everything together with my passion for cooking,” she recalls.

Her cooking classes have been popular from the start and include Tuscan farmhouse cooking, homemade pasta making, sausage making, and cooking with heirloom tomatoes. Dinner with Julia Child is a big favourite, and her guests will learn to make a classic French dinner that could include homemade crepes, Chicken Ballotine or French apple cake. One of her most popular classes is called the Culinary Adventure: a small group enjoys a customized cooking lesson and also gets to explore the County with Peters. She takes people to farms in the morning as well as to cheese factories, vegetable producers and wineries. “I walk the fields with everyone and people pick vegetables and we also go to farm stands and pick up the ingredients.” Along the way, she shares stories about the people who have started businesses there. She’ll also bring in guest chefs, depending on the topic of the class.

Most of her clients come from Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, with others from Peterborough and Kingston. Some make a weekend out of it while others just come for the day. “People love the fact that they can come and experience a hands-on class in our heritage farmhouse.It introduces another level of personality, and it gives people the history and feel of the community by having it here.” For some people, when they see all of the workers planting and picking out in the fields, there’s a realization of how much work is involved in bringing food to the table.

As if Peters isn’t busy enough, she also does some food writing and is the author of The Art of Herbs cookbook, and she is working on her second. “It doesn’t feel like work. I love food shopping and telling stories and helping people navigate their way through all of the things going on in the County,” she beams. She can’t believe it’s already her eighth season and says, “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

by Denise Davy

Local Links

From the Farm Prince Edward County
Fromthefarm.ca

Prince Edward County
prince-edward-county.com

If you know a thing or two about local history, or if you read Joseph Boyden’s recent novel The Orenda, you may be familiar with the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) people, and the lives and culture that existed here long before Canada’s confederation. A rich blend of history and culture can be found amongst the Six Nations of the Grand River.

Ohsweken, Ontario, just outside Brantford, is the only place in North America where all Haudenosaunee nations live together. It’s a society under Haudenosaunee Confederacy that includes six member nations: Onondaga, Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Seneca and Tuscarora. Haudenosaunee translates literally to “They Build Houses” – longhouses in fact. Today the area continues to build upon and maintain its culture and welcomes you to experience life on the Grand.

There are two major historical sites that should be on any visitor’s agenda: the Chiefswood National Historic Site and the H.M. Royal Chapel of the Mohawk. Chiefswood, a unique mansion, is the birthplace of famed Mohawk-English poet, Pauline Johnson. It was built on the banks of the Grand River in 1856. The house has two “front doors”. One door faces the river and welcomed Mohawks arriving by canoe, and the other faces the road to welcome the English who arrived by buggy back in Brantford’s early days.

Today, Chiefswood National Historic Site protects rare grassland prairies, Carolinian forests, and swamp lands on the Grand River, and maintains its identity as a community hub where Six Nations gather each year for two major events: Aboriginal Day in June and the Champion of Champion’s Pow Wow in late July. Chiefswood is open to the public yearly from May to November.

The Mohawk Chapel is one of the oldest buildings in Canada’s 150 year history and was the first Protestant church in Upper Canada. Also located on the banks of the Grand River, it was built in 1785 and is open for guided tours from June to August. Remarkable stained glass windows in the chapel depict significant events in the history of the Six Nations people. The grounds are the final resting place of Joseph Brant and his son, John.

To help us discover the area in an authentic way, Six Nations Tourism has partnered with local organizations within the community to deliver a range of cultural experiences.

The “Love of the Arts” experience includes a nature trail walk and a visit to the Chiefswood Natural Historic Site. You’ll then drive to Ohsweken for a traditional lunch and visit Our Sustenance, the Six Nations Farmer’s Market. End the afternoon by browsing local galleries and shops.

“Where Cultures Meet” is a tour that begins at the Royal Chapel of the Mohawk and then takes you to The Woodland Cultural Centre Museum. You’ll also see the Kanata Village, which is a replica of a 17th Century Mohawk village. Explore downtown Ohsweken and then visit the Chiefswood National Historic Site and the Kayanase Greenhouse.

For sports enthusiasts, the “Day of Play” experience is for you. You will walk the nature trails, and then visit Chiefswood to play lacrosse or try archery. Drive to Ohsweken for a traditional lunch and tour the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena and watch a match.

While in the area, you can also explore the largest Carolinian forest in Ontario, paddle the Grand River by canoe with a traditional guide, or listen to the Peacemaker tell stories by a fire while sipping homemade tea and sampling baked goods. You can also learn more about the main agricultural crops –  corn, beans and squash, known as the Three Sisters – and their importance to the Haudenosaunee culture. Within the Ohsweken community are many shops and boutiques that carry traditional handiwork, art, jewelry and other items. A list of shops can be found on the Six Nations Tourism website.

There are accommodations and places to eat in nearby Paris, Ontario, including the Arlington Hotel. Enjoy some “Parisian” nightlife at Stillwaters Restaurant, the Cobblestone Public House, Bell City Brewing, or the Sociable Kitchen & Tavern.

By the time you return home, you’ll have a renewed sense of appreciation for this area’s deep, storied history.

by Becky Dumais

Local Links

Six Nations Tourism
sixnationstourism.ca

Brantford Tourism
discoverbrantford.ca

Hamilton Halton Brant
theheartofontario.com

Explore the Grand
explorethegrand.com

Woodland Cultural Centre
woodland-centre.on.ca

Collingwood has built its reputation as a ski destination but there are many other things to see and do year round in this quaint town on the shores of Georgian Bay.

The area is one of Ontario’s most popular tourist spots and is close to the Blue Mountain Resort, Cranberry Resort and many well-known private ski clubs. Its popularity is well earned as the town and surrounding areas are filled with historic homes, great shops and lots of parks and trails, not to mention a feast of restaurants and cafes.

If it’s family fun you’re after, the Blue Mountain Ridge Runner roller coaster should be top of the list. The coaster blasts you down the side of the mountain as it twists and turns through varied terrain. Riders can control their own speeds but, if you’re feeling brave, the coaster can get up to 42 kms per hour.

The Wind Rider Triple Zips offer an even faster ride through the hills. You can fly down a 112-metre long zip line at up to 50 kms per hour while soaring 15 meters above the ground. For those who prefer a more sedate way of seeing the sights, you can tour the winding trails on a two-wheeled Segway, on Mountaintop Segway Tours (owned and operated by Blue Mountain Resort).

The tour company has an adventure outing that will have you riding a Segway along a scenic off-road trek across the top of the Niagara Escarpment. You can take in the views of Blue Mountain Village and Georgian Bay and don’t worry – there’s half an hour of training before you head out so you’ll know how to navigate your new set of wheels.

Of course, the simplest way to see the sights is by putting your runners on and hiking the trails, and Collingwood has lots of them. More than 60 kms of trails wind through the hills leading to every major point of interest in town, including the beaches of Sunset Point.

Once you’ve worked up an appetite, simply take your pick Collingwood, from the Firehall Pizza Co. (at Blue Mountain Resort) to Azzurra Trattoria or The Iron Skillet. Or you can head to the Orchard where you’ll find Blue Mountain’s Yeti Cheese food truck, famous for its gooey grilled cheese sandwiches as well as its chocolate and candy. During the summer, the truck will be located at the top of the mountain next to the Gondola.

Speaking of candy, The Candy Factory is a one-of-a-kind store in Collingwood that includes a viewing room where visitors can watch chocolatiers and candy connoisseurs create sweets and chocolate the old fashioned way.

About 20 minutes south of Collingwood is the charming village of Creemore, where you can step back in time and relax. It’s home to the renowned Creemore Springs Brewery, which offers regular brewery tours. You can watch them fire brew their beer in authentic copper kettles and even enjoy some samples, if you’re of age, of course.

While in town, you can stay at the Creemore House Inn, a luxury boutique inn on the quiet main street. The village of Creemore itself is a collection of historic buildings with many dating back to the 1890’s. The main street includes Curiosity House Books and Gallery and The Mad and Noisy Gallery, named after two of the town’s rivers.

And for a slice of Viva Las Vegas without the plane ticket this summer, the Collingwood Elvis Festival has been going strong for more than 20 years and draws upwards of 30,000 people. Whether you’re an Elvis fan or not, it’s hard to resist the lure of seeing hundreds of lip-curling, hip-swerving Elvis look-a-likes. This year’s festival will be held from July 20 to 24.

By Denise Davy

Local Links:
Town of Collingwood
collingwood.ca

Collingwood Elvis Festival
collingwoodelvisfestival.com

Blue Mountain Resort
bluemountain.ca

Town of Creemore
experiencecreemore.com

Downtown Collingwood BIA
collingwooddowntown.com

LL note: Errors were made in the print edition of this article, which appeared in our April issue. The zipline company name, Segway information, Firehall Pizza Co. location and food truck references have been corrected in this online version. We sincerely apologize and regret any inconvenience.