While a vineyard tour evokes thoughts of warm Mediterranean winds in the Tuscan hills or the hot Burgundian summer sun, in Meaford, you can tour our local winery all winter long. Next Saturday, Coffin Ridge Winery is offering a tour behind the scenes of the production facility, and then you can learn, hands-on, the gentle vintner’s art of hand-pruning the grape vines. Dress for the weather, and bring along a pair of pruning shears.

Then after your intimate communion with the vines from whence the wine was born, you can enjoy the actual stuff. Head inside the elegant tasting room for a glass of wine and a delicious vintner’s plate.

The event is $30 per person and space is limited to 20 people, so reserve now. Email willow@coffinridge.ca to make your reservations.

A tour of Massie Hills on cross country skis

Here’s a guided tour to the classic cross country ski trail network at a local favourite – just 20 minutes west and south of Meaford. If you find it too long, scan through and pause at the best parts.

Candid Canada’s look at Blue Mountain

Last time, you got a boarder’s eye view of the snowboardcross course at Blue Mountain. Here’s a report on the event by Ndrika Anyika, who’s new to alpine sports herself. It shows the race – and some more “down to earth” skiers.

Meaford snowmobiling

If you prefer your snow with horsepower attached, check out the snowmobile trails around Meaford in this video.

Super-fast nordic skiing at Highlands Nordic

This skate skier, with a camera mounted to his head, is flying. Warning: you might get a bit dizzy. It’s a little like one of those racing video games where you have to dodge the slower-moving vehicles. In this case, he’s dodging around less speedy skiers… watch out! About 40 minutes from Meaford Haven

Dick in the ditch at Kolapore

This is not Dick’s finest hour, but while he struggles up from the snow, admire the scenery in this one tiny section of Kolapore Uplands Wilderness Ski Trails – which offer 50 kilometres of varied terrain. About 20 minutes from Meaford Haven.

Snowshoeing at Scenic Caves

Up on the heights of the Niagara Escarpment, the cross country trails are great, but so is the snowshoeing. This tour gives you a taste of what to expect, including a trip across the 420-foot suspension bridge with its vista of Collingwood and Georgian Bay. About 30 minutes from Meaford Haven

Jarryd Hughes at the Blue Mountain World Cup during training with Jonathan Cheever

Blue Mountain held the Snowboard World Cup a couple of weekends ago, just 20 minutes from Meaford Haven. If you never, ever plan on “snowboardcrossing” – in which up to half a dozen snowboarders race side-by-side down a challenging course with bumps and jumps and obstacles – here’s the next best thing. Pretend you’re Jerryd Hughes, and see the course through his eyes.

The snow has painted Meaford with a beautiful new palette.

Meaford had a white Christmas, and as the year kicks off it’s time to break out the skis and/or snowshoes if you haven’t already. Here’s a quick rundown on a few of the local runs and trails and their current conditions.

Blue Mountain
Twenty minutes down the road, Ontario’s largest ski resort is hopping with lots of snow from both Mother Nature and it’s state-of-the-art snowmaking system. With an average base of 55 cm. and groomed powder conditions, Blue has 12 of 15 lifts open and 30 of 36 runs open, as well as one terrain park. And the Village Mill Pond is open for skating.

Conditions.

Massie Hills
Head 20 minutes in the other direction, and you’ll find a groomed 10 km cross country trail system that gives you the feel of a backwoods ski. Though we’d enjoy some more snow (and the weather guys tell us it’s coming), the trails have been groomed and are in decent shape, with a few rocks still poking through.

Conditions.

Kolapore Uplands
Yet another extensive cross-country trail system awaits you within a 20-minute drive. These wilderness trails are ungroomed (and it’s a good idea to carry a map, available from various nearby locations).

Currently, the snow’s about 25 cm deep, and the trails are in decent shape overall; just keep an eye out for rocks. At the moment a small section of trails on the 60-km system are closed for logging.

Conditions.

Nordic Centre at Scenic Caves
Within a half hour scenic drive, this attraction offers 27 kilometres of groomed beginner and intermediate forested trails with occasional spectacular views. As of today, they offer a base of 20 cm., with the entire system track-set. Skating, too.

Conditions.

Highlands Nordic
Not much further down the road, about 40 minutes from town, you’ll discover one of Ontario’s premiere cross country ski resorts. Nestled in the highlands, it seems to be in its own little snow belt within the snow belt. Twenty km of trails are currently open for classic and skate.

Conditions.

Sawmill Ski Trail
Take a 40 minute drive in the opposite direction, and head north of Owen Sound for 10 km of groomed classic and skate trails branching off from the cozy log clubhouse. While the trails are not yet track-set this year, skating’s good, and with snow in the forecast it won’t be long.

Conditions.

Oh, and did we mention there’s more snow in the forecast?

The Fall/Holiday issue of OUR HOMES Southern Georgian Bay features a group of retirees who have made this area their retirement home sweet home.

One of the questions the editors asked the Georgian Bay retirees was, “Why here?” Here’s a sampling of their answers.

Originally, weekenders in the area, Chris and Norma Desjardins appreciated a small-town rhythm a world away from the city, yet within two hours of Toronto. “It’s a great convenience to have relatively easy access to Toronto when we feel the pull of the big city,” they told OUR HOMES. “But for day-to-day living, life in a small friendly community with a broad range of activities is hard to beat.”

Margaret and Norbert Pirk echoed the sentiment. “In Southern Georgian Bay we’re part of a year-round, active community with all the amenities one could desire, but close enough to Toronto for the occasional city fix,” they told the editors.

Lee Rosenzveig mentioned loving the natural environment and the pace of life here, and Pete Russell explained that he and his wife moved here to pursue the outdoor activities that abound in Southern Georgian Bay. Pete, who’s cycled all over the world, finds the local roads and hills and vistas, “one of the best areas I have ridden in.”

Dave and Myrna Bumstead are local Meaford retirees, so choosing the area wasn’t a factor. But they do emphasize the activities they enjoy, including snowshoeing bush trails minutes from their retirement community. And Karen and Richard Pettit count golf, cycling, motorcycling, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing – and the arts – as enjoyable local attractions.

What’s your reason? If you haven’t yet visited, it’s time to discover what your retirement lifestyle can be like.

Meaford, snug at the mouth of the Bighead River on Georgian Bay, lies in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and the heights of the Niagara Escarpment. You don’t need to go very far to find yourself forests, fields and wooded trails. A two-minute stroll from downtown has you at the trailhead of the Trout Hollow Trail, and another couple of minutes down the trail, you’d think you’re far from town. But you don’t even need to go that far to find a beautiful greenspace. Before taking the trail, turn around and cross the street to the entrance of Beautiful Joe Park.

This emerald jewel cradled on one side by the sweep of the river, nestled in a hollow below the streets of town, is named for the Meaford mutt made famous in the worldwide bestseller that bears his name. Sixty-nine years after Beautiful Joe, by Margaret Marshall Saunders, was published, in 1894, Meaford Mayor Frank Garvey and his wife, Judy, were walking the woods across the Bighead from their Cook Street home, and they came across an old marker near the banks of the river and below the home where the real Joe had been nursed back to health and a long life by the Moore family. They’d found Beautiful Joe’s grave.

Beautiful Joe – The Meaford Edition

The couple worked hard to establish Beautiful Joe Park on the wooded site, and today, the Beautiful Joe Heritage Society (BJHS) continues the work.

Tomorrow, the BJHS welcomes visitors to the sixth annual Beautiful Joe’s Autumn Adventure. It’s an opportunity for people to learn more about the famous book, its author, the park, heroic canines, and more.

The family event features an interactive science tent, a fairy tale scavenger hunt with prizes for all, horse-drawn wagon rides by Ritchie’s Clydesdales, pet portraits by Wendy Webb Photography, and a number of vendors selling pet treats, toys and accessories; gifts and other items; and food for all. There’ll also be a plaque dedication ceremony and a “Blessing of the Animals” by Padre Major Michael Allen.

Padre Major Michael Allen blesses the animals at Beautiful Joe’s Autumn Adventure

Ritchie’s Clydesdales take you on an old fashioned wagon ride at Beautiful Joe’s Autumn Adventure

Admission’s by donation to the society; just head down to the park tomorrow between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

If you’ve had enough of this long hot summer, and are getting in the mood for a Meaford autumn, we discovered a nice video by “drofluf” down at the bottom of this post (with some stills from it gracing our page).

Meaford autumn country road (by drofluf)

(If you didn’t spend the summer here, you might be surprised at how perfect it was. While the south sweltered in smog and humidity for much of the season, Georgian Bay worked its magic, moderating temperatures here so that few days left us panting in heavy heat. The lack of rain was another story for farmers….)

A Meaford farm in autumn (by drofluf)

We came across this video by the mysterious drofluf (who is also apparently an avid cyclist), which showcases some of last year’s fall splendour. He (that’s an assumption we’re making) was testing out a new long lens for his video camera, so there’s a lot of nice pulled focus and selective focus shots (check out the Canada geese!).

Rolling hills in Meaford autumn (by drofluf)

The blue Blue Mountains (by drofluf)

And note the shot of a jet overhead. The crickets drown out its distant noise. Something else you notice when you live in quiet Meaford: while you’ll sometimes see distant planes and contrails, you rarely actually hear the airliners – they’re too far away.

Barry Altman is the Manager of the Meaford and District Chamber of Commerce, but he’s also the chief designer, architect and engineer; head landscaper; and station master of the Radish Bahn Railway. If you’re a Swiss rail traveller, the name might ring a bell – but we’re not talking about the Rhatische Bahn, the dramatically scenic Swiss rail network. The Radish Bahn railroad winds around the beautiful gardens of Barry and Bonnie Altman’s heritage home in downtown Meaford.

A remarkable feat of engineering and passion, the “G” scale (or garden-scale) railway features multiple tracks (and trains), Swiss farms, stations, houses, and an operating cable car system. (Oh, yes, there’s also a castle guarded by a ferocious dragon!). The scale is 1:22.5, so the denizens of this magical world stand around 3″ high. A total of 590 feet of track runs through an area roughly 90 x 80 feet.

Recently, Barry hosted a Chamber of Commerce After Five/Tradeshow in his gardens, where we took the photos here.

To learn more about how Barry built this amazing railway, visit www.radishbahn.com

Well, the Meaford Farmer’s Market has kicked off for this Friday as we write, so once we’ve filed this report, we might just mosey on down. It’s a special market day, as the event is part of the kick off to Canada Day weekend celebrations. There’ll be live music and, taking a page from the past, surrey rides through town. And of course, there’s all the goodies you can find every week, from organic meats and vegetables and herbs to baked treats and more – with many vendors offering tasty samples to entice you to buy. This year, chef Micheline Zammit, who works at Cobble Beach Golf Club, prepares free sample dishes featuring products she’s found at the market – try her creations, and pick up the ingredients at the vendors’ booths.

Beyond food, you’ll also find crafts and more. And don’t forget to get your duck race tickets (more below).

With your appetite taken care of, plan for a busy weekend. Here’s the schedule of events for Saturday and Sunday (you can rest up Monday.)

Saturday

8am-11am Meaford Hall
John McKay home product trade show

9am-11am Market square
MFRC pancake breakfast

9am-9:30am Market square near hall
Soap Box Derby registration

10am – Collingwood St to Bayfield St
Soap Box Derby race

10am – Downtown Meaford
BIA sidewalk sale
GBSS Idols & MCS buskers on the street

10am-4pm Meaford Foodland
Meaford Duck Race kick off BBQ

2pm- Sykes St bridge to Bridge St
Meaford Duck Race

11am&3pm Meaford Museum
Historical walking tour of downtown

noon-4pm – Nelson St at Meaford Hall
BIA surrey rides

noon-4pm – Meaford Hall
BIA scavenger hunt – pick up list

noon-4pm – Meaford Harbour
Sail Georgian Bay introduction to sailing

Sunday

9am-10am Eggcitement Bistro
Motorcycle Rally meet for breakfast
10am- Motorcycle Rally – ride starts

9am-4pm Bayfield Street
Golden Town Cruisers classic car show

10am-4pm Bayfield Street
Net Shed Book Depot open
Meaford Museum open

11:45am Meaford Community Centre
Form up for parade

Noon – Collingwood St to Harbour
Canada Day parade

Noon to dusk Harbour pavilion
Rotary Club food & beverages

12:45pm Harbour Entrance
• Singing of “O Canada”
• Mayor’s & Dignitaries’ speeches
• Flag Raising Ceremony – Anthem by Mike Weir & Sylvie
• Goldenaires Canadian Folk Song Medley by Bert Hood

1pm Rotary Pavilion at harbour
Birthday cake for 1000 – prepared & served by Canada Catering

Noon to 4pm Meaford Harbour
Family Fun Festival
• Canadian Coast Guard
• Meaford Fire Department
• Kid’s activities & games
• Sail Georgian Bay introduction to sailing
• OPP boat & K-9 unit
• Heritage Meaford display
• Beautiful Joe Heritage Society display
• Meaford Library display & activities
• Remote control car & truck display
• Skateboard demonstrations

2pm-9pm Meaford Harbour
Live entertainment
• Honeyhammers
• Bored of Education
• Vickie Van Dyke & Friends

2pm Meaford Museum
Historical walking tour of downtown

Dusk – Meaford Harbour
Meaford Kinsmen Club Fireworks