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Posts Tagged ‘Bethany’

rolling hills studiotourThis weekend, why not celebrate Mother’s Day by taking part in the Annual Rolling Hills Studio Tour in Bethany, ON.

It’s a free, self-guided tour with the opportunity to visit art studios around Bethany where you can meet the artists and see demonstrations of unique range of art forms.

The Rolling Hills Studio Tour takes place in the beautiful rolling hills of the Oak Ridges region of the City of Kawartha Lakes, a little over an hour away from Toronto.  The artists all live within a 30 minute drive of each other, making it that much easier to view the variety of their artwork.  The tour takes place on May 10 and 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and admission is free.

There are also nearby restaurants for family dining and a Bed and Breakfast to make it a full weekend trip.

Williams Design Studio

Williams Design Studio in Bethany, Ontario

Make sure you stop in to meet Beverley and Paul Williams of Williams Design Studio in Bethany!  2014 marks the 40th anniversary of their award-winning artwork in leather sculpture, masks and unique sculptural fountains and Beverley’s decorated gourd art

!Paul and Beverly WilliamsPaul and Beverly Williams in their Design Studio

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Part 3 – Councillor Heather Stauble on Bethany

Live, Stay and Play

Along with her focus on the wind turbine issue, I discussed other matters concerning Bethany with Ms. Stauble, as well as her hopes and plans for the area.

*There are plans to continue to improve roads and opportunities for agri-business.  Helping to promote business leads to more jobs for the area and an improved lifestyle for everyone.

hwy 407

Highway 407 expansion map

*The expansion of Highway 407 in the future will help with the commute to the GTA, as will the GO Train coming into the area, with a stop in nearby Cavan.

grain elevator

grain elevator in Pontypool, Ontario

*There is talk of the Manvers Historical Society restoring the grain elevator in Pontypool, a welcome sight for everyone.

*Hopes for a Farmers’ Market in Bethany.  Along with locally grown products, the area has such a rich artistic culture (link to studio tour)     that an arts and crafts section of a market would bring in fans and more traffic.

*Continual promotion of local businesses.  There are quite a few local businesses proving exemplary services for the community and those    passing through.  A few examples are Southpond, Me vs We, Heaven on Seven – just to name a few.  All need constant support, promotion and encouragement.

Councillor Stauble would like Bethany to be a place people can come back to.  She wants others to help, encourage and improve the community, to allow others to see the many positive aspects for the community.  Her motto is to live, stay and play in Bethany.

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If you’re in the Bethany area this weekend, don’t forget the stop by the Bethany Park

Annual Garden Tractor Pull!

Sunday, August 18th, from 11- 4

Registration starts at 11am, pull begins at 1pm

BBQ and Canteen will be open

http://www.bethanypark.ca/

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I miss Bethany! 😦 Summer is here and that means kids, cottages, keeping everyone fed and amused and hydrated, not mention countless applications of sunscreen…I do love summer but this one seems busier than most.

But my thoughts are still with Bethany so stay tuned for my post about meeting with Heather Stauble, who represents Township of Manvers (Bethany) on the City of Kawartha Lakes municipal council and her thoughts about Bethany.

Live, stay and play!!!

talk soon

Holly

 

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Apparently, there are two Bethany’s in Ontario!  the one I’m writing about is part of the City of Kawartha Lakes – NOT near Napanee.

Here’s a map to show you just how to come find Bethany!

bethany.location.map.simple.March.4.2013

Easy to get to from Toronto, or the GTA – about fifty minutes to the 35/115 cutoff.

Plus, to make it still easier, Highway 407 will be moving east to the 35/115 cutoff!!!  (More on this next week!)

check it out online

407 map

So now you know!  Come visit Bethany!!!

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Visit the 8th Annual Durham Home Show

and talk to Jeffrey Kerr, from Bethany Village about what living in Bethany has to offer you

He’s in Arena 1, right by the entrance!!

April 19 – 21, 2013 at the Whitby McKinney Center

Friday 1pm – 8pm, Saturday 10am – 6pm, Sunday 10am – 5pm

click here for two for one ticket!

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Along with the Victoria Rail Trail I recently posted about, another great hiking or biking trail near Bethany is the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail.

Kawartha Trans Canada Trail

The Kawartha Trans Canada Trail is a 44 kilometre trail between Peterborough County and Muncipality of Durham, near Uxbridge.  Most of the trail is the abandoned rail line which makes it easily accessible for all users. It’s a four season route with some historic and cultural heritage, linking five communities, parkland, farmland and the natural environment and providing opportunities for nature appreciation and interpretation.  There’s lots of room to hike, walk, cycle, go horseback riding and snowmobile on the trail.

The eastern part of the trail hits downtown Omemee.

Trans Canada Trail

I was interested to discover that this trail is part of the Trans Canada Trail, which is the world’s longest network of recreational trails. When fully connected, the Trail will stretch 23,000 kilometres (14,000 mi) from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic oceans. More than 16,800 kilometres (10,400 mi) of trail are currently usable, making it approximately 73% complete.  The network of the Trans Canada Trail is made up of more than 400 community trails. Each trail section is developed, owned and managed locally by trail groups, conservation authorities and by municipal, provincial and federal governments

Two hundred forty gaps totaling 6,200 kilometres (3,900 mi) must be bridged in order to achieve a fully connected trail. The Trans Canada Trail has given itself until its 25th anniversary and Canada’s 150th anniversary in 2017 to reach this objective.

The Trail has been funded by Canadian federal and provincial governments and contributions from corporate and individual donors. The first province to have completed its designated section of the trail was Prince Edward Island.

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Victoria Rail Trail

Victoria Rail Trail

In Bethany?  It’s possible.

Spring arrives on Wednesday, although it may not seem like it today!  It’s my favourite season.  To me, spring means getting back into my garden, reconnecting with my neighbours now that the winter hibernation is finished, hikes, bikes and baseball.  Spending time outdoors is a priority as soon as the snow melts and the winter coats are put away.

My next few posts will be looking at what to do in and around Bethany in the spring.  Not sure if any of the activities will lead to enlightenment but they’re sure to help shake off the winter blahs (and pounds!)

VICTORIA RAIL TRAIL CORRIDOR

The Victoria Rail Trail is an 85 km rail trail with corridors linking Kinmount to Bethany, through Lindsay.  The trail follows the former CN rail line which was constructed  in 1874.   This public trail is open year round for recreational uses including walking, hiking, cycling, fishing, bird watching, horseback riding, dog sledding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing; and, with  a valid trail permit, snowmobiling and ATVing.  It’s a great, well- maintained trail for hiking or biking with beautiful scenery and reported wildlife sightings.  Some favourite sections are the area around Cameron Lake in the North Corridor and Draonel Station, outside Bethany on the South Trail.

This trail seems like a great way to reconnect with nature.  Reportedly, it’s good to head there as soon as the snow melts!

NORTH CORRIDOR

The North Corridor follows the former CN rail line north from Lindsay to Kinmount.  It begins at the North end of Lindsay at the top of William Street North, traveling 55km through the Ken Reid Conservation Area and  Fenelon Falls and onto Kinmount.

SOUTH CORRIDOR

south corridor

south corridor

The South Corridor, the old CP Rail Line, extends 30 km from Lindsay to Bethany. This trail begins off King St. E., with the new Rotary Trail – 1.5 km of paved pathway. The trail heads south to Bethany, progressing through farmlands and the natural areas of Fleetwood Creek Valley, bordered by the rolling hills of Bethany, including Devil’s Elbow Ski Resort. A portion of the trail passes through the newly formed Windy Ridge Conservation Area.

Recommended Access Points

  • Bethany (Intersection of Ski Hill Rd. & Jackson St.)
  • Pigeon River (limited parking) Mount Horeb Rd. (Arterial Rd. 31)
  • Lindsay (King St.)
trail rules

trail rules

TRAIL USE GUIDELINES

While on the Victoria Rail Trail a few basic rules apply:

  • Speed limits of 20 km/hr
  • Hours of use between 7:00am to 9:30pm
  • No ATVs between Logie St. & Thunderbridge Rd. in Lindsay at anytime; ATVs are not permitted on the trail during the winter months; Motorized vehicles are not permitted on the VRTC during the month of April
  • No two-wheel motorized vehicles are allowed
  • Only licensed and insured ATVs and snowmobiles only
  • Dogs must be kept on a leash
  • Pedestrians have the right of way over all other users
  • Privacy and the rights of abutting landowners must be respected
  • No littering or removing natural vegetation

Visit explorekawarthalakes or Victoria Rail Trail for more info

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chalet at Devil's Elbow

chalet at Devil’s Elbow

Last week I posted about Devil’s Elbow Ski and Snowboarding Resort.  Even with the wacky Wednesday weather this week, the runs are still open with wet granular snow but that should change by the end of the day!  Great news because snow is my favourite thing about winter!  Maybe not driving in it, but for me skiing, tobogganing and in general playing in the snow is a lot of fun.

But even when the winter conditions aren’t your cup of tea, there is still lots to do in Bethany.

Aunt Dee's Restaurant

Aunt Dee’s Restaurant in Bethany, Ontario

Any trip to Bethany needs to include a visit to Aunt Dee’s restaurant for their All-Day breakfast!

Going out for breakfast is one of my favourite things to do.  I love restaurants any time of the day, but for me, having someone make me breakfast is really quite decadent!  Especially when it doesn’t have to be first thing in the morning.

We stopped at Aunt Dee’s not too long ago for a huge, plate of eggs, bacon and sausages right in the middle of the day.  It was good, no-nonesense food and there was a lot of it!  There’s nothing fancy on the menu at Aunt Dee’s – the selection ranges from eggs and bacon, to burgers and soup and sandwiches, and it’s all just good food.

But it’s not all about the food at Aunt Dee’s.  Walking into the diner reminded me of Cheers!  It’s the place where everyone knows your name.  We can even say that Aunt Dee’s in Bethany may be the Cheers! of diners.   When we walked in, Jeff immediately found someone he knew inside to talk to!

Walking through the parking lot, we were greeted by an customer who wanted a quick chat about the weather.  You have to remember that while I used to be a small-town girl,  I live in Toronto now – we normally don’t start random conversations with strangers in parking lots, unless one dinged the other’s car and usually when that happens it’s called an argument rather than a conversation.  There was no hostility here – just a pleasant conversation with a Bethany local and that is an excellent example of small-town friendliness!

Inside Aunt Dee’s, there was one empty table and two groups of customers.  Was this a problem?  No, because the table was big enough for all five of us to share!  When does that happen in the city?  We had a lovely chat with the two gentlemen who popped over from their computer shop in nearby Cavan for lunch.

The more time I spend in Bethany, the more I think about growing up in a small town.  There is a comfort level and an overall friendliness that is missing from city life.  And while I still love my life in the city, it’s nice to step outside of it every once in a while and visit such a warm and welcoming community as Bethany, Ontario!

Aunt Dee’s a perfect mix of hearty comfort food with small town friendly flavour.  You can’t miss it – it’s right on Highway 7A in the middle of town, across from the gas station – and it’s worth the drive to Bethany!

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ski the quiet slopes at Devil's Elbow

ski the slopes at Devil’s Elbow

Warmer Weekend Ahead!

No plans for the weekend?  Why not check out the cool slopes of Devil’s Elbow in Bethany!

With eleven slopes of machine groomed power, with difficulties varying from the basic Bunny hill to the Double Black Diamond Olympic run, there is indeed something for everyone.  All runs are open today with 50 cm of base.

Bethany is only minutes from Oshawa and Peterborough and a short drive from Toronto.

chalet at Devil's Elbow

chalet at Devil’s Elbow

directions to Devil's Elbow

directions to Devil’s Elbow

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