Letters

Dear summer

June 13, 2019   ·   0 Comments

by SHERALYN ROMAN

It appears the weather might finally be about to turn friendly. Friendly to me means warm, sunny and most of all DRY! It seems like we’ve been waiting a long time for “dry,” particularly in a year when some Bolton residents were hard hit by flooding. With the long weekend just past (what many consider to be the unofficial start to summer) and the sun shining for what feels like the first time in months, perhaps it’s finally time to write my “Ode to Summer, How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways.”

Summer in Caledon is exceptional by any standard. You don’t need to travel to Europe for beautiful, tree-lined winding roads with stops in little villages and parks with wooden suspension bridges. You need only drive up the road to the Forks of the Credit and a stop for coffee, ice cream, antiquing or a picnic in Belfountain. The Grange is another beautiful road to travel and if you happen to be in possession of a car that really hugs the curves there are a number of hidden gem roadways peppered throughout the 700+ sq. kms that we call home. If you get thirsty or hungry along the way, it doesn’t matter if you crave breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea or an early evening pub crawl – we’ve got it all. Just make sure you’ve got a designated driver because first, it’s the right thing to do and second – those winding, twisty roads we just mentioned!

Summer starts to really ramp up with several celebrations that promise residents and tourists alike a good time. The first is Cheers Caledon, a celebration of all things brewed. Friday, June 14th from 6pm to midnight you can taste your way through a number of brewed beverages with many of our local brewers and cider producers taking part. It’s a 19+ event so leave the kiddos at home. There will be plenty for them to do the very next day as the Town celebrates Caledon Day! On that note, Caledon Day will be a day-long event featuring a number of great vendors, a kid zone hosted by Eco-Caledon and the Caledon Parent Child Centre with all kinds of kid-friendly activities, a youth zone with gaming and more for teens and an IT Tech Fair hosted by the Caledon Public Library with an opportunity to explore 3D printing, virtual reality and more! Various bands will take the stage throughout the day and headliners Tokyo Police Club will close out the evening. Oh yeah – and there will be fireworks!

While these two events promise to be huge, we aren’t done yet Caledon. The always popular Wines of the World celebration takes place June 7th, 2019. Returning for the 22nd year, this event offers wine tasting, food, music and the best part is it’s hosted by the Palgrave Rotary and is also a fundraiser supporting both local and international programs. I don’t know about you my friends but I love wine, I enjoy a beer on the patio in summertime and all I need now to make my summer truly complete is a coffee festival!  

Perhaps you’re thinking I recently took up a position with the Caledon Tourism Board. The rumours aren’t true, I just love this Town and the fact that there really is so much to see and do. I also love summer. Did I say that already? I vaguely understand those of you who like to hurtle down the ski slopes at the Caledon Ski Club and I do love fall and being a “leaf-peeper,” but summer to me is where it’s at. If all that wine, beer and cider don’t do it for you, the 31st Annual Canada Day Strawberry Festival will be taking place in the Village of Caledon with a classic car show, free cake at noon and a strawberry breakfast available all day long. A picnic along the banks of the Credit River in Terra Cotta is a great chance to enjoy some downtime with the family and for the more adventurous you might consider kayaking or tubing down the Credit. Fishing, when and where allowed is another thing to do “along the Credit.” For fitness buffs there’s the Lafarge-Aecon Caledon Pit Run, a charitable event this year benefitting Caledon Fire and Emergency Services and for the little ones, the “Touch a Truck” event sponsored by Fines Ford, benefitting the Caledon Parent Child Centre would be another great way to spend an afternoon because who hasn’t always wanted to sit behind the wheel of a fire truck? 

I‘m pretty sure this is just the “highlight reel” of what’s happening out and around Town this summer. Go for a drive and visit the Caledon Badlands – the new viewing platform and parking make this an accessible location. Stop in Inglewood to hike the Trans Canada trail, visit Alton and the artisans in the Alton Mill, take a tour through Cheltenham (that hill!) or visit another spot along the Trans Canada Trail accessible in Caledon East and stop for a treat while you are there. Fish and kayak at Ken Whillans Resource Management Area and if you want to escape and experience the great outdoors but not travel too far from home (in case camping really isn’t your thing) you can try an overnight camping trip close to home at the Albion Hills Conservation Area. Finally – don’t forget Midnight Madness coming soon to Bolton! Because I DON’T work for Tourism Caledon I’ve probably missed an event or two (or 22!) so I invite you to also check out the Town’s website for more information on all the things you can see and do this summer. 



         

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