Westfield Heritage Village is hosting a cool and delicious summer family event this Civic Holiday weekend! Enjoy the fun and flavour of Canada’s favourite treat, ice cream, and the nostalgia of simpler times. Surrounded by period music, you can join the pioneers as they make homemade ice cream from start to finish. Experience the fun and nostalgia of ice cream from Pioneer to Victorian times. Live music, horse and wagon rides, magic shows, face painting, period crafts and games combined with living history make for the perfect topping for a perfect family outing. The theme of this year’s event is candy-flavoured ice cream, including honey. You may even be able to get close to Westfield’s own bees in their new observation house. The Ice Cream Festival takes place Sun. Aug. 1 and Mon. Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $11 for adults, $6.50 for youth 6 to 12 years, and $10 for seniors. Children 5 and under get in free! Annual membership pass holders receive free admission for the passengers of their car to a maximum of seven occupants. Parking is free.

Have a sweet tooth? Read about maple syrup in “Sweet Tastes of Spring.”

Like to learn about what’s happening along the Niagara Escarpment? Why not subscribe to Escarpment Views?

Below is a request from the Terry Fox Foundation, for your memories of his historic run.

     I’ll share mine here. My parents were hosting some of our relatives from Germany at their house in the country north of Georgetown. I was driving to my parents house, on the stretch of Highway 7 between Georgetown and Acton, when I saw flashing lights approaching me, people running on the shoulder on the other side of the road, carrying buckets to hold cash contributions, and I knew that something special was going on. I pulled over to the side of the road and then I saw him. Terry Fox in white T shirt and shorts, running with that unmistakable hopeful hop, swinging his artificial leg. Of course I burst into tears. When his procession passed, I drove slowly to my parents’ house.

     “What’s the matter?” asked my ever-observant mother.

     “I just saw Terry Fox,” I said, and the tears ran again.

     “Who is that?” asked my German aunt and uncle. And my parents explained who Terry Fox was, and my relatives later went back to Germany with the knowledge of him and the impact he had on Canadians and perhaps the rest of the world.

     And the tears are flowing even now as I write this, a few decades later.

     Here’s what the Terry Fox Foundation wants:

It does not seem possible that the story of Terry Fox is now 30 years old, nor that we are all 30 years older since we first heard it. In preparation for the 30th Anniversary of The Marathon of Hope, the Ontario Office of The Terry Fox Foundation is asking individuals who met or saw Terry during his visit to your community to share their stories with us. Terry touched the lives of many people across the country in the summer of 1980. We would love to hear these stories and share them with the rest of Canada on our website, Facebook, and Twitter pages.

     Please email or write your “I Remember Terry” (500 words or less) and fax it to the attention of Jessica at 416-924-6597 or email it to ontario2@terryfoxrun.org. We look forward to creating a narrative that reflects Canadians’ relationship with Terry Fox.

     The 30th Annual Terry Fox Run is Sunday September 19th. Please join us as we work together to outrun cancer.

Are you going to share your memories? Is there someone else whose challenge with illness has moved you?

I just learned about a craggy-faced character who might bring fun to the study of geological science, if we help…

Scarpface is the name of a new project intended to get students interested in the Niagara Escarpment. Created by the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Fund (NEBF), the charitable foundation that works with the Niagara Escarpment Commission, the project aims to engage teachers, elementary and secondary school students in Escarpment studies, in the natural wonders of the Escarpment. 

The fun part comes with the introduction of a rocky, colossal superhero character by the name of Scarpface, who embodies the magnificent Niagara Escarpment and has the motto “Don’t mess with the edge.” The first 25 classes to send to the NEBF their projects, essays, and photos on the themes of natural science, geography and culture, will receive a Scarpface character t-shirt for every class member.

“We are very pleased to share this dynamic proposal to excite a new generation of Ontarians in our awe-inspiring natural resources,” says Moreen Miller, chair of the NEBF. ”The Escarpment is vital to Ontario’s air and water quality. The more people are aware of this amazing part of our province the better we can live and work in it sustainably.”

            The Scarpface project is competing for a grant of $10,000 from Pepsi Refresh, a community relations initiative to support popular good-works projects. 

            “All across Canada, people from every walk of life are producing powerful, creative and fun ideas that can create positive change,” says Joey Adler, Pepsi Refresh Project Canadian Advisory Board Member. “Pepsi’s Refresh Project is going to help move ideas from wishful thinking to reality, and that’s an incredibly exciting effort to support.”

            In order for NEBF to win their grant and go ahead with the Scarpface Project, people have to vote for it at Pepsi’s Refresh site.

            Here are the goals of the Scarpface Project:

 • To encourage teachers and students to learn about the Niagara Escarpment

 • To engage classes in Escarpment studies and submit their projects online

 • Increase awareness of the Escarpment’s importance to our environment

 • Distribute Scarpface t-shirts to 25 classes of participants

     And here’s a description of the project in educational terms:

The Scarpface–Don’t Mess with the Edge project incorporates education and entertainment to engage Ontario students and teachers in Niagara Escarpment (NE) studies in science, geography and culture. Scarpface is a superhero figure representing the unique environment of the NE. Scarpface will benefit communities by increasing awareness of the significance of the NE. Improved understanding of the NE’s biodiversity (hundreds if not thousands of species of animals and plants) and impact on air and water quality, will encourage people to protect this extraordinary place. Students and teachers will be the focus of a multi-media campaign across the province. The first 25 classes to submit projects to the website receive Scarpface t-shirts for the class. The remaining shirts will be sold for fund raising.

Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Fund

     NEBF is a unique private/public fund that will be seen as the model across Canada for its presence as a premier, regional charitable organization, dedicated for use by the people on the landscape it serves. NEBF will be used by those committed to conserving the biodiversity that is the Niagara Escarpment. It is a fund that will be used to promote sustainable communities throughout the length of the Escarpment. It is a fund that will be used to collaborate with other like-minded individuals and organizations in improving the biodiversity and heritage of the Escarpment through research, outreach, and education. The fund will provide support for academic research on the rich natural biodiversity of the Escarpment to make optimal decisions for our future sustainability, both environmentally and within our own communities.

The fund supports the pillars of the UNESCO designation: education, science, and culture, and will establish the ideals and objectives to achieve the goals of the proposed projects and initiatives needed to create healthy and vibrant communities throughout the Niagara Escarpment while expanding people’s knowledge of the uniqueness of this world-renowned biosphere.

The fund will also be used to identify and promote, where possible, land acquisition of even more significant Escarpment properties for trails, public parks, and conservation.

The Biosphere Reserve Coordination project, in conjunction with those who want to see this change for the better, for our farmers, for our communities, for our families, and for our environment, are working toward a brighter tomorrow, today.

Here’s more information about the NEBF or contact Teri Trent, 905 877 6370.

What do you think of this project? Any thoughts on the competition for grants? Do you have a problem with Pepsi running it?

For a look at the rocks of the Niagara Escarpment below the surface, see our amazing feature “Beginner Caves on the Escarpment.”

     This looks like a pretty cool activity for people of any age:

     The past comes alive at Crawford Lake Conservation Area, at the popular Dig In and Discover Archaeology event on July 18 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. for a great day of discovery and exploration into the past.

     Visit with staff in the Turtle Clan Longhouse for a demonstration of traditional fire starting techniques and storytelling. Visitors can explore the Iroquoian village, view fascinating videos, and make a clay pot to take home. You can also participate in a discovery hunt and win a great prize.

     Take part in a simulated dig at the Crawford Lake site. Learn how and why archaeologists do what they do and find out more about fascinating artifacts and Ontario’s First Nations.

     After visiting the village take a hike through Crawford Lake’s beautiful woodlands and learn more about the history of the area. 

     Finally, stop by the Giftshop and take home a unique item as a souvenir of this great event. Feel good about your purchases as all funds stay in the park to help support conservation!

     Crawford Lake Conservation Area is located on the corner of Conservation Road (formerly Steeles Avenue) and Guelph Line, 5 km south of Hwy 401 or 15 km north of the QEW.  Regular park admission fees apply for this special event and kids ages four and under are free! There’s more information online or by calling Crawford Lake at (905) 854-0234.

     To learn more about the recreation activities at all of Conservation Halton’s parks, or any of the special events taking place, visit their website and go to the Parks and Recreation section.

     Conservation Halton is the community-based environmental agency that protects, restores and manages the natural resources in its watershed. The organization has staff that includes ecologists, land-use planners, engineers, foresters and educators, along with a network of volunteers, who are guided by a board of directors comprised of municipally elected and appointed citizens. Conservation Halton is recognized for its stewardship of creeks, forests and Niagara Escarpment lands through science-based programs and services.

Have you been to Crawford Lake and experienced the native village? What do you think of it?

For more about Crawford Lake, see our feature article “Maple Moon: Sugar Making on the Escarpment 600 Years Ago.”  For a free trial issue of Escarpment Views, just contact us.

On Aug. 2, cycling enthusiasts from across the entire province and beyond, from serious racers to beginners, will descend upon the village of Terra Cotta in Caledon, to participate in the annual one-day Le Tour de Terra Cotta bike race and cycling events.

     The multi-event classic starts at 7 a.m. The signature event, Le Tour de Terra Cotta Classic, a 108-km course completed at speeds of over 45 km/h begins at 11 a.m. Prior to this, Le Tour de Terra Cotta Kids, a great way to introduce children aged eight to 16 to the fun and health benefits of cycling, will take place. A third event, Le Tour de Terra Cotta Adult Short Course, is a 27-km race designed for new riders, tri-athletes in training or those who prefer a shorter course.

     Held in the scenic hills of the Niagara Escarpment, this event continues to gain popularity as the number of cyclist and spectators continues to grow each year. 2010 expects to see up to 600 participants. While the majority of participants come from the Golden Horseshoe area, riders from across Canada and the United States have attended; Le Tour de Terra Cotta has even welcomed cyclists from Italy.

     “Le Tour de Terra Cotta is fast becoming an elite event that attracts the best teams in Ontario to race the challenging and scenic Caledon hills. The warm support of the residents creates a fun festival atmosphere, great for families, spectators and riders,” says Amy Moore, former pro cyclist and cycling coach.

     The nine-km course, with full road closure, is sanctioned by the Ontario Cycling Association and is unique in Ontario. This year it has attracted the support of Share the Road, a cycling coalition raising awareness for bike safety and healthy lifestyle. It offers a rare opportunity to participants on every level because they can experience the thrill of the only European-style race held in the province. The race both starts and finishes near the Forge Pavilion on King St. in Terra Cotta.

     Created in 2005 through the efforts of local resident Ted Webb, with the support of the community and the Brampton Cycling Club, the race became solely a community event in 2009, run entirely by volunteers from surrounding communities and cycling clubs. Proceeds from Le Tour de Terra Cotta will support the Terra Cotta Community Centre Heritage Restoration. The refurbishing of this structure built in 1862, and designated a Caledon Heritage building, has been a labour of love for the local community for over 12 years.

     Nestled in the beautiful Niagara Escarpment, this community event provides an unforgettable experience to children, beginners, cycling enthusiasts and elite athletes. More information is available.  

What kind of cycling do you enjoy?

For more about serious youth cyclists, see our feature article “Kids of Steel Conquer Collingwood.” 

If you like learning about what’s happening close to the Niagara Escarpment, you might want to subscribe to the magazine!

On Sat. July 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 17 heritage sites in Erin, Hillsburgh, Alton, Caledon and Orangeville will participate in the Ontario Heritage Trust Doors Open program.
     Special events in Erin Village include a guided walking tour at 10:30 a.m. to the site of the Woollen Mill ruin, and another, more challenging, guided walk at 2:00 p.m., across the top of the moraine.
     The Victorian ambiance of the Main Street will be enhanced throughout the day with actors from Century Church Theatre in period costume. All Saints Anglican features Kersti Finnie on the pipe organ built in 1947 by Casavant Freres of Saint‐Hyacinthe, Quebec. All Saints also features Anna Marie Holtom and John Wright screening Stars of the Town, one of a collection of 85 black and white films depicting day-to-day life in small town southwestern Ontario captured by the Rev. Leroy Massecar between 1947 and 1949.
     From the Charles Street dam visitors will likely be able to watch kingfishers trolling for chub, and an enterprising pair of muskrats who have set up residence under a huge black willow behind the Porcupine’s Quill.
     Complete details of the day’s events are available, where background documents available for download include the complete text of The Cromaboo Mail Carrier, a novel written by Mary Leslie which offers an unflattering fictionalized depiction of Erin Village as it was in 1878. On a more positive note, A Backwoods Hero by Alexander McLachlan eulogises in verse the considerable achievements of Daniel McMillan, whom many consider to be the father of Erin Village. A Brief History of Erin Village documents the architectural history of the Main Street. A Brief History of McMillan’s Mills looks at the industrial history of the village.

     Have you been to any previous Doors Open event? What have you enjoyed seeing? Is there any place or building that you would like to see open its doors?

     For other events happening along the Niagara Escarpment, see our Calendar of Events.

     These articles in Escarpment Views give you more insight into some of the interesting people of Erin Village and surrounding areas:

“The Creative Hands of Benitta Wilcox”

“Autumn Colour: Touring for Artists’ Studios”

“Grimsby Wayzgoose: For the Love of Paper and Print”

We’ve been starting to get responses to our summer issue. Some of them are so interesting that I hope we’ll have room to publish them on our letters page.

     As for other reactions, we’ve had praise for the centre photo spread, as we always do, and Mike enjoys bragging that he’s sleeping with his centrefold model. She’s cute and has a great tail, but is very hairy, with a wet black nose and four paws, in case you’re wondering.

     We’ve heard from people whose gardens we featured. “Look at my garden!” one of them told Mike. “It doesn’t look that way now.” Well, we know how gardens change from week to week. And the gardener was seen proudly showing other people her photo. An aquaintance of mine emailed that she wants to be in the garden on the cover. Someone stopped us on the street to say to Mike “You take photos underwater now too?” A Chamber of Commerce in the Georgian Bay area of the Niagara Escarpment told us that it’s a wonderful magazine and they’re proud to display it.

     One of our advertisers wrote “Wow!” and that she loved the variety of articles. When she makes up “goodie bags,” she includes copies of Escarpment Views. What a great idea!

     Other people have reported that copies are “flying” out of their locations. I’ve heard that readers are planning to go to some of the places that have been advertised in our magazine, because they’ve only learned about them from their ads with us. Mike had someone tell him that after seeing a restaurant ad in our issue, the man remembered “That’s a great place. Excellent fish and chips.”

     But we’re already getting busy with our Autumn issue. We’d love to get your events for our calendar covering Sept. 1 to Dec. 1. Send them to us for free listings in print, on this website, or both.

     And if you want to advertise your business, festival, event or service in our Autumn issue, get back to us or your local sales rep. Our ad space reservations will close July 25. You’ll have until Aug. 1 for the final artwork. Be part of our great Autumn issue and you can share in the interest our next issue will generate!

Do you have anything to share about what you liked or didn’t like about our summer issue?
If you’d like to get your own free copy, pick one up from one of our advertisers near you, or contact us for your free trial issue.

Here’s an update on the American Kestrel that needed a name, that we blogged about earlier.

     Conservation Halton (CH) says they’re thrilled to announce that their young American Kestrel finally has a name to call his own: Bean!

     Bean was one of the most popular submissions received during the contest to name CH’s new American Kestrel. The Mountsberg Raptor Centre team wants to thank everyone who made a submission to the contest through the Mountsberg Raptor Centre Facebook page , via email or in person.

     The Mountsberg Raptor Centre staff agree that the name Bean, which is short, sweet, and cute, suits this little bird’s personality perfectly. Additionally, since the United Nations proclaimed 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity, and with the Biodiversity Education and Awareness Network (BEAN) supporting the naming suggestions, it was a perfect fit!

     There were many other submissions that deserve recognition, which were touching, humorous, or otherwise very fitting. Notable Honourable Mentions were:

·         Captain Jack Sparrow - another popular suggestion, with key points being the American Kestrel’s colloquial name of ‘sparrow-hawk’, the association between pirates and being blind in one eye, and the dark eye markings around the eyes being reminiscent of Johnny Depp’s character in Pirates of the Caribbean,

·         Hathaway - after a classic shirt advertisement with a man wearing an eyepatch,

·         and Horus - after the Egyptian falcon-god. 

     Staff Choice Awards include Polyphemus (both a Cyclops in Greek mythology and a beautiful moth), Amadeus (From Falco’s hit “Rock Me Amadeus” and tied in with the kestrel’s Latin name “Falco sparverius”), Hawkeye (after Alan Alda’s character in M*A*S*H) and Fortinbras (from Shakespeare’s Hamlet).

       Bean is blind in his left eye due to impact trauma sustained in an accident when young. American Kestrels are North America’s smallest falcon. They’re active, agile predators that can snatch a sparrow right out of the air! They also feed on large insects and small rodents. American Kestrels have black “malar” stripes under their eyes to protect them from the glare of the sun, just like football players.

About the Mountsberg Raptor Centre

Tucked within Mountsberg Conservation Area, the Mountsberg Raptor Centre is currently home to 14 different species of native birds of prey. Many of the Raptor Centre’s resident birds of prey have permanent injuries that have left them incapable of surviving on their own in the wild. In many cases, these injuries were caused by human activity. With the help of these feathered ambassadors, the Mountsberg Raptor Centre teaches the community about the native birds of prey that share our environment and how to reduce the negative impact we can have on them.

     Mountsberg Conservation Area is located on Milburough Line, five km west of Campbellville, between Hwy 6 south and the Guelph Line. 

     What do you think of the name Bean? Does it work for you? Do you prefer one of the other names mentioned?

     If you’re interested in nature, check out our feature article on the Eastern Massassauga Rattlesnake. And why not subscribe to keep articles like these coming your way? Or ask us for a free sample issue. We’d love to have you join our community!

The summer issue of Escarpment Views is available for free pick up now from many of our advertisers. Drop in on one in your neighbourhood and tell them you came for a copy.
     This issue is our gardens galore spectacular, with features on growing mighty delphiniums, and some of the lovely private gardens that were on horticultural tours in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Georgetown last year.
     As well, Mike takes you underwater off the Bruce Peninsula to some of the shallow shipwrecks you can see from kayak or by snorkelling. His photographs are unusual views you certainly don’t see frequently. As I’ve said before, he will do almost anything and go almost anywhere to get compelling photos.
     We present a ferry ride on the Chi-Cheemaun with an interview with Captain Adams and photographs of the bridge, the ship and what you see while sailing between Tobermory and South Baymouth.
     Our featured centre photograph is a stone beach, on the north shore of Manitoulin Island, where the Niagara Escarpment reappears in Lake Huron. This is one of the properties protected by the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy. We hear that some people are collecting, framing & hanging up these centre photos! I have to admit that my own office walls are getting covered with them.
     We also celebrate the local freshness available at farmers’ markets, especially Georgetown Farmers’ Market and Ottawa Street Farmers’ Market in Hamilton.
     What looks interesting to you in this issue?

     Of course, instead of having to go out and pick up a copy, you can subscribe and get Escarpment Views coming to you! 
     If you missed the spring issue, some of the articles are available here, or you can contact us to order a copy that we’ll mail to you for $5.25 until July 1. Then it’ll cost $5.65 because of the HST.

Mike and I attended MagNet last week, a national conference for the Canadian magazine industry. On one day we sat in on sessions about the Canada Periodical Fund and about Canada Post, but we didn’t learn much that was new or helpful to us. That’s partly thanks to the Independent Publishers’ Association of Ontario, which we are part of, and which had a meeting recently about the changes to the federal periodical fund.
     I think there’s value in attending a professional development seminar even when you don’t learn anything new, if only so that you get confirmation that your knowledge is current.
     The next day we attended sessions that were jam-packed with new ideas and information. I went to “Circulation Solutions on a Small Budget” by Faith Drinnan, Mike attended “The Fundamentals of Advertising Sales” by Gwen Dunant and we both heard “Small Magazine Creative Marketing Solutions” discussed by three panellists.
     While we scribbled down plenty of notes from these sessions, a strong sense that remains is that people seem to be impressed by Escarpment Views. Thanks to Mike’s fearlessness in handing out copies of our summer issue, lots of people talked to us about the magazine. An editor I’ve known for a long time said she envies us for starting our own magazine that’s a success! One of the panellists even held up a copy saying that we’re doing a lot of neat things, and then used it as an example of ways to try to get advertisers to take bigger spaces. The fact that we have already tried the techniques he mentioned was not as important as the promotion and recognition he gave us. He wouldn’t have used Escarpment Views as an example if it was poor.
     I was exhausted by two solid days of meeting people and taking in information but MagNet was definitely worth going to. Now the challenge is to actually implement the many good ideas we were given.
     What conferences have you found helpful and why?

If you liked this post you may want to read “Celebrating Two Years of Publishing Escarpment Views!” 

Don’t forget to subscribe before July 1 to beat the HST!