The Spirit Sings at Crawford Lake on August 15
August 03rd 2010Here’s another event for the whole family to enjoy, or people of any age! Sounds charming, romantic and mysterious…
Summer evenings in Ontario’s natural areas are a time of magic. The summer breeze stirs forest leaves, crickets sing and owls call. Adults can slow down and reconnect to the world around them and children thrill at the excitement of moonlight nature walks, or storytelling around a crackling fire. You do not have to travel far to experience the wonder of a traditional summer evening, as on Sunday, August 15, Crawford Lake Conservation Area will host its annual Spirit Sings event.
Spirit Sings allows visitors of all ages to experience the excitement of a summer night. The evening runs from 6 to 9 p.m. and includes a variety of guided activities. First Nations teacher Joe Paquette will share past and present First Nations traditions around a crackling fire in Crawford Lake’s reconstructed Iroquoian village. Staff will also guide visitors through a quiet forest path to a starlit lake. Finally, guests will sample traditional First Nations food, and create a craft to take home.
The Spirit Sings event begins as the moon rises, however, registrants may explore Crawford Lake for the full day as part of the registration fee. The park boasts hiking trails on the Niagara Escarpment, a rare lake, beautiful woodlands, and a Visitors Centre with giftshop and picnic areas. The Iroquoian village is also open daily for the summer between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Spirit Sings is a pre-registered event and runs from 6 until 9 p.m. Spots fill quickly so please register early. The cost is $24 for adults, and $5 for seniors and children between 8 and 14. To register, visit the Conservation Halton website and go to Spirit Sings in the Events Calendar.
Crawford Lake Conservation Area is located on the corner of Conservation Road and Guelph Line, 5km south of Hwy 401 or 15 km north of the QEW. Crawford Lake is one of six Conservation Areas operated by Conservation Halton. To learn more about recreation activities or any of the special events taking place at the parks, visit the website.
Dig In and Discover Archaeology at Crawford Lake
July 07th 2010This 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.
Cycling at Le Tour de Terra Cotta
July 06th 2010On 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!
Help Plant Trees at Mountsberg on May 8
April 23rd 2010Conservation Halton invites you to join a team of between 300 and 400 volunteers to help plant 3,000 trees on Sat. May 8. The planting will take place from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Mountsberg Conservation Area as part of the Trees for Watershed Health Program.
The event is open to individuals, families or groups who pre-register. It is free of charge and includes a complimentary barbecue. Spaces tend to fill up early so register your group or family now .
In addition to the tree planting, volunteers can enjoy a day full of activities. Take a wagon ride, check out a birds of prey show, play in the Play Barn and visit the farm animals at the Cameron barnyard. The Mountsberg Raptor Centre staff is also making plans to introduce their newest addition to the community at the Trees for Watershed Health barbeque.
“The Trees for Watershed Health planting is a highlight of our spring calendar every year, and it’s wonderful to see the community participation,” said Hassaan Basit, Conservation Halton’s director of communications services. “This year, we are pleased to be celebrating the International Year of Biodiversity and planting trees is a great way for all of us to help promote biodiversity in the watershed.”
Volunteers are reminded to dress according to the weather, wear waterproof boots and bring a shovel. The event will happen rain or shine. Registration for the event is required by Friday, April 30, and space is limited.
Launched in 2006, Trees for Watershed Health is a Conservation Halton community outreach program designed to engage watershed residents and community groups in tree planting. The program was started to bring communities and nature together to help increase forest cover in the Halton watershed.
Mountains, Caves and Limestone Outcroppings in West Virginia
March 22nd 2010Just back from a short break from magazine work, having gone with Mike to a favourite place of his in West Virginia. We crossed the border at Queenston and Mike took photos of fabulous views of the Niagara Escarpment from the American side. The Gorge, The Whirlpool and the American and Canadian falls are truly spectacular at this time of year, with heavy water flow and no leaves on the trees to obstruct views far across the gorge.
About 12 hours later, in the middle of the night, we arrived at “The Fieldhouse,” a cottage managed by the Potomac Speleological Club, where Mike had to get the indoor plumbing working and start a fire in the old woodstove, although it was actually warm enough outside without having to heat indoors. Spring is here!
Next morning we hiked among herds of grazing sheep and baby lambs which Kelly the border collie was good enough to treat with respect, although she couldn’t help but stare at and stalk them for a few steps. This had the mama sheep calling their wayward babies to their sides. Lambs returned the cries from various places on the hillside, and soon they had all herded up and moved away for safety.
Mike led the way to Smoke Hole Cave, an interesting set of caves with openings to light and air, two of my very favourite things when caving. A historic plaque on the road far below, which we saw later, claims that signs of smoke on the roof of a large cave indicates that native Indians may have used the cave to cure meat. After seeing the steepness of the climb to the cave and the lack of flat ground nearby for camping and preparing the meat, I doubt that the natives would care to carry haunches of deer meat there. The caves would, however, provide comfortable shelter around a central fire, so I can see people using them for that.
After the three-hour hike, we drove around the mountainous country where Mike says it takes one hour to go one mile. Spectacular jagged outcrops like Eagle Rock and Cave Mountain look like parts of our own Niagara Escarpment, although they are in a different geological formation, the Allegheny Mountains. We drove from the bottom, where a tributary of the Potomac River flows to Washington, up to the highest point we could reach by car, where a tent and campfire equipment showed that perhaps fishermen were spending the night.
So, after driving 12 hours in order to take a three-hour hike, we were back on the road, gratefully finding a Starbucks for cappuccino in Ohio, something not to be seen in West Virginia, where a couple seeing our Ontario licence plate, asked where we were from. Turned out they are from Stoney Creek, and were on their way to Myrtle Beach and then Florida. Also turned out that they had seen Escarpment Views, but not the spring issue, so we gave them a copy and returned home. Small world. Big mountains!
Have you gone anywhere interesting lately?
Ken Haigh writes another popular hiking feature
October 17th 2009 I heard this week from Ken Haigh, who wrote the Falling Water Trail feature article for us. He’s had several calls from people asking for more information about the trail. His last hiking article for us also attracted some interest.
A few weeks ago I got a call from someone saying she had gone to Beaver Valley to hike the trail after seeing the current feature.
“Another great issue,” she said. “Keep it up.” We love hearing about people’s responses to the articles.
Where are you enjoying walking these crisp, cool, sunny days?
Catch-up of Mentions of Escarpment Views
October 27th 2008If this bog had been active earlier, I would have pointed readers to a couple or three interesting mentions of Escarpment Views. One is on the blog of writer Jennifer Smith who lives in Milton (or Sprawlville as she calls it?). Last spring she wrote of “something wonderful” that she first read about in Trudi Down’s article for us: the Halton Fresh Food Box Program. Thanks for the mention, Jennifer!
Another item is the Sydenham Bruce Trail club’s report in their fall newsletter, about Ken Haigh’s article and great photos about the trail’s new Bayview Escarpment reroute east of Owen Sound. You can read the whole article in Selected Articles on our site. Ross McLean’s report in the club’s newsletter notes “It is feedback such as this that gives trail builders their satisfaction.” We here at EscarpmentViews appreciate the Bruce Trail Conservancy and are happy to celebrate its achievements.
We’re also pleased to have been interviewed by Masthead Magazine about our launch of Escarpment Views. They published their report in both the print issue and online. We thank them for giving us this honour.
Do you have information about local fresh food programs in your area? What’s your favourite stretch of the Bruce Trail?