Trailing through Headwaters country north of Orangeville
Now that summer is coming to an end, excursions to nowhere in particular have more appeal.
We chose a sunny day recently and set off north of Orangeville to explore some of the Headwaters country. This area gets its name because the area includes the headwaters of the Nottawasaga, Humber and Credit rivers. The Escarpment and the Bruce Trail pass through it, and it has lots of small villages and little towns.
Begin by going north on Highway 10 from Orangeville, watching for the sign to Mono Provincial Park. Just before the actual park, you will pass through Mono Centre, established originally in 1823. It had all the necessities of life in those days; blacksmith, sawmill and grist mill, post office, and a town hall where church services could be held. In 1890 it had 100 residents, about the same as today. Today, however, the only businesses seem to be antique shops and real estate for urban escapees. An exception is the Mono Cliffs Inn, where good food and a relaxed atmosphere are now the attraction to the building that housed the general store from 1853 to the late ’70s.
Mono Cliffs is one of the smaller provincial parks at 750 hectares. It occupies a hilly ravine seamed section of Mono Township, with the Escarpment and the Bruce Trail cutting into it. There are seven marked trails shown on the map at the parking lot. There are no facilities other than toilets at the entrance but hikers, bikers and horseback riders enjoy the trails summer and winter. On the
trails, the Escarpment is always not far away. In the quiet, trickling water can heard making its way to one of the large rivers of the area, and ultimately into either Lake Ontario or Georgian Bay.
After visiting the park with maybe a short hike, take any road going north. The best is Third Line, which will go to Highway 89 without being interrupted by an impassible ravine. At Hwy 89, there are three options. Visitors going left (west) to Violet Hill can visit “Granny Taught Us How” for clothes, knick-knacks and natural fibre goods, and/or Mrs. Mitchell’s Restaurant (maybe the original granny) for a filling old-fashioned meal. The lush garden beside Mrs. Mitchell’s fulfils the promise of the settlement name Violet Hill.
In contrast to the gardens at Violet Hill, the hardscrabble life of Dufferin pioneers is on display in several buildings at the Dufferin County Museum. Resembling a barn, the museum stands on a tall hillside at the intersection of Hwy 89 and Airport Road (east of Violet Hill). Current temporary exhibits include a showing of more than 1,500 pieces of sheet music both familiar and “quirky” and a collection of paintings by David Arrigo — some with sports themes, along with other more contemplative works. Always available for viewing are items from the W.J. Hughes Cornflower Collection of 1,600 pieces.
Another option is to continue on Hwy 89 over the tops of hills (the Hockley Valley and Loretto ski areas are nearby), to Rosemont. At one stage, Rosemont was bigger than Alliston, and had four hotels. One is still in use as the Globe Restaurant, offering meals like duck poutine that would not be recognized by its old-time residents. Across the road, the Rosemont General store has a more casual dining place as well as imported foods for sale. Both establishments (run by the same company) provide more seating than expected in their buildings.
Another option is to travel south on Dufferin County Rd. 18, over hills until you cross Hockley Road. A short distance east on Hockley will bring travellers to the Hockley General store. Breakfast and lunch is served, or ice cream cones can be chosen. In the autumn this road, which runs from Highway 10 along the river to the old Highway 11, is a common route for visitors admiring the autumn colours on the hills. In the winter skiers crowd in. At this season the general store is not crowded.
The area travelled on this excursion is one that must have been heartbreaking to farm as a pioneer. Today we can enjoy its beauty without the hardship.