TRAVEL LIKE A LOCAL | Top 10,000 Places to Visit in Canada
The page created by Zahra Hussain | McGill University | Photo by Google Street View
The Scrap Club is the perfect place to make a scrapbook of all your trips across Canada’s small towns. The store sells all scrapbooking essentials, including albums, craft papers, and bundle layout kits.
Alongside their products, The Scrap Club also offers crafting classes, including a sketch class and a Cricut class, as well as regular events such as Crop and Shop. Make memories while scrapbooking memories at The Scrap Club in Hillsburgh!
Photos: https://www.thescrapclub.com/
Built in 1906, the theatre gets its name from its past as Hillsburgh Community Christian Church and is now a quaint and intimate venue for plays and concerts. Remnants from its Church times, including stained glass windows and elm pew, mean that the art on the stage is not the only art you can enjoy during your visit.
Although currently running and upcoming performances can be found on the website, the theatre has hosted performances of ‘The 39 Steps’ (a re-envisioning of Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, performed with a cast of only 4), ‘Dick Whittington and His Cat,’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ If you want to put your star power to the test, you can audition for upcoming performances, and you might get the chance to perform for the town!
Photo: https://www.inthehills.ca/
You will need a place to stay while visiting Hillsburgh, and where better to stay than Hillsburgh House by the Pond? The rustic 1894-built farmhouse overlooks the Millpond and is close to all the Hillsburgh attractions.
Not only this, the bed and breakfast is also near the towns of Erin, Orangeville, and Elora, among others, meaning that you can check quite a few places off your travel list during your stay here. The House also provides fresh treats and beverages upon arrival and hosts a nighttime campfire for their guests, creating a cozy environment for you to relax after the day’s exploration.
Photo: https://www.bbcanada.com/
Started in 1890, Elliott Tree Farm is a family-owned farm specializing in Christmas trees and maple syrup, also offering day campfire sites and three rustic getaways. If you’re concerned about your environmental impact, you’ll be happy to learn that the farm plants two new trees for each harvested tree. You can choose from already cut fir trees or cut a spruce or pine tree yourself.
Alongside their trees, campfire sites, and getaway spots, the farm runs the Heritage Barn Gift Shop, where they sell one-of-a-kind Christmas Wreaths, pure maple syrup, handmade wooden snowmen, handmade soy candles, westwindrose soap, and many other cute holiday keepsakes. If you’re a business owner, you can also plan a custom corporate Christmas event at the farm, including elements such as handmade wreaths, a campfire, and many outdoor activities. The Elliott Tree farm provides such a huge range of holiday essentials that there’s bound to be something for everyone in your group.
The Maple Syrup Museum of Ontario recently moved to Elliott Tree Farm in Hillsburgh.
This one-of-a-kind collection of indigenous, pioneer and early modern artifacts have been collected and assembled over many years to preserve the rich history of maple syrup production within the province of Ontario.
When visiting the museum, you will learn why maple syrup production holds a cultural and historical significance of tradition and food value for the Indigenous people of Ontario and how maple syrup connected their communities to the land, reflecting a harmonious relationship with nature.
Photos: https://www.elliotttreefarm.ca/maple-syrup-museum-of-ontario/
If you are out shopping for Christmas trees and nothing at the previous farm caught your eye, there is no need to fret because Erin Hill Acres is close by! Another farm in Hillsburgh, Erin Hill, originates with John Robertson Kennedy, an ancestor of the current farm owners. He first started a family farm around 1870 in what is now Mississauga, Ontario.
Now down to the seventh-generation kin of Kennedy, the farm offers not only fresh products but fresh air experiences for every season. Their product offerings focus primarily on Lavender and include soaps, oils, jams, and teas. In their winter experiences, they have their Christmas trees (including Blue Spruce, Balsam Fir, and Meyer Spruce), wagon rides, and Christmas activities. For summer experiences, they open their farm walking trails on the farm and focus their activities and products on lavender, such as a soap-making activity.
Walking trails are also open in the fall, alongside their sunflower and pumpkin farms. No matter the season, Erin Hill Acres is a must on your itinerary.
Photo: https://erinhillacres.farm/
Fanjoy Culinary + Wellness Centre was opened by Chef Pam – a therapist turned chef who hopes to give back to the community through Culinary programs. The centre offers a program in Culinary Fundamentals, Culinary & Life Skills and Rainbow Culinary Connections. The centre aims to train young adults wanting to enter the hospitality industry and to support teens and young adults struggling with their physical or mental health. The Life Skills and Rainbow Connections programs are specifically for young adults who are neurodivergent, struggle with mental illness, or identify as LGBTQ2S+ or non-binary.
The centre is both a safe space and a learning environment. It has programs open for young people between the ages of 12-20, including Junior Chef classes and a Junior Chef Culinary summer camp. The centre also offers group and corporate cooking classes for adults interested in the services. You can also buy fully prepared meals, a portion of the proceeds from which go to the Junior Chef Impact Fund. This fund helps underprivileged youths attend culinary programs. If you need a place of support or want to help provide it for someone else, visit the Fanjoy Centre!
Photos: Chef Pam Fanjoy | https://www.fanjoycentre.com/
For comfort food fans, Hillsburgh has Tina’s Homemade Cooking, a restaurant serving all-day breakfast, lunch, and baked goods! If you’re tired of eating on the road, come to Tina’s for a taste of home!
Photo: Google Street View
Spend a day outdoors at Victoria Park, an accessible park for children of various abilities. The playground has a wheelchair-accessible ramp, and the park has a ball diamond, a gazebo, and a picnic area. In the winter, the park opens its outdoor skating rink. Regardless of the season, Victoria Park is a great place to spend a day with family and friends!
Photo: https://www.erin.ca/
Another park in Hillsburgh is Hillsburgh Historical Park. This site used to host a General Store and, upon its closing, remained vacant for many years until the community got together to create a park. The park includes a beautiful Barn Beam Structure, an outdoor stage for concerts and community gatherings, charming greenery, and benches to sit on to take it all in.
The park is great to stop by to attend some great community events, including outdoor church services and the annual Christmas Tree Lighting.
Photo: Google Photos
