s we drive west from Toronto on Highway 401, it's amazing how attitudes change. Traffic thins and highway lanes shrink from 16 to eight to four. The frantic pace of Metro Toronto gradually gives way to the peacefulness of a place that, if not totally unoccupied, is at least less filled.
Some 60 km (38 mi.) west, we leave the 401 at Guelph Line and enter the gentle hills and valleys of Wellington County at Highway 7. Here, we embark on a path to freedom and fun - a perfect escape from the big city bustle.
Our first stop is the city of Guelph, founded in 1827 by Scottish novelist John Galt, superintendent of the Canada Company from 1826 to 1829. Colonel John McCrae, author of the poem, In Flanders Fields, was born here in 1872, and the historic John McCrae House, containing many of Dr. McCrae's personal belongings, is open to the public.
We follow Highway 6 northwest out of Guelph for 22 km (14 mi.) to the town of Fergus. Many of its settlers were Scots, and this is reflected in the fine stone structures, and the annual Highland Games held in August, the largest in North America. It also claims Ontario's oldest fall fair.
Just south of Fergus, on County Road 21 is Elora, where it is well worth the stop to see the Grand River, one of Canada's hetitage waterways, tumble through the beautiful and rugged Elora Gorge. Historic Mill Street is home to many attractive and inticing shops and the Elora Mill, formerly Drimmies Mill, is now an appealing inn and dining room with a wonderful view of the tossing, tumultuous Grand. A few kilometers south, through pleasant rural farmland on County Road 21, then west on 86, brings us to the neat and tidy village of West Montrose, also on the Grand. Here, we find the last of the seven covered bridges that existed in Ontario at the turn of the century. We are now in the heart of Mennonite country, where old meets new, literally, as horse-drawn buggies and carts share roads and parking lots with modern motor vehicles. An unadorned country church surrounded by scores of patient horses hooked to sombre black buggies on Sunday morning, is a sight never to be forgotten.
Mennonites began emigrating to Canada from Pennsylvania in 1784 after the American Revolution, many settling in the Waterloo County area. One of their main contacts with the rest of the community are the Saturday Farmers' markets in Elmira and St. Jacobs. Be sure to try the shoo-fly pie!
Our next destination is Stratford on the Avon River, home to the internationally acclaimed Shakespeare Festival. The theatre was founded in a tent in 1953 with Alec Guinness playing the lead in Richard III. The season runs from June to October, with evening and afternoon performances. If possible, plan your Southwestern Ontario tour around one or more plays, but do reserve ahead for both theatre tickets and accomodation at one of this picturesque city's many hotels, motels and B&B's.
Just 60 km (38 mi.) west on Highway 8 and Huron County Road 3, is Bayfield, a snug harbour and a charming village of quaint shops, art galleries and choice of accomodation that quickly makes us decide to stay overnight here. The warmth of the afternoon, punctuated by the arrival of a large flock of migrating Canada geese, added to the ambience of the day. We chose to stay at The Little Inn, which dates back to 1862 and has been in continuous operation since then under a variety of names. It provided excellent meals in a charming dining room. Our room, although small, was quiet and comfortable.
Heading south from Bayfield, we cross over Highway 402 and continue on 21, past Wyoming and Petrolia to Oil Springs. In spite of many claims to the contrary, Oil Springs, Ontario, not Titusville, Pennsylvania, was the site of North America's first oil well. It was dug by James Miller Williams in 1857. A dynamic manufacturer of carriages and railway cars in Hamilton, Ontario, Williams purchased the "gum beds" property in Enniskillen township in 1856. He decided to seek out the source of the gum and began to dig, striking oil at 14 feet. More wells, and the world's first commercial refinery in 1858 precipitated an oil rush that brought fortune hunters from near and far and turned Oil Springs into an overnight boom town. It reached its peak in 1862 when 1,000 wells were producing 12,000 barrels per day. For a glimpse into Ontario's past oil glories, a visit to the Oil Museum of Canada at Oil Springs is well worthwhile.
Just 25 km (16 mi.) down Highway 21, brings us to Dresden, one of the northern terminuses of the "underground railroad" historic routes to freedom in Canada for black American slaves. The underground railroad was a series of "safe houses" in which barns, cellars or other hiding places were provided for fleeing slaves by compassionate citizens who found slavery morally repugnant. It borrowed its terms from the railroad. Thus the slaves were "parcels" or "passengers", the people who helped them were "conductors" and the safe havens were "depots" or "stations".
We satrted our next day early with a cross country scoot to Niagara-on-the-Lake in the Niagara Penninsula on Highways 402, 401, 19 and 3 to 58 and finally 55. This takes us through the tobacco region around Tillsonburg and Delhi. Once the elite of Ontario agriculture in value per acre, its glory days are passing, although tobacco is still a prosperous crop.
Under 300 easy kilometers (188 mi.) brings us to Niagara-on-the Lake and the heart of Niagara wine country. The area is green, lush and beautiful, its vineyards easily rivalling California's Napa and Sonoma Valleys as one of the world's fine wine regions.
The beautifully restored town is a busy tourist attraction and although there are many inns, motels and B&B's, it's wise to book ahead. We chose the Pillar and Post Inn and found the accomodation luxurious and the food good.
Niagara-on-the-Lake, formerly Newark, was chosen by John Graves Simcoe, Canada's first Lieutenant-Governor, as the first capital of Upper Canada in 1792. Simcoe soon decided it was too close to America's Fort Niagara and relocated the capital to York (now Toronto) in 1796. With its clapboard homes, Greek Revival Presbyterian church, traditional apothecary and other authentically restored shops, it is one of North America's best preserved 19th century towns.
It is also the home of the Shaw Festival, the only theatre in the world that specializes in the work of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries (1856 - 1950). Productions run from April to October in three theatres and reservations are recommended.
Ontario wines were once the object of derision. This began to change with the replacement of the labrusca vines with the vinifera variety about two decades ago. The Niagara region is blessed with mild winters and the protection of Lake Ontario on the north and the escarpment to the south. These, plus good soil conditions, create ideal grape growing conditions.
With a 190-day growing season and a latitude of 43 degrees, the same as southern France and northern Italy, the region has attracted experienced European vintners. Many of Ontario's wines are now world-class quality, with its ice wine being the finest available anywhere.
A wine tour, of course, is in order. We chose the 100 hectare Chateau des Charmes in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Established by the Bosc family of France, fifth generation vintners, Paul Bosc was the first in Canada to plant a vineyard entirely in European varietal grapes. That was in 1978 and Paul was influential in convincing the Ontario industry to switch to the vinifera varieties. Chateau des Charmes now produces some of our best rieslings and chardonnays.
We come away from our winery tour with a new appreciation for the delicate nuances of the art and science, the blend of old - oak barrels - and new - stainless steel tanks - that go into producing good wines. With reluctance, we end our Southwestern Ontario tour at Niagara-on-the-Lake. But perhaps it is fitting. The atmosphere was delightful and the wine was dry; the memories will be sweet.
